Great (and free!) group gravel ride hosted by Pedal Bike Store of Littleton with raffle tickets benefiting Trips for Kids Denver Metro and Kids on Bikes.
It was a wonderful route of mostly low-traffic dirt roads that rolled for 50 miles through farmlands and had awesome views of Pikes Peak (we appreciated a day of no singletrack!).
We were lucky that it had rained recently so the roads weren’t dusty and the dirt was most often often hard packed and easy to ride.
The ride was well attended and the pace was speedy with a friendly competitive spirit. We enjoyed the company of Naked Women’s Racing teammates and other gravel cyclists in the community.
I (Laura) loved my new Crank Brothers eggbeater pedals and cleats that didn’t get clogged with dirt and were a breeze to clip in and out of.
There was a mile or two (around mile 25) where the road surface had both deep sand and washboards. Our pace slowed to a crawl and felt like pedaling through peanut butter!
There was an unpleasant farm smell that came and went throughout the ride. (The smell was a mixture of dirty socks and urine–yuck!).
Do this ride if you want a quintessential gravel ride with moderate challenges and smooth dirt roads that allows you to keep your speeds up. Expect rolling hills with some punchy climbs and great views of farm land and Pikes Peak.
We parked at the Pikes Peak Brewery and it is a great place to enjoy a beer and grab some food from afterwards!
There are very few places to stop for a bathroom break on this route. Besides the brewery at the beginning (which doesn't open till 12:00 on Sunday), the only other place we found was the Lincoln Mountain Open Space Trailhead parking lot. They had a public bathroom but didn't have drinkable water. Make sure you are entirely self sufficient and pack enough food and hydration to make it through all 50 miles.
Although you *could* ride this route nearly year round, late Fall is the perfect time. Much of the route is exposed and if the sun is out and temperatures are high, this route would not be nearly as pleasant.
Keep an eye on the weather and wind forecast when doing this route. We have noticed it can often be windy in this area and headwinds can be brutal when you spend miles headed in one direction!
Laura & Rose
Laura Karpinski and Rose Barcklow are the creators of Gravel Bike Adventures. Click on the About page to learn more about them.
