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!**
Lefthand Canyon
- Distance 16 miles
- Time 28 min
- Speed 35 mph
- Min altitude 5597 ft
- Peak 9134 ft
- Climb 3596 ft
- Descent 62 ft
CO 7
- Distance 33 miles
- Time 53 min
- Speed 39 mph
- Min altitude 5335 ft
- Peak 9140 ft
- Climb 4872 ft
- Descent 2595 ft
CO 72
- Distance 22 miles
- Time 32 min
- Speed 42 mph
- Min altitude 7995 ft
- Peak 9341 ft
- Climb 2251 ft
- Descent 2375 ft
CO 119
- Distance 18 miles
- Time 28 min
- Speed 39 mph
- Min altitude 8054 ft
- Peak 9347 ft
- Climb 2267 ft
- Descent 1969 ft
Fremont Pass
- Distance 22 miles
- Time 25 min
- Speed 54 mph
- Min altitude 9701 ft
- Peak 11322 ft
- Climb 1903 ft
- Descent 1486 ft
Independence Pass
- Distance 35 miles
- Time 1 h 14 min
- Speed 29 mph
- Min altitude 8028 ft
- Peak 12096 ft
- Climb 3274 ft
- Descent 4478 ft
Loveland Pass
- Distance 12 miles
- Time 21 min
- Speed 35 mph
- Min altitude 9449 ft
- Peak 11991 ft
- Climb 1214 ft
- Descent 2543 ft
Berthoud Pass
- Distance 28 miles
- Time 42 min
- Speed 40 mph
- Min altitude 8599 ft
- Peak 11309 ft
- Climb 2920 ft
- Descent 2454 ft
Guanella Pass
- Distance 23 miles
- Time 49 min
- Speed 29 mph
- Min altitude 8589 ft
- Peak 11670 ft
- Climb 3268 ft
- Descent 3241 ft
Cottonwood Pass
- Distance 37 miles
- Time 1 h 20 min
- Speed 29 mph
- Min altitude 7982 ft
- Peak 12123 ft
- Climb 3786 ft
- Descent 5341 ft