You've got some good options. You can head east on Plum Creek Parkway. Turns into rollers. Take it out to Russelville road, Hilltop, and a lot of other good rides. If you cross I-25, you can head west and do the ride south to Palmer Lake and back. There's a little tri shop and coffee shop at the turnaround that's great. That's a great ride and about what you need mileage wise from there. Shoot me a PM and I can send you some garmin files if you like.

Easy option would be to look up the Elephant rock ride online an use those routes they are great and have different length options

Now we are talking. I ride to the south or east every weekend. As for extended climbs, it depends on your definition. No big canyon climbs but there are plenty of options for 1-3 mile type climbs.

A couple of options from your area are I25 frontage road to Larkspur, you are on the interstate for a mile but its safe. From Larkspur, Spruce Mtn rd to Palmer Lake then back on highway 105. You can take any of the roads off highway 105 back to Castle Rock depending on your distance. Fox Farm no climbing, Perry Park Avenue some climbing, Tomah is longer climb (2 miles) back to frontage road, or go to Wolfensberger (2-3 mile climb). You can ride the opposite loop direction on any of the roads as well. Tomah, 105, Fox Farm and Spruce Mtn Road are all nice roads with some gentle longer climbs.

To the east, climb out Lake Gulch to south on 83 to left on Russellville Road, to right on Deerfield, to Flintwood, Bayou Gulch, across 83, up and through Pradera to Crowfoot Valley back to Castle Rock. Once in CR, left on Woodlands Blvd, Right on Black Feather Trail, Left on Front Street, through CR to Plum Creek.

Search mapmyride for Castle Rock and tons of routes will pop up either to south or east. Not much traffic on mentioned roads but no shoulders but lots of riders out. If riding on the weekend, avoid Perry Park road if the Renaissance Festival is going on.

Thanks for all the info. In Montana we don't generally have shoulders on the roads, so I'm used to that. Looking forward to seeing other riders out, roadie numbers are very low here.
Chad

Let's define "extended climbs" first - you're in Colorado, after all.

You can always ride north to Daniel's Park and through Highlands Ranch to the 470 Trail, and take that west to climb Deer Creek Canyon. Reverse to go home. It'd get you ~6k ft in 70 miles, most of which is in a 12 mile stretch.

Lots of small hills in the area that visitors might call extended climbs, though!

I hear ya. Extended climbs mean to me something over 20 mins. Last year I visited relatives in Highlands Ranch and rode almost all of the long course of that century in Deer Creek. I had to ride 20 miles to get there, so the time involved to get there and back made my wife not so pleased! High Grade is one road I remember that I liked. Like I said, I'll take what I can get, about a 2 mile climb is all we have around here.

You could always ride over Wolfensberger or Tomah then south a few miles to Sedalia and then go west up Jarre Canyon Highway 67. Not a lot of cyclist go up this canyon due to weekend traffic going to an off road area for motorcycles and quads. Its steeper than high grade/deer creek in areas and the road eventually turns to dirt but your can ride it. If you go early its not bad, before 8am, and on a weekday there isn't any traffic. There is just one section that is narrow and curvy once you get in the canyon and start climbing but everyone is going real slow because its a grinder. I ride it periodically and rarely see another cyclist. There is a shoulder the first 4 miles until the start of the real climb at the entrance to canyon. On the weekends I ride to this point just to get a few extra miles then turnaround back to Sedalia then south towards Palmer Lake.

http://www.mapmyride.com/us/castle-rock-co/castle-rock-47-5-hard-training-ride-route-15730824

Thanks, that sounds good for a weekday ride. Cheers.