Boulder, CO: Chinook Coffee Cruise

Boulder, CO: Chinook Coffee Cruise

What better way to beat Boulder's winter wind than with a shot of caffeine in every town in the county?

Author:	Bicycling GPS
Date:	3 Dec 2007 12:03:31 PM
Activity:	Bicycling ActivitySearchBicycling
State:	Colorado (CO)
Distance:	38.14 mi (Change units)
Calories:	1412
Average Speed:	15.7 mph 0:03:49/mi
Duration:	Total: 2:56:12 Active: 2:26:05 Resting: 0:30:04 Unaccounted: 0:00:02
Elevation:	Total Gain: 1850 ft Total Loss: 2211 ft Net Change: -361 ft
Difficulty:	7 / 10
Tags:	Boulder, Colorado
Rating:	Unrated Rate it

There's no hiding from the wind that whips the Front Range in the winter, and it's often at it's windiest on warm days. There are no big hills to speak of on this route, but it takes one of the most blustery (and popular) roads out of town, U.S. 36, so you'll have your work cut out for you. Hang on with both hands, lean west into the wind, and be glad 36 has a gaping maw of a shoulder. Then laugh it all off over a calorific, javalicious drink in Lyons. Take advantage of the tailwind (read: fly!) heading west out of Lyons on another wide shoulder. You'll have some shelter from the chinooks as you turn south into Longmont, and on the southwestern edge of town, pick up another coffee if you like. You might need it to battle the crosswinds on 75th/73rd St.--probably the worst on the ride. There's more shelter in Niwot (and another coffee shop--why not?). The last stretch of the ride--climbing out of Niwot into Gunbarrel--is the toughest part of this route, especially if you've been battling the wind all day. Just think of the recovery mocha awaiting you at Ozo Coffee and the bragging rights you've earned riding in the chinooks: you'll be back to Boulder in no time.

Position Format:	Datum:

Tracks

Dist: 38.14 mi	Points: 660	Calories: 1412
Time: 2:56:12	Speed: 15.7 mph	Pace: 3:49 / mi

Distance	Instruction		Distance to next
0.00 mi	Start	Amante Coffee	Then go 0.48 mi
0.48 mi	Turn Left	U.S. 36/N. Foothills Hwy	Then go 10.77 mi
11.25 mi	Turn Left	Hwy 66/U.S. 36/Hwy 7	Then go 1.31 mi
12.55 mi	Bear Left	Stay on Hwy 66	Then go 0.13 mi
12.68 mi	Turn Right	Fourth St.	Then go 0.04 mi
12.72 mi	Turn Left	High St.	Then go 0.07 mi
12.79 mi	Turn Left	Main St./Hwy 7	Then go 0.10 mi
12.89 mi	Turn Left	Broadway St./U.S. 36/Hwy 7	Then go 5.41 mi
18.30 mi	Turn Right	N. 75th St.	Then go 0.98 mi
19.27 mi	Turn Left	Hygiene Rd.	Then go 1.23 mi
20.50 mi	Turn Right	Airport Rd.	Then go 2.49 mi
22.99 mi	Turn Left	On Nelson Rd. to go to the coffee shop; right to continue ride	Then go 0.11 mi
23.10 mi	Turn Right	Barberry Dr.	Then go 0.16 mi
23.26 mi	Turn Right	Onto Airport Rd. from plaza parking lot	Then go 0.02 mi
23.28 mi	Turn Left	Nelson Rd.	Then go 1.26 mi
24.54 mi	Turn Left	75th St.	Then go 1.50 mi
26.04 mi	Bear Right	73rd St.	Then go 2.12 mi
28.15 mi	Turn Left	Niwot Rd.	Then go 0.52 mi
28.67 mi	Turn Left	Franklin St.	Then go 0.11 mi
28.78 mi	Turn Left	Second Ave.	Then go 0.04 mi
28.82 mi	U-Turn	Second Ave.	Then go 0.18 mi
29.00 mi	Bear Left	Niwot Rd.	Then go 0.05 mi
29.05 mi	Turn Right	79th St.	Then go 1.96 mi
31.01 mi	Turn Right	Lookout Rd.	Then go 0.47 mi
31.48 mi	Turn Left	75th St.	Then go 4.03 mi
35.51 mi	Turn Right	Arapahoe Ave.	Then go 2.63 mi
38.14 mi	Stop	Ozo Coffee

Points of Interest

Amante Coffee

Location: 40.057709°, -105.281596°
First espresso: Double Amantino with a little sugar. Amante is a popular place for Boulder cyclists to meet and caffeinate. If you want to add a good climb to this route, head north on Broadway from Amante and turn left onto Lee Hill Road, then right on Olde Stage Road.

Amante Coffee

Location: 40.057709°, -105.281596°
Amante cafe plays coverage of the Tour de France all day during the race.

The Stone Cup

Location: 40.225630°, -105.271318°
The Stone Cup has organic coffee and vegan muffins. Look for local pros mixed into the busy cafe's regular cycling crowd.

The Stone Cup

Location: 40.225630°, -105.271318°
Second espresso: double macciato. If you get a mechanical, the Stone Cup has a workstand and some tools next to the bike rack. Need more than a basic wrench? Thanks to its proximity to awesome singletrack, Lyons has several good bike shops.

Barking Dog Cafe

Location: 40.224516°, -105.271039°
Local observation: Mountain bikers seem to favor the Barking Dog. (Perhaps they have trail dogs.)

Coffee Stop

Location: 40.188463°, -105.177806°
It's a small town, but Hygiene has a place to stop for coffee.

Deja Brew

Location: 40.151653°, -105.154095°
Deja Brew is right on the edge of town--and a popular cycling route out of Longmont. Blue Sky Cycles is a few doors down.

Eye Opener Coffee

Location: 40.103302°, -105.172162°
There's a bike rack across the street from The Eye Opener and a Niwot Cycles is a few doors down.

Ozo Coffee

Location: 40.014317°, -105.228730°
Ozo is the final stop on this coffee tour. If you need more food instead, check out Snarf's, a deli around the corner. If your final destination is central Boulder, ride home on the nearby Boulder Creek Path.