The Complete Guide to Motorcycling Colorado: The Definitive Reference for ALL the Best Roads, Rides, and Tips

For motorcyclists contemplating or planning to reach a Rocky Mountain high in Colorado, this book is very useful. The book divides the state into sections and describes rides for that part of the state. The photos and simple maps are a plus. However, this book has some stylistic problems that interfere with reading enjoyment. Every ride is wonderful, magnificient, or some other glowing adjective available on a thesarus, creating a reading experience more like Winnebago than Harley-Davidson. Frequent use of the second person pronoun "you" gets old fast--real fast--and never goes away. English has far better ways to phrase a sentence. Compare, for example, the terse, gritty, compact prose of Chris Scott's classic Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, a book not only famous for its content, but also a pleasure to read. Less foo-foo and more Scott-style grit would have improved this guide to motorcyling in Colorado. Still, I'm glad I purchased it, and if I ever head east for some mile high motorcyling, this book will guide my planning and will probably be in my saddlebag.

I bought the book for a Colorado motorcycle adventure trip last summer. I hauled a KLR 650 out to the front range, setup base camp in Nederland, and rode out from there. I didn't have time explore more than the front range and this book let me select the rides I wanted without guessing and false starts. The ride to Caribou, for example, was short and sweet and without the book I wouldn't have ventured there. The mention of a dual purpose road connecting to Eldora caught my eye and turned an out and back into a perfect loop for a KLR and a couple of DR 650's. We were laughing and sweating and proud and the beer never tasted better than after that ride! County road 68 between Magnolia Road and Boulder was another perfect ride for us. Even with a mounted GPS we couldn't find where 68 turned into the unmaintained dual purpose road. We knew it was there because it was in the book but finally a county worker had us drive to the end the road and turn right between a couple of big bushes. Ha! Sure enough, after squeezing through a space just wide enough for my handlebars we found what looked more like a rutted ditch than a road. Perfect off road adventure; even had a bear run out in front of me! Fortunately bears only eat KLR's for breakfast and we loped out near Boulder, driving down Flagstaff Mountain just as the sun was setting.

This is a great book. There are a lot of roads not listed on my Butler map or my MAD map (both of which I like also a lot), and this book has them. Really makes me want to get out and ride. Just about every two page spread in the book has a nice little color map, a color photo of some fabulous piece of CO road, and a black and white photo of CO history - like what that stretch of road looked like 100 years ago, or the ghost town back in the day that you are going to ride through, etc. This is one of my favorite parts. Plus there is usually a recommended food stop (has not failed me yet) or two and ideas in each ride description on how to link the ride with other rides in the book. It is not a "loop" ride book. Most of the rides are single roads, so you have to put them together to make your own loop for the day. I like this because you get pretty detailed descriptions for each road. I look forward to using the book to plan by route from CO Springs to Million Dollar Highway this summer. I think if you ride in CO you have to get this book.

at first i was skeptical i didn't like the layout of this touring book but after thumbing thru it i began to see things i really liked.the book itself is about the size of a readers digest and i thought it was small in type and maps till i realized it's far better than trying to open a folding map for reference on the road.the map is devided into regions and are color coded for easy access. scenic routes are listed for each region by road type and riding skill level.the size of the book makes it very easy to stow while travelling and very handy to view while stopped on the road side. i bought this book in preperation of our trip to colorado this summer and will be a valuable resource on our journey. i did however also purchase a waterproof map of the whole state of colorado as an additional reference mainly to get the big picture of our touring route. the only drawback of the colorado motorcycling book was it's small size which was easy for stowing didn't have a full map of colorado.

I've ridden almost all the notable paved roads in CO, and Steve describes them all accurately. He even provides a helmet cam view on a dedicated web site. He includes enough detail that the rider can determine if it has the desired appeal. To me, the real treasure was his listing of off pavements rides. He tries to restrict these to roads doable by large dual sports. Usually he makes a comment such as "doable by a mid-size street bike" or "if you don't mind loose gravel, doable by normal street tourer". Some of the rides were as long as 90 miles, a lot of the in the 40 mile range. Steve suggests side trips for the more adventurous. Well organized with regional maps before each section followed up with a localized map for each ride. A great trip aid for those wanting to explore CO.

I bought this book because of a recommendation on an online forum (the author is a participant) and found that it passed the ultimate test; when he describes the motorcycling routes and trails we use, he's uncannily accurate. So that's a good clue that the rest of the recommendations are spot on, too. The photography and prose are first rate. I lent it to a buddy, who called me up a couple of days later and told me that he wanted me to order a copy for him, too. That's the ultimate compliment. Whether you ride on or off road - or both - you are sure to find a number of new rides and suggestions.

Steve Farson has put together the ultimate reference guide for a great day of riding, no matter where you find yourself in Colorado. He didn't just list where to ride on a map. He took the time to gather historical information for each ride, to enrich the experience. He goes a step further to upload onboard video of each of the rides listed in the book, so you know what to expect when you take it on for yourself. I've been riding in Colorado for several years, and have now learned just how much I've missed out by passing by some of these little-known roads and byways. A huge debt of gratitude to Mr Farson for putting this together. I'm looking forward to discovering all of these little gems!

This book describes 172 rides in Colorado but the rides are broken up into very short day or part day trips that make it hard for someone touring Colorado to use; although he tries to address this in the back of the book with some longer tour maps. Farson wastes space in many ride descriptions to point out where other rides connect with the route. In some cases, this not very relevant information takes up half the description of the primary ride. He sometimes wonders a field, in one case-Ride 123-admitting he is giving useless trivia, instead of giving more information about the route or the towns on it. Also beware of his comments on the road surfaces since road conditions change over time and generally for the worst in this time of insufficient funds for road and major highway maintenance. His safety tip section is very brief. Since many riders will come from the Midwest, he should have at least mentioned the frequent dangers of rocks on mountain roads and snow or ice patches at high elevations and how to deal with the many summer thunderstorms. In summary, a good reference book but if you are visiting Colorado you will need to supplement it with conventional travel guides.

If I had any morals, I would give this book the 5+ starts it deserves, But I don't want too many people to read this book & be out on the same trails, at the same time that I am Reason for the 3 stars). Great book!!! Sorry for the three stars Steve. I couldn't go through with it, I just edited it back to 5 stars just in case there is such thing as Karma or whatever. Keep up the good work Steve. We need more books like this. Within ten minutes, I bought another copy & sent it to my son.

I used this book to plan our Motorcycle trip to Colorado. This book really made our trip that much better. We were able to hit some of the nicest rides Colorado has to offer and use some of the advice from the book and visit sights and restaurants along the way. I think we will be going back next year as there are still so many rides left to do. I wish I could get this book for other trips we want to do...

For motorcyclists contemplating or planning to reach a Rocky Mountain high in Colorado, this book is very useful. The book divides the state into sections and describes rides for that part of the state. The photos and simple maps are a plus. However, this book has some stylistic problems that interfere with reading enjoyment. Every ride is wonderful, magnificient, or some other glowing adjective available on a thesarus, creating a reading experience more like Winnebago than Harley-Davidson. Frequent use of the second person pronoun "you" gets old fast--real fast--and never goes away. English has far better ways to phrase a sentence. Compare, for example, the terse, gritty, compact prose of Chris Scott's classic Adventure Motorcycling Handbook, a book not only famous for its content, but also a pleasure to read. Less foo-foo and more Scott-style grit would have improved this guide to motorcyling in Colorado. Still, I'm glad I purchased it, and if I ever head east for some mile high motorcyling, this book will guide my planning and will probably be in my saddlebag.

I bought the book for a Colorado motorcycle adventure trip last summer. I hauled a KLR 650 out to the front range, setup base camp in Nederland, and rode out from there. I didn't have time explore more than the front range and this book let me select the rides I wanted without guessing and false starts. The ride to Caribou, for example, was short and sweet and without the book I wouldn't have ventured there. The mention of a dual purpose road connecting to Eldora caught my eye and turned an out and back into a perfect loop for a KLR and a couple of DR 650's. We were laughing and sweating and proud and the beer never tasted better than after that ride! County road 68 between Magnolia Road and Boulder was another perfect ride for us. Even with a mounted GPS we couldn't find where 68 turned into the unmaintained dual purpose road. We knew it was there because it was in the book but finally a county worker had us drive to the end the road and turn right between a couple of big bushes. Ha! Sure enough, after squeezing through a space just wide enough for my handlebars we found what looked more like a rutted ditch than a road. Perfect off road adventure; even had a bear run out in front of me! Fortunately bears only eat KLR's for breakfast and we loped out near Boulder, driving down Flagstaff Mountain just as the sun was setting.

This is a great book. There are a lot of roads not listed on my Butler map or my MAD map (both of which I like also a lot), and this book has them. Really makes me want to get out and ride. Just about every two page spread in the book has a nice little color map, a color photo of some fabulous piece of CO road, and a black and white photo of CO history - like what that stretch of road looked like 100 years ago, or the ghost town back in the day that you are going to ride through, etc. This is one of my favorite parts. Plus there is usually a recommended food stop (has not failed me yet) or two and ideas in each ride description on how to link the ride with other rides in the book. It is not a "loop" ride book. Most of the rides are single roads, so you have to put them together to make your own loop for the day. I like this because you get pretty detailed descriptions for each road. I look forward to using the book to plan by route from CO Springs to Million Dollar Highway this summer. I think if you ride in CO you have to get this book.

at first i was skeptical i didn't like the layout of this touring book but after thumbing thru it i began to see things i really liked.the book itself is about the size of a readers digest and i thought it was small in type and maps till i realized it's far better than trying to open a folding map for reference on the road.the map is devided into regions and are color coded for easy access. scenic routes are listed for each region by road type and riding skill level.the size of the book makes it very easy to stow while travelling and very handy to view while stopped on the road side. i bought this book in preperation of our trip to colorado this summer and will be a valuable resource on our journey. i did however also purchase a waterproof map of the whole state of colorado as an additional reference mainly to get the big picture of our touring route. the only drawback of the colorado motorcycling book was it's small size which was easy for stowing didn't have a full map of colorado.

I've ridden almost all the notable paved roads in CO, and Steve describes them all accurately. He even provides a helmet cam view on a dedicated web site. He includes enough detail that the rider can determine if it has the desired appeal. To me, the real treasure was his listing of off pavements rides. He tries to restrict these to roads doable by large dual sports. Usually he makes a comment such as "doable by a mid-size street bike" or "if you don't mind loose gravel, doable by normal street tourer". Some of the rides were as long as 90 miles, a lot of the in the 40 mile range. Steve suggests side trips for the more adventurous. Well organized with regional maps before each section followed up with a localized map for each ride. A great trip aid for those wanting to explore CO.

I bought this book because of a recommendation on an online forum (the author is a participant) and found that it passed the ultimate test; when he describes the motorcycling routes and trails we use, he's uncannily accurate. So that's a good clue that the rest of the recommendations are spot on, too. The photography and prose are first rate. I lent it to a buddy, who called me up a couple of days later and told me that he wanted me to order a copy for him, too. That's the ultimate compliment. Whether you ride on or off road - or both - you are sure to find a number of new rides and suggestions.

Steve Farson has put together the ultimate reference guide for a great day of riding, no matter where you find yourself in Colorado. He didn't just list where to ride on a map. He took the time to gather historical information for each ride, to enrich the experience. He goes a step further to upload onboard video of each of the rides listed in the book, so you know what to expect when you take it on for yourself. I've been riding in Colorado for several years, and have now learned just how much I've missed out by passing by some of these little-known roads and byways. A huge debt of gratitude to Mr Farson for putting this together. I'm looking forward to discovering all of these little gems!

This book describes 172 rides in Colorado but the rides are broken up into very short day or part day trips that make it hard for someone touring Colorado to use; although he tries to address this in the back of the book with some longer tour maps. Farson wastes space in many ride descriptions to point out where other rides connect with the route. In some cases, this not very relevant information takes up half the description of the primary ride. He sometimes wonders a field, in one case-Ride 123-admitting he is giving useless trivia, instead of giving more information about the route or the towns on it. Also beware of his comments on the road surfaces since road conditions change over time and generally for the worst in this time of insufficient funds for road and major highway maintenance. His safety tip section is very brief. Since many riders will come from the Midwest, he should have at least mentioned the frequent dangers of rocks on mountain roads and snow or ice patches at high elevations and how to deal with the many summer thunderstorms. In summary, a good reference book but if you are visiting Colorado you will need to supplement it with conventional travel guides.

If I had any morals, I would give this book the 5+ starts it deserves, But I don't want too many people to read this book & be out on the same trails, at the same time that I am Reason for the 3 stars). Great book!!! Sorry for the three stars Steve. I couldn't go through with it, I just edited it back to 5 stars just in case there is such thing as Karma or whatever. Keep up the good work Steve. We need more books like this. Within ten minutes, I bought another copy & sent it to my son.

I used this book to plan our Motorcycle trip to Colorado. This book really made our trip that much better. We were able to hit some of the nicest rides Colorado has to offer and use some of the advice from the book and visit sights and restaurants along the way. I think we will be going back next year as there are still so many rides left to do. I wish I could get this book for other trips we want to do...

We do a lot of traveling and touring with the motorbike. To keep the Harley going down interesting roads we use a lot of different touring books to look up rides in an area we are visiting. This is the definative reference for Colorado's motorcycle rides. I have road about one third of the way through this book so far. It is well worth the money and sits in our travel trailer library for times we find ourselves wanting a ride in Colorado.

Read this book and you will want to ride in Colorado. The author has done a terrific job, the maps, pictures, information is excellent. Must have if you want to adventure ride in Colorado.

I’m using it to plan a motorcycle tour of Colorado. This is extremely well detailed, and written.

This book has descriptions of many rides that make me want to move to Colorado. Having ridden some of these roads in SW Colorado the descriptions are as accurate as the roads are fun to ride. The old mining towns are interesting and the scenery beautiful. My only criticism would be that the local maps are hard to follow in the book without a large map to orient one to the greater region. As a visitor I would not know where to start exploring . This guide gives me a heads up and I can pick and choose the roads that sound most fun. I am traveling there next week and plan to travel as many as I can in 10 days between Estes Park and Gunnison.

Steve Farson's exhaustive tome is indeed "The Complete Guide to Motorcycling Colorado." I have spent hours studying maps of Colorado and combing internet ride reports while planning a Colorado motorcycle tour. Every road that piqued my interest and many I had overlooked is exhaustively covered in this treasure trove of information for the adventurous rider. Maps, photographs, detailed information on gas stops, dining establishments and overnight accommodations; it's all covered. Along with ride-centric descriptions of the beautiful and challenging highways and byways of spectacular Colorado. A special feature of this unique motorcycling guide is its historical emphasis. Descriptions of events long past and the challenges faced and overcome by earlier visitors and residents are enhanced by the inclusion of historic photographs, many of which are paired with modern images taken whenever possible from the same vantage point. The author's love for the land and respect for it's previous inhabitants is woven into the texture of this delightful volume. Rest assured that "Motorcycling Colorado" will be riding along as I explore Colorado next summer.

Planning a cycle trip to Colorado, never been there, trying to add routes to my GPS. This book is the most complete guide you can buy. Even has youtube video to show you the routes. My only improvement would be easy downloading of routes to my GPS. After reading it, and putting routes on one at a time I feel like I've already been there. Great Guide.

If you are an avid motorcycle traveler or are lucky enough to live in Colorado or in neighboring states then this book is for you. Superbly written, photographed and described. The best book available for the motorcycle roads of Colorado. The only comment I have that is not stellar is that I also do a lot of dual sport riding and would like to see more of those types of roads (dirt) in a future revision or separate cover. Cheers, Frank

This publication is a must have for any motorcyclist, serious or novice, who wants to or is riding the state of Colorado. Very informative road conditions, sites along the way, best modes of travel, it has everything one would want to know about every worthwhile road in the state. From the plains area to the top of the highest road, it has it all. Informative tidbits of history included and are long enough to get your attention, but not to involved to make it boring. The roads have a grading type system to help newcomers decided if the route will suit thier desires and skills. This book will come to be known as the Colorado Motorcycle Bible. A lofty praise for sure, but definatly deserved. Kudo's to Mr. Farson.

Bought this Book for a friend. Glanced through it and immediately bought this for myself too. Well written and thought out. Information for people new to Colorado and not necessarily a lot of experience on a Bike. Going to Colorado in July. This Book will be in my side bag.

We are heading up to Yellowstone in a few weeks and we are riding up through CO. I got this book so that I could pick a fun route to ride on the way through CO. The descriptions and pictures as well as the maps tell you everything you need to know. Buy it NOW!

I used this for a dual sport trip to CO this past summer. It pointed me in the right direction where I could find other roads that suited me. After hooking up with my road riding buddies, we had some really decent riding and camping spots...

Fabulous guide to motorcycling in Colorado. An added plus is pictures of back in the day. Highly recommended.

Great book on all the interesting roads for motorcycling in Colorado. Filled with fun facts and good directions. Recommended for locals as well as visitors to our state.

This is very informative and and something anyone desiring to travel Colorado by motorcycle would surely find useful. Special Thanks to Ian Schemeisser from BMW Owners News for the recommendation. Now to get out and ride!

Awesome book. Great descriptions. I like the way the book is laid out in regions, rides, then suggested loops that combine several rides. Photos are great too! I like the past and present shots.

well worth it, if you want to maximize your road time exploring new places.

A couple of buddies and I are planning a 7-10 trip around Colo next summer and this book has been a perfect guide to setting up our rides. Wish we had 2 weeks to ride. Glad I discovered it on the Whitehorse Press latest catelog cover. It's excellent.

From my email to the author: Your book "Absolutely took a business trip with some riding on the side to another level entirely. The layout's good too especially when the lightning starts early and you'd prefer not to be a french fry riding up high and you need a good alternate. Really can't thank you enough for the efforts. Best single riding resource I've ever bought--and you can quote me." Steve

Lots of good info. A bit tedious if you are looking for a bigger picture but well worth it overall!

Great book. Learned new amazing routes.

Great Book for trip planning your ride in Colorado!!! Great gift item! I love the history that is in each ride and the maps. My husband is already highlighting rides we've already taken -- and planning more! Who needs to go out of Colorado when theres so much to see in our own state!

One of the most informative books on Motorcycling Colorado that I have ever seen, it not only gives you the scenic byways but it gives you great dualsport roads also, money well spent. Great price from Amazon to.

Excellent reading, have so many rides planned for June trip. Was slightly used we I got it. I really couldn't tell it was used. It will be very well used when I'm with it. Thank you.

A fantastic book about riding in Colorado. Not only does it present some fantastic routes, it does it with a style that makes you feel like you've ridden them your whole life.

The author knows Colorado roads like no other and has put this knowledge together in a supremely organized and easy to follow complete guide. Very highly recommended!

This is by far the best CO moto book I've seen. Even more so if you are a dual-sport rider. Descriptions are accurate and writing inspires you to get out there. Only scratched the surface and already discovered hundreds of miles of excellent paved and dirt roads I had no idea existed. It is also easy to find what you are looking for and link various routes.

Great book. Must have, even for Colorado residents. I'm looking forward to visiting some places I never knew about until reading the book.

Good little bool, with pics and directions...

I've been riding in Colorado for a long time. Most of the rides that are listed in the book I have experienced or at least knew of. Some new ones there as well. I would recommend this book to anyone but especially those new to the State that wants to see it from two wheels. Very well laid out with some history and anecdotes that made the reading interesting.

Takes me to CO from the comfort of my own bathroom.

Great book. Will be riding in Colorado this summer and looking to some of the rides posted. Great pictures and great advise.

Absolutely a must for any Colorado rider. Truly the most comprehensive ride book out there. Big thanks to Steve Farson for showing me all the places I've been and all the places I will go in the future.

Great book.

Looking forward to seeing more of Colo, this will be a great help. In finding great pleaces. Good read enjoy.

Lots of great information on highway and dirt rides. Well thought out for the moto enthusiast. Looking forward to our summer trip and still working on our plans for getting through Colorado. So many choice routes to take... if only we had more time!

Good Colorado motorcycle guide. Complete with maps and is broke down inot day trips.

This book wasn't what I expected it to be, but I was pleasantly surprised when I started looking at it more closely. It has a lot of information and is good for those riders who want to ride a specific type of road, but don't know which roads to ride.

Husband love this!

As advertised. A great book for on road travels in CO.

This is very detailed and also includes interesting facts about the locations.

Nice descriptions of some fun rides in Colorado.

THis is chocked full o0f GREAT rides many I knew about, but some I didn't Lovely photos and a necessary tool for any Colo rider or any bikes spending time here

Excellent book! Have bought as gifts!!

Great book. Very good condition. Well written. Lots of insightful information and helpful tips. Very pleased.

The best book for motorcycling in Colorado, without any doubt! Very Highly Recommended! I've been on many of the roads mentioned herein and have found off pavement roads that I've always wanted to ride but never had the beta for them. Now I have!

I have briefly scanned the book and it seems to be a good addition to my references system for future tours.

great book

I've spent the last few weekend riding locally and having the time of my life. On road / Off road, exploring - you name it! Now here's the headline... I've only riden roads/trails from 5 PAGES in this book. A lifetime of new riding adventures awaits!!! Well done Mr. Farson

A great book, well written by a real motorcycle rider. You also get access to a website that has much more in depth information on the rides, as well as videos.

Been going to Colorado all my life and this book still shows how much I have yet to see. Very detailed with some lesser known rides and good history and directions.

If you're going to tour Colorado on motorcycle, this is the book for you. It gives a brief description of the road, what to expect, where to buy fuel and food.

Exactly what I needed.

Great book

While you may only read sections you are interested in, I would highly recommend reading the entire book. Great job Steve Farson!!!

Good general primer, but not enough detail.

Great book!! Tons of information, and lots of great pics. Don't even know where to start while planning my trip to Colorado.

This book is full of interesting rides for all skill levels. It has just the right depth of history of the rides to grab your attention, your helmet, and your ride.

Excellent Book! Prompt shipping too. Love it...and will recommend to others. I have found many roads I didn't know even existed in the State with this book. Thanks!!

I've been to Colorado before and this is a great guide to plan your trip with, gives all types of info. I love it.

It makes realize the wondrous rides are not just in the Appalachians or the West Coast; there are plenty of bodacious rides nearer to my home.

Enough rides for a lifetime. Choose from easy to aggressive. The best guide for Colorado.

Esse guia é fantástico!

I purchased this book as I live in Colorado and wanted the best reviews of our Colorado roads that I could find. This Book is exactly that, The BEST. I find that Mr. Farson has done an excellent job of capturing the essence of all the roads reviewed and his writing style is fantastic. It has opened up a whole new view of this state and given me many more places to explore and enjoy. It is also a great reward, after buying the book, to be able to visit his web site with its interactive maps and videos of the roads of Colorado. I especially like where he has a historical picture of a town or site along with a current picture taken from the same angle. This is very informative and allows me to enjoy my rides even more. This is a great way to plan your rides in the summer months and relive those rides in the winter. Great Job Steve Farson. Marc Lomax

This book is a must have for anyone that is planning a motorcycle trip to Colorado or thinks that they might enjoy riding the Rocky Mountains. The author has spent countless hours riding and documenting the routes and has put them in an easy-to-find organization for the reader. Each route is described from his personal experiences. This will be Motorcycling Colorado reference book for decades to come. I'm so glad that I got one of the first copies out. Have already spent hours reading the ride descriptions and planning future trips that link some together for a week or Colorado riding. Probably need to get a 2nd copy to take with me on every trip. The book was written specifically with motorcycling in mind, but there is so much information for anyone that wants to vacation Colorado and see some of the best roads the state has to offer. Ken

There's a reason why this is rated pretty much 5 star across the board. I took the time to read the 4 star reviews and with one exception they were 5 star write ups (what's up with you guys)? To the lone wolf who complained about the lack of detail, all I can surmise is that he's reviewing a different book than whatever it was he read about Colorado. Farson's guide is overwhelming in it's thoroughness, granular detail and obvious passion for the subject. His honesty is especially valuable for those of us who like a little 2-up ADV but don't want to terrify the good spouse on a rocky single track with drop offs!