Road Cycling - Colorado vs. California riding

Except for weather conditions, how does the state of Colorado rate vs. the state of California for road bike riding.

Some riding is better, some is worse.

They are both huge states with marked variances in each state in terrain, road surfaces, rural vs. urban, freeway utilization, back roads, etc.

They both have mountains and flatlands. CA has the ocean, Colorado does not. They both have wildfires. Colorado is less dense and populated, but if you were in the middle of Denver, it would look much like the middle of Los Angeles, but with less freeways. Colorado likely has more "nature attuned" folks on a percentage basis, but that is just a guess. Colorado is the highest educated state in the nation. They both have a lot of bicyclists - in So Cal along the coast they are all over the place, as they are in Colorado. You see bikes everywhere in Colorado, and bikes with car racks abound.

Colorado has extremely well developed and maintained separate paved biking paths in the resort areas in the mountains. Summit County (Fraser, Breckenridge), Winter Park, Leadville, etc. In the summer there are literally thousands of bikers of all types (road, mtn, touring) in the mtn areas. The mountain businesses are now really thriving from this. I don't know about CA and mtn biking trails, but suspect that Lake Tahoe would have a bunch.

Could you be a little more specific?

I live in Southern California, and I am giving strong consideration to moving to Boulder Colorado. I like to ride what we have here on the coast, (Flat to rolling) terrain. But a nice long climb also very nice. So if I lived in Boulder, (North Central), and got up on a saturday morning for a nice long ride, say 60 to 80 or so miles, what kind of terrain can I expect.

I live in Southern California, and I am giving strong consideration to moving to Boulder Colorado. I like to ride what we have here on the coast, (Flat to rolling) terrain. But a nice long climb also very nice. So if I lived in Boulder, (North Central), and got up on a saturday morning for a nice long ride, say 60 to 80 or so miles, what kind of terrain can I expect.

If you go west, up Boulder Canyon or Left Hand Canyon - steep and mountains. Left Hand Canyon has 17 miles before it gets to the Peak to Peak Highway where it is more, but not really level. Boulder Canyon is, IMHO, fairly dangerous.

I believe there is a Boulder Bicycling Club or Such. Check with them.

If you go east, out on the plains, pretty flat.

If you go north, up towards Estes Park, varied with some steep hills up and down.

Best not to go south much, but it would be flat.

Try this link for any number of cycling groups

http://bicyclecolo.org/site/page.cfm?PageID=115

There is a current proposal on a bikeway from Boulder south to Denver, as there are not a lot of good routes besides the freeway. You can get ther, but it is a chore.

I live in Southern California, and I am giving strong consideration to moving to Boulder Colorado. I like to ride what we have here on the coast, (Flat to rolling) terrain. But a nice long climb also very nice. So if I lived in Boulder, (North Central), and got up on a saturday morning for a nice long ride, say 60 to 80 or so miles, what kind of terrain can I expect.

I've done a lot of riding in Southern CA along the coast as well. Being from Illinois, I usually seek
the steepest hills I can find. I've found some of the hills in San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano to be much steeper than the long, gradual grinds of CO. I've ridden in Colorado on only a handful of occassions; Boulder once. I've found the drivers in both states to be very courteous towards riders, much more than here in Illinois. On my one Boulder outing several years ago, I did the same kind of ride you were interested in. If I remember correctly, I rode about 40 miles on road that went up into Left Hand Canyon and back down. It was nothing leg breaking, but long and steady without much relief. It's Boulder. I'm sure you'll love it. Gino

Also, Boulder is its own very unique and very expensive community. Some call it the "Kingdom of Boulder." Extremely liberal, lots of things like spiritual readers, etc. Lots and lots of bicyclists, and high speed bike paths where you need to look out if you are a pedestrian - especially near the University.

I might be a little biased living in Colorado but think about these points.

*COLORADO
1. There is at least 34 Mountain Passes
2. 22 of these 34 are over 10,000ft
3. Boulder is a Meca
4. the Springs has the Olympic Training Center and the 87 Worlds Pro
Road Cycling Course

I might be a little biased living in Colorado but think about these points.

*COLORADO
1. There is at least 34 Mountain Passes
2. 22 of these 34 are over 10,000ft
3. Boulder is a Meca
4. the Springs has the Olympic Training Center and the 87 Worlds Pro
Road Cycling Course

Shhhh!!

(Let him stay in California).

Colorado is a TERRIBLE place to bike. Don't move here.

Remember the saying, "Don't Californicate Colorado!"

I say go and enjoy .... oh yeah if you have a house to sell give me a call Im a Realtor :D

San Diego also has the US Olympic training camp from which cyclists train all year.. Suspect we have more months of cylcling, here in California. Parts of San Diego county and Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo have not yet been Californiated..But, we are quickly working on it. You still can find locations where cyclists can enjoy the road without the smelly cars overwhealming the roads....