All-Makes Vintage Bike Show April 13

April 8th, 2013
Indian motorcycle

Maybe this old Indian will show up at High Country Harley-Davidson on Saturday.

This could be fun. High Country Harley-Davidson is hosting Ride-In Vintage Bike Show this coming Saturday.

Their promo says it is, “your chance to show off that great old bike you’ve been working on all winter long. We’re looking for pre-1980s vintage bikes that you can ride to the show on April 13th. Whether you’ve got a museum-quality bike or an everyday rider, we want you to bring it in. All makes and models are welcome, not just Harleys. And if you don’t own a vintage bike, but want to have a good time, come on in and see the dozens of great vintage, retro, and antique bikes that’ll be on display in our parking lot. This is a non-judged, free registration event.”

And here’s the blurb off their website: Vintage Ride-In Bike Show

April 13, 2013 10 am to 2 pm
Open House
Get those museum pieces out of your garage and out to High Country for our first Vintage Bike Show. All makes and models welcome. The only rule is that it must be old, preferably 70s and earlier. No registration is necessary. Just come on out!

So color me interested. If the weather is good this might be something Dan and Alan and I could ride up to. FYI, in case you don’t know, High Country is in Frederick, which is up I-25 off the Dacono exit at CO 52. In fact, while they theoretically are in Frederick, they are in fact just south of the interchange on the west side of I-25.

Maybe I’ll see you there.

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Biker Quote for Today

See, your bike made you dinner. All it has to do now is fetch you a beer, and then you won’t even need a wife.

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I Want a Scooter; I Want a Dual-sport

April 4th, 2013
Scooters at a traffic signal

They may not be macho but scooters are fun.

Man, why don’t I just have unlimited wealth so I can buy anything I want? I’ve talked a lot here about wanting a dual-sport bike but I think I’ve also mentioned that I want a scooter.

Hey, I’m not some macho guy who wouldn’t be caught dead on a scooter. They’re fun and simple and I want one. I just want something I can hop on to run off to the grocery store or the post office or the bank–without having to put all this gear on and go through the hassle of rolling one of the bikes out.

Sure I’d still put on a helmet but going out on one of my big motorcycles takes me 5-10 minutes getting ready, depending on the time of year. I want to just hop on and go.

So I’m kind of jealous. Awhile ago Randy, one of the OFMC guys, let us all know he had come by a scooter for free. I don’t recall the details; something like an aunt won it in a raffle but had no use for it so she gave it to him.

Now just the other day Charley asked me if I had a battery charger because Danielle, his girlfriend, had a scooter in her garage and they figured they’d see if they could get it started. It seems her old boyfriend left it behind when he moved out and doesn’t want it. Why doesn’t somebody give me a scooter?

Well I am making money these days, what with this regular job and all, so I’m looking really hard at buying one. But I also want a dual-sport bike, and if I spend money on the scooter that’s money I won’t have for the dual-sport. Oh, these decisions.

But, you know, what I’d really like is one of those electric scooters. Then the dirt cheap cost of operation goes almost to free and you’re not messing with gas and plugs and oil and all that.

Anyway, I’ve been checking craigslist. Maybe some day soon I’ll have news.

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Bah, anyone can drag their elbow on the pavement at 90 mph.

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Coming On Ride To Work Season

April 1st, 2013
motorcycle and "motorcycle parking only" sign

It's going to be time to start riding to work soon.

Hot diggity, the days are getting warmer–and longer–and riding to work is once again going to be an option. Actually, where I work now, out west of Union on Alameda, there are a couple hard-core BMW guys who already are riding most days.

Of course, I haven’t met them yet, so who knows if maybe they just live 2 miles away. For me it is a 22-mile ride if I take the direct route, or about 26 miles if I take the route with less traffic. You can ignore a lot if you’re only going a few miles.

I don’t like taking the more direct route because that puts me in the thick of commuter traffic, with a lot of stop and go. That’s murder on your clutch wrist. Plus it’s dangerous. I went this same route several years ago when I was working out in the same general area and there was more than one occasion when I was on a bike and someone decided to pull into the next lane without looking to see if anyone–me–might be there who they could not see in their mirror.

The fact is, though, I’m going to be a bit torn in another month or so. The W line for the RTD’s light rail system is set to open April 26 and that will enable me to get on the train very close to home and ride all they way out to 2nd and Union. I’ll need to get on a bus from there but the bus stops right outside our office building. Why battle traffic at all when you don’t need to?

But I will want to ride at least some days. So I guess I won’t be getting a monthly pass. Those things cost enough that if you don’t use them every day you don’t save any money. I guess I’ll just get the book of passes that save you some money and ride the bike some days, ride the light rail some days, and maybe even drive my car some days–maybe not.

Of course that’s the other thing. Right now there is a bottleneck on I-25 where Santa Fe feeds into it, but that project looks like it should be finished in two or three months. Once they get all those north and south lanes open I’m hoping the jam-ups that are there pretty much every day will go away, and then even taking that route by car may be a lot better. Might even go that way on the bike, if it improves a lot.

Till then, though, I’m just looking for it to be nice enough that I won’t have to dress as if it was winter just because I’m leaving home at 7:45 a.m. Then maybe I’ll finally meet those beemer guys.

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OFMC Plans for 2013 Ride

March 28th, 2013
OFMC 2011

The OFMC in 2011, headed to Telluride.

Where is the OFMC going on its 2013 ride? I mentioned before that it’s an all-Colorado ride so there will be some short days. Day one will be the very shortest, at least for everyone except John, who is coming from Montrose. We’re headed to the Poudre Canyon. Those of us leaving from Denver will head up to Loveland, west out of town on U.S. 36, and then to Masonville and up the Buckhorn Canyon road, over the Stove Prairie Road to the Poudre, and then to the Sportsman’s Lodge.

Day two we’ll go on up the canyon over Cameron Pass into North Park, then take U.S. 40 over Berthoud Pass and then over to Dillon. Johnathon has a gig there that night so this is when he’ll be joining us.

We’ll take CO 9 out of Dillon the next morning, up to Kremmling, and then Gore Pass to Toponas. How we’re going to get to Meeker–our stop for the night–from there I’m not sure. We once took Ripple Creek Pass, which is the most direct way, but that road is unpaved and most of the OFMC guys don’t like riding gravel. It’s a beautiful ride, though.

Next stop after Meeker will be Mesa, via Douglas Pass, with a sidetrip over Rimrock Drive through Colorado National Monument. Mesa, in case you’re uncertain (I was) is on the north side of Grand Mesa on CO 65, which you reach via the Debeque Cutoff.

The following day we’ll cross Grand Mesa and head down to Crested Butte. Our route will take us through Crawford on CO 92, to the north rim of the Black Canyon, on through Gunnison, and then back north out of Gunnison.

From there we’ll head back south to Gunnison, over North Cochetopa Pass down to Saguache, down to South Fork, over Wolf Creek Pass to stop for the night in Pagosa Springs.

Breaking out of the all-Colorado theme for one night, our next stop will be in Angle Fire, New Mexico. We’ll head south out of Pagosa on U.S. 84 and pick up U.S. 64 through Taos and on to Angel Fire. Not sure why John picked that spot, considering we stopped there for lunch a couple years ago and I know I was not impressed. Oh well, John plans the route.

Then it’s back into Colorado, along a route I’m not totally certain of, other than that we definitely go over La Veta Pass, then up through Westcliffe, and end up for the night in Canon City.

And then the next day we head home. And we start thinking about next year.

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OFMC 2013 Trip Is Planned

March 25th, 2013
OFMC 2012 Utah

The OFMC in 2012 in Utah.

I still miss the simpler, early days when the OFMC was three of us and we would just pick a direction and go. Now, with 8-10 guys every year, we have to plan ahead. The days of three guys in one room with two beds, taking turns being the one to sleep on the floor, are over.

So now we plan, and make reservations to ensure we all have beds. Plus, we don’t ever camp any more.

We’re all set for 2013. There will be nine of us this year and it will be an all-Colorado trip again. We’re doing this more and more because some of the guys have trouble taking off for the whole trip and by staying in the state we create a situation where anyone who needs to can ride out to join us or back home in one day. That’s hard to do when the group is up in Montana or Idaho. And, of course, our chief planner, John, likes to do it this way because his son, Johnathon, is one of those who have trouble getting away.

In fact, John changed the plans for two days when it turned out Johnathon–who plays sax in a band–had a gig in Dillon during the trip week. We’ll be staying in Dillon that night.

There was a time when John was not the sole arbiter of where we would go and when the way he is now. Originally we made decisions together. As John started taking more and more control for himself I pushed back a lot. It’s not just your trip, dude. But I eventually got tired of the persistent struggle and decided the heck with it, let’s just go ride and have a good time.

When I want to do something else I go do it on my own. I actually prefer to ride alone much of the time anyway. I can be fairly antisocial, definitely a loner. And I like to camp, too. Heck, there are times I just throw the sleeping bag out on the ground next to the bike.

So now we just have to wait for late July. I’ll give you our itinerary on Thursday.

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Biker Quote for Today

Give big space to the festive dog that makes sport in roadway. Avoid entanglement of dog with wheel spokes. — Old Honda Manual

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One State, Many Routes

March 21st, 2013
Motorcycle on Independence Pass

Can you tell this guy is in the mountains? Something about that hillside rising up beside him?

Running this website I get frequent emails from riders planning trips to Colorado asking about routes. I’m always happy to help them plot out something that fits their interests and schedule.

Most recently I got this email:

We are going to be taking a 2 weeks vacation on the bike through Colorada,to Yellowstone National Park, then to Boise Idaho, and head back maybe on a different route. One think we’ve been interested in is the train ride from Durango to Silverton. We plan to leave Oklahoma City, come up through Chama, New Mexico, and head north through Colorado, maybe travel Wolf Creek Pass. We don’t care to do the Royal Gorge, Colorado Springs, or any of that area. Probably more central/western Colorado. We figure about 3 days in Boise, a couple in Yellowstone, etc… It’s difficult to decide on roads and any advice would be most appreciated.

Here’s my reply.

If you come in through Chama it is very nice to come over Cumbres and La Manga Pass to Antonito. Then you could go north to Alamosa and pick up US 160, go west to South Fork and over Wolf Creek Pass and on to Durango.

From Durango you will definitely want to ride Red Mountain Pass to Ouray. Ouray is one of my favorite towns in Colorado so I definitely recommend staying there. Stay on US 550 out of Ouray to Ridgway and then turn west on CO 62 to Placerville, pick up CO 145 to Naturita, and take CO 141 to Gateway. This is the Unaweep road and it’s great.

That will bring you out a bit south of Grand Junction where you have several good options.

1. You can go on to Junction and go to the Colorado National Monument and ride that road. Definitely spectacular. Then you might want to just jump on I-70 through Debeque Canyon and on to Glenwood Springs. Head toward Carbondale and Aspen and go over Independence Pass. Go to Leadville and down Tennessee Pass to Minturn and that will bring you back to I-70. Go back a little west on I-70 to Wolcott and take CO 131 up through Toponas to Steamboat Springs.

2. Head south away from Junction to Delta and go east on CO 133 to Hotchkiss and over McClure Pass down to Carbondale and then take the road over Independence Pass. Then same as No. 1.

3. Head through Delta on to Montrose and go east on US 50. Stop at Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park and ride the rim and the East Portal Road. Terrific. Continue east through Gunnison over Monarch Pass and go north at Poncha Springs to Twin Lakes, just a little south of Leadville, and go the other direction on Independence Pass to Aspen and on to Glenwood Springs. Ride east on I-70 to Wolcott and do as in No. 1. This has the benefit of taking you through Glenwood Canyon on I-70, and that’s fabulous. I don’t normally recommend interstate but there’s no other way to see Glenwood Canyon and it is worth it.

Once you get to Steamboat Springs, go west on US 40 into Utah to Vernal and take the road north, US 191, up past the Flaming Gorge and into Wyoming. The road to the west of the gorge, through Manila, is the nicer route. You’ll come out at Green River. The nicest road toward Yellowstone is the one that goes through Kemmerer, up to Cokeville, and through the Star Valley, US 30 and US 89, then US 26 and US 189. The early part of that stretch is prairie but you’re going to run though a lot of that at this point no matter which route you take. This will bring you up to Jackson and the south end of Grand Teton and then to Yellowstone.

So those are some thoughts. Hope that helps. Have a great trip. I’ll be happy to answer any other questions you might have.

Every writer has different things they want to do or places they want to go. Every time I sit and look at the map and figure out an entirely different route. It’s kind of fun.

Biker Quote for Today

I rode a motorcycle to Reno, just to eat some pie.

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