Pikes Peak

Trip Start Jun 30, 2008
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Trip End Jul 22, 2008


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Flag of United States  , Colorado,
Monday, July 14, 2008

Very early start today. We had to get ourselves down to Colorado Springs for a bike tour that we had previously booked so we were up at four and on the road by 4.45. The tour started at the offices of the operator leaving at 6.30 in the morning, first having breakfast in town followed by a trip to the top of Pikes Peak via the cog railway. Pikes Peak is 14,110 feet - the highest mountain in Colorado and at points on the railway, the front of the train is three stories higher than the rear of the train which, by the way, only has four carriages! That gives you some indication as to just how steep the incline is.

Once at the top, we were met by the tour operators and issued with our biking gear - helmets, mountain bikes (of course) and anything else we needed such as warm clothes, gloves, thingies to tie our pants to stop them getting caught in the chain, etc. then it was all downhill from there. Hell it was a buzz! We flew! We stopped at regular intervals for the tour operators to check our brakes because they were heating up and of course, risked failure, but what a blast! Just as well it was downhill though because at that altitude, breathing was difficult. Both Jude and I could feel the pressure on our chests making it difficult to breathe.

The ride down lasted several hours so we only finished the tour about 2.30 when we arrived back down at the bottom of Pikes Peak. It was quite a great time and we met a couple of really nice people from Texas.

Before heading back to Denver, we did a tour of Miramont Castle which was a total waste of time. The brochure made it out to be far more than what it was. Well you win some and you lose some!
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