Giant OCR3 Red Road Bike

April 27, 2003 - On this weekend, I bought a brand new road bike, a Giant OCR3 model.

I had the choice of silver or red, and I chose silver, but Giant sent a red one to Team Telecycle in Woodland Park, my bicycle shop. I didn't want to wait another week to get a silver model, and in retrospect, I'm glad I stuck with the red, for it looked way better.

Two photos of my shiny red bike as it leaned against a fence on Ruxton Avenue in Manitou Springs.

My friend Boki gave my bike a test ride.

A mirror reflection of me and my bike.

Colorado Springs Bicycle Lane
Bike Ride To Garden Of The Gods
Special thanks to those responsible for installing the bicycle lanes on 31st Street in Colorado Springs. :)

Garden of the Gods Colorado Arrival at the front entrance to Garden of the Gods.

Pikes Peak Garden of the Gods One photo of Pikes Peak in the vicinity of the Garden of the Gods Visitor Center.

Balanced Rock Garden of the Gods A bicyclist ahead of me at Balanced Rock.

Nice mountain scenery.

Garden of the Gods CO
Curvy Road
A zoom-in and zoom-out photo from the same spot.

Giant OCR3 Road bike Rest breaks were in order to photograph my shiny red bike frame.

Cameron Cone Colorado Cameron Cone on the left, the Crystal Park neighborhood switchbacks in the middle, and Red Mountain below.

Pikes Peak Colorado The views of the Manitou Incline and Pikes Peak are excellent from Garden of the Gods.

Ute Chief Spring Then I returned to Manitou Springs and biked on U.S. Highway 24 to Cascade.
Adjacent is my photo on the far west side of Manitou Avenue at the Ute Chief Spring. This is where the pain and agony began!

Riding toward westbound Highway 24. That bridge goes past Rainbow Falls.

Team Telecycle Water Bottle My water bottles are my best friends on uphill rides like these!

Ute Pass Highway 24 Colorado It's a tough ascent in this area known as Ute Pass.

Highway 24 Ute Pass Colorado The shoulder is practically non-existent between mile makers 295 and 296. When I lived in Manitou Springs, I'd frequently bike this route to Green Mountain Falls and/or Woodland Park. However, in retrospect, I do NOT recommend biking in this section of Highway 24. It's too risky to be hit by a car on a blind curve.
Avoid Highway 24 westbound from the west side of Manitou Springs to Cascade, although the eastbound side of the highway seemed safer with a wider shoulder.

During one of many rests.

U.S. Highway 24 Colorado A beautiful mountain view as I approached Cascade. I had lunch at the Wines of Colorado restaurant and returned to Manitou Springs.

ColoradoGuy.com on Facebook