Info on Fort Collins area for riding, please

[sagerat]

OK, this is the cart waaaaaaaaaaaaay before the horse, but have a phone interview with City of Fort Collins next month.  Do well on that, and the second interview is in person.

Salary, benefits, work environment, who cares?!  I want to know a) how long the riding season is in Fort Collins and b) whether there are good roads to ride in the area or if not, how far must one travel?  Looking at a map, it looks pretty bleak to the east and north/south at first glance doesn't seem all that great.  Westward looks heavenly.

Riding can include dual sporting, too.

Thanks in advance.  

[JimWilliamson]

Bikerfish1100 (Joe) is south in Loveland. DM_GSXR (Carl) is down in Longmont. Both of'm have been around longer than me and have loads of info. What Fort Collins info you might wish - holler.

a) You could ride the plains almost all year around (`specially with your Ural). No snow in town for the past few weeks until this morning. Last Thurs we hit 64F in FC - people out in T-shirts and shorts - perhaps spotted 5 bikes out. Mountain roads likely not. Gravel and putting up with lower temps. Joe & Carl could pipe in on this.

b) I've been here since summer 2007 with a street bike, but willing to ride any reasonable surface. Open space to the east (good for stretching the eyeballs). Congestion to the south. Sparse for roads north / open space. West - mountains with valley routes. Not a plethora of paved roads in the mountains - but what's there is nice. Gravel opens up decent views. Single track - I've not traveled - can't help.

There are a couple "loops" west of town if you wish a nice "out for just a bit" ride...

Stove Prairie - Rist Canyon loop (you can easily visualize extending the loop to take in CO-14 the Poudre Canyon)
www.JimWilliamson.net/motorcycle/2007-05-21-1hr-loop/

There are a few documented rides in the motorcycle section of my site to get an idea on the greater area...
www.JimWilliamson.net/motorcycle/

[Justin]

On a Ural, you can ride year round - heck, I ride year round with two wheels, unless there is snow and ice on the ground. From Fort Collins, your closest "mountain" rides are Poudre Canyon, Stove Prairie/Rist Canyon as Jim mentioned and Big Thompson Canyon up to Estes Park.  And in season, there is always Rocky Mountain National Park. From the first snows to @ late March/April, the roads tend to be very sandy until they are cleaned.

The thing about CO is there are lots of great roads, but they are spread far apart, so you can spend an entire day just getting to and from them.

[Gun Slinger]

The riding season in Colorado is what you want it to be. The wife and I went up to our local ski resort on 01-29-2011 and was totally comfortable in standard cool weather gear (no heated electric gear) at 8200'. We put on 102 miles that day with a lunch stop for sliders and cokes. It was in the mid 50's up there and we were loving it! There are lots of breaks in the weather systems that you can take advantage of if you really want to. And warm fronts open up opportunities to get out and about for a while.

[sagerat]

Thanks for the info!

It sounds as if in many ways it's not that much different than around here climatewise.

[SalsaShark]

Thanks for the info!

It sounds as if in many ways it's not that much different than around here climatewise.

A lot like SE Oregon... Gotta love high desert. 300+ days of sun a year. I rode this past weekend and it's currently -4F.

[JimWilliamson]

For forest service roads, this web page may be of interest:

Maps

The "Canyon Lakes Ranger District" is perhaps the closest to Fort Collins.

[bikerfish1100]

road choices can be a bit "limited", but outstanding.
a "trip around the block" heading north- FtC, Poudre to Walden , Snowy Range , Laramie, FtC is about 260 miles. a similar loop south is about the same distance, but takes you thru RMNP.


plenty of dirty stuff too. sometimes you have to go for a longer ride, but the riding is spectacular (as long as you don't go East, but even that has some interesting stuff going on, like Prairie National Grasslands).

[bikerfish1100]

every once in a while, i take a ride, and catch myslef thinking that its pretty damn amazing that the riding & scenery is just so damn good, and that I LIVE HERE!

[sagerat]

Thanks for the pics and info.  Does look like nice riding area; may have to pic up another KLR if I get the job.  

[Justin]

Thanks for the pics and info.  Does look like nice riding area; may have to pic up another KLR if I get the job.  

Or upgrade from the tourist to a patrol many great 4wd roads in the area as well.

[sagerat]

I lust for a Gear Up.  Although, we've been able to get up all the roads and goat trails with our 1WD Tourists and Bavarian Classics that our buddy did on his GU.

[sagerat]

Phone interview on Thurs went well; Fri they called and want me to come down for an in-person interview on March 8 or 9.  I'll likely stay an extra day or two on either side of the interview just to check out the area.

Too bad the interview isn't in May or June as Bend--->Fort Collins would be a great ride.

[Justin]

Phone interview on Thurs went well; Fri they called and want me to come down for an in-person interview on March 8 or 9.  I'll likely stay an extra day or two on either side of the interview just to check out the area.

Too bad the interview isn't in May or June as Bend--->Fort Collins would be a great ride.

Hope the interview goes well and you get the job   And yeah, that would be a really nice ride - but in March it's way too iffy, and tons of passes are still closed.

[bikerfish1100]

I did that run last summer, going out to the BMWMOA National. From Ft. Collins:
14W (Poudre Canyon) to Walden. 125/230 NNW to Encampment then Saratoga. I-80 to 287 in Rawlins. ran that N to Moran, just outside of YNP/GTNP. Stayed with friends in Jackson.  (good days ride, maybe +/-500) 22 outta town  to 33N to Rexburg, narrowly avoiding Idaho Falls.head west, 3 road chioces, to get to Stanley. I was not real impressed with 93, but it does allow the longer run down the Salmon & South Fork of the Payette Rivers. we dropped down on 56/then W52, eventually 26 outta town, all the way to Bend. Some real nice roads, great views, nice mntn passes- orpn or tree covered, high altitude deserts, small towns, & pretty open running for most of it.

try it sometime. you'll like it.

[JimWilliamson]

Phone interview on Thurs went well; Fri they called and want me to come down for an in-person interview on March 8 or 9.  I'll likely stay an extra day or two on either side of the interview just to check out the area.

If you wish, I could take a day off work if you'd like a host to show some things. Perhaps a dinner with STN locals?

[sagerat]

"Motorcycle people are good people" as they say in "On Any Sunday."

Let me get my travel dates set and I'd love to hang out with STNers for an evening.  I'm seeing if any Foilheads (Ural riders) are interested in getting together as well.

Even thought about driving the Jeep down, but early March still seems iffy as I could just imagine getting stranded in a blizzard in Nowhere, Wyoming.  

[sagerat]

Flying in on Sun; interview is Tues; flying out on Thurs.

Open Tues night, all day Wed., and Wed. night if anyone wants to get together, PM me or post here.  Thanks.

[JimWilliamson]

Flying in on Sun; interview is Tues; flying out on Thurs.

Open Tues night, all day Wed., and Wed. night if anyone wants to get together, PM me or post here.  Thanks.

What dates for this? This Sunday the 27th or Sunday March 6th? Above you mention an on-site interview the 8th or 9th.

Anyone wish to get together (when we figure dates) for pizza? Justine's in FC perhaps?

[Justin]

What dates for this? This Sunday the 27th or Sunday March 6th? Above you mention an on-site interview the 8th or 9th.

Anyone wish to get together (when we figure dates) for pizza? Justine's in FC perhaps?

Yeah, I might be able to make it. Will just need to finagle my schedule a bit, unless it's in the evening.