Touring - Cycling from Denver airport

Anyone have some tips on riding from Denver Airport to Boulder ? Arriving late afternoon mid august from Europe, so will probably spend the first night at a airport hotel.

What's the traffic and road conditions like between Denver Airport and Boulder?



PS - Will be touring to Seattle, so will be hauling some gear.

ALL the roads leading too and from the airport are fairly high speed limited access freeway style roads. Bikes are allowed, but it is a long ways from the airport to the hotels. My suggestion would be to get a hotel that has a van for pickup to get you away from the airport. There are buses that serve the airport and they do have bike racks. Unfortunately the light rail doesn't extend to the airport...yet. AFAIK the closest hotel is the Springhill Suites and it is over 5 miles from the main terminal.

Boulder is on the NW side of Denver, so to get there you will have to negotiate your way across a major metropolitan area. Hopefully someone local will chime in. The only reason I know what I do, is that I was out there a few weeks back and was puzzling over how to get from the airport to anywhere in the city by bike. (habit of mine)

Aaron :)

I am not a local but here is a bike map of Denver (http://www.denvergov.org/Bicycle_Program/BikeMapsofDenver/BikeMapsofDenver0/tabid/378719/Default.aspx).

Also, for local advice, check out Bike Colorado: http://bicyclecolo.org/

Have a great time,

Ray

There is a signposted cycle route out of DIA from Level 5, the baggage claim level. It's legal to cycle from one side, illegal to cycle from the other. The route follows some frontage and service roads, and also follows Peña Boulevard, the 65 mph main access road. Peña has wide shoulders and gets used by cyclists a lot, mostly airport employees. If you leave Peña at Tower Road, you can skirt the worst of Denver's urban buildup by riding around Rocky Mountain Flats Wildlife Refuge on the north side. There's a lot of suburban development there, but it won't be as bad as going through Denver. CO 93 from Golden to Boulder has a cycle path that parallels the road for much of it's length.

There are shuttle van services that go from DIA to Boulder, they would probably charge extra for the bicycle.

Or you can take the SkyRide for $12.

http://www.rtd-denver.com/skyRide_SubHome.shtml

I have done this with a boxed bike & luggage before, it is NO problem.

There are definitely ways to ride from Denver to Boulder, but none of them are particularly fun - it might be more relaxing to just take the bus and start from here.

There is NOT a cycle path most of the way from Golden to Boulder. You have to ride Hwy 93, which I will only do very early in the morning on a weekend - it's busy and doesn't have a shoulder much of the way.

If you must ride, mention that here and I'll try to find some better info on how to get here later. I'm about to head out for a ride.

:)

Or you can take the SkyRide for $12.

http://www.rtd-denver.com/skyRide_SubHome.shtml

I have done this with a boxed bike & luggage before, it is NO problem.

There are definitely ways to ride from Denver to Boulder, but none of them are particularly fun - it might be more relaxing to just take the bus and start from here.

There is NOT a cycle path most of the way from Golden to Boulder. You have to ride Hwy 93, which I will only do very early in the morning on a weekend - it's busy and doesn't have a shoulder much of the way.

If you must ride, mention that here and I'll try to find some better info on how to get here later. I'm about to head out for a ride.

:)

Thanks for the tip.. the Skyride looks like the perfect solution..

Or you can take the SkyRide for $12.

http://www.rtd-denver.com/skyRide_SubHome.shtml

I have done this with a boxed bike & luggage before, it is NO problem.

There are definitely ways to ride from Denver to Boulder, but none of them are particularly fun - it might be more relaxing to just take the bus and start from here.

There is NOT a cycle path most of the way from Golden to Boulder. You have to ride Hwy 93, which I will only do very early in the morning on a weekend - it's busy and doesn't have a shoulder much of the way.

If you must ride, mention that here and I'll try to find some better info on how to get here later. I'm about to head out for a ride.

:)

Thanks...I was trying to remember the name of the bus service to the Airport, called my brother that lives out there...but he is Korea at the moment.

Aaron :)

Glad to be of help. ScandiHo, send me a PM if you need local info.

Careful - lots of people don't even make it past the airport. The gateway to Denver is guarded by a demonic blue horse.

http://i25.tinypic.com/14185sx.jpg

careful - lots of people don't even make it past the airport. The gateway to denver is guarded by a demonic blue horse.

http://i25.tinypic.com/14185sx.jpg

yikes !!