This is it. We’ve created an amazing road cycling tour across our great state of Colorado!!! Over 6 days and 5 nights you’ll ride some of the most iconic terrain in Colorado including numerous roads and passes from the US Pro Tour Challenge. This is a self-guided tour – no pampering, no frills and no beginner days. Nope, this is 6 days of big rides on your own. Each day we’ll meet up and start together, meet you half way with the van so you can swap gear, grab a drink or food from your cooler and then your luggage and gear will be waiting for you in each destination town. Lodge as expensive or cheap as you want. Eat at a 5 star restaurant in Aspen or cook Ramen Noodles on a camp stove. Your vacation on your budget!!!
Arrival Day:Our meeting point for this trip is Golden, CO at the Golden Bike Shop. The day before the trip starts you can pick up a cooler (if needed) from us to do your shopping for the week (you can also resupply along the way during the week).
Day One: Frisco to Aspen. We’ll meet up at 6:30am sharp at the Golden Bike Shop, load up and hit the road to Frisco, CO. You should all be pedaling by 8:30am away from Frisco on the Ten Mile Canyon National Recreation Trail, a 2-lane paved path that goes all the way to Vail. You’ll turn south at Copper Mountain before Vail and begin a healthy climb toward Leadville, CO on route 91.
Day Two: Aspen to Paonia. We’ll assemble at 7:30am and get rolling down the bike path toward the towns of Basalt and Carbondale. It’s not uncommon to ride down the valley away from Aspen lined with towering peaks and not want to leave, but have no fear, we have plenty more to see! You’ll turn south on route 133 and follow the beautiful Crystal River. This stretch down to Paonia is one of our favorites…
Day Three: Paonia to Palisade. Today’s ride out of Paonia starts very unassumingly. Only after we turn north on route 65 toward Grand Mesa does the character of today’s ride really take shape. The switch-backing climb up onto Grand Mesa inspires visions of a grand tour. Once on the mesa you’ll immediately understand why we included this on a “best of” tour…
Day Four:Gateway to Telluride. We need to get an earlier start today as we start with an hour shuttle to the town of Gateway, CO. This is one of the great benefits of our self-guided trips – we also shuttle out the less-than-stellar sections. We like to think of today as both the hidden gem and “queen stage” of the entire tour. Starting in Gateway riders will make their way down the Dolores River…
Day Five: Telluride to Silverton. While today’s ride is shorter you’ll be slugging it out with the heart of what the San Juan Mountains has to dish out. We start by backtracking down the San Miguel River canyon to Placerville and beginning a reasonable climb to Dalllas Divide. At Dallas Divide the San Juan Mountains hit center stage…
Day Six: Silverton to Durango. What our final day lacks in mileage it more than makes up for in jaw-dropping scenery and roads clinging to the mountainside. We start climbing right off the bat toward Molas Pass; gaining about 1600 feet in 7 miles to 10,910’. This is a great place to relax and take in the views…
- 6 days, 5 nights (lodging on your own)
- Well-maintained paved roads from Frisco to Durango, CO
- This tour is appropriate for high intermediate and advanced riders
- Includes luggage and gear transport, daily lunch stop and SAG support
- Trip starts in Denver, CO and ends in Durango, CO
- Total group size limited to (12) per trip
- Cost: $595 per person
- July 2nd – July 7th (4th of July in Palisade, CO)
- August 6th – August 11th
- September 17th – September 22nd (watch the leaves change!)
