Great Season So Far

[kwells]

Today I rode out to Rock Mtn National Park and bought the $80 national parks pass. I should have bought it during the 25th year meet but oh well.  Hit the BBQ place again that visionmeister, supervision, innane,and I went to during our ride through the park.  So I ended up doing what is known as Peak to Peak twice today.  Total mileage today was 230 and Im pretty tired.  So far this season I've logged over 3k miles so I'll probably be replacing tires and doing multiple oil changes soon.

[inanecathode]

Once i get either the green bike or the cb750 running i'll probably have a hankering for bbq if you wanna hit that road again soon :D

[h2olawyer]

Do I detect a CoROV ride in the initial stages?

H₂O

[kwells]

How bout a ride out that way in lets say 3 weeks?  Any other CROVers out there want to jump on the Vision train?

[Aelwulf]

Where-abouts lookin' to meet?  I'm not too familiar with the Denver area although can roughly find my way around sometimes.  If mine keeps workin' ok I might try to push it up there if I don't have anything planned whenever ya do it.  If I don't get my license light fixed by then though I'll need to know what time we'd plan to finish and about where so I can see about finding a place to crash.  Don't need a ticket from an LEO having a bad day for something stupid like that.

[inanecathode]

Figure we can all meet in golden, take 46 (golden gate canyon) up to peak to peak, peak to peak to estes, stop for awesome BBQ, then perhaps either over trailridge again or back down peak to peak?
I'm definitely up for a ride! (Either bring the vision, parts bike, or ma cb)

[Aelwulf]

Is there a date for this yet by chance?  If it's in August and I know before July 10th I can request leave for it (whether I get it or not, ehhh).  If it's in July I'll have to see what else is going on.  If it's not while the girlfriend is in Oklahoma with her mother I got her to agree to come get me in the event I don't make it up there. :P She even mentioned driving my truck up to get me, and she's scared of it. ;)

I'd also need a specific location/address if possible to do a mapquest for the initial meet-up.  I have an idea where Golden is (down I-70 a l'il bit if I remember right?) but would need to figure out the best way to get there from 83.  Thanks. :)

[kwells]

I was thinking in July for a weekend day of the 21st.  I have a tentative white water rafting trip on the 15th but so far still have the 14th open if that works better. We can work out the details of where we might go based on how much time everyone has.

[Aelwulf]

Off-hand either of those should work for me depending on weather (of course).  The last weekend in July I have a Shindig in Monument so that Saturday would be out.  I can't think of anything else off-hand except the girlfriend going to Oklahoma so I'll try to get definite dates out of her for that (don't wanna get stranded).

[h2olawyer]

Just keep me informed.  I'll probably be able to work it in no matter when you all decide.

H₂O

[Aelwulf]

I was going to take a quick run up to Larkspur via 83 to see how the Vision did on a half-distance to Denver run besides just around town.  I don't have the routes memorized so wound up in Castle Rock instead.  Not bad though, it made it further than I aimed and easily enough.  I had it holding 65-70 a number of times (speed limit for most-sans construction-was 65) and it stayed around half or lower on the temp gauge except when I had to stop for a light. :P All in all, pending date/time, looks like I should be able to make the Golden ride if it doesn't start too early since it'll take me close to two hours to get up there (maybe less).

Can't wait to get my other helmet Monday, it finally shipped.  My current one did well compared to how it sometimes does but I'd rather not get many more chips on my Juliets from bugs. :-\

I have a get-together in Monument the 21st.  It's supposed to be starting at 10am but I have no problem with not showing up until 5-7pm.  I can hit it on the way back.  If a cop wants to pull me over for no license light on the way home after that so be it.  The girlfriend looks to be going out of state August 2-5 so hopefully that wouldn't interfere with a weekend day if it's one of the first two Saturdays or Sundays then.

[Aelwulf]

Went out again today, wasn't planning on goin' too far with the temperatures.  Rode to the closest mall as I need some swim trunks and all mine are in Cali now. :P Mall was open, most of the stores weren't yet (around 10ish).  I hung out there for I'd guess an hour then left.  I had thought about putting my stand disk down as it's new asphalt but didn't think I'd be in there more than ten minutes.  Sur enough I come out and as it'd started to get warmer the stand had sunk a smidge.  If I'd been in there a couple more hours (if that) it'd have fallen over.  So reminder, don't forget stand supports when it's hot. ;)

Just before that, it did fall over. :( My fault though.  I had to stop at FedEx/Kinko's to copy the registration.  I'm used to turning to the left to walk it backto park. I've had to do it to the right twice.  First time was wobbly.  This time it went down.  Thankfully I caught it enough that between that and I think the saddlebag all the happened was I had to readjust the right mirror and I lost maybe a pint of gas out the cap.

After those two stops I checked my coolant level.  I had filled it not long ago, and the reservoir was empty again already!  So I went to the dealership for another bottle of Yamacool that I've been using, forgot they were closed.  Hit the Walmart next door for some distilled water instead and used about a third of a gallon.  L'il overfull but not much.

After that I headed up Hwy 24 to Woodland Park.  Fairly short ride but a chance to get out some.  It was a l'il slow with the usual cagers paranoid on the curves.  Lot of other bikes out today, a number of cruisers were the ones holding up traffic at times going slow.  Got to Woodland Park, saw Divide was 7 miles away so figured I'd visit.  Got there, saw a sign saying Cripple Creek was only 18 miles away.  I was surprised that was it so figured why not, hadn't been there yet.  That had to be one of the longest 18 miles I've ever driven, large thanks toa  couple of slow folks holding everyone up.

By the time I got there it was probably abotu 1pm, clouds were getting a bit dark, wind had picked up a fair bit and it got a bit chill.  I wasn't sure but it looked like it was raining a bit further west so I just turned around and headed back.  A fair bit faster coming back, windier though.  Made a stop at the other mall after I got back for said trunks and got home.  All in all I was probably out about three hours.  Main problem I had as usual was when it got really warm out on the way up there.  One point in Woodland Park approaching a light it died but I didn't know until I turned the throttle for the green light as I'd been coasting with the clutch in.  Started up again right away and barely missed a beat.  I had to play with the choke a little when starting it after stopping and as I changed altitude but other'n that fairly uneventful.  Passed the 19k mile mark so it's had nearly 1k put on it now since I've had it.

[kwells]

So What is the CO ROV syndicate thinking for this weekend?  I can do either Sat or Sun(21,22).  How's your bike coming together Innane?  Lemme know if you are planning to do that caliper swap this week.  Aelwulf, you could meet up here in Lakewood at my place if you wanted.  I'm sure if H20 is going to go with he will probably join us up near Lyons. 
I was thinking about the Peak to Peak ride, through Rocky Mtn National Park, down through Winter Park, Berthoud Pass, and back to I-70.  Any other suggestions?  The total ride would be somewhere around 200 miles.

[Aelwulf]

So long as I have directions and I don't have to get on the Interstate (70 in town or somethin' is ok) where ever works.  I got roughly 45 MPG on the trip to Castle Rock so should only need one gas stop if it's 200 miles (maybe a second towards the end to be safe).  The new helmet's in so good there. :D The get together in Monument has been changed, might end up being that night in Aurora instead which would enable me to run around longer.

Directions and a start time and I can talk to the girlfriend (for backup emergency driver between here & there ;) ).

[kwells]

Where are you located Aelwulf? 

[Aelwulf]

I was in Fountain, just south of the Springs.  Now I'm in a temporary apartment on Fillimore just off I-25.  I'd be taking Academy Blvd north through the Springs to Hwy 83 and taking 83 up to Denver to whatever side hwy would be needed (think the first branch is 86 just south of the DTC area?).  Mapquest said to get to Golden in general would take 2 hours.  I think it only took me 45 minutes to get to Castle Rock and that was with some road construction holding things up.  I'll probably allocate two hours just to be safe.

[Aelwulf]

Is there a time/address to meet yet?  I was hoping about 9am earliest so I don't have to get up too early and can take the dog out.  The girlfriend's taking him out later so don't need to worry about that.

[h2olawyer]

Actually, if y'all are doing Peak 2 Peak, I can meet at the intersection of 7 & 72, near Allenspark - or even in Estes Park.  Keep me informed of the plans & I'll just fit into them.

Going to do some fuel line modification this afternoon to see if I can eliminate the vapor lock situation I've been having lately.  Have a couple different ideas and they're both cheap.

H₂O

[kwells]

Aelwulf:  I PMd my address and phone # to you.  I am not planning on an extremely early morning....maybe around 10. If it takes you around 2 hrs to get here...then we could maybe figure on you being in Lakewood around 11? 

Innane:  What are you plans...coming to my place?  Brake swap?  If not we will be coming through your area on the way. 

H20:  Fuel line modification?  Sounds high tech.  Re-routing the lines?  Thicker diameter?  Or is the the big 83 switch over?

Are we thinking sat still?

[Aelwulf]

Yep, figurin' Saturday.  10 should work, leave here roughly around 8.  The dog'll probably have me up around 6 give or take anyway to be taken out. ::)