Rating Scheme Explained
More about the rating scheme. I believe most riders fall within the bell curve as they say, we are all various levels of Intermediate in some form or another. On either side of the bell curve you have your expert riders who have not only logged miles, maybe have raced or ridden in all sort of conditions for years if not decades. We don't worry too much about the expert rider being able to handle most conditions. Many of the routes I consider expert have yet to be mapped and are more hardcore off road, single track stuff.
What we are concerned with are the beginner riders on the other side of the curve. When I think of a true beginner I think of someone who just graduated their MSF course and have owned a motorcycle for maybe a month. These are the riders I think about when I rate roads, riders who are extremely prone to panic and target fixation, or locking up the brakes. When I think about roads with decreasing radius turns, off camber turns, dirt / rock and bad pavement, or even extreme shelf roads these are the type that I personally would avoid bringing a beginner rider on. I've seen it when they ride these roads, they lock up, go 20 mph under the speed limit and are absolutely terrified (sometimes they wreck). I realize this rating scheme is purely subjective but it is consistent across all routes.
**The Routes Below are Clustered, ZOOM in for your convenience to get a look at all the data. Use the SORT function below or click on an individual route or marker for more detailed information!**
Tincup
- Distance 7 miles
- Time 14 min
- Speed 33 mph
- Min altitude 9370 ft
- Peak 10157 ft
- Climb 840 ft
- Descent 59 ft
Jones Pass
- Distance 6 miles
- Time 23 min
- Speed 15 mph
- Min altitude 9869 ft
- Peak 12441 ft
- Climb 2608 ft
- Descent 36 ft
Ute Pass Road
- Distance 28 miles
- Time 1 h 12 min
- Speed 23 mph
- Min altitude 8219 ft
- Peak 9921 ft
- Climb 3222 ft
- Descent 2671 ft
Route 50 RG
- Distance 24 miles
- Time 30 min
- Speed 48 mph
- Min altitude 5728 ft
- Peak 6378 ft
- Climb 1486 ft
- Descent 1316 ft
Skyline Drive
- Distance 3 miles
- Time 10 min
- Speed 15 mph
- Min altitude 5410 ft
- Peak 5853 ft
- Climb 348 ft
- Descent 584 ft
Phantom Canyon
- Distance 25 miles
- Time 1 h 20 min
- Speed 20 mph
- Min altitude 5633 ft
- Peak 9741 ft
- Climb 1302 ft
- Descent 5374 ft
Shelf Road
- Distance 12 miles
- Time 44 min
- Speed 17 mph
- Min altitude 6355 ft
- Peak 9380 ft
- Climb 686 ft
- Descent 3711 ft
CO 67 S
- Distance 23 miles
- Time 34 min
- Speed 41 mph
- Min altitude 9012 ft
- Peak 10233 ft
- Climb 2480 ft
- Descent 1929 ft
Pikes Peak
- Distance 17 miles
- Time 44 min
- Speed 24 mph
- Min altitude 7782 ft
- Peak 14026 ft
- Climb 6503 ft
- Descent 262 ft
CO 67 WP
- Distance 21 miles
- Time 26 min
- Speed 49 mph
- Min altitude 6427 ft
- Peak 8304 ft
- Climb 2539 ft
- Descent 666 ft