The Crippler bike route encompasses Phantom Canyon Road and Shelf Road in the Cañon City + Victor regions of south central Colorado.
The route starts in Cañon City and takes you up Phantom Canyon Road which is a narrow gravel road covering 30 miles on a gradual incline. The best part is that, with the low clearance tunnels and bridges, there are VERY FEW vehicles on the road. Meaning that on a busy holiday week in town, we passed one vehicle, a jeep tour, on this entire stretch. Being one with nature (and no other distractions) is my favorite part of gravel riding!
After refueling in Victor, the ride covers a few busy miles on the road before taking a right onto Shelf Road. Tip! This “road” is tiny and doesn’t look like much more than gravel-grass path!
The ride down Shelf Road is epic! My favorite section was the last few miles when you literally feel like you’re on a “shelf” with a crazy edge very close by!
The last ~10 miles into town are paved and most downhill so it is a fun way to end an epic ride.
This was my favorite ride of the year, favorite day of our road trip, and top ten overall! Do it!
Good to Know
Distance: 65 mile loop
Trails: N/A
Elevation Gain: 5,100 ft
Terrain: A few miles of pavement out of town, lots of gravel, a few miles of pavement from Victor to Cripple Creek, lots of gravel, and then paved road back into Cañon City
Parking: Best option is the Walmart parking lot in Cañon City, Colorado
Facilities: Best option is the Walmart parking lot in Cañon City, Colorado
Fun Fact: The midway point of Victor was an unexpected highlight of the ride! I couldn’t stop taking photos of the town. During the peak of the mining boom, the population hits almost 20,000 people whereas today there is a mighty 400!
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