visiting colorado springs

Hi -

Road Riding:
Airforce Academy - park just outside the S. Entrance in a dirt lot - ride a big road loop around the Academy. Rolling hills. Nice shoulder. Polite drivers. Can't beat it. Actually there's also mtn biking there but I don't go there for that.

Mtn Biking:
2 easiest things to explain & get to:
Santa Fe trail - runs N/S through town all the way up to Palmer Lake. Packed dirt/gravel, paved in places. I suppose you could use your roadbike, too. It isn't sandy or in any way technical. Pretty wide. Flat. Follows a creek, going north you are going slightly uphill with some very small rollers. You don't notice that you are really going uphill until you turn around & go south. This is also a popular place to run - especially long runs. Nice surface. No motorized traffic. Trailheads: Cache Le Poudre behind CC. , Woodmen Road just west of I-25 and N of woodman. Many others.

Palmer Park - everything from roads (but not long enough for a road ride) to very technical mtn biking trails. Also great for running. You can technical ride/run in here for hours, if you want. Center of town. Main entrance at Maizeland & Academy.

Others....
Garden of the Gods - nice road bike & running loop. Dedicated bike lane but lots of tourists park in it and drive in one direction while looking in another - just be wary.

Gold Camp Road/Cheyenne Canyon - I wouldn't go alone if you are not familiar with the area. Definitely don't go without a map if you are alone and stray from the road. Can get lost up here and depending on where you go it is not accessible to cars... could be a looong day. Mtn biking (trail or dirt road)/ trail running.


Maps:
http://www.pprrun.org/
(Pikes Peak Road Runners - click on running places on the left hand side)

http://www.bikesprings.org/routes.html (cycling club)

http://www.springsgov.com/units/parksrec/maps/mpalatrl-l.htm
(palmer park map... a map is actually pretty useless in there - just remember where you parked and note the roads that are boundaries to the park)

http://www.gardenofgods.com/home/index.cfm?flash=1


Have fun.

For swimming, I would recommend the Cheyenne Mountain Aquatic Center, near the southwest part of town (by the Broadmoor) - they have lap swim every day from 6-7:15 am, then 11-1 M-F, and 12-3 on weekends. It is a nice, clean yard pool with great people. I don't believe any of the Gold's Gym locations have a pool.