Chances are you’ve never been riding on such beautiful roads. Whether you want to follow a river valley, a ridgeline, or a railroad corridor, Colorado has paved bicycling trails for riders of all levels.
A road biker’s paradise
All hours of the day, bicyclists hit the pavement throughout the Rocky Mountain State. Miles of climbs and descents will awaken your mind and muscles. Bike lanes are common in many urban and suburban areas. Greenways, commuter trails, and unique state highways become a ribbon of adventure leading to the horizon.
Denver
Road bicycling and BMX are huge in the Mile High City. Check out the Denver Skatepark. Colfax Avenue is home to eclectic and artistic areas where urban cycling has a strong impact on daily life and culture.
The South Platte River Trail winds its way through Denver. The trail is a great way to see much of the city by bicycle. Find the Denver Skate Park along the trail at Platte St. and 19th St. The trail is also known as the Colorado Front Range Trail.
Idaho Springs
The ride up Colorado Highway 103 from town to Mt. Blue Sky is incredibly popular and challenging. Riders typically start early in the morning to avoid summer afternoon storms. To complete the 14 mile climb from Interstate 70 to Echo Lake Lodge takes about 2-3 hours. Mile 0 through Mile 7 is slightly inclined and is a quicker section of the trip. Mile 7 is where the climb really kicks up a notch. You’ll gain approximately 2,000 vertical feet in 7 miles to Echo Lake and the Lodge.
The most incredible of riders link another 14 miles to their initial climb by continuing up Colorado Highway 5, the Mt. Blue Sky Road. Here you’ll climb from 10,600′ to 14,000+ at the parking lot just below the summit of Mt. Blue Sky. This road can be icy, even in summer. It’s also heavily traveled by cars, tour buses, motorcycles, and some smaller RVs. There are no guardrails, no painted lines above about 11,500′, and often the pavement is rough or broken. This is a ride for advanced riders who have years and thousands of miles under their belts.
If you wish to continue north from Echo Lake and forego the Mt. Blue Sky slog, you can continue following Hwy. 103 to Evergreen. You crest the road around 11,200 feet and then descend approximately 18 miles to Evergreen in Western Jefferson County.
I personally have not reached the fitness level required to complete the climb quickly. It is incredibly rewarding to roll (read: fly) downhill back into Idaho Springs or Evergreen in the afternoon. Make sure your tires have plenty of air and your brakes are functioning at top-notch. When you check your air pressure at high elevations, your reading may be anywhere from 20-50% higher what you read at lower elevations. Physics is in play here; when at high elevation, the air pressure is lower outside the tire the higher you go, thus the tires have relatively higher pressure than when the outside air presses on them at lower heights. Don’t release any air at high elevation if your tires read a proper level at Idaho Springs or Denver.
Please check back soon for more road cycling information from your friends at colorado.bike!
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