# Colorado's Western Slope in the Fall: Fixed Gear Ride Report



## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Here's some shots from my ride last Friday. While the fiance was at a professional conference in Vail, I got in 80+ mile ride where no fixed gear has gone, or should go in the future. I started at Dotsero, where the Colroado and Eagle Rivers meet. I rode up the lovely Colorado River Road all the way over to Highway 131. The road was paved and dirt, with lovely views of BLM lands and the snow-covered peaks of the Flat Tops Wilderness. These picures in no way do this part of Colroado justice. No one was to be seen, except for the occasional elk hunting party. At Highway 131, it was south to Highway 6 (aka I-70) and back to Dotsero. Highway 131 should not be ridden on a fixie, and certainly not with 48x16 gearing. The 4 mile climb up from State Bridge out of the Colorado basin to the Eagle basin nearly killed me. It was about 8% with a stiff headwind. My legs hurt and still are acid depositories. Like most of my recent big rides, there are no services anywhere near here. Nevertheless, I'd highly recommed this ride, provided that you bring water (which I did not).


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## jd3 (Oct 8, 2004)

*Nice report*

I saw the western slope, Frutia and Moab for the first time this year. Fascinating county! It’s so cool to stand at the bottom of a desert canyon and look up at snow-covered peaks.


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## MB1 (Jan 27, 2004)

*Wrong.*



Pablo said:


> ... I got in 80+ mile ride where no fixed gear has gone, or should go in the future. ......


Fixtes belong everywhere.

As you just demonstrated in this sweet report.

No water OTOH......


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

MB1 said:


> Fixtes belong everywhere.
> 
> As you just demonstrated in this sweet report.
> 
> No water OTOH......


I love fixies and I'll ride them anywhere. However, I was not prepared for this one. I planned a short spin but then the weather cleared up. What else could I do?


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## Chain (Dec 28, 2006)

Nice ride and report Pablo. It's pretty out there, but you know me... I need gears!


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## Bocephus Jones II (Oct 7, 2004)

80 miles with no water? You must have dehydrated yourself something awful.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Bocephus Jones II said:


> 80 miles with no water? You must have dehydrated yourself something awful.


I normally don't need much water unless it's above 90 degrees. (Insert dogmatic discussion of the inportance of water to performance.) I know I should drink more, but I just don't get dehydrated very easily. However, this ride did it and then some.


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## pedalruns (Dec 18, 2002)

Nice looking ride, except for the part about.. on a fixie and no water for 80 miles, you must be part camel! 

I have a fixed gear, but by the looks of those photos I'd want every gear I could get, not to mention at least a couple of bottles of water! 

Beautiful looking ride, nothing like that where I live!


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## KeeponTrekkin (Aug 29, 2002)

*What about the descents?*

I don't notice a brake on that Pista.

Great pictures.


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## Velo Vol (Mar 9, 2005)

A great looking bike ride (even if you did go off-road).

At least you didn't have extra water weight holding you back on the climbs.


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## FatTireFred (Jan 31, 2005)

dotsero... I always wondered where that band's name came from. at least I think there was a local band w/that name in the 90s


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

KeeponTrekkin said:


> I don't notice a brake on that Pista.
> 
> Great pictures.


The descents aren't that bad. I've ridden a fixie on hilly terrain long enough to do it safely and comfortable. Start slow and stay slow. Still, the 9 mile descent following the killer climb I wrote about was on the tougher side of hard. I wouldn't really recommend it. Luckily, this was the one point of the ride where the wind helped me out--it was blowing straight uphill into my face helping keep me slow.


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## Pablo (Jul 7, 2004)

Velo Vol said:


> A great looking bike ride (even if you did go off-road).
> 
> At least you didn't have extra water weight holding you back on the climbs.


It's all about dirt roads on road bikes.


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## bigrider (Jun 27, 2002)

Sweet stuff. As for the water subject, I would have been drinking from the creeks like a steer after a cattle drive across the desert.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

Very nice report. I love that part of the country. Very brave on the no water and fixie part!


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