# Grand Junction Road Rides?



## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

I'll be in Grand Junction for a four days in a few weeks and I'm thinking of leaving the mountain bike at home and bringing the roadie. I've ridden the Mounument Loop before. 

I was wondering if anyone knew of any other good routes in and around the Junk (I don't mind dirt or gravel roads)? Has anyone ridden the Lands End Road or up the Mesa?


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## maddog (Feb 26, 2004)

Pablo said:


> I'll be in Grand Junction for a four days in a few weeks and I'm thinking of leaving the mountain bike at home and bringing the roadie. I've ridden the Mounument Loop before.
> 
> I was wondering if anyone knew of any other good routes in and around the Junk (I don't mind dirt or gravel roads)? Has anyone ridden the Lands End Road or up the Mesa?


Lands End might be tough on a road bike 

i've not done the ride up the mesa - rte 65, but it is pretty popular


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## RickC5 (Apr 26, 2002)

In addition to the Monument & Grand Mesa, there's the Palisade loop, Unaweep Canyon, and lots of paved rural roads to the North & West of GJ heading towards Fruita.

If you were thinking of doing the Monument again, be advised that they are repaving the road (started last summer & still not finished) and there's at least several miles of unpaved roadbed that you would have to navigate, which is like loosey gravel.

Unaweep Canyon runs from Whitewater (just South of GJ) to Gateway. Nice two-lane highway, not much traffic, narrow with no shoulders. I haven't ridden it, but have seen several roadies on it in the past. There's a high point in the middle of the canyon that might make a good turn-around spot.

I've ridden several of the farm/rural roads between GJ & Fruita. Once you avoid the couple of busy roads, you can ride for miles without hardly seeing a car.

If you have more time, I've heard that there are some great road rides over in Moab, but I haven't done them personally.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

maddog said:


> Lands End might be tough on a road bike
> 
> i've not done the ride up the mesa - rte 65, but it is pretty popular


Is Land's End not paved?


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## maddog (Feb 26, 2004)

Pablo said:


> Is Land's End not paved?


it's not paved


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Rideable and ridden.

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?p=1097596#post1097596


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## maddog (Feb 26, 2004)

you are more of a man than I (don't get too bigheaded, this is not a major accomplishement) 

glad you enjoyed the ride - those are great pics - I like lands end a lot - I still have no plans to take my road bike up that road!


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

Pablo said:


> I'll be in Grand Junction for a four days in a few weeks and I'm thinking of leaving the mountain bike at home and bringing the roadie. I've ridden the Mounument Loop before.
> 
> I was wondering if anyone knew of any other good routes in and around the Junk (I don't mind dirt or gravel roads)? Has anyone ridden the Lands End Road or up the Mesa?


Grand Mesa is a long grind--worse if the temps are close to 100F. I've ridden it and it's an unrelenting grade--no place to rest.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

maddog said:


> I like lands end a lot - I still have no plans to take my road bike up that road!


Like I said, that's probably a good idea, all in all. I fancy myself an old school rider who's not afraid of dirt and far-from-perfect roads. I live in Greeley this year and the dirt roads out here can be truly difficult soft gravel and sand. At least this one was hard packed.


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