We can’t get enough of Boulder gravel rides! We are jealous of those who live in Boulder and can bike this route from their front door! Despite no technical terrain and being under 40 miles, a ride can still be very challenging (20% grades!!), but this is a great ride to welcome in spring and start to get your climbing legs back.
This was a mini-tour of some of the classic Boulder gravel roads and climbs (Old Stage, Left Hand, Sunshine, Four-mile, and Boulder Canyons).
It was fun to ride gravel roads that allowed us to jump from Canyon to Canyon.
There was very low car traffic over all, but especially on the dirt sections.
We saw a whole gaggle of Wild Turkeys on Bow Mountain Road!
It was nice to have friends to chat with when the grades got crazy steep and we needed a distraction!
The descents were quite chilly on a 50º day when you’re sweaty from climbing (even though we dressed appropriately).
Do this ride if you want to have a classic experience of what makes gravel biking all the rage. This is a terrific mix of wide and well packed dirt roads and pavement with low car traffic and lovely views.
In warmer weather, there is a bike path alongside Boulder Canyon Road (at about mile 30), which would be preferable to the busy road. (It had snowed a few days prior to our riding this route and the path was covered in snow, ice and debris.)
We road this again in the summer of 2023 and took the Boulder bike path into town, and it is lovely. Keep in mind that on weekends, it can be crowded with walkers. Be prepared to slow down a bit, enjoy the scenery and use a bell or call you pass.
We parked at the The Sports Garage bike shop in Boulder where there is plenty of easy street parking.
Check out the bike store while you are there. They are friendly and helpful so if you have any biking needs or questions about the route, we recommend using them! and PS: It is also a great place to use the bathroom or pick up last minute supplies.
Laura & Rose
Laura Karpinski and Rose Barcklow are the creators of Gravel Bike Adventures. Click on the About page to learn more about them.
