A perfect balance of gravel and pavement on this Boulder groad. The gravel portions were hard packed dirt and non-technical. The pavement section of Sugarloaf was brand new, smooth and fast!
Quintessential Colorado mountain scenery all along the way.
Seeing the “pavement ends” sign at the top of Magnoila, which meant we had successfully completed the hardest part.
There is something to having a warm up before tackling significant grades. Magnolia Road is f@*#ing steep with long sections of 12%-16% grade in the first four miles.
There was significant traffic/slowdown from weekend tourist in Nederland.
Do this ride if your climbing legs very feel strong and you want a killer challenge.
Nederland is a good place to stop for water or food.
It appeared that you could start from the bottom of Boulder Canyon (119) via bike path for about the first three miles, but it stops short of getting you to Magnolia Road. (119 is a heavily trafficked road with almost no shoulder, so we don’t recommend it.)
Outside Magazine lists these roads as one of the “25 Best Bike Rides in the World“!
Laura & Rose
Laura Karpinski and Rose Barcklow are the creators of Gravel Bike Adventures. Click on the About page to learn more about them.
