Update: I’ve posted Pikes Peak Assault photos.
Update: The Pikes Peak ride has been lengthened and the price reduced. Click here for details.
Registration opened today for the new Assault in the Peak bike ride. It’s a non-competitive ride up the entire Pikes Peak Highway to the summit of Pikes Peak on Sunday, August 29th. Normally bikes aren’t allowed on the road. The promoter has rented the highway for the day so there will be no cars.
The ride starts at 7,750 feed at finishes at 14,110. That makes a gain of 6,360 feet in 18.47 miles. The average grade is 6.7% with the steepest grade at 10.5%. This compares to Mount Evans climbing 6,575 feet over 27.4 miles.
Although much of the road used to be gravel, they’ve been paving a bit more of it each summer. So much gravel was washing off the road that it was causing environmental issues. By the time of the ride they expect only 2.5 miles to be gravel.
There used to be a mountain bike race to the summit that I did several times. That race started at the old ski area and only did the top 8 miles with 3210 feet of climbing. The closest I’ve come to riding all the way is when I rode from Crystal Reservoir to the summit. That’s about 12 miles with 4900 feet of climbing. It’s certainly a very cool ride to do.
So what happens once you make it to the top? Riders will be allowed to ride down the mountain in controlled groups, secure a seat in one of the downhill vans or ride the Pikes Peak Cog Railway down the other side of the mountain. I’m not sure how riding the Cog will work since it’s normally hard to get a one way ticket and I assume you’ll have to pay for it.
Registration is through BikeReg and is limited to the first 1500 riders. The ride isn’t cheap and will set you back $180. I’m sure renting the highway for the day isn’t cheap and they will have aid stations along the way, time everyone and take warm clothes to the summit.
Riding 18 miles uphill isn’t for you? Challenge unlimited has a permit to do guided rides down Pikes Peak throughout the summer. They take care of getting you to the top and includes bike and helmet. It costs around $100 depending on time of day and size of group.
– UltraRob
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Tags: Colorado Springs, cycling, mountain biking, Pikes Peak
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I'd LOVE to ride up the Pikes Peak Highway, and have waited for such an event for a long time, but whereas I appreciate that the promoter rented the road for the entire day and thus is incurring much expense, $180 is still a little much for me to justify for such a short ride. Hell, I can just drive up to Idaho Springs and ride up Mt. Evans for $3.
Pikes Peak is a really cool ride. I've ridden most of it and would like to do it again. I'm going to save my $180 though since there's plenty of other cool rides to do.
Barr Trail is also a fun ride up Pikes Peak, especially in August when all those runners are training for the ascent and marathon!
Another fun way to reach the top is by entering the hill climb and racing a motorcycle. Power from the twist of the throttle!
[…] August 29th. It’s a bike ride up the Pikes Peak highway. There have been some changes since I wrote about the ride in […]