Mountain - Plains - Bicycling on I-70?

I see on CDOT's map that most of I-70 allows bicycling, except for most of Denver to Glenwood Springs. Is it that different bicycling on I-70, with tons of traffic whizzing by at 75+ mph?

I've only ridden the short section between Bakersville and the Loveland Pass exit on the Triple Bypass route, The shoulders are very wide so the cars/trucks aren't close but there are a lot of them and they go pretty fast, ie it's noisy and a bit nerve wracking. Also the shoulders of interstates often have lots of misc debris on them. Personally, I'd avoid riding on I-70 unless you have to do it to get where you want to go.

Yeah, but there are alternatives for most of it. If you let us know the start/end points that you are trying to bike between, I bet you'll get some specific suggestions.

I've ridden that part on the triple, and heard that there's a bike path now. I've also ridden a couple of exits around Chief Hosa, where there's no alternative, and from Palisade to the Grand Mesa exit. Sucks, but manageable.

I've biked on a portion near Genesee.
The paved shoulder is as wide as a car lane, so traffic is no problem.
My only concern would be picking up those darned little wires from disintegrated truck tires, since there is no traffic on the shoulder to blow the debris off the road.

Thank goodness the portion on the triple is now a bike path. The other part I regularly ride from lookout to evergreen is also in the planning stages for a path the last time I heard. I'm all for riding whenever and wherever I want but an interstate scares the crap out of me. You should try it when the buffalo herd gawkers are taking up the entire shoulder. Eek!
I generally haul arse to the evergreen exit as fast as humanly possible or take the alternate route up bear creek canyon.

I generally haul arse to the evergreen exit as fast as humanly possible or take the alternate route up bear creek canyon.
Bear Creek (Morrison) Canyon scares me much more than I-70! Seems like there's no shoulder at all in many places on the long, windy, high-traffic road. I've seen bicyclists on I-70 near Chief Hosa and the shoulder looks huge. I was more wondering about I-70 on the Plains.

I see on CDOT's map that most of I-70 allows bicycling, except for most of Denver to Glenwood Springs. Is it that different bicycling on I-70, with tons of traffic whizzing by at 75+ mph?

You are only allowed to ride on Interstates when there is no other alternative route within a certain distance (I don't know what that distance is). From Denver to Glenwood Springs, I can think of only 2 sections of road that don't have alternative routes. One is a short section from Genessee to the Evergreen exit. The other is from Bakersville to Loveland. Everywhere else there are alternatives to the Interstate. Those alternatives are either frontage roads or bike paths.

You wouldn't want to ride along Glenwood Canyon as there is no shoulder on the roads within the canyon.


Yeah, but there are alternatives for most of it. If you let us know the start/end points that you are trying to bike between, I bet you'll get some specific suggestions.

I've ridden that part on the triple, and heard that there's a bike path now. I've also ridden a couple of exits around Chief Hosa, where there's no alternative, and from Palisade to the Grand Mesa exit. Sucks, but manageable.


Thank goodness the portion on the triple is now a bike path. The other part I regularly ride from lookout to evergreen is also in the planning stages for a path the last time I heard. I'm all for riding whenever and wherever I want but an interstate scares the crap out of me. You should try it when the buffalo herd gawkers are taking up the entire shoulder. Eek!
I generally haul arse to the evergreen exit as fast as humanly possible or take the alternate route up bear creek canyon.

I think the rumors of a road bike path between Bakersville and Loveland are untrue. There is a mountain bike route but I doubt you'd want to ride it on a road bike.

The TBP web site refers to the new path:
"riders will continue on the Frontage Roads and the new Bakerville to Loveland Bike Path adjacent to the I-70 corridor "

and I met someone last year who had just ridden it - but haven't seen it/done it myself yet.

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100926/NEWS/100929855

Nice! Wish they'd add a shoulder to the frontage road up past Genesee.

http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20100926/NEWS/100929855

Learn something new everyday:o

Hmm...Georgetown to Keystone (http://ridewithgps.com/routes/450109)? Nice high altitude half century.

By the way, from Loveland to Bakersville on I-70 was never much of a problem. I've ridden from Silverplume to Georgetown on I-70. That's a ride with a serious pucker factor:eek::eek::eek::eek::D

as of may 20 , 2011 there is now a new trail west of Glenwood

http://www.postindependent.com/article/20110515/VALLEYNEWS/110519911

You are only allowed to ride on Interstates when there is no other alternative route within a certain distance (I don't know what that distance is).
I'd always heard it was the other way 'round, that in Colorado you can ride on any Interstate except where forbidden (generally for reasons of being in a city, or glenwood canyon, or other interesting geography).

I'm too lazy to look it up right this moment though.

Everything I've heard about riding on the Interstate is that the shoulders are always generous (by federal law) except in the most extreme terrain.

CDOT has a great map:

http://www.coloradodot.info/programs/bikeped/colorado-bicycling-maps

On pretty much most of I-70 around Denver and thru the mtns bicycling is banned, as is I-25 up to Ft. Collins or so.

regardless of "allowed/not" most people I know would strongly advise against riding 70. Aside from the road debri and noise, some constants for 70 are: recreation traffic (ie often "recreated" w/ booze/pot then drive home to Front Range), high speeds (w/ cellphone use), lots of semis (including wide loads), and a near complete disregard for two wheel traffic (including motorcycles). NOT a safe roadway even if allowable.... Besides, there are so many attractive canyons and byways to ride so why bother w/ 70 and the like?

Because the alternative route to Evergreen is worse.