Hello,

I just moved to town from Boulder and am looking for some solid weekday routes. After trolling through prior threads, I think I have a good handle on the various rides that head up to the mountains, and I look forward to exploring them.

However, where can I get some fast, crit-style practice in town? I live right downtown and hope to put in interval training early in the morning or at lunch a few days a week. I will have 1.5 - 2 hours for each session. Can you really "open it up" on the bike paths that crisscross town? Where are some other sports?

Much obliged.

First post! Woot!

You could talk to the guys at Turin bikes. They're right downtwon and might have some advice. I've heard that they're cracking down at Wash Park.

I wouldnt gun it on the bike paths downtown and Wash Park is either too busy or has been cracked down on to keep it safer. Your best bet is to ride the bike paths to Cherry creek and do intervals there

Alas, it seems that the rides in Denver either do not exist or are secret...so sad.

Every (almost) LBS in town sell the Denver Bike Touring something map for about $5. It shows all the trails and srteet with bike lanes etc. great way to get started. From Downtown the Platte River Trail runs a long way in either direction, once you get away from the downtown core, the path is very lightly used. I jsut ring my bell as i slide past people, works great.

If you want to open'r up move to Boulder. Just kidding. Cherry Creek State Park is where they hold all the time trial events and offers the best fast riding w/o any problems. One lap of the lake toll booth to turn around and back on the road is about 11 miles. Chatfield is another option, but is further from downtown. The closest climb is Lookout Mtn in Golden and is about 13 -14 miles one way (water st/23rd to 26th to 32nd into Golden) from the REI flagship store. Wash Park before 4 pm can offer good fast riding, but beware, the long arm of the law occasionally will enforce the 15 mph limit.

I bet in the pre-traffic hours you could rock some brick workouts with short burst and accelerationsafter corners. That'd be good for crits.

See post no. 10 on this thread:
http://forums.roadbikereview.com/showthread.php?t=102800&highlight=6x10

Thanks y'all. I got the map and made the voyage to Lookout Mountain last weekend. Good fun. When I return from Moab (hot but ripping rides nonetheless), I'll try out some of these other routes.

If you want to open'r up move to Boulder. Just kidding. Cherry Creek State Park is where they hold all the time trial events and offers the best fast riding w/o any problems. One lap of the lake toll booth to turn around and back on the road is about 11 miles. Chatfield is another option, but is further from downtown. The closest climb is Lookout Mtn in Golden and is about 13 -14 miles one way (water st/23rd to 26th to 32nd into Golden) from the REI flagship store. Wash Park before 4 pm can offer good fast riding, but beware, the long arm of the law occasionally will enforce the 15 mph limit.

Just curious what the tolerance is on the speed limit. I mean bikes are not required to have speedometers so who’s to say my 15 miles per hour on a bike computer would feel like an actual 15 miles per hour, to someone that doesn’t have one? The little kids around my house get moving faster than 15 mile per hour.

thanks:thumbsup: