This section is intended to orient those riders who are new to bicycling in Colorado.
Click here to get a free information packet sent to you: Free Info Packet
Biking to/from Denver International Airport
It's official! The signs prohibiting bicycles from riding on Pena Blvd are down. Pena is a busy high-speed roadway, but can be safely biked by experienced riders.
RTD, the regional bus provider, will carry your bike, boxed or unboxed in the underbelly of their SkyRide buses. They go to downtown Denver and a variety of outlying locations like the Denver Tech Center and Boulder. Call 303-299-6000 or 800-877-7433 for details.
Bus Service and bikes on buses
Most bus services in Colorado allow bikes on buses. Call for details:
Avon/Beaver Creek: 970-949-6121
Breckenridge: 970-453-3185
Durango Lift: 970-384-7547
Greyhound Lines: 800-231-2222
The Hop & Skip (City of Boulder): 303-447-8282
Mountain Express (Town of Crested Butte): 970-349-5616
Mountain Metropolitan Transit (City of Colorado Springs): 719-385-RIDE (7433)
Pueblo Transportation: 719-545-7146
Roaring Fork Transit Agency: 970-920-1905
RTD (Denver metro): 303-299-6000, 800-877-7433 (All Denver metro RTD buses have bicycle carriers for two bicycles)
Snowmass Village Transit: 970-923-5986
Steamboat Springs Transit: 970-879-3717
Summit Stage: 970-668-0999
The Bus (City of Greeley): 970-350-9280
Winter Park Lift: 970-726-4163
Transfort (City of Fort Collins): 970-221-6620
Vail Transit: 970-479-2358
Town of Telluride: 970-728-2179
Riding on Interstate Highways in Colorado
The shoulders of most interstate highways in rural Colorado are open to bicyclists. In a few cases, like I-70 over Vail Pass and through Glenwood Canyon, bicycles are not allowed on the shoulders, but adjacent bike paths exist. Eisenhower Tunnel on I-70 is closed to bicycles, so cyclists must climb over Loveland Pass. In metro areas, bicyclists usually are not allowed on the shoulders of interstates, but alternative routes exist.
Rental Bicycles
Your best option for rental bicycles is to call a bike shop in the area you will be visiting. Check the list of Bicycle Colorado Business Members for some local bike shop options. More and more ski areas in Colorado are now offering bike rentals as well. Bicycle Colorado does not maintain a list of rental outlets.
Rules of the Road
The Colorado Bicycle Manual offers a thorough compilation of the rules of the road in Colorado. It is included in the free information packet available from Bicycle Colorado. A condensed "Rules of the Road" page is also available on
this web page.
Weather
We often get calls “what is the weather like in June?” Our answer is “variable.” You may find yourself in a high-altitude snowstorm or you may be cycling in a T-shirt (preferably a Bicycle Colorado T-shirt). You may start a ride in gloves and GORE-TEX in the morning and be in shorts in the afternoon. Thunderstorms are common on summer afternoons. Colorado weather is wild and wonderful, unpredictable and unforgiving. Come prepared for everything.
Generally, paved roads are clear of snow after May 1st, except for Independence Pass and Trail Ridge Road which usually open around Memorial Day. High elevation trails are frequently muddy until mid-June. The Monarch Crest Trail usually isn’t rideable until July.
Click here to visit CDOT's website on current road conditions, including mountain passes.
Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue Card
If you plan to venture into the backcountry via bike or foot, we recommend you purchase a Colorado Outdoor Recreation Search and Rescue (CORSAR) card. The cost is $12 for five years or $3 for one year. Nearly all of the money goes towards the Colorado SAR (Search and Rescue) Fund to defray costs involved in providing search and rescue missions and to equip and train our state's volunteer SAR teams. Available at sporting good stores across Colorado. If you purchase a Colorado hunting or fishing license, or register a boat, snowmobile or off-highway vehicle, it is included.
For more information, or to purchase a card online, please click here.
