COBDR out and back options

[Eville Rich]

I'm trying to plan a COBDR ride for 2022 or 2023. I'm hoping someone may be able to provide some advice on trip options. FWIW, I'll probably be on my WR250R due to it's weight and my skill comfort level with challenging spots.

My underlying trip parameters are that I will need to trailer the bike to CO. So I'm thinking of attempting half the COBDR with an out and back that will cover half. I'm not sure if there's a good spot to leave a truck and trailer at either an end or to start in the middle. For example, I could drive to Steamboat Springs and then go south, turning around at some point to head back north.

Any recommendations on an approach?

Thanks!
Eville Rich
2016 S10
2015 WR250R

 

[SkunkWorks]

Lots of people do this trip from out of state.
I'm not sure if you're a member on ADV-Rider, but there is a COBDR thread in the Rockies section, and people have posted these very same questions in there numerous times.
I've ridden section-4, section-5, and parts of section-3 but I live in Colorado so it's in my backyard.
The only challenges you may run into is if there were recent rains..............some of the areas on the BDR would be impassable when soft/muddy/slick (heed these warnings)
You could ride the entire route on the S10, but I think you'd have more fun on the WR.
If I was doing your trip and coming from Wisconsin, I would look for Truck/Trailer storage near the Northern half of the BDR and either ride the entire BDR "north-to-south" or ride pavement/dirt to get to the southern end and ride it "south to north" back to your trailer.
Either way I'd try to find storage near the northern end.

Lots of scenic paved back-roads to get to either end also.
There are also many really good dirt roads and trails that aren't on the BDR route to get you around Colorado in any direction.

The northern sections are easiest. The middle sections are pretty easy too and scenic. Section-2 is the most challenging, and where all the exposed-narrow-high passes are.
On the WR you should have no problem though. Be prepared for deep dropoffs and epic scenery here!

 

[DamMechanic]

I rode it two years ago on my S10 and we started from Steamboat and rode south.
My 2C is to ride your S10, leave all your camping gear at home except maybe a sleeping bag for emergency and even that would be a stretch, and just motel it. Like Skunkworks commented on there is so many great paved roads down there also.

We rode the first week of August. We had couple nights where the temps were in the low 30’s and most afternoons the temps were in the high 90’s.

Put whatever brand of 50/50 tires on your bike you like with plenty of air not to bend a rim in the rocks.

 

[Jdubco]

Did it last year on my s10

If you were to do half for and out and back, I would start (leave truck) in buena vista and go south or start in cortez(4 corners) and go up to buena vista. That southern half I found more fun than the top half. while the whole thing is enjoyable, other than the first half of the 5th, days 5 and 6 were kinda just riding dirt roads (still beautiful views and areas) compared to the more interesting trails of the prior 4 days, day 3 is bit mellow like that too but has some great stops and areas.

day 4 and 5 has some small sections like skunk works said that are near impossible if wet you'll just slide sideway off the road, so something to be aware of.
(these signs dont lie)

day 2 if you take the hard route is only real true challenging day (hagerman pass on day 4 is maybe little bit due to the rocks and washouts) but doable if your fairly competent.

I would go for July through august for the best times to try it.

When i went I motocamped everyday but night 5 and would likely do the same again, something about the motocamping part makes it more of an adventure in my book.

 

[Eville Rich]

Thanks for the input! I'm angling toward the Northern end as I know some people in Steamboat. I also need to consider how rugged to make the trip - the wife complains about my "Death March" tendencies so don't want to scare her off. I'll check out the ADVRider posts - haven't been there in a while, so I sort of forgot about it as a general resource.

We have good knobbies on our dual sports and I'd rather have an easier time with samller bikes than push it on our bigger bikes. We're mostly paved/smooth dirt riders on our adventure bikes.

The point about motelling it is a good one and something that will make it an easier sell plus just easier ride with less gear.

Eville Rich

 

[SkunkWorks]

Something else to keep in mind.
If you do the trip earlier in the summer, some of the water-crossings will be quite deep. Too early in the season and some of the passes may not even be open at all yet. (some of the passes in section 2 aren't open until early July some years)
End of summer is drier and the water-crossings will be a lot smaller. Snow will be gone up high.
Mid summer is just hot, and depending on the fire-season there could be closures.

When I rode section-5 it was early October. I took my old 1st-gen GoPro Hero HD along.

Like Jdubco said, after section-2 the only other mildly rough part is Hagerman pass. Lots of embedded rocks, but still rideable on the S10
This was end of September that same year.

 

[DamMechanic]

Not sure how much time you have but for us since it was two solid days of interstate riding to get to Steamboat springs so we road the the first couple of sections of Utah on our way back from south to north up to Canyon lands outside of Moab. Pretty epic scenery if you grew up watching Roadrunner cartoons.
If your planning on motelling it, plan your ride for the next day and call in advance for a motel room. If you come rolling up at 5pm looking for a room, good luck.

 

[Eville Rich]

I'm not going to do it early summer. I've had hiking trips that failed because of optimism regarding snow melt. But it's a good point to keep in mind, especially in the back country.

 

[Thrasherg]

When my wife, I and my daughter did this, we rented a u-haul one way from our home to the start of the ride (3 people can ride in the cab, with 3 bikes in the back). We then rode the trail and at the end we rented another u-haul one way to get back home. This approach allowed us to stop wherever we wanted and go home, the u-haul prices where very reasonable at the time (but that was before Covid, so check first), might also work for you.. if you can find 1 or 2 other riders to split the cost, it would be much cheaper and it’s always fun to have company on a ride.

 

[Jdubco]

When my wife, I and my daughter did this, we rented a u-haul one way from our home to the start of the ride (3 people can ride in the cab, with 3 bikes in the back). We then rode the trail and at the end we rented another u-haul one way to get back home. This approach allowed us to stop wherever we wanted and go home, the u-haul prices where very reasonable at the time (but that was before Covid, so check first), might also work for you.. if you can find 1 or 2 other riders to split the cost, it would be much cheaper and it’s always fun to have company on a ride.

thats a good idea, when i start hitting some further away bdrs that would work great

 

[BVMark]

My advice would be this:

First, you'll have way more fun on the WR. I've ridden most of the COBDR on various bikes and, while doable on the S10 the fun factor will increase 10 fold on the WR. There's no place on the BDR where you'll have highlight reel spectacular crashes, but there are numerous places where you might pick the wrong line on a rocky pass and try to put your foot down only to realize there's nothing there, and topple over. Murphy's Law says there bike will never end up with the wheels on the downhill side of the slope so you'll have to drag the bike around so the wheels are down and then muscle it upright. That doesn't sound like much fun on the S10. You'll be plenty exhausted enough picking the WR up at 10,000 ft.

Second, I think you'll get the most bang for you buck starting in the middle around Buena Vista or Salida. You can spend a couple fun days getting down to the Cortez area, spend a couple days exploring the San Juans, and then spend a couple days taking an alternate route back. If you get back to your trailer and have any time left there are tons of great day rides out of Salida or BV; Tincup Pass, Mosquito Pass, Hancock Pass, Hayden Pass, Otto Mears Toll Road, Taylor Park, on on and on. You could also spend a day or two going north on the BDR if you get back to the truck early.

Make sure you check conditions before you heard out. Every winter is different and some years the back country passes open several weeks later than others.

There's ride report on advrider titled "18 passes in two weeks" or something similar where a couple guys from the mid-west did the COBDR last fall and took some of the best, most representative pictures of CO back back country riding I've seen. Their ride report makes me anxious for spring so I can get back out and revisit some of the places in their photos. I'm sure it will motivate you too.

Also, welcome to store your truck and trailer at my place in Salida if you want.

Mark

 

[Eville Rich]

Thanks for the details on this and the offer for somewhere to stash the truck/trailer. I'm going to have to chew over all the options.

Eville Rich