I’m slowly planning a trip out west to tackle the Pike’s Peak climb on August 12th (see other thread). But my main issue is whether I should just fly right into Colorado Springs and stay there the whole time (fly in the 7th or 8th and fly out the 13th) or should I fly to Denver, hang out in Boulder, climb Mt. Evans, drive to Colorado Springs, cycle and finish off climbing Pike’s Peak.
Suggestions on swims/bikes/runs/things to do are greatly appreciated.
Boulder and the Springs are kind of the polar opposites, with the Springs having a very conservative/strip mall vibe and Boulder being a hippy-dippy college San Fransisco by the mountains feel. Lots of good riding right out of Boulder and much easier to get to Evans. No comparison on food front.
The Springs has the Air Force Academy, Broadmore hotel, Focus on the Family, Olympic training center (and no you can’t use it), 7–11 velodrome
Colorado Springs has the Garden of the Gods. it’s a scenic 6 mile loop that’s nice. Other than that I don’t know what else you could do in Colorado Springs.
Boulder on the other had has plenty of rides, hikes, food, breweries, Pearl St mall for people watching, shopping, eating and drinking. Lots of bike shops to see too. I’m surprised you’re doing Mt. Evans and Pikes Peak in the same week. I did Mt. Evans last summer, hope to do Pikes Peak this summer. If you want to go for the ultimate riding trifecta, do Trail Ridge Rd through Rocky Mountain National Park. I did that last summer too.
This is my Floridian naivete—should I hold off on Pike’s Peak? And just hang out in Boulder (that sounds like it’s way more up my alley) for my time? I’m an absolute newb when it comes to any sort of elevation past an overpass.
The Boulder area has more than enough elevation, I can get up from 5300 to 10,000 from my house. In Boulder for a week you could easliy burn your legs up a different hill and be back in town to relax and eat.
I want to do Pikes Peak because it’s a challenge, but I don’t think I’d do it again, like Mt. Evans. I do repeatedly go up the same hills around Boulder and Trail Ridge Rd. It’s very scenic and you don’t really have to drive or plan around a ride. You just head out and do one.
You could even rent a mountain bike from http://www.ubikes.com/ and do the Betasso Preserve and the Valmont bike park.
If Pikes Peak is a bucket list ride though, and you trained and have the right gearing, go for it.
If Pikes Peak is a bucket list ride though, and you trained and have the right gearing, go for it.
I’ve been training, but not for that… mostly just for oly distance racing. I had no thought of doing it until about 5 days ago when I was trying to figure out something fun to do.
This is my Floridian naivete—should I hold off on Pike’s Peak? And just hang out in Boulder (that sounds like it’s way more up my alley) for my time? I’m an absolute newb when it comes to any sort of elevation past an overpass.
Getting a chance to race either climb is fun, but you don’t get much time to look around. Evans was last weekend, so you missed that. Chad Haga went 1:47, so you know the time you are shooting for :-).
I could be wrong, but I think these are the highest paved roads in the Western Hemisphere (maybe planet) and they are totally accessible from The front range metro area. The alpine environment is pretty unique and the view from top is cool. Sort of silly to be so close to something this unique and not ride at least 1. Not sure you need to ride both, but that is your call.
I’m slowly planning a trip out west to tackle the Pike’s Peak climb on August 12th (see other thread). But my main issue is whether I should just fly right into Colorado Springs and stay there the whole time (fly in the 7th or 8th and fly out the 13th) or should I fly to Denver, hang out in Boulder, climb Mt. Evans, drive to Colorado Springs, cycle and finish off climbing Pike’s Peak.
Suggestions on swims/bikes/runs/things to do are greatly appreciated.
Boulder and CO Springs are less than 2 hours apart. It would be silly not to do both. Boulder has more well-known routes, such as Golden Gate Canyon, Lefthand Canyon, Flagstaff, and so damn many more. The Springs has Pikes Peak, but there’s lots of other stuff to ride around the area – it’s just not as well-known as Boulder.
My two cents? Fly into Denver. Stay a few nights in Boulder and a few nights in the Springs. Do Mt. Evans when you first get here and Pikes Peak on the 12th.
You can do them both just fine with a little planning.
This is my Floridian naivete—should I hold off on Pike’s Peak? And just hang out in Boulder (that sounds like it’s way more up my alley) for my time? I’m an absolute newb when it comes to any sort of elevation past an overpass.
I live just outside Orlando and have vacationed in CO the last three years. My favorite place thus far is Frisco. Great riding around there and on trails too. Honestly, in just three years it’s crazy how much Boulder has changed. Other than 6am on a Saturday I never had the roads to myself even on the country roads up past the reservoir toward Longmont.
As in cars or other cyclists?
Cars. Traffic was surprisingly heavy this year even out in “green belt” or whatever they call their agricultural and open space areas north of Boulder.
I like the Manitou Incline in the Springs (near Pikes Peak). Power up (takes about an hour) and run the four mile trail back down. I liked watching the big military guys really struggle on that incline…
That said I agree there is more to do in Boulder. I’d try to swing both if I were there for a week.
Is your trip to do something totally unique or is to train at altitude.
As I said in the other thread, Climbing Evans and Pikes Peak are not good training.
If training is your goal, cruise around Boulder.
If you want to do something way outside your norm, even if it thrashes your legs, climb Pikes.
Neither is right or wrong, it’s just whether they align with your goals.
It’s not so much training as it is to do something completely new/bucket list.
Lived in the Springs for two years. There’s more than enough in the way of cycling (both road and mtn) there, hiking trails, pools, view points, historical stuff to keep you occupied for the trip. I think the mtn biking and hiking and better than in Boulder, but nothing else is. If you want the night-life, hip culture, and to see all the talked about rides/runs by triathlete culture, then you’d want to hit up Boulder.
If you’re interested in rides and runs in the Springs other pikes peak, message me and I’ll send you my old strava routes.
Check out my ride on Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/1044504311/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-US&v=1497896662
This ride was fun and challenging and very scenic. I’ve been riding with my kids lately as they’re joining the Boulder high school mountain bike team. I’m waiting on an order from wiggle for a new rear tire for my road bike, so I’ve been on my tri or mountain bike recently. Anyway, you can look at my Strava for an idea of the rides around here. There’s also some pics to give you an idea of the area.
I like the Manitou Incline in the Springs (near Pikes Peak). Power up (takes about an hour) and run the four mile trail back down. I liked watching the big military guys really struggle on that incline…
That said I agree there is more to do in Boulder. I’d try to swing both if I were there for a week.
I just did the Incline last week. We stayed in Manitou Springs. The incline is a unique experience and fun to do. I would highly recommend. We also did the Olympic training center and academy. Now we are in Breckenridge. I went to Frisco the first time yesterday and it is a very cool little town. I wish we had stayed there instead of the larger Breck. Just missed their triathlon there yesterday.