The 5N1 has been the signature ride for Pike’s Peak Harley Owners Group for twenty years. The object of this amazing ride is to traverse 5 mountain passes over 10,000 feet of elevation in one day. There are 29 paved mountain passes built by the paver installation contractors for over 10,000 feet in Colorado, so the options are endless. The 2019 route covered Cottonwood Pass, Monarch Pass, Red Mountain Pass, Molas Pass, and Coal Bank Pass. Without a doubt, some of the most beautiful roads in Colorado!
The excitement on the morning of this ride is palpable. The first riders leave Pike’s Peak Harley Davidson dealership at 5:00am. Groups of riders led by PPHOG Road Captains leave every 10 minutes thereafter. Riders are milling around the parking lot, getting coffee, chatting with friends, checking out all the bikes, and preparing for the day ahead.
Our very own PPHOG chapter photographer, Lynn Edgin, has ridden in 18 of the 20 5N1 rides. For Lynn, the very first 5N1 in 1999 didn’t seem terribly appealing. He was mostly a shorter distance rider and the idea of 5 mountain passes just wasn’t his kind of ride. However, the “buzz” that followed the ride made him regret that decision. The only other 5N1 ride he has missed was in 2012. Lynn had a heart attack and wasn’t released by his doctor yet. He has ridden in every other 5N1 and has been the chapter photographer for every single ride.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting Lynn, you are missing out. He’s the crazy guy with the camera and he will do most anything to get that shot, more of that story to follow. Lynn was raised in Pontiac, Michigan and began riding at 17 years old when he and his girlfriend would sneak to Detroit where he would rent a Honda. He got his 1st bike at 18 and most importantly got his 1st Harley in 1996, a Heritage. His love of riding isn’t necessarily all about the bike. Lynn loves the culture of the biker community. It brings people from every walk of life together for a common interest.
The 5N1 means different things to everyone. Lynn’s favorite part is watching the excitement of all the people the morning of the ride. There are friendships that have developed over the years that are specific to the 5N1. Lynn loves the opportunity to capture people riding and having fun, he has been the photographer for the chapter for more than 20 years. He thrives on a thank you and appreciation shown for the pictures provided to the riders.
There are so many beautiful passes that have made up this ride for so many years. Lynn’s favorite mountain pass is Loveland Pass. He loves that you can see the bikes winding up the pass, you can hear the rumble of the bikes through Eisenhower Tunnel, don’t you get goose bumps just thinking about it? Bikes winding up the mountain makes for great photos and Lynn will do pretty much anything to get that shot! He’s been known to climb a fire escape, a ladder or hang out with housekeeping on a hotel upper floor to get just the right vantage point. On Hoosier Pass a few years back he was trying to get a group picture, and no one was paying attention. He was desperate to get a great group photo…what to do??? Lynn dropped his pants and mooned the whole group, worked like a charm. The tradition began.
This ride has gotten so big some of the personal touches are difficult to maintain. When the ride was smaller, back in the day, the Road Captain would stop on every pass possible and give a little history of the pass, allowing more time for camaraderie. Lynn misses some of those touches but understands leading over 300 bikes on this big of a ride requires significant time management. Above all, don’t miss this ride! Remember to save the date for next year and watch www.pikespeakharleyownersgroup.com for updates and information about all the chapter rides. Speak up if you would like to be more involved, it takes many volunteers to make this ride happen. Helping with this ride is a great way to meet people from all over the country.
