Road-biking Denver's Northern Suburbs, Part 4: Rocky Mountain Arsenal

For much of the latter half of the 20th century, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal was a site for the manufacture and storage of chemical weapons. In more recent years, it has been converted to a wildlife refuge. It features a nice visitor's center with activities for children and some walking trails.

The fourth cycling route in this series is a loop around the Rocky Mountain Arsenal lands and its surrounding rural and suburban areas.


View Rocky Mountain Arsenal Loop in a larger map

This is a ride I like to do early on a Sunday morning. A major reason for that is SH2 (the diagonal road on the map) is not a good cycling road. It has no shoulder and can have quite a lot of industrial Commerce City traffic. But on a Sunday morning, while everyone else are still in their slippers and drinking coffee, the roads are almost empty and even highway 2 isn't so unpleasant.

The route begins at the park next to Themmig Elementary School, just off of Peoria Street. From there, head south on Peoria, take a quick left on 104th Ave, and then right on SH2. South of 96th Ave, the Rocky Mountain Arsenal flanks the road to the East.

Turn left on Quebec Pkwy (called Rosemary Street when turning right). My experience has been that Sunday morning traffic on Quebec is actually heavier than on SH2. But the road is much wider, so it still feels safer. There is a convenience store at the corner of Quebec and 72nd Ave, should you need any refreshments.

56th Ave starts out as a sub-par biking road as well. Dick's Sporting Goods Park can tend to bring in a lot of traffic, but that doesn't last very long. Soon traffic dies down and the road widens, and you're rolling along with the open lands of RMA on your left. A left-hand turn onto Havana would take you to the RMA visitor's center.

Heading north on Tower Road, you will soon come to a cluster of hotels and restaurants which serve some demographic related to Denver International Airport. Presumably there is a demand for these places, but it seems like an odd location to me. Farther up the road, around 104th Ave., is the community of Reunion. There are some businesses around that intersection, probably including a convenience store, but I've never looked closely enough to be able to say exactly what you'd find if you were to turn in there.

At 120th Ave, the RMA route overlaps with the Adams County Loop, so you could keep going on Tower Road and head up toward Brighton. Turning left on 120th takes you westward, back to Peoria and the beginning of the loop.

The beginning and ending point on Peoria is presented here because it's the closest public parking I've found for those who might be driving to get there. But when I'm approaching this loop by bike (heading east on 120th), I actually prefer to take Chambers to 96th Ave, and then head west to get back to SH2. That reduces the amount of time spend on the highway and increases time spent along side the Arsenal. This alternate route is marked in purple in the map above.

Road-biking Denver's Northern Suburbs:

• Part 1: Adams County Loop
• Part 2: Thornton, Erie, Dacono
• Part 3: Thornton, Dacono, Fort Lupton

Road-biking Denver's Northern Suburbs, Part 3: Thornton, Dacono, Fort Lupton

This third route in the "Road-biking Denver's Northern Suburbs" series is another loop through the farm lands north of the suburbs.


View Thornton, Dacono, Ft. Lupton in a larger map

The route begins at the ball fields on Holly Street, just south of 136th Ave. There is ample parking available, and it's a good spot to meet up with friends if you're going for a group ride. Construction is currently in progress to extend the complex with a skate park. There are several opportunities along the route for picking up snacks and drinks.

From Holly Street, go north and take 136th Avenue east to Colorado Blvd. From there, it's a long, straight shot up to SH 52. As you approach Dacono, the blue water tower just south of the highway becomes visible. Here we intersect with the Thornton, Erie, Dacono Loop from part 2. Combining the two makes for a nice, longer ride.

Colorado Blvd, south of Dacono

As in part 2, SH 52 is higher traffic than the rest of the route, but it's fairly moderate, at that. Heading east, the shoulder varies and is rough in places, but it's rideable throughout.

Just before Fort Lupton, you will cross the South Platte River before the underpass at US-85. Ride through town, through a couple of traffic lights, and turn left on what is variously known as Business US-85, County Road 27, or in these parts, South Denver Ave.

South Platte River, Fort Lupton

As you come near to Brighton, there is a large factory where wind turbine parts are manufactured. Sometimes the huge blades will be loaded onto railroad cars, ready for delivery.

The intersection at 168th provides another chance to extend the ride by heading east and following (in reverse) the Adams County Loop described in part 1.

Heading west on 168th Avenue, you will cross back over the river, past a concrete loading site, and then turn left onto Tucson. Here, and farther on Riverdale, there are some sand quarries which provide some large truck traffic, but I've never found it to be a problem.

From Tucson, turn right on Highway 7, or 160th Ave. Then take the first left onto Riverdale, just before the hill. The stretch along Riverdale is quite pleasant. At the stop sign near the golf course, turn right onto 128th, leading back to Holly Street and the end of the ride.

Road-biking Denver's Northern Suburbs, Part 2: Thornton, Erie, Dacono

This is another of the routes I like to ride in the morning before heading off to work. It quickly takes you out of town, past some of the outer subdivisions, and into the rural countryside. On clear mornings the view of the mountains out to the west is quite nice.


View Thornton, Eerie, Dacono in a larger map

I usually ride this loop clockwise, if only because the right-hand turns are easier to make. The map shows the ride beginning and ending at the parking lot of the shopping center at 136th and Colorado Blvd, but as with the first installment of this series, it is easily accessible from most of the northern Thornton area.

There is a landfill at the northern end of Sheridan Parkway which results in a little bit of extra traffic from garbage trucks. But it isn't bad and doesn't detract from the enjoyment of the ride.

It is common to see hot air balloons in the sky to the west as you ride north along County Road 5, and the view of the mountains is usually very nice. That road takes you past Erie High School, an airstrip community, and a salvage yard for old VWs. The route then turns onto SH 52 just before the county road turns to gravel.

SH 52 is the highest-traffic road on this route, as it is an I-25 tributary, but the shoulders are pretty good, and even at the intersection with the interstate, it is quite manageable. There are a couple of convenience stores accessible from this point - one near I-25 and the other just past the turn onto Colorado Boulevard, also known as Weld County Road 17 in these parts.

I like to note the four radio towers on the east side of the road just north of 168th Avenue, or Baseline Road, which serves as a good distance marker as you head south. Shortly after that is the intersection with 160th/SH 7, and then the home stretch back to the beginning.

Road trip

My family and I just finished a road trip across much of the country to visit family and friends. Our travels took us to Tennessee, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Indiana. I brought my bike along so I could get some riding in. It's a great way not only to stay in shape during a vacation, but also to get a more intimate look at some of the areas we passed through. It's also a lot easier to make it through a day of driving if I've gotten a good workout before hand.

Of course we had some memorable meals, both great and not-so-great, along the way.


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Kansas

We left Denver in the afternoon, so our first stop for the night was in Colby, KS. Supper that night was at the Village Inn. After interrogating the waitress for a few minutes, I managed to cobble a vegan meal together out of side items, including a piece of pita bread which was not on the menu.

The next morning I got up and rode my bike around on the back roads. As would be expected, the terrain was quite flat. But it was very windy, so about half of the loop was spent fighting the headwind, while the other half was spent cruising along at a good clip.


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Even though this route was mostly on US highways, traffic was pretty light. And the vehicles that did pass me always kept a respectful distance. I got half-heartedly chased by a dog while heading south on US 83, and County Roads J and K are hard-packed dirt and gravel (or American pavé, as I like to think of it) east of I-70.

While leaving our hotel, my helmet and gloves got left in the hotel lobby. Pro tip: when your 5-year-old says she wants to help carry things out to the truck, make sure she doesn't get side-tracked along the way.

Missouri

We ate the second evening's supper in Columbia at Main Squeeze. This place was great, and I look forward to stopping there again.

After eating, we drove a while longer until we got to our hotel at Weldon Spring, MO, near St. Louis. This area has some small rolling hills, and there was a wildlife preserve near our hotel which offered some decent riding in the morning.


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Traffic wasn't bad on these roads, and the scenery was pleasant.

We had lunch at Saffron Bistro in Cape Girardeau, MO. There was a pretty good selection of vegetarian options on the menu. And while the waitress didn't know much about it, the manager was very knowledgeable and helpful in working out vegan modifications. I had the drunken rice noodles with tofu, with instructions to use salt and water instead of chicken stock. It was excellent.

Tennessee

We arrived at my father's house in Tennessee the next day. We had been planning to have a cookout with all of the family on Saturday, July 2nd. I made some stuffed portabella mushrooms which, if I do say so myself, were delicious.

• 4 large portabella mushrooms, stems removed
• Olive oil
• Balsamic vinegar
• 2 handfuls of almonds
• Green onions
• Ketchup
• Salt and pepper

Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a pan. Set the mushrooms on top, stem-side up, making sure the tops of the mushrooms get coated in oil. Drizzle some more oil and vinegar on top and let it soak for a while.

Crush the almonds in a blender and transfer to a bowl. Add about 1/4 cup of ketchup, chopped green onion, salt, and pepper. Mix, adding enough balsamic vinegar to moisten the mixture a little bit. It should be pretty thick and hold together well.

Spoon the filling onto the mushrooms and spread it out. Transfer the mushrooms from the pan to a grill at low/medium heat and cook until heated through and the mushrooms become tender. I wasn't paying very much attention, but I think it took about 15 to 20 minutes.

Market Fresh Produce, Jackson TN

Our grocery shopping took us to a wonderful little place in Jackson called Market Fresh Produce where we got some fruits and vegetables. We spoke to an old woman who said the place was owned by her family and had been in business for 56 years. She had been working there since she was a little girl.

I also stopped in at Bicycle City in Jackson to buy a temporary replacement for the helmet and gloves left behind in Colby, KS.

During our stay in Tennessee, I got out for a ride to see the countryside and another interval workout just before we left.


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I've been wanting to ride the roads of this area for quite some time. It's fairly flat around there, but whole area is very pretty.

Our outbound trip included lunch at Tin Angel in Nashville. It was actually a really good restaurant, but it wasn't what I was expecting. For some reason it turned up in a search for vegetarian restaurants, but the selection was pretty thin. I ate a black bean burger and ignored the fact that the focaccia bun couldn't have been vegan.

Kentucky

From Tennessee we caravanned with my sister up to her house in Kentucky. On the way, we stopped for the night at Cumberland Falls State Park. The cabin we rented there was very nice and easily fit all eight of us. There was a trail head leading down to the falls right beside our cabin, so that evening we walked the mile or so down to the falls. When we arrived there was a ranger giving a talk about snakes at the visitors' center, so we stopped in to listen to the tail end of that.

Cumberland Falls, Kentucky

We ate a late supper of salad in the cabin. Breakfast at the lodge restaurant the next morning was pretty good and reasonably priced.

After arriving at my sister's house, I pulled up a map and began planning a ride for the next morning. I don't know how many people take advantage of it, but Kentucky boasts some very beautiful roads and hills which make for premium cycling.


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I was a little concerned that the narrow roads would prove problematic, but there was very little traffic. I think I got passed by six or seven cars on the whole ride. Tate's Creek Road runs along side a creek (as one might expect) and through tunnels of trees arching overhead.

For a time I worried that I was going to miss out on some of the hills which rose abruptly to either side of the road. But then I turned onto Highway 1156, startled a turkey vulture which was gnawing on an unfortunate rabbit in the road, and I got to experience one of those hills in all its lung-bursting glory. The rest of the ride was rolling, but nothing quite so severe as that first climb.

On our way out of Kentucky, we stopped at Good Foods Market and Cafe for an early lunch. Good Foods is a lot like the Whole Foods chain, in that it's a grocery store with a cafeteria-style eatery where you pay by weight. It was a little out of the way and chaotic with the kids, but the food was good.

Indiana

From there, we headed in the general direction of home, stopping in Indiana to see an old friend of mine. After another hotel-room supper, we went over to his house and hung out for a couple of hours. It wasn't nearly enough time to get properly caught up, but it was a very good visit. He has a daughter one year older than F, and they got along famously.

Kansas (again)

The next day found us lunching in St. Louis at Govinda's vegetarian Indian buffet. While the selection was small, the food was tasty, and it was probably the cheapest meal we had on the whole trip.

We stopped for the night in Topeka, KS. Upon checking into our hotel, we headed down town to have supper at the Blue Planet Cafe. It turned out that a large section of the down-town area was closed off for some kind of Mexican festival parade, but we were able to park and walk just a few blocks to get to the restaurant. We did have to skip the parade in favor of eating before the place closed.

When we got there, we discovered that, due to a live music event going on in the back room, the menu was limited to a few items they had prepped ahead of time. Still, we got a great meal, and the place was very kid-friendly. The owner came over to our table for a little while and chatted with us. She said that when she was living in California and was making cross-country trips, keeping her daughter fed was troublesome. So when she opened Blue Planet, she determined to make sure kids could get good fare.

Epilogue

On the last day, we had a picnic lunch at a rest stop, finishing off most of the vegetables and other food we had with us. We stopped by the hotel in Colby, KS, and got my helmet and gloves, which were held at the front desk for me. And at 3:03 p.m., we crossed the state line into Colorado.

Except for the cabin at Cumberland Falls, all of our hotel stays were at Holiday Inn Express locations. I mention this not because there's anything in it for me (there's not), but because we've had good experiences at nearly every one of their hotels we've gone to. Their suites, having a king-sized bed and a pull-out sofa, are perfect for a family our size with young children. And the complementary breakfast is very convenient, if somewhat lacking in vegan variety.

So that's our big mid-summer road trip. For all the family and friends with whom we have parted ways, we miss you all already and can't wait until we're able to see you again.

Road-biking Denver's Northern Suburbs, Part 1: Adams County Loop

The Joy of Wide-open Spaces

The plains which surround the Denver area to the North and East are not touted as much as the foothills and mountains to the West as prime road-biking territory. But what the plains lack in steep grades, switchbacks, and majestic canyon walls they make up for in sweeping vistas, low-traffic roads, and the rural farming communities which I feel are quintessential of the American West.

For those of us who live in Denver's northern suburbs, these plains are our stomping ground for daily riding when schedules do not allow for an hour of driving just to get to a decent hill to climb. In this series of posts, I will present some of the routes I like to ride in this area, which generally strike out from Thornton and tour the back roads of this region.

Adams County Loop

This is a 20-mile loop that I discovered a few years ago which has become a staple on days that I just want to get out for a little while for a quick ride. Parts of the route also lend themselves to doing intervals, if you're looking to get more of a workout. There isn't much to recommend one direction over the other, but for some reason I usually go counter-clockwise.


View Adams County Loop in a larger map

This shows the ride beginning and ending (the bicycle icon) at a parking area near the Adams County Regional Park, but it is easily accessible by bike from most areas in Thornton, Brighton, and perhaps Northglenn. If you begin by heading east, there are a few stop signs and traffic lights early on. Once on Tower Road, the ride is uninterrupted until you get to 152nd/Bromley Lane.

168th Avenue features a little bit of a grade, going uphill for a short way before heading downhill toward US-85. At the intersection of 168th/Baseline and US-85, there are service stations, should you need to pick up additional drinks or snacks.

Riverdale Road is another good stretch without traffic lights or stop signs. I often use Riverdale as a convenient place to do intervals. There is a sand quarry midway along the road, so there are some big trucks going through there. But the traffic is still quite sparse and generally polite. I regularly see wild turkeys in the horse pastures along Riverdale, which always adds to the interest of the ride.

As will be seen in future installments, this route can easily be extended to increase the mileage.

Flagstaff, and then some

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Today I drove up to Boulder and rode the route pictured above. I've been meaning to give the Flagstaff climb a go for quite a while now, so I started from there and made a good loop out of it. I wrote down my turns on a strip of masking tape and stuck that on my top tube so I would be sure not to get lost. But maps rarely tell the whole story when you're planning a ride in unfamiliar territory.

I parked near Chautauqua Park in Boulder and went straight for Flagstaff. I knew that I should have rode around a little bit to warm up first, but I'm not exactly known for my patience.

The climb up Flagstaff did not disappoint. My lungs were burning, heart was pounding, legs were threatening to quit, and in short, I was in pain until the exit from the Boulder Mountain Park and the turn downhill. Not that the climbing was completely finished or anything, but there's a pretty good reprieve from it for a while after that.

I stopped briefly at the turn onto Gross Dam Road (point B), caught my breath, and verified that I was on the right track. Everything from point B to point C on the map is dirt and gravel. It took me by surprise and made me a bit nervous, but my road bike handled it just fine. Admittedly, I took it really slow. A wipe-out or a pinch flat would really have put a damper on things.

Gross Reservoir

The stretch on Coal Creek Canyon Road (Highway 72, from D to E) is some very scenic, very fast riding. I'd been on that part before last summer. Traffic on Highway 93 can be pretty hairy, but it doesn't last too long.

Shortly after point G, there is a sign that indicates that you have to abandon Marshall Drive and get back onto Highway 93. But that only applies to cars. A multi-use path picks up where the road leaves off. The route is mostly on paths until you get back to Baseline, and a good bike lane will take you back up to Chautauqua Park.

I envy those who live close enough to the mountains to be able to do this kind of ride from their front door. But I'm going to be making every effort to get out there and hit the hills in the coming weeks. My climbing legs aren't anywhere near where they were at the end of last summer. Hopefully I'll get them back in shape in time for the Mount Evans Hill Climb in July.

My first time up Mount Evans

Mount Evans is the closest fourteener* to Denver and boasts the highest paved road in the world.  So of course cyclists flock to the place to pit themselves against this monster of a climb.  A coworker recently planted the seed of the idea into my head, so this morning I got up and made my own assault on the mountain.

My goal was to ride from Idaho Springs to the top of the mountain in under three hours.  Having looked at the results for the annual race, this seemed like a reasonable expectation.

I headed out from a parking lot on the southern edge of town at about 7:50.  At 9:00 I passed Echo Lake and made a quick stop at the gift shop there for an extra bottle of Gatorade.  It is also at this point that you must stop and pay an entrance fee to ride up Highway 5, which leads to the summit.  The individual pass is $3, and for cars it is $10.

Many folks prefer starting at this point instead of down at Idaho Springs.  Doing so cuts the distance in half and removes a couple thousand feet of elevation gain.  I chose against this mostly to ensure that I gave myself the full Mount Evans experience.

By 10:00, I had reached the poorly-named Summit Lake (there is still a lot of climbing to do before reaching the summit).  And I arrived at the top well within my time goal.  The final riding time was 2:36, with a total wall-clock time of 2:46.

Feeling like King of the Mountain.

There were cyclists all over the place up there, and I chatted with a few of them before heading back down.  The camaraderie amongst cyclists always adds to the experience.  It was quite chilly, and I was glad that I brought a jacket and ear warmers for the descent.

It turns out that there is a reason for not paving roads at this kind of elevation very often.  Because of the severe freeze/thaw cycles, the asphalt quality was really quite poor, especially after Summit Lake.  It was less of a problem on the way up, but on my way down, the road and my saddle conspired to inflict some serious abuse upon my nether regions.  That, coupled with the automobile traffic, made the descent somewhat disappointing.


View Mount Evans in a larger map

I had entertained the thought of having my family come with me, letting them hang out in Idaho Springs and drive up to the top.  But it would have turned out to be more of a hassle than any of us needed, particularly when considering that I left the house around 6:40.  The mountains around here are notorious for having afternoon thunder storms, so I wanted to be out of there well ahead of any adverse weather.  Hopefully we'll be able to drive up there together some time soon.

* A fourteener is a mountain whose elevation exceeds 14,000 feet.

Riding with Lance, Gov. Ritter, and a few thousand fellow Coloradan cyclists

Yesterday the mediasphere was all abuzz with the news that Lance Armstrong and Governor Bill Ritter were going to be holding a press conference this morning (2010-08-04).  Lance posted it to twitter, but I heard it first from 303cycling.com.  After the press conference, we would all be going for a big bike ride.  I promptly requested the day off of work.

Early birds at the steps of the Capitol.

This morning I rode from my house, down the South Platte River trail, to the Cherry Creek trail, and up 14th Avenue to the Capitol Building, arriving around 9:15.  Folks had already begun to gather, though many, many more would be arriving over the next 45 minutes.

It was no big secret as to what would be announced.  Back in May, at the Road to Victory ride, Gov. Ritter said that they had been working very hard to bring international bike racing to Colorado.  So today's announcement just made it (more) official: the first Tour of Colorado Quizno's Pro Challenge will be held in August of 2011.  It will be a 7-stage, professional level bike race ridden by the same teams that we've seen ride the Grand Tours of Europe, the Tour of California, etc.  Quizno's is the headlining sponsor.  More details can be read in the article from the Denver Post.

Gov. Ritter speaks about organizing the race.

Lance Armstrong describes his inspiration for suggesting the race.

As promised, once the press conference wrapped up, everybody lined up on 13th Ave. and Grant St., at the location of the first Quizno's sandwich shop, for the group ride.  There were a lot of riders there.

The field of riders in front of me.

The field of riders behind me.

We rode out to Washington Park and back.  I recorded the ride on my phone using the My Tracks Android application.

View Ride With Lance in a larger map

There were riders of all levels of skill on all types of bikes. It was pretty great to be able to be there.

Weekend training rides

The last two weekends I've been trying to put in some more miles on my bike in preparation for the Sunrise Century on July 24th.  This has taken me on a couple of beautiful routes which have some overlap on the Peak-to-Peak Highway, being CO-7 and CO-72 between Estes Park and, roughly, Blackhawk.  

Before last weekend, I had only ridden up there once, and that was with a loaded-down touring bike on my first bike camping trip with my friend Jody.  It's funny how much the hills look different now than they did then.


July 5, 2010


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This loop starts in Lyons and takes CO-7 to Peak-to-Peak Highway.  There it heads south to Ward before heading downhill on Lefthand Canyon Drive and returning to Lyons on US-36.  It's a classic route in this area, so there's probably not much for me to add to what's already been said and experienced.  I get the impression, though, that most folks like to go up Lefthand Canyon rather than just descend it.  But I've never been all that concerned with doing things the way everybody else does.

When entering Lyons from the east, turn off of US-36 at the Post Office sign.  You will immediately encounter Sandstone Park, which has restrooms and a water fountain.  This is where I like to start.  Highway 7 is just a block or so west of the park.

The climb up CO-7 to Peak-to-Peak is long, but not terribly steep (5% or 6% in the steepest sections).  And it's absolutely beautiful, following the St. Vrain River through the Roosevelt National Forest.

Highway 7 out of Lyons

The town of Ward must have been settled by itinerant families from New Mexico, insofar as they do not like to bother with posting signs to label their roads.  But the turn for the post office is clearly marked, and that's the road you want if you're heading down Lefthand Canyon Drive.  Immediately after making that turn, I passed a place in the town of Ward which looked like it might be a hangout for roadies and a place to wait for straggling riding partners coming up Lefthand.  But I don't like stopping very much, so I didn't stick around to see what the place had to offer.

July 11, 2010


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This ride is nice for those with the capability of doing one-way routes.   In my case, it meant having my family drive me up to Estes Park, drop me off, and meet me in Golden a few hours later.

For the first few miles coming out of Estes Park, the road isn't very good.  But eventually the shoulder widens and the traffic becomes more sparse.  There are a couple of convenience stores along the way before you get to Ward.

Peak-to-Peak Highway south of Ward

There is a traffic circle shortly after descending into Nederland.  Taking the first right (highways 119 and 72, which overlap at this point) will keep you on course.  It also passes right by a visitor's information center which has a water fountain, restrooms, and maps.  Here I took my only rest stop for the ride while refilling my water bottles and checking with the attendant to make sure I knew where I was going.

The road that climbs south out of town is pretty bad (more traffic and a narrow, crumbling shoulder), but before long, Highway 72 takes its leave of 119 and turns left.  I hadn't been on that stretch of road before, and it was a real treat.  There is a nice downhill stretch running beside a creek and railroad tracks.  But the climbing isn't done until you get past Wondervu - with a name like that, you know the place is going to be on top of something tall.

CO-72 then rushes you down Coal Creek Canyon, which eventually opens up onto a beautiful scene of pastures and the western-most plains and a nice view of downtown Denver beyond.  Once the highway is out in the open, it intersects with CO-93.  A right-hand turn takes you over eight miles and a few hills to Golden.

When I drive to Golden to climb Lookout Mountain, I like to start my rides from the park along Clear Creek, so that is where I arranged to have my family pick me up.  While I waited, I sat on a bench and watched people floating down the stream in tubes and kayaks.

It's really only about 25 miles from Golden to my house, so I guess I could have just ridden home from there.  But the multi-use path along Clear Creek is frequently crowded and isn't always conducive to riding fast.  And I had really gotten myself in the mood for pizza.  So the family and I had the all-you-can-eat buffet at Woody's Wood-Fired Pizza before heading home.

Riding the Road to Victory

This morning I rode along with a few hundred other cyclists in the Road to Victory ride in Boulder, Colorado.  It was a great time and benefited the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's.

The starting line.

The 60-mile route included a short climb in Rabbit Mountain Open-space and another climb on Lefthand Canyon and James Canyon Drives, going as far up as Jamestown before coming back down to return to the Boulder Beer Company for post-ride festivities.  It turned out to be just the level of challenge that I was looking for.

From the top of the Rabbit Mountain climb

This was the second organized ride I've done.  Last weekend I went to Loveland, Colorado, for the Community Classic Bicycle Tour.  That was a really fun ride with lots of route options, making it ideal for riding with the whole family (which I'll probably do next year).

My wife and two children met me at the end of both rides and shared in the post-ride meals.  Again, the Community Classic ride turned out to be more family-friendly in this regard; but that's only because my 4-year-old is a picky eater and liked the pancakes at CCBT better than the pasta at R2V.