Distance was 30.73 miles, time 4:49 (moving time 3:38*), elevation gain/loss 2,151 feet, avg. speed 6.4 mph, and max speed 21.2 mph. Time includes dinner at Moe's :)
This was a ride of connecting various parks in Lakewood, with streets and sidewalks in between, and a stop in Morrison. First up was an ascent to the top of Green Mountain (a city of Lakewood park - 2,400 acres!) in my 'hood.
I probably burned 1/4 of my brake pads down the Jeep road down the west side (above). As I'm navigating the loose gravel I keep picturing my wheels skidding out and me launching over the handlebars, resulting in some sort of skin-flaying, collarbone-crushing accident.
There's an alt way down using the singletrack trail Box 'O Rox, I really should start taking that instead. Duh.
I then headed down the C-470 bike path to Morrison, and pedaled along the bike path in town. If you're not from around here, Morrison is a tiny berg with basically just a main street, and both the path and Bear Creek run along it. Morrison is the home of Red Rocks Amphitheater.
I then headed back east through another Lakewood city park, Bear Creek Lake Park. It's a somewhat flat park with a large lake and a dam and a large hill (Mt. Carbon) at the east end. There's singletrack all over the place, so pick something and go.
This is typical riverside trail:
There are several ways to get to the top of the dam, but the views are pretty nice once you get there:
Then I got on the roads through the golf course and started cranking. I noticed there was someone a ways behind me, but just kept my head down and pedaled. I was trying to make some time on the flat sections. I turned off on the singletrack along the concrete path, and a road biker went by. A bit later I stopped and the girl who'd been following me came back past on the return trip and yelled something like "good chase!" or the like. Considering the heavier bike and slow tires I was on, that made me feel good.
But then I also had Independence Pass in the back of my mind. I ran out of steam in the last two miles of that sucker last summer, and that ain't going to happen again.
I passed by Moe's BBQ so I had lunch/dinner, and headed home. I explored some neighborhoods I didn't know, the usual stuff. Great ride in the 'burbs.
*GarminConnect.com temporarily removed the "moving time" data from their web site, but re-instated it after user protest in the online forums. Nice responsiveness, Garmin! I thanked them on their blog.
