The best road bike routes in Denver

September 29, 9:51 PMDenver Cycling ExaminerGary Koenig

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The top 8 rides in Denver

And heeeeeeere they are! The top 8 routes in the area. There is an outside chance that your views on this subject may differ from mine. Please send me comments, alternate ratings and suggestions for better routes. I will attempt to give more specific route directions on some of these rides in future posts. This list is meant to identify the general areas for the best routes, not the exact details.

Number 8. Dacono to Hudson and back. Mostly flat ride of 50-60 miles or so. Start in the Dacono area, turn around at one of the gas stations in Hudson. The main segments of the route are county road 6, old highway 85, county road 8 and the frontage road alongside I-76.

Number 7. Cherry Creek State Park. This is a loop of 8-10 miles, with some ups and downs but no long hills – repeat as necessary to get the mileage you want. Enter the park from the east. After crossing the Dam Road, there's a fork in the trail. Veering right is a nice downhill until you hit the road. A left turn on the road leads up a steady incline, then past a stop sign and down the park road until you take a left turn (if you go straight, it takes you to the boat ramps and beach parking). The left takes you on a winding park road past the shooting range, a little hill where people fly their remote airplanes, and finally Cherry Creek Lake itself. The road climbs a short hill from the Lake to S. Dayton Street, where you can take a right, cross the Dam Road, then make a right to a trail that leads all the way back to the Cherry Creek path right above the Dam itself. There are other roads in and right around the perimeter of the park that can be traveled as well. (Thanks to Jeff Esses for this description.)

Number 6. Horsetooth Reservoir. Combination of flats and big hills. Start at Exit 243 off I-25. Wend your way through Mead and Berthoud, then skirt to the east of Carter Lake. Take a right at the T-intersection at the Masonville store and follow the road along the reservoir. When you get to the dam road, either turn around and return or suck it up and tackle the very steep incline.

Number 5. Black Forest. This is one of mid-Colorado’s great roller-fests. You can structure rides from 40 to more than 100 miles, with lots of climbing and fast descents. One recommended course is to start in Louviers, ride the frontage road along highway 85 to Sedalia, then head south and east until you get to Larkspur. From here you can make a big loop to the south and east before returning to Larkspur then back to Louviers. Lots of riding on Perry Park Road which can be pretty busy at times.

Number 4. Carter Lake. A classic for Boulder riders. Mostly flat to rolling, but with some sharp climbing in the last 3-4 miles before you top out at Carter Lake. 50-60 miles depending on options. Start in north Boulder, take Foothills Highway to Lyons, then go east on highway 66. Take a left on 75th and stay on this road until just after it joins highway 50, then turn left when you see the signs pointing to Carter Lake. Turn around at the Marina.

Number 3. Lookout Mountain. Serious climbing and some great switchbacks. Ride with someone you can outclimb and see how much farther back they are every time the road switches back on itself. This route can be as long as you want. Start in Golden, and after topping out, turn around or join I-70 until you find a road that allows you to bail out back to the east.

Number 2. Deer Creek Canyon. Probably the most popular serious climbing route for Denver riders. Park/start at Wadsworth & Deer Creek Canyon Road. Up Deer Creek to Phillipsburg. Left/south on Highgrade Rd, changing to Pleasant Park Rd. At Conifer, take CO73 north ½-mile to CO78 (Shadow Mtn Dr.) Left on CO78, which changes to Black Mtn Dr., and then to Brook Forest. Brook Forest re-intersects w/ CO73; go left to Evergreen, then right on CO74 to Kittredge. Turn right in Kittredge on CO120 (Myers Gulch Rd., which turns to Parmalee Gulch Rd.) Follow to intersection w/ US285; turn right and cross over to CO122 (S. Turkey Ck.) Go through TinyTown to Fenders, turn left on CO124 (S. Deer Ck. Cyn Rd.) back to start point. (Thanks to Barry Nash for this description).

Number 1. Left Hand Canyon to Ward. One of the most challenging and probably the most popular mountain route on the front range. See "Tackle an Above Category Climb This Weekend" for a detailed description.

Send suggestions and comments to denvercyclingexaminer@ironmuscle.com .

Many thanks to Chip Atkinson, Mike Fulton, John Lee Ellis, Barry Nash, Rex Farnsworth, Jeff Esses and Ben Staggs for suggestions, guidance and route information.