DarkSideR
Member
Posts: 1795
To be good, and to do good, is all we have to do.
Pueblo, Colorado
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« on: August 29, 2015, 03:46:39 PM » |
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 "Tower, we have quite a sight here over Colorado. It appears as though we have dragons at altitude. Can you confirm?" |
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« Last Edit: August 29, 2015, 03:59:56 PM by Joshcornkid »
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2001 Valkyrie Super Tourer VRCC#34410 VRCCDS#0263  |
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DarkSideR
Member
Posts: 1795
To be good, and to do good, is all we have to do.
Pueblo, Colorado
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« Reply #1 on: August 29, 2015, 03:58:07 PM » |
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And met a legend, DDT. And saw his LEGENDARY Valkyrie with 490,000 miles on it.
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« Last Edit: August 29, 2015, 04:38:23 PM by Joshcornkid »
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2001 Valkyrie Super Tourer VRCC#34410 VRCCDS#0263 |
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scooperhsd
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« Reply #3 on: August 29, 2015, 04:24:14 PM » |
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Hope you were "prepared" for the conditions when you got there  As I recall, even in the summer it was pretty darn chilly up there. |
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DarkSideR
Member
Posts: 1795
To be good, and to do good, is all we have to do.
Pueblo, Colorado
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« Reply #4 on: August 29, 2015, 04:37:20 PM » |
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Hope you were "prepared" for the conditions when you got there As I recall, even in the summer it was pretty darn chilly up there. We were prepared, and yes conditions widely vary up there throughout the year. It was 57 degrees up there today, but we went up there to cool off. |
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2001 Valkyrie Super Tourer VRCC#34410 VRCCDS#0263 |
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Valkorado
Member
Posts: 10514
VRCC DS 0242
Gunnison, Colorado (7,703') Here there be twisties.
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« Reply #5 on: August 29, 2015, 04:55:50 PM » |
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Have you ever noticed when you're feeling really good, there's always a pigeon that'll come sh!t on your hood? - John Prine 97 Tourer "Silver Bullet" 01 Interstate "Ruby"  |
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MarkT
Member
Posts: 5196
VRCC #437 "Form follows Function"
Colorado Front Range - elevation 2.005 km
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« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2015, 06:40:00 PM » |
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Some shots from the Pikes peak ride: At the Brake Check Lot. Shot with a long telephoto to compress the bikes together.  On the way up - below timberline.  Above Timberline which is about 11,500 in Colorado:  Sky view sweeper:  Skyline, half the group with Bicycle Tour van on the way down:  On top - a panorama. Elevation 14,115ft.  On top - Junebug on her Magna.  On top - MarkT  Coming down - hairpins ahead. I was a little leary of getting too close to the edge while looking at the camera.  Coming down - Misfit in the mirror still above timberline:  |
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« Last Edit: August 29, 2015, 06:48:30 PM by MarkT »
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MarkT
Member
Posts: 5196
VRCC #437 "Form follows Function"
Colorado Front Range - elevation 2.005 km
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« Reply #7 on: August 29, 2015, 06:45:38 PM » |
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BTW - There's a Mt Evans night ride going up tonite. It's the highest road in North America at 14,271ft. Riding up with the full moon. I might like to do that if I didn't already have an adventure today. I can literally see them from here. With a helluva telescope.
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Rams
Member
Posts: 16684
So many colors to choose from yet so few stand out
Covington, TN
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« Reply #8 on: August 29, 2015, 06:48:13 PM » |
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Mark,
Thanks for the pics. I used to live in the Springs, beautiful riding country in warmer weather.
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VRCC# 29981
Learning the majority of life's lessons the hard way.
Every trip is an adventure, enjoy it while it lasts.
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Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005
Member
Posts: 13846
American by Birth, Southern by the Grace of God.
Beautiful east Tennessee ( GOD'S Country )
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« Reply #9 on: August 29, 2015, 07:00:14 PM » |
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Some shots from the Pikes peak ride: At the Brake Check Lot. Shot with a long telephoto to compress the bikes together. On the way up - below timberline. Above Timberline which is about 11,500 in Colorado: Sky view sweeper: Skyline, half the group with Bicycle Tour van on the way down: On top - a panorama. Elevation 14,115ft. On top - Junebug on her Magna. On top - MarkT Coming down - hairpins ahead. I was a little leary of getting too close to the edge while looking at the camera. Coming down - Misfit in the mirror still above timberline: Thanks for taking the time to share the ride  |
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 I've seen alot of people that thought they were cool , but then again Lord I've seen alot of fools. |
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Flat6Valk
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« Reply #10 on: August 29, 2015, 07:56:18 PM » |
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A TRIP worth taking. I was there in July. 38 at the top on my ride day. very windy. I had a great time! I have pics but I have not graduated to being able to post on this site.
Anyway, Thanks for the post and reminder of my own trip.
Greg
Flat6Valk
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RIDE SAFE-RIDE OFTEN........GO BUCKEYES!!!
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DirtyDan
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« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2015, 12:42:45 PM » |
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Pikes peak
Check
Dan
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Do it while you can. I did.... it my way
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Thunderbolt
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« Reply #12 on: August 30, 2015, 03:55:37 PM » |
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Thanks for the report and pictures. That old bug killer is back in the "don't let grass grow under your feet" mode.
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_Sheffjs_
Member
Posts: 5613
Jerry & Sherry Sheffer
Sarasota FL
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« Reply #13 on: August 30, 2015, 08:24:05 PM » |
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Junebug- nice Magna that is the right bike to zing with the Valks! |
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Pappy!
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« Reply #14 on: August 30, 2015, 09:53:42 PM » |
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Thanks for the photos and making us flat land folks drool a bit.
Junebug - that is a gorgeous 2003 Magna you have there! Love those bikes. Lesa loved to ride the one we had.
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baldo
Member
Posts: 6961
Youbetcha
Cape Cod, MA
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« Reply #15 on: August 31, 2015, 03:40:06 AM » |
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Wow....that must be quite a climb.....we went up Mt Washington in NH last fall, a mere 6288 ft.
Did the bikes run any different at that altitude?
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MarkT
Member
Posts: 5196
VRCC #437 "Form follows Function"
Colorado Front Range - elevation 2.005 km
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« Reply #16 on: August 31, 2015, 05:38:59 AM » |
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Not really. Just less power. I think the loss is about 3% per 1000 ft. Less air for cooling brakes which is why the grand prix style race in downtown Denver had unexpected problems for the racers - they were fabbing air scoops to pull in more air, trying to cool the brakes. Partly why they have a mandatory stop around 11,000 ft on Pikes Peak where the ranger uses a temp gun to check for hot brakes on cages, before they get in trouble with brakes so hot they no longer work. More than half the cages up there are out-of-state. He just waived us on bikes through - he knew we were using the gears. The other reason is many if not most flatlanders in cages have no idea of using the gears instead of the brakes coming down mountains. (One of the "benefits" of making cars so easy to drive you can be completely ignorant and still get behind a wheel and kill yourself and others. I just love the new cages that do the shifting, auto-brake for you, auto-parallel park and warn of things in the blind spot.) Some of them, the brakes are smoking - you can often smell it on the lower half of high passes - like Independence, Vail, Loveland and the tunnel, Berthoud, Monarch, Wolf Creek, Trail Ridge, Mount Evans & Pikes Peak. Incredibly, there are actually professional truck drivers who also don't respect the trouble they can get themselves into, not using the gears and observing the warning signs of low speeds and engine braking. That's why the "runaway truck" lanes. God help you, if you are stupid enough to pull your cage off the road there to put on your makeup and a truck in trouble comes barreling down.
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« Last Edit: August 31, 2015, 05:53:53 AM by MarkT »
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Woton
Member
Posts: 410
1997 Tourer Pearl Green/Pearl Ivory "BRNHLDE"
Central North Carolina
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« Reply #17 on: August 31, 2015, 07:05:32 AM » |
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Just goes to show that because you have a well-colored States Ridden map it doesn't mean you've experienced all there is to do... Color me envious. Congrats, Junebug! |
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"Ride Smart - Ride Safe"
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baldo
Member
Posts: 6961
Youbetcha
Cape Cod, MA
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« Reply #18 on: August 31, 2015, 07:15:57 AM » |
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Not really. Just less power. I think the loss is about 3% per 1000 ft. Less air for cooling brakes which is why the grand prix style race in downtown Denver had unexpected problems for the racers - they were fabbing air scoops to pull in more air, trying to cool the brakes. Partly why they have a mandatory stop around 11,000 ft on Pikes Peak where the ranger uses a temp gun to check for hot brakes on cages, before they get in trouble with brakes so hot they no longer work. More than half the cages up there are out-of-state. He just waived us on bikes through - he knew we were using the gears. The other reason is many if not most flatlanders in cages have no idea of using the gears instead of the brakes coming down mountains. (One of the "benefits" of making cars so easy to drive you can be completely ignorant and still get behind a wheel and kill yourself and others. I just love the new cages that do the shifting, auto-brake for you, auto-parallel park and warn of things in the blind spot.) Some of them, the brakes are smoking - you can often smell it on the lower half of high passes - like Independence, Vail, Loveland and the tunnel, Berthoud, Monarch, Wolf Creek, Trail Ridge, Mount Evans & Pikes Peak. Incredibly, there are actually professional truck drivers who also don't respect the trouble they can get themselves into, not using the gears and observing the warning signs of low speeds and engine braking. That's why the "runaway truck" lanes. God help you, if you are stupid enough to pull your cage off the road there to put on your makeup and a truck in trouble comes barreling down.
I hear you about the brakes. I lost my rear brake coming down. And I was using the gears, going slow. I thought I was being judicious with the rear, but not enough. Luckily there was a turnoff a couple of curves down the hill. I was praying I didn't start having trouble with the fronts...... |
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Wizzard
Member
Posts: 4043
Bald River Falls
Valparaiso IN
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« Reply #19 on: August 31, 2015, 07:50:27 AM » |
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 VRCC # 24157 |
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