Map Breakdown: Day 4

This is the breakdown of day 4, the final day of our adventure! This day starts in Breckenridge, where we'll no doubt wake up bleary eyed and dehydrated (the way God intended). This day is a brief 12 miles, but a horrendous 3100 feet of climbing. Check out the map here.

We'll start with a road climb up the Peak Nine Access Road, and then rejoin the CO Trail about 8 miles in. The ride up the Peak Nine Access Road is an alternative route. The original route swung north and rejoined the CO Trail off HWY 9. While this would put us back on the CO Trail sooner, it also subjects us to, "4 hours of hike a bike" according to other users. In the interest of less suffering, we're going to take a service road.

Original Route

Updated Route

Elevation Profile

Part 1: Miles 0-6 - We start off with the Peak Nine Access Trail, which is a service road up to the top of Peak Nine (as the name suggests). This is rideable, and saves us quite a bit of hassle hiking up the much harder official option.

Part 1

Peak Nine Access Road

Part 2: Miles 7 - 8: Back on single track! We don't actually rejoin right onto the CO Trail, we spend a short time on Wheeler Trail, which then connects to the CO Trail. The elev tops out on this trail, and we descend down a couple hundred feet before connecting.

Part 2

Satellite View

Wheeler Trail

Part 3: Miles 9-13: After finally rejoining the CO Trail, it is an apparent technical descent down to highway 91 and a short hop across to Copper and some delicious Mexican food!

Part 3

Dropping into Copper

This will be the last part of the trip, and by now we'll surely be hungry and ready for an ice cold margarita!

Map Breakdown: Day 3

Day three is just a classic day with 41 miles and 5600 climbing. We have two passes and end in a town with a shower and bed! Check out the map here.

Route and Waypoints

Elevation Profile

This route is four parts - two passes, a descent, and a bike path into Breckenridge.

Part 1: Miles 0-7 - right out of the gate we're climbing! We'll be headed up to the top of Georgia Pass, the first of two for the day. This looks to be a fin trail, not as wide and beaten in as some parts. Once we crest the pass, we will have a somewhat steep descent that crosses a couple water supplies, and into the valley between Georgia and the second unnamed ridge. 

Part 1

Georgia Pass

There is an interesting option here as well - at the bottom of the hill between Georgia Pass and the next unnamed hill there is a bailout that takes a 7 mile detour around the unnamed pass and down to the bike path. 

Detour

We'll see how the legs are feeling on day three!

Part 2: Back to climbing! We're gearing up for our second pass of the day. This one is doesn't seem to have a name, but it's 1200 feet over 4 miles. Short and sweet, this will put us in good position to finish the day strong.

Part 2

Georgia Pass

Part 3: The last part is about a 9 mile downhill that winds through the trees as we approach the bike path on highway 9. On the map this looks fun and easy, but I'm guessing we'll be THRILLED that is is over by the bottom. 

Part 3

 Other Pass

Part 4: The last part of this is a great four mile ride up the bike path into Breckenridge. What I'd love to do is find an ice cold beer to drink as a roadie on the way to the hotel here, but dang if the map shows nothing at all! Well have to get creative to earn today's reward.

Part 4

Bike Path into Breckenridge

With this day over, we'll be showering up in a regular hotel, soaking the legs in the river, then the hot tub, and preparing for the last day!

Colorado Trail 2026: Bike changes

Besides adding bags all over my bike, I am making a couple other changes to try to make it better for the challenge of bikepacking. Let's take a,look at what I did to my new bike!

Handlebars / Stem

Stock: DiamondBack alloy 35mm

Change: Renthal carbon 35mm

Reason: I wanted to swap over to a 31.8 bar for the compliance, but couldn't justify buying a new cockpit when I had a 35mm Renthal bar stem combo available. They're wide, stable, and light (ish). Hopefully a little more compliant as well. 

Innerends

Stock: none

Change: Added some Ergon bar ends in the middle of the bars

Reason: I've tried this out on a few bikes, and I really like having a second place to put my hands. I also wrapped a bit of the bar with bar tape so it's extra comfortable. This position helps with aerodynamics too, so I'm excited to try it out.

Chainring

Stock: 32t

Change: 30t

Reason: Easier climbing! and hopefully less stress on my drivetrain. While I fully expect to be running in a granny gear, I don't want to have my chain all stretched out all the time. This will allow me to run my gears a little easier, hopefully. 

Tire inserts

Stock: none

Change: Cushcore regular rear, race front

Reason: Running lower tire pressure means I have a softer ride and great traction. It also means I risk  pinching my tire or denting a rim. I gotta great deal on a Cushcore regular for the rear and a lighter Cushcore for the front. This will add a bit of weight, but it will payoff in confidence that my bike won't get all beat up or changing tubes all the time.

And believe it or not, those are all the changes to the bike! When I'm posting this we're only a week away, which is pretty exciting. 

Map Breakdown: Day 2

With day one out of the way, we can get started on some riding that is closer to what everyone thinks about when they imagine the Colorado Trail This day is probably the easiest, and has a some great looking singletrack. This day looks like about 40 miles and 3500 feet of climbing. Check out the map here.

Route and Waypoints

Day two route divides into a few pieces, starting on the road out of Tarryall Res / Stagestop Saloon and then onto the trail proper. 

Part 1: Miles 0-20ish - This ride starts wherever we end up for the night - maybe Tarryall Res, maybe StageStop Saloon. In any case, we start up day 2 with some amount of paved and dirt road to get us back to trail. This has some modest climbing - nothing compared to what's after it!

Part 1

Tarryall Road

Part 2: Miles whatever to the 285 crossing is about 7 miles, and for this we're back on the trail! We'll start at a place called Rock Creek/South Ben Tyler Trailhead. This was originally going to be a camp spot before the detour derailed us. After a long day 1, and we're finally around the Lost Creek Wilderness, with minimal inconvenience. 

Part 2

Colorado Trail

Colorado Trail

Part 3: The last 6 miles after we cross 285 are also trail, and a bit of a hilly but beautiful looking area. This is a short section to our camping spit for the night at the Jefferson Creek / Aspen Campground. Rumor is Reid is going to meet us with sausages and beer!

Part 3

Somewhere on Kenosha Pass

This has the potential to be the shortest day, which might be great after a long day 1 and the prospect of a 40 mile, 5500' day three. Tune in next time, dear reader, for more trail preview!

Colorado Trail 2026: Bag Attack

For this big 'ol ride I'm planning, I am having to take a different approach than my regular gravel bike, hotel stay, credit card driven adventure. This ride necessitates a camping setup, as well as a much more thoughtful weight consideration. 

I took the basic packing list I have and started editing it for a true bike packing trip. I broke things down by the bag they'd go in.

Dry Fit bags

My goal with this was to spread the load over the whole bike so it would still handle sort of ok, and try to keep it under 50 pounds. That would be a challenge for a few reasons:

• I'm starting with a heavy bike
• I won't want to buy a lot of really lightweight gear for one trip
• I want to bring some comforts that weigh a lot

Here is a breakdown of what will be in my bags and some notes:

Bar Bag - this is my trusty Revelate Egress. I built a new bar mount for it to accommodate the 35mm handlebars not the Transition and so far it's working out great. 

• Bivy Sack (small tent)
• Evening wear
• Quick access food

Front Top Tube Bag - this snack bag has been really useful for grabbing snacks on the bike. It has a magnetic closure so it's a big improvement over the old zipper one. 

• Bars and snacks!

Rear Top Tube Bag - this bag was in the way when I had it mounted on my gravel bike, but due to the different frame design, it works great on the Transition. 

• Tools, chain lube, tire levers

Frame Bag - this bag's fit was one of the main reasons I wanted to switch bikes. It fits much better in the Transition and allows for some storage behind it even. 

• Stove, Fuel, Pot
• Food

Under Frame Bag - this is a hard to reach bag, so it's just stiff I hope I don't need to get to often. It's a roll top bag so it will keep what is inside dry.

• Rain gear - Pants, hat, jacket, gloves
• Extra tube

Rear Rack Bag - sleep system! The rack for this went through some iterations to hold this bag best. This is a simple mount with two straps and a roll top to keep things dry. 

• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping pad
• Pillow

Other stuff not in a bike bag:

Backpack - this is new for me, as I usually ride with a minimal hip pack. I got this one and am hopeful it will meet my needs without being too uncomfortable

• Evening Items - toothbrush, charger, medicine
• Pump
• Down jacket
• First aid kit

On Bike - This stuff is just going to be strapped right to the bike!

• Water bottle
• Garmin
• Lights

And those are the bags! 

Colorado Trail 2026: Pack That Bike

Now that I've settled on a bike, let's talk about the bags I'm using. I have been building out a list of what I am planning on bringing based on past experience and reading online resources, and I have a good idea of how much volume I'll need to carry everything. 

This is where a resource like Bikepacking.com is so valuable. They do these Rigs of the (whatever) where they review all the bikes that are competing in an event, and the riders breakdown what they have and what they're excited about. It's great because I like to see what other people are doing. Here are some bikes I am using as inspiration for my trip:

Transition Transam

Bike: Transition Transam

What I like: It's the same as my bike! In this review, it didn't get stellar reviews, as it doesn't compete well with purpose-built bike packing bikes, but it is a decent all-arounder. I liked to see this bike with what looks like with bags on it.

Esker Hayduke

Bike: Esker Hayduke

What I like: Oh man this bike rules. It is cool looking, light, perfect for long days in the saddle. I like the rack, the small frame bag with a water bottle behind it, and the aero-bars. 

Unsure of this one

Bike: ???

What I like: I also like the rack, under frame storage, and the top tube bag on this bike. Really balanced packing.

Now let's get to my bike. I am lucky to already own quite a few bags to choose from, and am looking forward to testing out how everything will fit together. I have a couple goals for this setup:

• Distribute weight front to back
• Keep it under 50 pounds
• Limit storage, and if I can't fit something then reconsider bringing it
• Utilize a backpack as well

Here's all the storage options I am considering:

I've settled on six bags:

• Bar bag: Revelate Egress - This bag is designed to go over a stuff sack, but I am really happy with it solo on a custom mount
• Top Tube Bag: Revelate Mag Tank - Lots of snack volume in an easy access location
• Frame Bag: Revelate Frame Bag - This is a workhorse of a bag with plenty of space. It doesn't fill the triangle as well as it could, so I'm using the extra space for a 20oz water bottle
• Under Frame Stuff Sack: Revelate Joey - Great for out of the way gear I won't access often
• Top Tube Bag #2: Revelate Jerry Can - This bag was always in the way on my gravel bike, but the frame differences make it a good fit on the Transam
• Tail Bag: Revelate stuff sack on a custom rack - I like a stuff sack on a rack so much. It's stable, has a lot of volume, and balances out the bike weight between the front and back

Here is what it looks like all loaded up

Test Ride!

I also played with a Aeroe rear rack, but it rode funny and was heavy, so I am sticking to 'ol reliable: An alum rack built from Home Depot parts. 

Dry Fit

I loaded it up with everything and took it to the top of Joder and I'm happy to say it is working well! My initial concerns are that the racks hold in place and the bags don't swing around too much, and so far everything is working great. Have a longer few rides planned and we'll continue to refine.

Greetings from the Top

Map Breakdown: Day 1

Let's break down day one! This day has a couple interesting parts and features the widest variety of trail types and surfaces. 

First off, this day has already been the cause of some change and stress due to the Lost Creek Wilderness ride around. This is how the trail looks if you were going to hike it: 

Lost Creek Wilderness in Orange (no bikes)

Initially, I had planned for us to ride a 24 mile detour around the wilderness. This would have put us on the trail for half the day, and then on a dirt road for the other half 

Original Route in Orange, Detour in Blue

I was watching a video of a guy riding the trail and noticed his ride around distance was more than double what I had planned. What is up?! Turns out, I had us riding on part of the trail that is within the wilderness, so we were going to have to further modify the route. 

Original Route in Orange, Full Detour in Blue

This adds significant miles and forces us to reschedule the whole ride. In the end, it is fine, a little more road than trail, still an adventure. There is also an option to detour to the north, but this puts you on 285 for 15 miles or so.

No thanks

Original Route in Orange, 285 Detour in Blue

So, with the route settled here is how it breaks down into three parts:

Part 1: Miles 0-5 - We start in the Buffalo Creek trail system for 5 miles of flowy trail through the trees that should be a fun way to start the day. It is the only singletrack for the day.

Part 1

Buffalo Creek

Part 2: Miles 6-36 - For the second part of the trail we jump on a dirt road that rolls south. This has quite a bit of ride and fall and should be fairly miserable. 

Part 2

Stoney Pass Road

Part 3: Miles 37-52+ - The last bit of the ride is paved, is a gentle climb, and will hopefully be a nice break from the dirt road that precedes it. I had planned for us to stay near the Tarryall Reservoir, where there is a waterfall and some places to camp - but there if we continue up the road another 10 miles, there is a place called the Stagestop saloon that looks like a great spot for some beers, pizza, and socialization. 

Part 3

Tarryall Road

Still TBD whether we want to push through this day, or camp a little rougher. Here is a breakdown of the profile and some of the way points (you can see the middle third looks terrible).

Ride Profile

Next up: Day 2! Shorter, more singletrack, and some support at the end!