Colorado Springs Loops

[wanderingwheel]

Looks like I'm stuck with short rides for this summer.  Can anybody recommend a good 2-5 day loop ride from Colorado Springs?  One-way might work also, assuming there's an easy way to return (such as a train).  Preferably on road, but off road is also a possibility.  Lots of climbing is a good thing.

Thanks
Sean

[RussellSeaton]

I rode in your area a few years back.  My loaded tour went from Canon City to Salida to Gunnison to Hotchkiss to Ouray to Durango to Pagosa Springs to Creede to Lake City to Gunnison to Saguache to Salida to Canon City.  Two weeks.

There is an organized ride from your area called the Hardscrabble Tour I think.  Look it up for its route and add or subtract from it.  There is a book on bicycle touring in Colorado.  Can't think of the authors or title right now but do some kind of search for bike touring books in Colorado and it will come up.  It was written more than a few years ago but the routes would still apply.  I used it to plan my trip in 1997.

Jean and Hartley Alley are the authors of the Colorado Bicycle touring book.

This message was edited by RussellSeaton on 6-1-06 @ 9:36 AM