Recent Posts

1

Routes / Re: Twin Cities to Santa Fe to Yellowstone to Twin Cities

« Last post by jamawani on August 14, 2018, 08:47:33 pm »

Very unlikely. The mountain passes in Colorado are almost always open by June.

No.

The major passes may be open - -
But if the OP wants to ride back roads, those are likely to still be closed.
Especially if the coming winter is a heavy snow winter.

I did a closed Schofield Pass in late June back a few years ago.
I had to chop my way thru multiple avalanche chutes.
Exhausting, scary, and not very smart.

<<<>>>

Not sure what the OP's time frame is -
But I would suspect needing 3 weeks for MSP-SFE, 2 1/2 weeks for SFE-YEL, and 2 1/2 weeks back to MSP.
Add a week in Santa Fe and another week in Yellowstone and that is 10 weeks.

So, either direction it will be late June for the Colorado Mountains.
Clockwise, it will be mid July for Yellowstone - - and very busy.
OP should expect some killer headwinds in western Kansas, Okla, and eastern NM.
Windwise - - probably better to ride counter-clockwise.

(Predicting winds is imprecise at best, crazymaking if you are counting on tailwinds.)

2

General Discussion / Re: How to contact Adventure Cycling???

« Last post by John Nettles on August 14, 2018, 07:53:50 pm »

Is sort of comical how they have 12 million ways of social media to contact them and have forms, etc. but no simple "email" address shown.  I guess that is so 2012  .  Anyway, you can contact them via the web using this form and be sure to specifically ask for their email.  Best, John

https://www.adventurecycling.org/about-us/contact-us/contact-us-form/

3

General Discussion / How to contact Adventure Cycling???

« Last post by Tandem Tom on August 14, 2018, 07:11:42 pm »

Maybe it's me but I cannot find an email address after searching the website. Trying to ask some questions about my membership. Going to be outside the country so trying to do via email.
Suggestions??
Thanks!

4

General Discussion / Re: Senior comeback

« Last post by hikerjer on August 14, 2018, 06:09:13 pm »

"Youth is wasted on the young."  Too true.  And "wisdom is wasted on the old" .Too bad life isn't fair.

5

Temporary ACA Route Road Closures / Great Divide Section 1 Map C - road closed Priest Pass for vehicles - Aug 2018

« Last post by Yvonne on August 14, 2018, 05:23:55 pm »

On 8/14/18, At the top of Priest Pass, southbound, there are barriers and Road Closed sign.  The road is deeply eroded in 3 places, so no go for vehicles.   We went through without any problems.  Northbound folks will also encounter Closed sign about 3 miles south of the pass.

6

Gear Talk / Re: Roof rack mount for bike with low rider rack on front wheel

« Last post by DaveB on August 14, 2018, 04:41:27 pm »

Would an elevated fork mount designed for disc brakes clear a rack?

7

Routes / Re: Twin Cities to Santa Fe to Yellowstone to Twin Cities

« Last post by John Nelson on August 14, 2018, 04:36:06 pm »

leaving late May to early June (which is a must) and going counterclockwise, we could be hitting snowed in mountain passes.

Very unlikely. The mountain passes in Colorado are almost always open by June.

8

Routes / Re: Twin Cities to Santa Fe to Yellowstone to Twin Cities

« Last post by CanvasAndSteel on August 14, 2018, 03:03:52 pm »

As your trip is quite a ways off, can I suggest swapping destinations a bit?  Stay as far north in the summer for as long as possible: go west (for example, along the ACA Northern Tier and Lewis and Clark) to Livingston, MT, then go into Yellowstone.  From there you could head south to Santa Fe, missing the worst of Missouri and Kansas summer while staying in the mountains as much as possible.

Of course, this may not work depending on other commitments and goals (family reunion in Santa Fe, perhaps?).

Good suggestions, but we're putting the trip together in part around my wife's time off, which is already on the books for next summer.  Santa Fe is one of her favorite places (we've been there twice during our 24 years, including for anniversary #10), and she wants to see Yellowstone because she's never been there (my wife and Bill's wife will be flying out to Santa Fe and then to Yellowstone to join us for a week or so at each place).  Adding to that, we need to be back home by late August, so we're pretty locked into a clockwise route.  Lastly, leaving late May to early June (which is a must) and going counterclockwise, we could be hitting snowed in mountain passes.  Going clockwise, the passes should be clear by the time we get into Colorado.  I'm a bit confused too about how we would miss the summer heat of Missouri and Kansas, as the route you're suggesting would just put us there deeper into the summer.

9

Gear Talk / Re: mixte

« Last post by Old Guy New Hobby on August 14, 2018, 12:43:06 pm »

There are plenty of bikes with step-through frames. They tend to be more popular with women. Many have a more upright seating. They tend to be a little heavier, with a little extra steel to compensate for not having the top bar. But they're fine bikes. Check out the REI Townie.

10

Gear Talk / Re: mixte

« Last post by danny dea on August 14, 2018, 12:33:22 pm »

You might look at Bike Friday.  They make a range of bikes from touring to tandems and are very well made.  Easy to mount and nice to travel with.