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A Ride to the Top of Pikes Peak

sfarson

sfarson

Member
Perhaps you have ridden this high altitude gem, or have plans to do so. It was time for me to revisit "America's Mountain". Last time I did so it was for the book. On that trip two years ago I was greeted with a cold drizzling rain, mud, and a fine sleet/snow mix at the summit. :laugh Well, this time conditions were dry, but temps were 15f at the top, and howling and whipping winds almost blasted me over the side! But hey, a multi-year project to pave the entire route is now complete, so despite freezing (EDIT)
... no mud this time! On this November day, it was a lonely scoot.

So, here is the ride video, along with screen captures from the video, and a few images of the adventure. Perhaps they will remind of your own journey to this 14,115 ft. pinnacle, or maybe they provide a preview of what to expect. For sure, it is a memory laden ride.

From the entrance to the summit, a 7:31 highlight recording...

Pikes Peak - YouTube

Sample clips from the video, in order as the ascent is made...

pikesvid1.jpg


pikesvid2.jpg


pikesvid3.jpg


pikesvid4.jpg


pikesvid5.jpg


pikesvid7.jpg


pikesvid6.jpg


pikesvid9.jpg


During a brisk pause, looking back...
pikeshwy.jpg


And a few pics of the faithful steed that handled the deep cold and high altitude (50% of the oxygen versus sea level) just fine, and seemingly wanted more...
flhxpikespeak.jpg


OK, the frigid temps messed with my self preservaton logic, so with the artic like wind howling noisely through the bike, I placed a mini tripod on a rock and at different EV levels, captured HDR renderings of the bike...
flhxpikespeak_hdr1.jpg


flhxpikespeak_hdr2.jpg


A Friendly Reminder - Harley Davidson Community

 
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Wow, what scenery! Thanks for sharing. I was planning a trip out west I hope to fit this in my ride. Thanks again.
 
That second photo belongs in a Harley catalog, or an art book! Beautiful shot with the mountains and clouds in the background.
 
Beautiful pics! I am glad you made it out here to my backyard and enjoyed the ascent. It's a breathtaking ride for sure.
 
Great photo's. I tried to get my friends to ride up Pikes Peak last year on our way back from Sturgis to California but they thought it would be too hard for them and the bikes. Since you didn't mention any heating problems I'm assuming that you didn't have any on the way up the mountain.
 
Wow! What a ride! My heart rate increased just watching, lol. I've done that drive a few times in the cage when the road was dirt. Those first few switch backs above the upper rest stop were a tad scary then. I'll definitely put this one on the list the next time I'm in the Springs visiting the folks.

Thanks for sharing, awesome video!
 
Oh my goodness! How gorgeous! Fantastic photography. You certainly have an eye for it and for selecting a good looking scoot! Thanks for sharing your ride and hope to hear about another real soon.

Would you please share what kind of camera?
 
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masher said:
Beautiful pics! I am glad you made it out here to my backyard and enjoyed the ascent. It's a breathtaking ride for sure.
Click to expand...

Hey everyone... thanks! It was a special ride delivered by the Milwaukee bike.

masher... many fine rides in your neighborhood are covered in the book.

Jim... Don't have any fears about the bike overheating on high altitude ascents in Colorado. If anything, when up high, and the temps are low, which is often the case, and kind of heat thrown off by the engine would be bonus!

flipper... Thanks much. The cam is an Canon Powershot SX200-IS

Steve
 
i have always wanted to ride to the top of pikes peak. its on my bucket list. thanks for posting.
 
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