TheRealNicola

In a few weeks i'm planning to ride up to denver to hang out with some friends and ride back down a few days later. Here's 2 links for the ride i'm thinking about doing. Anyone have any experience with this route? Or is there a better route from cs to denver?

Pueblo to springs
https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...o/893684358885

Springs to Denver

https://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united...s/233239599797

Thanks much!

DnvrFox

On 83, (from the Springs to Denver) once you get to Franktown, you can use a bicycle trail to Downtown Denver - except for about 4 miles on Jordan Road, and 1 mile of gravelly road. This would avoid the heavier traffic on Parker Road. This would use the Cherry Creek Trail. I could give you very spedific directions, if desired.

Or, if you like, stay on Parker Road (83) until you get to Cherry Creek Reservoir - just north of Quincy, and you can catch the Cherry Creek Trail to downtown. What is you more exact destination?

83, itself, is a busy, 2 lane road, likely passable ok. There will be some hills around Castlewood Canyon. Otherwise, fairly flat, although it rises gradually over the Palmer Divide.

Much of this route is used for the annual Elephant Rock Century.

TheRealNicola

Hey yeah that would be cool if you could help me out with some directions. I'd like to jump on that trail if possible.

DnvrFox

At CO 83 and CO 86, go west about 1/2 mile (.2 miles past the bridge over Cherry Creek) to Walker Road, marked "Dead End." Go right (north) on Walker Road.

This road is hard packed dirt - very easily travelable when dry. I do it easily on my road bike - 700 x 25's.

About .5 to .75 miles north Walker Road dead ends, right at the current start of the Cherry Creek Trail (cement).

Follow CC Trail north tii it apppears to dead end at a big street. Turn right, follow the sidewalk down the hill about 1/3rd mile, and the sidewalk becomes the trail again, with a sharp 90 degree to the left, and goes under the big road.

Continue north along the path. You will go through 4 gates, and some cows.

As you go under the next bridge, the trail continues north, but it will hit some rough gravel. Instead, make a sharp left on the smaller trail, circle around and go on the bridge trail over CCreek. This is Bayou Gulch Road. Continue to the next street, which is School House Road, and turn north (left, and angle up several blocks past the swimming pool.

At the swimming pool, the road become gravel/dirt for about 1/2 mile. There is a trail sign somewhere. Go by Choke Cherry farm, and turn left. The road says "closed. Go west (left) over the rickety bridge and up the hill just a bit. Quickly you reach the Cherry Creek Trail and continue on for about 10 miles until you reach E470. The E470 trail west will take you to Jordan Road. Go north on Jordan Road about 5-6 miles, crossing Arapahoe Road, and at Caley, about 4 blocks north of Arapahoe, turn right 1/2 block, and there is a spur trail into Cherry Creek State Park. Take this trail 2 miles, turn left, follow the trail around the reservoir, crossing the "Dam Road", go in front of the dam to the intersection - about 2 miles after crossing the Dam Road. Turn left and follow the trail to Confluence Park.

Whew!!

All of that may be too much, and you might want to just stay on Parker Road, which will be faster.

Good luck!!

TheRealNicola

Right on thanks! I'll have to keep that in mind. Have you heard anything about the se cherry creek road to the east of co 83? Looks like a dirt road but may have very little traffic on it i'm thinking.

cyccommute 

Let's start with the Pueblo to Springs route:

1. Jerry Murphy Road out of Pueblo is good road out to Overton Road. It changes to relatively smooth dirt but can be a bit sandy north of there. It stays dirt until Hannover Rd at around mile 26. From there the road would be a very pleasant...read: quite...road all the way to Fountain. Right outside of Fountain, it's even rather pretty.

2. In Fountain, you get on Santa Fe Ave which is fairly busy. You don't have to do that. I think you can continue further north on the dirt path to the Springs. I've not done this section (I have ridden north from the El Pamor Sports complex) but you can see the trail from I-25 and it looks pretty complete. Turn left on Lyckman Dr (about 1/4 mile north of your 37 mile marker) just north of Fountain to access the trail. This trail should tie into the one that you are taking all the way through Co Springs.

3. Not sure why you are taking the detour off the Santa Fe Trail at the Air Academy. Is that where you are staying for the night? If so, you could probably find a hotel in the Springs that is more on your route or you could adjust your route to the east of I-25 so that you don't have to back track so much. That's a 3 mile detour. You could go up Woodman Rd in the Springs and catch Academy Blvd(CO 83 which isn't the best riding in town but you'd only be on it for a few miles)

Co Springs to Denver

I'm not timid nor do I scare easily but I, personally, wouldn't ride CO83. It's rather narrow and has lots of traffic. It doesn't make for the most pleasant of riding. Better to realign yourself with the Santa Fe Trail through the Air Academy and on up to Palmer Lake. Out of Palmer Lake take either 105 (Perry Park Road) to Sedalia or take 18 to Larkspur.

1. 105/Perry Park isn't too bad (again like CO83 it's narrow with lots of traffic) but it does place you on US 85 to continue into Denver. If you go that route, I'd get on Plum St in Sedalia and follow it to Airport Road. Then just suck it up and ride US85. US85 is narrow in this area but doable. Once you get to Titan Rd, it widens out and has good shoulders all the way to C-470. At C-470, get on to the bike path (you'll turn left just before the highway...probably outta use the cross walk) and go west to the first right turn. This is the start of the Platte River Green way. You can take it north.

2. CO18 to Larkspur has a short (about a mile) section of riding on I-25 which isn't as bad as it sounds followed by several miles of frontage road to Castle Rock. The frontage road on the east side of I-25 turns into Wilcox St. which is kind of the main drag through Castle Rock. At Fifth St. (the bottom of the castle of Castle Rock) , you have some choices to make. If you turn right on 5th, you can go up and over the hill behind the castle and over to Franktown then north to Denver on your original route.

You can also go up the road a ways and watch for Founder's Parkway. Take Founder's north to Ridge Rd and then follow Ridge to Crowfoot Valley Road. Crowfoot Valley Road ends at Stroh Road (it turns into Motsenbrocker Road). Turn right on Stroh Road and you'll be able to pick up the Cherry Creek Path there. I haven't ridden Crowfoot Valley Rd but it looks intriguing on the map.

This entire route will involve lots of dirt riding. That zaps your energy so be aware. If you want less dirt, follow the frontage roads along I-25 (and some I-25 riding). It's noisier but it's not unsafe.

superdex

cyccommute, you'd recommend against 83 but suggest 85 from Sedalia to c470? I have a hard time driving the stretch between Sedalia and Titan Rd, 83 must be insane if you're suggesting 85

cyccommute 

That's why I suggested riding Peterson Rd to Airport. That reduces the distance on US85 by a fair amount. Personally, I'd take the Castle Rock route over any other choice.

83 from C Springs to Parker is also a long distance on a marginal road. US85 is a short distance on a marginal road

DnvrFox

I drove to Colorado Springs from Parker today on 83.

From about a mile north of Franktown to about 15 miles south of Franktown, there is NO shoulder, and the speed limit is 65 mph.

Further south there is a shoulder of perhaps a foot or less, sometimes a lot less, until you get near to Colorado Springs.

I saw 3 bicyclists in this area.

LAJ

I think I could be considered a fairly experienced commuter, and have ridden a lot of country roads in the past bit. I don't get bothered by where I ride at all. Just rode I-76 today, as a matter of fact.

I am not sure I will ever get on 83 again. Seems it is sport to drive close to cyclists, honk the horn, and otherwise make the ride as terrifying as possible.

TheRealNicola

Okay so the majority seems to vote against co 83. Why can't there just be a bike paths everywhere!? Gah! Is airport road also called peterson rd?

Edit: This is also the route for Denver-Colorado springs classic route too, no?

DnvrFox

Prior to the automobile, there was a frequently used bike path between Denver and CO Sprgs.

There is a great documentary on historical bicycling in CO, which Channel 8 - Douglas County TV - shows evey now and then on Comcast (which I don't get any more).

Folks did centuries on penny farthings, and single speeds, there were big social-status bicycle clubs, races alongside railroads where the spectators would watch from moving railroad cars, etc. Most ladies wore pantaloons, but one rebelled and wore - this is a shocker - pants!!

As soon as the auto appeared - it all went away, including the trail to CS, which became an auto road.

cyccommute 

Peterson road turns into Airport Rd. Here's a map of the area.

Here's the other route that will take you to the Cherry Creek bike path from Palmer Lake. It includes about a half mile of riding on the shoulder of I-25 but that's not horrible. If you do the satellite view you can see how to access the path at Stroh Road. To me this route is preferable to US85 or CO83.