Colorado Detours Along TransAm Route

[Kari Post]

I know people in Colorado Springs, Denver, Boulder, and Estes Park and am interested in adjusting the ACA route through Colorado to be able to stay with any of them.  Does anyone have suggestions for bikeable alternates to get to any of these places that would detour from the main TransAm route without adding too much mileage?

[valygrl]

Well it would be easy to hit all those places with one general detour, but it would also change the route dramatically - instead of riding through the mountains, you'll ride on the plains next to the mountains, though the highest concentration of population and traffic in the state.  It wouldn't add much mileage, but it would really change the character of the CO experience, in my opinion for the worse.

You *can* put a route together, but unless these are people you intentionally want to visit (as opposed to who would be a useful overnight) I wouldn't.

[Kari Post]

Thanks for the info.  I probably won't hit all of those spots, if any, but was curious as to what it would entail.  Maybe I'll see if my friends want to come visit me instead of the other way around.

[Mary Lou]

I am joining in just to ask if there is a good, non-busy road bike route from Colorado Springs to Pueblo.  We have to start in Colorado springs this year and would like to join the TransAM heading east as soon as we can --it looks like w should go down to Pueblo as our first step??

[staehpj1]

Thanks for the info.  I probably won't hit all of those spots, if any, but was curious as to what it would entail.  Maybe I'll see if my friends want to come visit me instead of the other way around.

Depending on how far off route they are... Maybe they could pick you up for a visit and drop you back on route right where they picked you up.  We did a bit of that in Virginia and it worked out well.