Boulder, CO: Boulder Cycling 101

Boulder, CO: Boulder Cycling 101

Get a taste of Boulder road riding on this loop with rollers on the plains and a short, steep climb over Olde Stage Road.

Author:	Bicycling GPS
Date:	1 Oct 2007 11:23:39 AM
Activity:	Bicycling ActivitySearchBicycling
State:	Colorado (CO)
Distance:	29.18 mi (Change units)
Calories:	1079
Average Speed:	13.4 mph 0:04:28/mi
Duration:	Total: 3:15:22 Active: 2:10:47 Resting: 1:04:34 Unaccounted: 0:00:01
Elevation:	Total Gain: 2260 ft Total Loss: 2333 ft Net Change: -72 ft
Difficulty:	5 / 10
Tags:	Colorado, Boulder
Rating:	Unrated Rate it

From Boulder, you can ride uphill for a vertical mile or roll on the plains until your legs cry for mercy. This loop has a taste of climbing and rollers, plus a stop on Pearl St. for a taste of espresso. This is a Boulder road-riding sampler, and a good Boulder ride should include sunshine and mountain vistas. So on a clear day, head north from Boulder through Gunbarrel to catch views of the jagged Indian Peaks (ride to them another day) while warming up on the rollers that spread out across the lower elevations of Boulder County. After the gentle climb on Nelson Rd. to US 36, start a slightly steeper climb up Left Hand Canyon, which is a mob scene for cyclists most weekends, but for good reason. Jog up and over Olde Stage Rd. The reward is a screaming downhill into North Boulder. Need a pick-me-up? Stop downtown for coffee and a snack, then roll back to the start on Boulder Creek Path.

Position Format:	Datum:

Tracks

Dist: 29.18 mi	Points: 633	Calories: 1079
Time: 3:15:22	Speed: 13.4 mph	Pace: 4:28 / mi

Distance	Instruction		Distance to next
0.11 mi	Turn Left	Take the bike path over to 55th St.	Then go 0.13 mi
0.24 mi	Turn Right	Leave the path to turn onto Valmont Rd.	Then go 0.80 mi
1.04 mi	Turn Left	61st St.	Then go 8.51 mi
9.55 mi	Turn Left	Nelson Rd.	Then go 4.13 mi
13.69 mi	Turn Left	US 36	Then go 0.82 mi
14.51 mi	Turn Right	Left Hand Canyon Dr.	Then go 2.50 mi
17.01 mi	Turn Left	Olde Stage Rd.	Then go 2.94 mi
19.95 mi	Straight	Lee Hill Dr.	Then go 1.30 mi
21.24 mi	Turn Right	Broadway St.	Then go 0.96 mi
22.20 mi	Turn Right	Quince Ave.	Then go 0.24 mi
22.44 mi	Turn Left	Wonderland Hill Ave.	Then go 0.71 mi
23.15 mi	Turn Right	Linden Ave.	Then go 0.16 mi
23.31 mi	Straight	Fourth St.	Then go 1.54 mi
24.85 mi	Turn Left	Spruce St.	Then go 0.03 mi
24.88 mi	Turn Right	Fourth St.	Then go 0.04 mi
24.92 mi	Turn Left	Pearl St.	Then go 0.40 mi
25.32 mi	Turn Right	11th St.	Then go 0.08 mi
25.40 mi	Turn Left	Walnut St.	Then go 0.08 mi
25.47 mi	Turn Left	13th St.	Then go 0.02 mi
25.50 mi	Straight	13th St. bike lane	Then go 0.10 mi
25.59 mi	Bear Right	Onto bike path	Then go 0.04 mi
25.64 mi	Bear Left	Boulder Creek Path	Then go 3.37 mi
29.01 mi	Straight	Under 55th St.	Then go 0.06 mi
29.07 mi	Straight	On path, then right between the buildings

Points of Interest

Photo 2

Location: Unknown

Photo 3

Location: Unknown
The grade of Olde Stage Rd. in this direction is 10-12 percent.

Screaming downhill stop

Location: 40.068482°, -105.301724°
Be careful tearing down this side of Olde Stage Rd. There's a stop sign halfway down the hill, where Olde Stage Rd. enters Lee Hill Dr.

Quick turn onto bike path

Location: 40.041087°, -105.291596°
After turning right onto Linden Ave., make an immediate left onto the bike path to reach Fourth St.

Coffee break

Location: 40.017558°, -105.278356°
We stopped for lunch on Pearl St. and espresso at the Brewing Market on 13th St. 13th is a one-way street, but you can take the bike lane south to cross Canyon Blvd.

Underpass

Location: 40.026218°, -105.225206°
Take the path under 55th St. Take the second right to dodge between the buildings and return to your starting point.

Nelson Rd.

Location: 40.151588°, -105.220871°
Jenn rides west on Nelson Rd.

Left Hand Canyon

Location: 40.122716°, -105.308075°
The Bicycling.com map gurus ride up Left Hand Canyon on a regular basis. On weekdays, the road is mostly clear, but on weekends, many cyclists ride the canyon's winding roads to Jamestown or Ward.

Flatirons view

Location: 40.026234°, -105.292025°
Fourth St. is a designated bike route into downtown Boulder. It's a great traffic-free way to sneak onto the west side of Pearl St.