Bicycling in Boulder

Bicycling

In & East of Boulder

The Boulder Creek Path winds through town for about 9 mi from the mouth of Fourmile Canyon west of Boulder to the intersection of Arapahoe Avenue and Cherryvale Road, connecting to more than 200 mi of city and greenbelt trails and paths. Trailheads: You can access paths from nearly every cross street in town, but don't always count on parking nearby. From downtown the best access points are behind the public library parking lot on south side of Canyon Blvd. between 9th St. and Broadway or in Central Park on 13th St. between Canyon Blvd. and Arapahoe Ave.

If bicycling on flatter, less-rugged terrain with views of the mountains entices you more than bicycling in them, a few trails will not disappoint. The Community Ditch portion of the Marshall Mesa/Community Ditch Trail (Trailhead: Drive south on Broadway to Marshall Dr. and turn left. Parking is on right) is open to mountain bikers. The 8-mi round-trip ride takes you up through pine stands and over a plateau where you can look down on Boulder, with the Flatirons and the Rockies in full view. The trail continues across Highway 93 almost to Eldorado Springs.

In the Mountains

For more-strenuous mountain biking, head west out of town to Walker Ranch (Flagstaff Rd. 8 mi west of town); the 7.5-mi loop has great views of the Indian Peaks. For less-challenging bicycling but a scenic 7.2-mi, two-hour ride nonetheless, the Betasso Preserve Loop is 4 mi west of Broadway on Canyon Boulevard in Boulder Canyon. Look for the trailhead turnout on the left. The Foothills Trail, accessed either off North 4th Street or from the intersection of Linden Street and Wonderland Hill Avenue, offers a somewhat technical 8-mi ride out to Boulder Reservoir. You'll have mountain views on the way back to Boulder. Add on another 6-mi jaunt to Lefthand Valley Reservoir by taking the Lefthand Trail from the north side of the Sage/Eagle Trail loop.

To test your quadriceps, take the Switzerland Trail, a 9- to 13-mi ride with a nice drop to the hamlet of Sunset, and a climb up to Gold Hill. Trailhead: From Broadway drive west 5 mi on Canyon Blvd./Hwy. 119 and turn right onto Sugarloaf Rd. After 5 mi turn right at Sugarloaf Mountain Rd. Parking area is 1 mi farther.

Bicycle Shops

Full Cycle (1795 Pearl St. 303/440-1002) rents mountain bikes with helmets and locks for four-hour, one-day, and multiple-day biking adventures.

University Bicycles (839 Pearl St. 303/444-4196) rents mountain and town bikes (helmet, lock, and map included) for four hours to one week.