From a Reader: Describe Your Cycling Area

A reader asks: How bike friendly is your area? Are you on main roads with or without a bike lane? Are there bike paths that you take for part of your journey from point a to point b?

All great questions! While Denver came out on top of REI's inaugural "Cycling Town Showdown" in 2014, I think our placement at twelfth in the U.S. by Cycling Magazine in 2010 is probably a closer estimation.

I would describe most of our riding areas as "urban neighborhood," meaning that we use residential roads in the city, which intersect with multi-use paths. We live near Washington Park, which has dedicated paved roads for pedestrians and cyclists. The Cherry Creek path is famous as an urban multi-use path, which goes through the city along a small river, set low beneath the bustle of Speer Boulevard. We use the Platte River trail to get to Costco, and have to navigate one scary intersection at Iowa and Santa Fe Boulevard to get there.

While we use paths frequently, I would say we use bike routes and quiet residential streets just as frequently. We aren't big fans of traditional bike lanes, because of the door zone, high density of urban parking, and a tendency for many of these lanes to end abruptly. That said, sometimes they are the best option and can be a straightforward way to navigate an unfamiliar area.

When planning a cycling route, it helps to completely dissociate from what you would do in a car. If you're much more used to driving, it is tempting to try to cycle the same way you would go in a car. Instead, start from scratch by looking at a bicycle map or Google maps with the cycling option for mode of transport. Bike shops frequently carry bicycle maps which highlight cycling infrastructure. Printable maps may be available online for your area. Google maps should be taken with a grain of salt, but we've had good luck with it.

While these tools are great, they are no substitute for the knowledge and advice of local cyclists. They can tell you from first-hand experience which routes work well and which are best avoided. This is just one of the many reasons I set up this blog and our Facebook group!

If you find yourself without any tools to navigate an area that you know by car, imagine where you would drive if your normal route were closed for construction. Those small, residential streets that are near main roads but don't experience high traffic flow (think "detour" or "alternate route") are often great for cycling!