Description for Barr Trail
Barr Trail to Experimental Forest Road is a great shuttle ride, just take the Pikes Peak Toll Road all the way to the top for the drop off. The downhill ride is an epic trail made up of both singletrack and fireroads, it has a little bit of everything, its fast, loose, smooth, rough, has lots of switchbacks, rock gardens, drops, step ups, a bit of climbing. If you just want to ride Barr without the shuttle you can park off of Ruxton Avenue and grind up and turn around when you get too exhausted for some fun downhill action. You can end the ride by taking Hwy 24 back into town if you setup shuttle just park off of Ruxton Avenue at the bottom.
The trail is pretty hard and is mostly geared towards advanced riders, strong intermediate riders should be able to ride a lot of the stuff but may not have the best time, there will be a lot of dismounts. So be sure to ride within your abilities.
Be on the look out of hikers and runners the trail can get pretty busy at times.
Comments/Reviews for Barr Trail
1. posted from iPhone
by Todd, Saturday, October 09, 2010 9:00 PM
| Overall Review: | 5 of 5 |
| Technical Difficulty: | 0 of 5 |
| Aerobic Difficulty: | 0 of 5 |
From the 14,110' summit of Pike's Peak, take the switchback trail on the slope side of the cograil track. The next couple of miles and 2,000' of descent are just insane. Body armor and a bike with big travel are a must and even then you will hike a bike for half of these 16 switchbacks. After that it is rock gardens, boulders, exposed ridges, more boulders and more switchbacks, decreasing in difficulty as you drop another 2,000' over 4 miles. From there, the remaining 6 miles and 3,500' feet of drop are insanely fast. You can break 45mph in some spots without pushing a pedal as long as you have the brakes to throw out the anchor before the next switchback.
Watch out for and yield to hikers. Be below the treeline by noon to avoid flash thunderstorms. Pack a firstaid kit, extra parts, phone, and emergency survival gear as if you tank it on the upper trail, a medevac rescue is half a day away. Carry extra water and food. Plan for 2 hours for the descent due to the unavoidable hike a biking near the top.
Access tip: leave a bike lock at the base of the cograil. Drive to the top. Bike down. Lock up bike and ride the train back to the top to get your car. Drive back down and get your bike. Buy train tickets days in advance.
2. posted from iPhone
by Todd, Saturday, October 09, 2010 9:05 PM
| Overall Review: | 4 of 5 |
| Technical Difficulty: | 0 of 5 |
| Aerobic Difficulty: | 0 of 5 |
This is closer to 12.5 to 13 miles one way based on how well you apex the turns and steamroller the hazards. Riding up to the summit is a beast of a climb. The downhill run was a trail ride I will never forget.
-desert nomad
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