Passes & Canyons Blog

Phantom Canyon Road appears to be one part of one of these tours.

This post has been updated as of January 2022.

There’s no way I can keep up with the magazines I subscribe to when I’m working a full-time job–which I am now–so I’m always way behind. I just read the May issue of American Motorcyclist and was very interested to find a cover piece about a tour outfit here in Colorado. Got to check these guys out.

It’s an operation named Exit Tours M/C and it took some reading and some looking at their website to figure out that–at least as far as I can tell–they are a nonprofit organization that puts on three or more rides a year. Not that they’re a bunch of do-gooders; my take is that folks from three motor sports dealerships in the Buena Vista area put this thing together to offer these rides and they presumably benefit by sales of gear and bikes. Nevertheless, as a nonprofit, their prices for their tours are pretty reasonable.

As a nonprofit, or club, annual membership is now $425. For this membership fee you get one club ride per year at no additional cost and then second and subsequent rides are $299. Also, family members can come on ride at the discounted price of $249.

Here’s what Mike Brown, the honcho of the group, had to say about the outfit:

Attempting to define our Niche.

• Club Rides for Adventure, Dual Sport motorcycles and plated dirt bikes.
• Club Rides in the Heart of the Rockies, Northern New Mexico, Central California and the Las Vegas Valley Loop.
• Any competent motorcycle enthusiast can join the club without an invitation, and come enjoy the camaraderie of like-minded enthusiasts.
• Our Club rides are for competent Riders. We do not offer training, classes or play games.
• Exit Tours club rides start and stage on private property, and either loop back to the staging area or travel to an overnight destination with luggage portage. We portage your gear so you may ride unencumbered.
• Most Club rides include camping and some meals.
• Our club rides are not ‘guided’, we use Ride With GPS which is cell phone compatible and easy to use and understand.
• Ride With GPS works without a cell signal.
• Club membership includes Ride With Membership for said event(s).
• You must have either a cell phone or GPS unit to navigate our routes. A mount and a way to charge said phone or unit.

Back to our Niche of riders:

• Competent Riders who want to share the camaraderie of riding and camping, bonfires and bench racing.
• But don’t know where to ride or how to tie trails together for a cohesive ride in outstanding, often remote locales.
• Exit Tours sets up camping and meals, bonfires, supplies a T shirt and porta potties.
• The Club supplies GPS tracks mapped by our local experts.
• Multiple Loops for A&B riders and some C loops with GPS tracks of your choice for Dual Sport & ADV rides.
• Trail rides and exclusive Adventure rides are generally one route, but we do not encourage riding in large groups.
• We generally do not suggest riding in groups larger than 6 riders.
• We do not cater to ADV riders who like to ride alone or carry all their camping gear.
• Generally club ADV riders will transport their motorcycle in a truck to save their tires for the dirt.
• We do not tailor our routes to smaller foo foo Dual sport motorcycles. Most Club Dual Sport Routes are challenging, with as little pavement as possible, and best ridden on Plated Dirt Bikes or 250 to 700cc Factory Dual Sport Models.
• If you like challenging 2 track and singletrack you will love Exit Tours Dual Sport Routes.
• The Adventure loops use more dirt roads and jeep trails, some paved passes and are Adventure bike friendly.
• Club Trail rides are just that. Trailrides with as little pavement as possible. Using pavement only to access amenities and lodging or camping locales.
• On all our rides we encourage the use of the Buddy System. Team up with others who have mutual talent and desires for the ride. How often to stop to rest, take photos…
• Buddies wait at intersections until the next rider acknowledges they are coming the correct direction, and if buddies get lost or don’t show up, go back to the last place they saw each other.
• With the multiple loops on offer, generally Exit Tours Club Rides do not have sweep riders.

So this is just an FYI. If you or anyone you know is looking for this sort of thing, guess what, here it is. Maybe next year I’ll try to wangle a free trip in exchange for writing about it. You’ll see it here if I do.

Biker Quote for Today

Serious. Just like that scene from the matrix, except the chick was me and the ducati was a klr. — DirtyDog