bknaus

I'll be in Las Vegas for 9 days the beginning on November for the SEMA show. The first 4 days have some set up and meetings but lots of free time so I figured I'd toss my bike in one of the trailers and go riding. I searched on here for rides and all the threads I found were from 2005, 2006 and one from 2010. I know from previous messed up rides that that amount of time can change everything so where should I go? I'd like a good 35 mile and if I have time something in the 60 mile range?

I was looking at riding to Hoover Dam and back. It looks like 68 miles round trip following this route. It uses a bunch of bike paths (Boulder Highway Trail and River Mountain Loop Trail) but I see differing stuff online about which ones are paved and not? I read one place it's all paved except the last two miles but that was from a couple years ago...

Also, I hear good things about Red Rock Canyon and would go this route unless I hear otherwise?

And I have to start from the hotel on the strip since my vehicle will be parked in the show and I won't be able to move it after Sunday morning. I'll be at Flamingo so tips on how to get out of the crazy traffic ASAP would be appreciated too. Thanks!

bknaus

Also, sorry if this is the wrong place to post. Feel free to move it. I tried to decide which regional forum Vegas fell under and couldn't decide...

BoSoxYacht

The route to the dam is OK. Boulder Highway isn't great, but the shoulder is plenty wide. River Mountains Trail Loop is a beautiful path. I'd go through Lake Mead Recreation Area on the return route.

Your route to Red Rock is terrible. I would head north from the hotel to Sahara, and take that west all the way to Ft. Apache, then head north to Charleston.

Eric S.

I live in Las Vegas, but I'm on the west side of town and don't get over to the River Mountain trail, etc. much.

Register with www.bikinglasvegas.com and your inquiry should get a lot of responses.

bknaus

That site is perfect, it has a couple of good routes starting at the strip and more details on paved vs unpaved without even registering but I will probably post up. Thanks. I appreciate it!

Eric S.

I'm a musician in LV and sometimes sub for a guy on the Donny & Marie show. It's easier for me to get there by bike than drive.

Here is how I get out of that area; you could use this as a basis for getting out to Red Rock Canyon.

-Walk out of the Flamingo, go North a bit to an intersection where Margaritaville is.
-Cross over to Caesar's and you can begin riding on a road called Jay Sarno Way.
-Turn right on Frank Sinatra.
-Turn left on Industrial Rd.
-Short jaunt on Industrial, then turn right on Twain Ave.
-Twain runs behind the Rio and eventually has a bike lane.
-Ride Twain Ave. West to Tenaya Ave.
-Turn right (North) on Tenaya to Sahara Ave.
-Turn left (West) on Sahara and you'll have a wide bus/bike lane. It eventually goes away, but is very rideable.
-Just keep going West and you'll get to W. Charleston, which runs out to Red Rock Canyon.

I'm a fairly daring commuter; not sure what you're used to when it comes to traffic. Those first few steps are the most complicated.

JamesInSJ

+1 on the directions to stay on Sahara till it hits Charleston.

Alternatively, looking at your original directions, you could stay on Twain most of the way, cut south to Flamingo and then stay on Flamingo all the way through Red Rock Country Club area, then pickup the left (West) on Sahara to Charleston. That would give you a few more miles of nice suburban scenic riding on the west end of town.

MinnMan

When you go up to Red Rock canyon, don't turn around and go back the way you came - head south on Red Rock Canyon Rd/Blue Diamond Rd. and return to town from the south.

But beware of goathead flats on that road - make sure you've got a spare tube and an inflator.

Also, there are good group rides to join on the weekends - you can find information on the BikingLasVegas site.

BillyD

That's what I love about this forum, you can almost always find the helpful information you're looking for.

Eric S.

Yes, Blue Diamond Road (also referred to as SR 160) has a nice shoulder/bike lane and will bring you to Dean Martin Drive, which you can ride North back to the weird Twain/Industrial/Frank Sinatra intersection.

carpediemracing 

Having stayed on the Strip and in the Downtown area I like riding out on Alta, to Red Rock (but not in the loop itself), down to Blue Diamond, and back.

The Alta road is a bit less crazy, there's a shoulder there. Some of the other roads are really wide, like 3 lanes each side, with no shoulder to speak of. Alta is actually twisty - they've built some slalom type curves in the road to dissuade people from driving too fast on it. It encourages drivers to use other roads.

I didn't know about the goatheads on Blue Diamond. That's a really fast road coming off of Red Rock - the wind seems to come down Red Rock and so you have a tailwind when you leave Red Rock (and a terrible headwind going towards it).

Also on going to Lake Mead - I tried riding that "straight" road. I've ridden a little around Boulder City and I wanted to do the ride I did there on my own. That "straight" road is pretty tough mentally, tons of lights, forever horizon. I got to the top (it's basically a long slight climb going south), turned around, and came back to the hotel. I did Red Rock / Blue Diamond loops after that.

I stop at lights so that straight road was constantly stop and go.

Enjoy your trip. Ought to be fun, combining cars and bikes.