suburbanbeat

Hi all. I am going to a conference in Denver in late May and would like to get a little tour in before or after, if possible. Can anyone recommend some destinations that would make for a nice two-day/one-night tour, perhaps around 80-120 miles round trip.

While I'm here, can I ask if anyone in Denver has a 53" or 54" tourer I could borrow? I've got my own but would obviously like to save the insane fees I'd incur by flying with it! If so, I'd be happy to connect on Facebook, etc.

Thanks in advance!

superdex

Are you going to be in downtown for the conference? From downtown Denver, you could go north to Ft Collins and back, taking in as much climbing as you dare along the way. The most direct route would be around 70 miles one way, but there's no reason to be direct. Go through Boulder first and it's a great, well-travelled way to see the Front Range.

If you have some more details around how you want to camp/stay, I'm sure there are a few folks here that can get you pointed in the right direction...

randallr

If you like climbing you could ride W into the mountains (through Golden and up Lookout Mtn, then into Evergreen would be one option), stay overnight, then ride back into Denver. Were you planning on hotel or camping?

andrewclaus

PM me about a possible bike in Golden (warmshowers host less than a mile from light rail). And I assume your dimensions are in cm, not inches?

From Golden, it's good access north to Boulder and beyond, or the climb to Idaho Springs or Evergreen as mentioned above.

There's a paved loop of MUPs around Denver that can easily be a century. Camping along the south end at Cherry Creek, Chatfield, Bear Creek Lake, or with the homeless along the Platte River. Some pricey hotels along the way.

cyccommute 

Colorado has a bus program called the Bustang. It opens up a large part of the state to you without having to drive a car to a starting point. For example, you could ride the Bustang to Glenwood Springs and then ride up hill to Aspen on one day, then ride back down on the next. The ride down the Rio Grande Trail is the best 50 mile ride you'll ever find in Colorado. It's completely downhill from Aspen to Glenwood.

You could also ride the Bustang to Gunnison and then ride up and over Monarch Pass to Salida and take the Bustang back to Denver. Or take the Bustang to Frisco, ride over Vail Pass to Eagle and catch the bus back to Denver. Or you can ride to Salida, up and over Poncha Pass to Great Sand Dunes and Alamosa. Visit the alligators on the way. You can then take the bus back to Salida and transfer to the Denver bus. The options are many.

The bus has racks on the front or you can put your bike underneath in the cargo bay.