I love riding on Lookout Mountain. It is close to Denver; it is full of other cyclists, and the scenery is great. I have been looking to extend my climbing rides with more hills though and this route adds two more climbs, for a total of five, to my Lookout Mountain-Cabrini Shrine loop. All the logistics are the same, so I will focus on what’s different.

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tags: climbing | colorado | road cycling

Climbing Lookout Mountain is a rite of passage for Denver-area cyclists. It is easy to get to, a fairly small climb by Colorado standards, and has scenic views of Denver and Golden on the way up. I rode up it for the first time this year, after returning to road cycling and now I ride it a few times per week. Many riders just go up to Buffalo Bill’s grave and turn around, but I like to make it a little longer. The ride described here is 21 miles long with three climbs. There is an option to make it 15.5 miles long with two climbs.

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tags: climbing | colorado | road cycling

As I noted in an earlier post, I have been spending a lot of time on my road bike this season. I have decided to document a few of my favorite rides and this is the first post in a series that will outline the routes I am coming to love.

Deer Creek Canyon is a scenic, but fairly populated, canyon southwest of Denver. It has a well-maintained road and drivers are generally tolerant of cyclists (edit: see comments for evolving tensions), who can outnumber cars and trucks during peak cycling season. Perhaps best of all, there is a cyclist rest area on the route with coolers stocked with bottled water and Gatorade. It is maintained by the local Grange, but also has a tube for donations. I wish they had a spigot for regular tap water, but beggars can’t be choosers.

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tags: climbing | colorado | road cycling