Mountain - Plains - Best place to live on the Front Range (CO) for a cyclist?

Hi guys-

We're currently living on the western slope, and the possibility of my wife getting a job in Denver or the Springs is pretty good.

I'm just getting into road bikes, but would like to choose a place to live that has access to the best cycling I can get at within distance to either Denver or the Springs.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!


John

I live in Boulder, and have only been here a couple of years, so take this with that as a reference: if you need a Denver commute and want to live near great foothills riding, Golden is good, and there are a lot of west side Denver areas I'm not familiar with. But stay on the west side, or you'll spend too much time driving. If you like flatter riding, there's a huge network of bike paths through Denver that people actually use to ride on.

From Golden, you have lookout mountain right out your door, and Golden Gate Canyon - awesome climb! -- there are lots of great foothills rides just south of I-70 (bike distance from Golden). I think the flat rides are a bit more limited, with lots of urban/suburban traffic, but there are great bike paths that you can ride. Boulder is 1/2 hour by car and there are several absolutely stellar climbing rides, and lots of good flat rides too. I hear there is a very active bike community in Golden.

By the way, Denver is a gigantic city in terms of area, so you'll really need to pay attention to the details of where the job is with regards to where you might live. It would be pretty easy to end up with an hour commute within the metro area.

According to a friend who just spent the summer in CSprings, the riding is really good but you have to drive to it, and it's very cycling un-friendly. You would probably want to visit both places - they are very different culturally.

I live in Boulder, and have only been here a couple of years, so take this with that as a reference: if you need a Denver commute and want to live near great foothills riding, Golden is good, and there are a lot of west side Denver areas I'm not familiar with. But stay on the west side, or you'll spend too much time driving. If you like flatter riding, there's a huge network of bike paths through Denver that people actually use to ride on.

From Golden, you have lookout mountain right out your door, and Golden Gate Canyon - awesome climb! -- there are lots of great foothills rides just south of I-70 (bike distance from Golden). I think the flat rides are a bit more limited, with lots of urban/suburban traffic, but there are great bike paths that you can ride. Boulder is 1/2 hour by car and there are several absolutely stellar climbing rides, and lots of good flat rides too. I hear there is a very active bike community in Golden.

By the way, Denver is a gigantic city in terms of area, so you'll really need to pay attention to the details of where the job is with regards to where you might live. It would be pretty easy to end up with an hour commute within the metro area.

According to a friend who just spent the summer in CSprings, the riding is really good but you have to drive to it, and it's very cycling un-friendly. You would probably want to visit both places - they are very different culturally.

Hey, thanks for the quick, and detailed reply.

The employer is about 3-5 blocks south of Coors Field; hopefully that is a fairly precise starting point.

I'm guessing Golden would be a good place to look. I'm also hoping to keep it somewhat west as I'm also a skier, and would like to keep the commute as short as possible.

Any other suggestions?

When you come for house hunting stop at REI, Performance, Bicycle Village or a LBS and pick up a Denver bicycle map published by Denver Bicycle Touring Club(DBTC). When I moved here almost 5 yrs ago I found it very helpful.
I had Morrison and Golden in mind when I was house hunting. I ended up in SE Lakewood just above the Bear Creek valley/ trail. That has me between the massive open space to the West and shopping to the east (Wadsworth has at least 2 of every retail shop known to mankind)

Not Thornton. :p God I want to move.
I would say Boulder but it is a bit on the busy side for me. Instead I would pick the bordering towns but that would be a bit of a drive for you.
Your best choices may be Lakewood or western Denver. Golden as well. Heck, in central Denver it is easy to get anywhere with wide variety of paths and bike routes.

Personally, if I need to stay up north to be near my ex I may pick western Westminster or Broomfield. It is fairly easy to get to some decent riding from those areas.

good road riding without driving? Anywhere on the west side of Denver works. If she's going to be downtown, I'd look at Highlands or Wheat Ridge, or Lakewood. You could look further south (Highlands Ranch, Littleton) but her commute will be affected (not terrible, but a "real" commute). From downtown you can ride to Lookout Mtn and beyond; from Lakewood you have Red Rocks, Morrison, south to Deer Creek Canyon, etc.

Boulder->Denver is a rough commute; I'd avoid that.

I'm in Highlands Ranch (20ish miles south of Downtown in 'Burbia) but it's a great launching pad for road cycling --Deer Creek Canyon is 15mi away, Downtown is 25mi via the Platte Trail, etc.....

Thanks guys.

I'm looking for a bit of property, and looking to keep it less than $500K. 2+ acres, so that rules out many areas in my price range.

Would the Golden commute be horrendous? Google shows 33.9 miles and approx. 47 minute commute to the place of employment.

I also like it because of it's closer proximity to Winter Park for my skiing.

Thanks again!!

John

Colorado Springs is home to me, the riding is quite good once you figure out the roads and traffic patterns. It wasn't very often that I'd drive my bike to ride (I lived near downtown and in Cheyenne Canyon), it depends on what you want to ride. As far as a$$hat drivers, it's pretty typical and anywhere in Colorado (maybe with the exception of Boulder County), I dealt with it just fine, only occasionally tried to jump inside a car to fight :D

Like anywhere, knowing the best roads and the time to be on/off of them is the key.

It changes and I've lived away for a while, but still go back to ride with friends every couple years, so I'm not to far off here. It's just not the big metro area that Denver is, so much more livable (biking).

When you come for house hunting stop at REI, Performance, Bicycle Village or a LBS and pick up a Denver bicycle map published by Denver Bicycle Touring Club(DBTC). When I moved here almost 5 yrs ago I found it very helpful.

Or order it online:

http://www.bikedenver.org/maps/

Personally, if I need to stay up north to be near my ex...

:twitchy:
Sounds counter-intuitive to me.

Where are you looking in Golden? It is only 12 or so miles from Coors to downtown Denver.

I can't imagine getting two acres in Golden for $500K. We considered a house in Golden and it was $600K on a city lot, 1/3 acre. I imagine you are looking farther out. I am not sure where the town limits are.

:twitchy:
Sounds counter-intuitive to me.

We have co custody of the kid. Perhaps if I or her eventually become primary that would change.

We have co custody of the kid. Perhaps if I or her eventually become primary that would change.

Oh!:o
I thought you had no kids;
Now it makes sense.

Any commute is basically crap in this city. I don't know how DataJunkie did his north to south trek for so long. Golden to Coors Field may only be in the teens as far as mileage goes, but time wise, it will stink. Trying to commute off hours would be best.

Living close to skiing is cool, but getting to the hills once a week as opposed to living close to work where you have to be 5 days a week is an unusual choice to me.

LAJ. I would agree. I just don't agree with the whole concept of commuting. I work from home, but I live in central Denver to keep me close to everything else.

I don't find the east side to be an issue. I live near City Park and I ride to the foothills all the time. I also find that the only sane way to ski weekends is to leave very early, so I don't have an issue crossing downtown at that time.

I do generally fill up my gas tank once a month, whether it needs it or not though...

The answer is simple, to get away from my ex wife as much as possible. That or I landed on my head one too many times. The drive is terrible from north to south and it would take me 90-120 min. Riding took 2 hrs just about no matter what. A no brainer for me. :p

Understood dark13star. If I didn't live in Westy, I would choose to live a little more central. I really don't drive a ton, and like you, fill up here and there to keep the gas fresh... On another note, I finally saw that Highgrade sign. Went up Brook Forest above Evergreen, and Black Mountain or some such? Thought I was going to throw up. Looking more and more at a compact.....

Time away rather than time in the slammer is a wise choice, DataJunkie. :)

Where are you looking in Golden? It is only 12 or so miles from Coors to downtown Denver.

I can't imagine getting two acres in Golden for $500K. We considered a house in Golden and it was $600K on a city lot, 1/3 acre. I imagine you are looking farther out. I am not sure where the town limits are.


The house is on Robinson Hill Road; looks about 4-5 miles north of 75 and about 7/8 miles west of downtown Golden. Yes, It seems to be out there, but I currently live on 27 acres in Palisade, and I just don't think I can live ( personal reasons) on a small city lot with the high density again. I've lived in South Florida, as well as NYC, and I like to have my privacy.

My wife, while she will have to commute to Coors Field, there is a good possibility that she'll be able to work remotely.

We've also looked into Castle Rock. What's it like there?

Thanks...

John

I guess the market affected values out there more than it did in Denver. I am surprised you can get that much land for that price, but I guess it is a good time to buy.

I would take Golden over Castle Rock any day. You do have a town there, and a very outdoors-oriented one at that. Good cycling and mountaineering shops...

I googled Robinson Road -- it's way up Golden Gate Canyon - a very narrow, twisty mountain road. It's beautiful up there, but if you want to ride from home your ride choices will be very limited (up or down canyon). and the commute would be horrible, especially in winter. do NOT buy that property without a visit - it's really a lot farther away from town than it looks on the map.

I googled Robinson Road -- it's way up Golden Gate Canyon - a very narrow, twisty mountain road. It's beautiful up there, but if you want to ride from home your ride choices will be very limited (up or down canyon). and the commute would be horrible, especially in winter. do NOT buy that property without a visit - it's really a lot farther away from town than it looks on the map.

Hey, thanks for the info.

Yeah, I figured it'd be up there; I guess more so than I had wished.:(

Ah well, back to the drawing board.

If you guys were to name, say, your 3 highest recommended places to live, and based on my criteria, what places would they be?

Thanks!

I googled Robinson Road -- it's way up Golden Gate Canyon - a very narrow, twisty mountain road. It's beautiful up there, but if you want to ride from home your ride choices will be very limited (up or down canyon). and the commute would be horrible, especially in winter. do NOT buy that property without a visit - it's really a lot farther away from town than it looks on the map.

+1
I just looked it up as well.:eek:
I rode up there last summer.
Barely enough space to ride along the edge, and I certainly wouldn't be caught on that road after dusk.

The nice thing about living on the Front Range is being able to ride nearly every day, (except on the days it snows).
But living up in the mountains would severely cut down on the riding days in winter.

I love that ride but it is a steep one and not too safe. That would be a terrible place to live unless you want to drive everywhere and then winter...

I think your criteria are impossible -- leaving out the biking:
$500K to spend for a house on 2 acres with privacy within reasonable commute of Coors Field

For your price range, you could get a suburban tract home, which you clearly don't want, or a remonte mountain house, which while meeting your other criteria, is going to put an unreasonable burden on your commuting wife, unless she really can work remotely quite a bit.

Something needs to give. Only you can decide which piece it is. You should come visit and get a realtor to show you around, and also visit Colorado Springs - you can probably get your criteria met better there - I'm guessing you get more house for your money there - but you would really have to see for yourself which place is a better fit, and how you want to balance your requirements.

I think your criteria are impossible -- leaving out the biking:
$500K to spend for a house on 2 acres with privacy within reasonable commute of Coors Field

For your price range, you could get a suburban tract home, which you clearly don't want, or a remonte mountain house, which while meeting your other criteria, is going to put an unreasonable burden on your commuting wife, unless she really can work remotely quite a bit.

Something needs to give. Only you can decide which piece it is. You should come visit and get a realtor to show you around, and also visit Colorado Springs - you can probably get your criteria met better there - I'm guessing you get more house for your money there - but you would really have to see for yourself which place is a better fit, and how you want to balance your requirements.

I hear ya.:) Thanks again for your honesty.

I guess I'd have to settle for a "tract home" and keep my wife happy, as long as I'm as close as possible to A. Skiing and B. Good to great cycling.

I saw it mentioned earlier, but Lakewood, what do the other think about it?

I recognize there is a lot of "to each his own," so take my comments as my view.

I find that suburban tract homes get you all the negatives of density without the positives of the city. My friends out in Highlands Ranch have bigger houses than I do in central Denver, but they are just as close to their neighbors as I am. They are just as close, but don't seem to have community.

I am less than two miles from Coors Field. I have a classic brick house with 5 fruit trees, two vegetable gardens, and lots of flower gardens. In my neighborhood, we all have front porches with porch swings, and people sit out there or even dine out there in the evenings, which leads to a great sense of community. It is many a night that people and wine bottles move from one porch to another and I just don't here about that in the burbs. We also have great restaurants and bars, and the people know you as locals and treat you well. There is a small town feel when you walk in to a place and are greeted by name and brought to your favorite table.

Oh, and you can buy a house in my neighborhood for 300-500K depending on whether it is a one-story bungalow or a two-story square.

Clearly, I like living in Denver and I don't expect everyone to agree. I just like to point out that this city is far more livable than a lot of people imagine, especially if based on other big city experiences.

Then there is me who finds just about everywhere appealing for a variety of reasons.
I would love to live where darkstar is at. On the other hand a loft in downtown would be killer.
Then again Longmont and Lafayette appeal to me as well.

Then again Longmont and Lafayette appeal to me as well.

You are *VERY* close to what Money magazine chose as #1:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2009/

Well, right now I'm stuck in South Florida on a project, so ANYTHING is better than this place in my opinion.

I DETEST this place, and although Western Colorado is more my pace, I'm sure with my memories of FL, that I can find happiness anywhere in CO. lol :)

I'm also exploring the option of buying something that needs work, as being a contractor in both FL and CO, this would get us into a house where we'd have less invested, and then we can build it out the way we wanted.

The problem I see with buying a "fixer" is that with all the short sales and foreclosures, from a financial standpoint, that the shorts/foreclosures are about equal once you factor in materials and labor.

I guess we'll just have to spend a few days cruising around town and see where we like it best.

You are *VERY* close to what Money magazine chose as #1:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2009/

I should be shot. Louisville is an awesome place as well.

I find some of the new high rises in Denver incredibly appealing, but my wife doesn't want to give up a yard. We have friends in the Glass House towers on the Platte and in the new towers over City Park. Amazing views. Nice places, over a million dollars plus monthly dues :eek:

I'm a lowly programmer. Once I sell my house someday I am pretty much guaranteed something like a condo in a suburb. As long as it is close to the mountains I will be happy.

I hear ya.:) Thanks again for your honesty.

I guess I'd have to settle for a "tract home" and keep my wife happy, as long as I'm as close as possible to A. Skiing and B. Good to great cycling.

I saw it mentioned earlier, but Lakewood, what do the other think about it?

I'm not sure about Lakewood.

If you're going to settle for suburbia I think Ken Caryl Ranch/Valley is a nice place and you're right in the foothills. Step out your house and ride Deer Creek/High Grade, or take the C470 trail north and run into Morrison.

I'm not sure about Lakewood.

If you're going to settle for suburbia I think Ken Caryl Ranch/Valley is a nice place and you're right in the foothills. Step out your house and ride Deer Creek/High Grade, or take the C470 trail north and run into Morrison.

Wow, looks like there are some pretty nice houses up there. Looks like I see some possibilities.

Thanks for the heads up

Yeah, can't believe the S. areas have been brushed over. Castle Rock actually is a pretty nice town. Living on the W. side of I-25 gives you access to some pretty nice road riding out your door, more with a bit of a drive, a reasonable hike to hit skiing and you're within reason for downtown Denver. Best part is the light rail. Pick it up at Lincoln Station and let the train do the commute for you. Takes longer, but you can make calls, work on the laptop, read a book, etc... You can easily get a nice hom around Sedalia or W. Castle Rock for $500K with 2 acres.

Of course, it's always going to be a compromise. If you want the house and the riding then you give a bit in the skiing and the daily commute. If skiing is of utmost importance you could always do a place in North Evergreen, but you'll pay more and the commute will be awful.

I grew up in C. Springs and think the riding is unreal there, but best served if you have a MTB. Skiing access is harder there unless you're willing to earn-your-turns on Pike's Peak.

Definitely keep in mind with Ken Caryl and some of the other JeffCo areas that your commute will actually be further than it would be in Lakewood/Golden.

My priorities are similar to yours in terms of biking, skiing and acreage. I do NOT live where I want to (Parker) but if I had to choose I would pick North Evergreen and just deal with the drive. I worked with a guy who lived in Evergreen and drove all the way to the Tech Center every day. Did it in 45 minutes because he worked 7-4, which are ok times in terms of traffic. So, it is doable, just be willing to bend a bit for what you want.

I know I'm all over, but hopefully those are some good thoughts for ya.

If I were moving to the Denver area and working within blocks of Coors field, I'd check out where the LRT went as well. Taking the train in to work would be far more appealing to me than driving in to Lodo every day. Just a thought...

Thanks guys.

I'm looking for a bit of property, and looking to keep it less than $500K. 2+ acres, so that rules out many areas in my price range.

Would the Golden commute be horrendous? Google shows 33.9 miles and approx. 47 minute commute to the place of employment.

I also like it because of it's closer proximity to Winter Park for my skiing.

Thanks again!!

John

I used to live in the older part of Golden (near the School of Mines) and commute by bike to LoDo. The bike commute is really pretty good from Golden. IMO it's more direct than most driving routes, ~17 miles if I remember correctly. There were many days that I spent as much time in the car as I did on my bike. You can ride right through the Coors manufacturing facility along Clear Creek and pick up a MUP that will take you a little over halfway to downtown Denver. From there it's mostly on-street bike lanes, but I always felt pretty safe on them.

It has already been mentioned that Golden is also close to a lot of really good road and mtn riding, without ever getting in the car. Lookout Mountain is an awsome ride. Golden Gate Canyon is an awsome ride (I hit 53mph once comming down into the first corner from the top). If you have some huevo's about you, you can fight the cagers for a short distance to Morrison and catch the 470 MUP and get just about anywhere in the south Metro area via Bear Creek MUP, South Platte Greenbelt, or Cherry Creek MUP. The Clear Creek MUP I mentioned earlier will take you north and east to I-25 and Peoria, but I never really explored that direction. Boulder is also a do-able ride from Golden, although some may argue that highway 93 between Golden and Boulder can be sketchy for cyclists. Mathews Winters park and Red Rocks park have some good single track for the knobby tyred bikes.

I miss living in Golden......

Boulder is also a do-able ride from Golden, although some may argue that highway 93 between Golden and Boulder can be sketchy for cyclists.

I ride 93 a lot.
I find it odd how scared many cyclists seem of that road, but in fact it has medium-to-huge bike lanes in all but two places:
- A ~1 mile stretch from the entrance of Rocky Flats to a mile South.
- A ~1 mile between 128 North to Marshall road (Northbound leg of old Morgul Bismark course).

If you really need the acreage I would certainly consider the Castle Rock and surrounding area. There is some great cycling south and south-west of C470 that many people are unaware of. I am in Lone Tree, 1 mile ride from the Light Rail and just over 20 miles cycling ride home from a couple blocks of Coors Field. 2 acres in Lone Tree is not practical but the Castle Rock area is not that much further are there are plenty of acreage properties. Morrison and Evergreen may also be an option for you but more $$$, unless you get down towards Conifer and beyond. The further out west and southwest you go, the further you get from the conveniences of grocery stores, shopping, restaurants, etc. One nice thing about south of Denver is you are close to Park Meadows, Castle Rock shops, etc.

Of course, if it wasn't for kids I'd probably still be living in Wash Park...

I ride 93 a lot.
I find it odd how scared many cyclists seem of that road, but in fact it has medium-to-huge bike lanes in all but two places:
- A ~1 mile stretch from the entrance of Rocky Flats to a mile South.
- A ~1 mile between 128 North to Marshall road (Northbound leg of old Morgul Bismark course).

Heading south into Golden gives you killer downhills. :p

Of course, if it wasn't for kids I'd probably still be living in Wash Park...

Oh, they allow kids there now, you should come back ;)

I miss a lot about Boulder, one of which is the cycling opportunities.

Boulder has a ton of traffic nowadays. I find it easier to get around in Denver. Just avoid a few streets like Speer and you are good. However, others seem to love Boulder.
I would rather live in Golden.

Heading south into Golden gives you killer downhills. :p

Yes, it is great going down to Lookout Mt,:thumb:
but then I must climb them on the way back, (after doing Lookout).:(

Oh, they allow kids there now, you should come back ;)

:)I think there were at least 4 families on our block with young kids, so that was not really the issue. We had 1 at the time and another on the way, so space was becoming the emerging issue. Safety in Wash Park will always be a concern as well (criminals go where they can find nice things); we had our bikes stolen from the garage, new volvo stolen from out front, jeep busted into and stereo stolen, etc. We were notified that various homes on our street were busted into at least once a year. So with kids, the mindset of city living began to take a change. And trust me, the move to the burbs was not easy after living in downtown Chicago for several years, then Denver. At least it was gradual I guess. And where we live now my 3 kids enjoy neighborhood swimming pools, wife enjoys nice tennis courts, great new elementary school the kids can walk or ride their bikes to, tons of other kids to play with, fantastic neighborly community and new friendships, and tons of ad hoc and organized neighborhood bike rides (road and MTB). That has been a pleasant surprise, I'm more into cycling now than I ever was thanks to the move. :D

Check 285 area - Just past 470. Morrison, Aspen Park, Conifer. Prices OK and easy commute. Look up teamevergreen.org for info on rides etc. and mapmyride.com shows tons of rides in the area so you can get some info on rides: length, grade, difficulty etc.
Good Luck....

Thanks guys.

I'm looking for a bit of property, and looking to keep it less than $500K. 2+ acres, so that rules out many areas in my price range.

Would the Golden commute be horrendous? Google shows 33.9 miles and approx. 47 minute commute to the place of employment.

I also like it because of it's closer proximity to Winter Park for my skiing.

Thanks again!!

John

Golden or anywhere close to Denver (<25mi) is out at that price range and acreage.

According to a friend who just spent the summer in CSprings, the riding is really good but you have to drive to it, and it's very cycling un-friendly. You would probably want to visit both places - they are very different culturally.
this thread is sort of old, so i don't know if you're decided on your colorado destination, but i'd like to chime in a bit about colorado springs. valygrl's friend was probably on the north or east sides of town. when i'm north or east in town, i frequently wonder what planet i'm on and typically hate every second of it. i also would imagine commuting on the roads around certain areas would be terrifying. you would definitely have to drive to your rides.

however, if you stick to downtown, old colorado city, the "west side" (of I-25), cheyenne canyon/broadmoor/garden of the gods areas, or manitou, you'll certainly be riding to all your rides, as well as enjoying your commute. my wife and i live right downtown and really enjoy it. downtown has lots of local businesses, a sense of community, good restaurants and bars and so forth. the east and north parts of town have huge expanses of white flight suburbs, mc mansion villes, big box stores, mauls, shopping centers, barf-a-ramas and so forth.

i ride road and mountain and never drive to my rides, unless they are out of town. there are soooo many incredible trails here, that are in "our backyard", as my friends and i often refer to it. they range from beginner, to intermediate, to very, very advanced. the trails here are really more a part of a vastly huge trail network that you can create endless trail connections and loops and so forth. ranging from 6,000 feet to 14,000 feet of elevation. are also several open space parks here with good to great trail systems for hiking and biking. palmer park is very central in town and has every type of mountain biking you could hope for, from moderate to very technical.

as for commuting, there are lots of bike friendly streets and a great mup that runs north and south through the entire city and beyond. there are many other mup's throughout the city as well, though they don't create much of a bikeway system... yet. it is getting better all the time. same with bike lanes. they often times seem like afterthoughts when roads are built or revised, no real sense of a system. but again, i am seeing great progress in our little city. i am really seeing some awakening to cycling, from citizens to local government. however, in general i do feel this town is rather unfriendly to cycling, considering just how huge it is here.

hope i didn't ramble too much!

good luck!

If you really need the acreage I would certainly consider the Castle Rock and surrounding area. There is some great cycling south and south-west of C470 that many people are unaware of. I am in Lone Tree, 1 mile ride from the Light Rail and just over 20 miles cycling ride home from a couple blocks of Coors Field. 2 acres in Lone Tree is not practical but the Castle Rock area is not that much further are there are plenty of acreage properties. Morrison and Evergreen may also be an option for you but more $$$, unless you get down towards Conifer and beyond. The further out west and southwest you go, the further you get from the conveniences of grocery stores, shopping, restaurants, etc. One nice thing about south of Denver is you are close to Park Meadows, Castle Rock shops, etc.

Of course, if it wasn't for kids I'd probably still be living in Wash Park...

:eek:What....being close to those places is not a good thing...why would you ever want to go to either:eek:

No kidding. I was pondering doing elephant rock again but riding to it. Then it occurred to me I would have to ride down to Castle Rock.