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Easy Day Two for Motomarathoners

Ken Bingenheimer's photo
Motorcycles Examiner
Motomarathon 2009 Day Two
  Motomarathon Day Two route

OK, this is a day ride that even the OFMC and I could enjoy. For one thing, it's only about 300 miles.

The first-ever Motomarathon is now in Day Two and right at this moment they're enjoying some great Colorado riding. As the map shows, they left Keystone and headed north on CO 9 to Kremmling, and on to CO 134, where the crossed Gore Pass down to Toponas.

From Toponas their ride takes them south on CO 131 to I-70 at Wolcott. A quick blast east on I-70 and they'll be getting off at Minturn to take U.S. 24 over Tennessee Pass to Leadville and on down to Buena Vista. At Buena Vista they will head up Cottonwood Pass via CO 306. After the obligatory photo that proves they were there, they'll head back down to Buena Vista.

Picking up U.S. 285 just south of Buena Vista they will cruise north to Fairplay and regain CO 9, cross Hoosier Pass, and head on back to Keystone. A very nice ride.

Going for some nice rides is really what the Motomarathon is about, at least for many of the contestants. Chip Ashton, from the Detroit area, makes no bones about that. Asked if he has a strategy for this event he replied that no, he's not competitive, he's just "going for the ride. It's a chance to ride Colorado for four days. Why not?"

That's pretty much what John Metzger had in mind when he and some friends set about creating the Motomarathon. Every year for quite some time they have been doing these multi-day, multi-pass rides. Nothing competitive, just ride and have a great time.

John has ridden and researched other motorcycle marathons and was dissatisfied with the way they were structured. He deliberately kept the Motomarathon simple: do the ride, hit the checkpoints in the proper sequence, document the checkpoint with a photo, and make it back to the staging area within the designated 24-hour period. That's all.

What pleases him greatly is that the idea seems to have struck a chord with a lot of riders.

"People just came out of the woodwork," he says. "I was surprised by the interest. They came in from all over the country. I'm a bit humbled by that."

There are two more days of riding, and I could give you a peek at the routes but then I'd have to kill you. Routes are kept secret until the start of the next 24-hour riding period. I haven't even looked at tomorrow's route yet. Here's the route for Day One, though. Come back tomorrow.

Day One, Days Three and Four

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Ken Bingenheimer has been in love with motorcycles as long as he can remember and finds Colorado the perfect place to ride. He shares his enthusiasm on his website, Passes and Canyons, Motorcycle Touring in Colorado. Reach him at kenbingenheimer@yahoo.com.

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