2021 Colorado Rally, July 15-19

[JonnyO]

Jeff I really appreciate these posts and living vicariously through all the details of your adventure.

Me, too. ..

[JonnyO]

Mike arrived Kremmling. Long ride from San Diego with stop at Motomans in Grand Junction.

Bonz had great ride plan today. 7am departure. 8am arrival at Ranger Booth on US34 Trail Ridge. Arrived 8am on the dot. We all got in free. (normally $25 a bike)

Was chilly high 40's when we started off. Then warmed up a bit. 77° riding back. 52° at the Summit today with light winds so it was comfortable riding up high.

Group up on Trail Ridge at 12,100 ft.



We had a fun day of high altitude riding with 1,000 - 2,000 ft drop offs and NO guard rails. And some great hairpin curves.

as usual, herding cats deal so missing a few.
So before you ask: Harry, Bob, Tim, Tom, Bonz, Russ, Rich, John, Scott, Jeff & of course Bonz.

Jeff & the Colorado Riders

Beautiful, man. Just beautiful. *sigh*

[rdmycguy]

Thank you Jeff for posting such great pictures and sharing your solo ride pics.too, Always a pleasure to ride and hang out with you .ride safe my friend.See you tomorrow.

[Bonz]

Everybody made it home safely and sound. What a great rally and great group of guys!

So much appreciate everyone that came. I know it's a big part of your summer and possibly your year and it's awesome the brotherhood and fellowship we have.

I want to invite anyone to take a look at coming out and joining us for 2022. With the consistent attendance and input of the riders here's what I've come up with.

We're going to gather in Kremmling on Thursday night again. Friday ride will be to Durango colorado, ~330 miles of beautiful mountain scenery and the riding is not technical relative to what many guys do back east. Ride back to Kremmling on Saturday, another ~330 miles via a different route. Then Sunday ride will be the ride we did on Saturday of this year which is an amazing combination of scenery and spectacular roads.

The plan will be to have a Kremmling hotel on Thursday, we all recommend the Super 8. You will reserve a hotel in Durango Friday (Motel Durango is simple but clean, as a thought) and back to Kremmling on Saturday night and Sunday night, again recommend the Super 8. Trailer parking at Kremmling is no issue, the Super 8 is extremely accommodating so leaving it there for the day we are gone is no issue.

I will post it officially later in the fall, but most likely the same week that we did this year since the 4th of July will fall on a Monday. Which will make July 14-18 the rally goal.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Wow... this rally was EPIC.
Howard, thanks for all your efforts to make this such a great rally for everyone.
We ALL greatly appreciate everything you did!
So glad you were able to join Tim and I for an extra couple of "pre-rally" days! That was awesome!

It was so great to see all you guys again and get to ride in outstanding areas!

Jeff,
Stunning pictures, my friend! Thank you for all the great shots!
Always look forward to seeing you and riding again with you!
Great times, great laughs, a few "mishaps", but like Bohn always says...
"Those are the things you remember and what makes it AN ADVENTURE."

[Bonz]

I had a great time on the "pre-rally" days of the ride we did, Bob! Set the stage for what I shared above and how the Rally is going to look for next year after we all shared ideas and decided on a "best of" to hit many of the roads and passes we've done so far in the Rally's. Hope your busy schedule is off to a good start with the job you are on.

[XJOK2PLAY]

Awesome, Bonz! Can't wait until the next one!

Yes, new job site project is off to a great start, and we made a lot of progress this week. Ahead of schedule!
Plus, the scope of the project just expanded a lot, so... that's gonna be way cool, too.

Added some new guys to the team, too.

[BA80]

!0 years ago at "The Lost Rally" in Winona,Minnersota. .

[JeffH]

Cattle sure seem to like being on the highway


The old Double Dare (go ahead and make my day) stare on CO141 in western Colorado





Monday AM riding west off Gore Pass on CO134



Blast around a curve and don't expect to see barnyard behavior in the middle of the highway


Jeff

[JeffH]

A few ride pics:


Crossing the Mississippi River from Wickliffe KY into Wilson City MO on US 60/62


Had to adjust the ride plan. This was Plan B to stay away from rain and storms to the north. After crossing the Ohio River instead of going north via Cairo IL went west instead into Missouri


Early AM ride to Estes Park via the Big Thompson Canyon




Riding north on CO72 from Nederland to Estes Park




Finished 15 days behind bars. Quite a lot of riding.
1,800 to the Rally, 550 at the Rally, 700 Bonus ride after the Rally, 1,750 miles home.
So 4,800 miles. Luckily no issues or problems.

Jeff

[JeffH]

NOT much leeway if you are 'riding the white line'. Little wind gust would blow you right off into the abyss.

Quite the Ah ....................... drop off.


........... and of course you Go to where you are Looking

Jeff

[Bonz]

Good pics Jeff, lol! Maybe we'll see the off spring of the encounter next summer.

Great pic, Greg. You guys have come a long ways...

[XJOK2PLAY]

Jeff,
great pics!
That last drop off pic... definitely not where you'd want to have a TrBig moment...huh?
Wow!

Your total miles made ours look like a trip around the block!
Tim and I logged 1600 by truck, 1600 by bike- 3200 total.

I had a blowout on one of my trailer tires coming home.
Fortunately, we were on flat road, good spot, right at a rest stop, and Russ and Bohn were driving along with us...
everybody pitched in and it got changed out fast.
Thanks to Bohn, Russ, Harry, and Richard for stopping and lending me a hand!

I learned a few things about trailer tires...
1) Never take a guy's word that's selling you a trailer when he says "I just put an entire new set on it not long ago."
"Not long ago" can have different time frames for different folks! LOL...
Tires looked new. I have owned the trailer for 2 yrs. now. I've pulled it about 6000 miles so far.
Date codes showed they were 6 1/2 yrs. old. My bad, took his word and assumed...

2) Trailer tires are only good for between 3-6 years. Closer to 6 if kept indoors out of the sunlight.

3) Some states LEO's can write tickets if date codes are checked during a traffic stop and older than 7 yrs. old.

4) Just because a trailer tire is properly inflated, pulled in low 80 degree temps, and shows no signs of wear or weather cracking, can still blow the tread, if old enough.

5) A "D class" trailer tire is rated for a maximum speed of 81mph.

6) Bohn said the tires made in China are called "China bombs." Guess I proved that right!

7) It's getting harder to find good quality American made trailer tires now.

Found a local dealer that's a friend of mine that got me a set of 5 Carlilse D class tires made in America.
Should be good now for a while (provided I keep my speed down below 80!)

Not an easy thing to do pulling a 5000 lb rig down that 20 mile long, 7% grade from the Eisenhour Tunnel! Even in 3rd gear out of 7!
Glad it didn't pick that spot to blow!! Lot's of curves.

[Radioguylogs]

I blew a trailer tire coming back XSSE several years ago.The tire was relativley new from Harbor Fright. Some time later, HF had a recall on my tires. They replaced the tire that hadn't blown, but they woulfdn't help with the tire that failed becasue I had already disposed of it....even though I had the receipt and this picture:




I put on steel belted radials after that.

[Bonz]

Wow, that tire just flat (no pun intended) came apart.

Bob, glad you got it changed and that's the nice thing about these guys, always there for each other. Like Richard's Magna going dead stick 45 miles from Kremmling on the Sunday ride. Harry and Russ loaded their bikes on the trailer since Richards bike was to be loaded last anyway for the trip home. I rode shotgun with them on the 90 mile round trip to fetch the bike, then they headed home together on Monday.

Fwiw, Richard swapped out the TCI when he got home and it fired up. It was quite a hot day (93 deg F at 7,500+ feet) as we were riding through the high plains on 131 in the twisties, sweepers and fast straights on the Sunday ride.