Saturday, June 14, 8:00 a.m. (DATE CHANGE!)
Castle Rock Tour
Training Ride Host: Darin Lang
Please RSVP by COB Friday, June 13th to Darin Lang, langd@hallevans.com, mobile 303-903-6912.
Meeting Location:
Ride will start at 8:00 a.m. sharp.
Directions:
The Castle Rock group ride will again start at the Safeway just off Plum Creek Parkway (880 South Perry Street, Castle Rock, CO 80104). It is easiest to take exit 181, which puts you right on Plum Creek Parkway. The Safeway will be on your right after you go through the first stoplight. Meet generally at the West end of the parking lot.
Ride Summary / Distance / Ride Difficulty:
Approximately 40 miles, medium difficulty due to one climb. This is about as "flat" a route as you can get in the Castle Rock area, which means there is still quite a bit of climbing. Most of the climbing is at a moderate grade, with one relatively difficult climb that comes right at the end. This ride also features about 1/2-3/4 mile of riding on the shoulder of Interstate 25. Because the shoulder is so wide, I usually find this part less stressful than on a moderately busy two lane highway, but if anyone is uncomfortable with this there are shorter options that can avoid the interstate. The payoff on this ride comes right in the middle - a very long, gentle-to-moderate descent all the way through Perry Park, which is beautiful and green this time of year.
Ride Description / Route:
The route follows the frontage road south from Castle Rock for 7 miles of a very gentle climb to the Tomah Road exit on I-25. We will cross the interstate, then join the interstate for 1/2 (maybe 3/4) mile to the Upper Lake Gulch Road exit. Upper Lake Gulch road will take us through the town of Larkspur. On the south side of Larkspur, turn right on Fox Farm road, which climbs at a moderate grade for a wooded 1.5 miles, followed by a gentle descent to Perry Park Road (Highway 105). Turn right at 105, and descend through fantastic views of Perry Park for a very long time. Anyone who has ridden the Elephant Rock 50, 65, or 100 mile rides will remember this part, but where the Elephant Rock rides turn right for a climb over Tomah Road, we will continue straight and descend another 8 miles to Wolfensburger Road. Turn right at Wolfensburger and immediately begin to tackle the major challenge of the ride - the long ascent over Wolfensburger and back into Castle Rock. Turn right at Wilcox Street after crossing I-25, turn left at Plum Creek Parkway and back to your car.
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