West of Denver (Rockies) Wednesday Afternoon Ride

[TommyTheKid]

So, sorry for the late notice, this came together yesterday...

A couple of V-Strom riders that live in the Denver metro area have decided that we are going to have Wednesday afternoon rides, weather permitting. We plan to do Pavement+Dirt, where the pavement is as twisty as possible :)

If you would like to meet us for our ride today, we are meeting at Highway 72 and Indiana at 11am

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Highway+72+and+Indiana,+CO&sll=35.78863,-83.55587&sspn=0.17044,0.268478&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1

Tentative Route:

Start at Highway 72 and Indiana.

Go west on Coal Creek, pavement (lots of twisties) until Pine Cliffe.

Just after there turn left on Beaver Creek road, dirt. Take it until it hits 119,

Turn left (south) and ride to highway 46 (Golden Gate Canyon) and turn left.

** Left on Crawford Gulch loop around and back to 46

Turn Right off 46 at the big clock, follow that road (dirt) till it meets up with Highway 6/119 (not sure which one, just south of Blackhawk)

LUNCH somewhere in Blackhawk (yea, its gonna be a late lunch)

North on 119 out of Blackhawk

Right on 46 (Golden Gate Canyon) down to Golden / Highway 93 and split up there..



Please email me: tommythekid@gmail.com if you want to come by 10:30am MDT (~2 hours from now) or PM me here, and I will try to check that too.

Thanks,
Tommy

[liljoec]

So, sorry for the late notice, this came together yesterday...

A couple of V-Strom riders that live in the Denver metro area have decided that we are going to have Wednesday afternoon rides, weather permitting. We plan to do Pavement+Dirt, where the pavement is as twisty as possible :)

If you would like to meet us for our ride today, we are meeting at Highway 72 and Indiana at 11am

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Highway+72+and+Indiana,+CO&sll=35.78863,-83.55587&sspn=0.17044,0.268478&ie=UTF8&z=16&iwloc=addr&om=1

Tentative Route:

Start at Highway 72 and Indiana.

Go west on Coal Creek, pavement (lots of twisties) until Pine Cliffe.

Just after there turn left on Beaver Creek road, dirt. Take it until it hits 119,

Turn left (south) and ride to highway 46 (Golden Gate Canyon) and turn left.

** Left on Crawford Gulch loop (dirt) around and back to 46

Turn Right off 46 at the big clock, follow that road (dirt) till it meets up with Highway 6/119 (not sure which one, just south of Blackhawk)

LUNCH somewhere in Blackhawk (yea, its gonna be a late lunch)

North on 119 out of Blackhawk

Right on 46 (Golden Gate Canyon) down to Golden / Highway 93 and split up there..



Please email me: tommythekid@gmail.com if you want to come by 10:30am MDT (~2 hours from now) or PM me here, and I will try to check that too.

Thanks,
Tommy

wow, this is really short notice. Sounds like fun. I'll be working though... You guys dont get the pleasure of that? haha, have fun on the ride. Maybe one of these weeks if you guys make it a bit of a tradition.

[TommyTheKid]

You should be on my mail distribution and should have been notified yesterday? Work? I have an "offsite meeting" today from 11-3 :)

~tommy

wow, this is really short notice. Sounds like fun. I'll be working though... You guys dont get the pleasure of that? haha, have fun on the ride. Maybe one of these weeks if you guys make it a bit of a tradition.

[liljoec]

You should be on my mail distribution and should have been notified yesterday? Work? I have an "offsite meeting" today from 11-3 :)

~tommy

where do I sign up?

liljoec@gmail.com

[TommyTheKid]

I had a really excellent ride (before lunch). We got to the end of Beaver Creek, and decided to go try Rollins Pass, which was really REALLY fun, I think I may have dented my rim on a rock there (see EXHIBIT A), I am guessing thats where it happened, I had the wee completely airborne, oops :). After coming back down Rollins pass, we stopped into Blackhawk for some Lunch, and that was good too. mmmm crispy chili rellenos! :)

http://lh6.google.com/tommythekid/RsObbwW_sTI/AAAAAAAAAcg/itDj6HwWea8/s400/IMG_2212.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/tommythekid/BigOoops20070815/photo#5099090104253657394)

After lunch we headed back north on 119 to continue our route, and just as I was about to bust ass around a couple cars that were pissing me off, I noticed that behind Ken there was a suspicious looking vehicle. Yep, it was Highway patrol, sure glad I looked ;)

Thankfully he went straight when we turned off on Golden Gate Canyon, so we were able to breathe a bit easier. I was keeping it within 10 cause we met a Gilpin County sheriff on the first part of Golden Gate, just relaxed and making turns, nothing big, then I came downhill to a fairly sharp lefthand curve that I apparently came in WAY too hot, I started leaning it in and it wasn't turning fast enough so I leaned more, then more then the foot peg ground....

At this point I can't tell you what happened, my guess is that I panicked an didn't get my butt slid over like I should have, and ended up going off the right side of the road. I stood it up and was almost recovered (rode in the dirt/rocks for ~100 yards), but didn't make it and slid it into the bank at the side. I was still literally ON mybike but it had tipped over into a large rock (my guess 300+ lbs).. Pushed the rock a good 5-6 feet :). I tipped it back up, still onboard. The right side blue plastic was hanging off by the tank screw, damn! No other damage I could see. I wanted to get out of there before the LEO's arrived to write me a ticket and make by bad day worse, so we strapped the plastic piece on the back and I rode home. I wish I had my camera there to take pics of the site, but the garage shots will have to do.

http://picasaweb.google.com/tommythekid/BigOoops20070815

http://lh4.google.com/tommythekid/RsObUQW_sRI/AAAAAAAAAcQ/KZSBQDRBkA0/s400/IMG_2210.JPG (http://picasaweb.google.com/tommythekid/BigOoops20070815/photo#5099089975404638482)

[liljoec]

Bummer man. sounds like you should have been hangin off a bit more if you were draggin hard parts, haha. oh well, i hear these things happen. you are quite lucky you didnt get hurt at all.

how much are you gonna fix?

Let me know if you want or need help wrenchin.

[TommyTheKid]

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=phN4jMuaWCFHKY_3Y3GurAA

looks like $600 minimum just for parts, but I have not found the piece behind the headlights that the brace was connected to, that will need replaced, I estimate at least another $150... I will be looking for plastics on ebay probably :)

~tommy