On the corporate track

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On the corporate track

The developers of Interlocken have conscientiously included a 12-mile network of bike paths.

As corporate-created environments go, this is better than most, with generous landscaping, small lakes and Front Range vistas.

From the park-n-ride, carefully negotiate back through the intersection to pick up the westbound path. It quickly descends from high, sparse ground to commingle with a maze of roads, parking lots and office buildings. Paths parallel both sides of the major roads but are not shown on the map.

Numerous other riding options are available but can be confusing. All paths are interlinked, however, and exploring is recommended to lengthen the ride. If needed, there are a handful of electronic directories that can print a map of the area's roads.

IF YOU GO

Bicycle: Mountain, city or road bike

Location: Southwest of Broomfield and U.S. 36 near FlatIron Crossing.

Surface: Smooth, wide concrete path with some construction zones.

Distance: Loop is 5.6 miles.

Difficulty: Easy with some short, gentle climbs.

Ride time: One to two hours.

To reach Interlocken: Take U.S. 36 to the Broomfield exit at Wadsworth Boulevard. Go south of U.S. 36 and follow the signs to the park-n-ride. The ride starts on a path just west of the intersection.

Map of the ride

OTHER RIDES

-FlatIron Crossing: From the intersection at 2.7 miles, crossing Interlocken Loop west into FlatIron Crossing shopping mall yields even more smooth concrete paths. Heading north and west, riders will follow a path along U.S. 36 that is highly visible to eastbound commuters. More concrete options head into the mall or follow a dirt trail that swings around the Rock Creek development. More paved paths encircle a large man-made lake and eventually lead back to the mall. Again, exploring is encouraged through the many interlinked riding options. The whole area is growing rapidly, offering an ever-changing variety of path options.

-Marshall Mesa/Doudy Draw: Also known as the Community Ditch Trail, this network of trails lies south of Boulder on both the west and east sides of Highway 93. The dirt trails are a mix of wide and narrow single track and abandoned dirt roads. Most are easy to moderate, with one steeper pitch near the trail head on Marshall Road east of Highway 93. On the east side of Highway 93, the Doudy Draw Trail winds through a nice meadow with views of the majestic Flatirons before ending near Eldorado Springs.

- Proposed U.S. 36 path: There's a groundswell of support to include a new bike path along U.S. 36. As the highway undergoes reconstruction, supporters are trying to persuade local municipalities to include a new path in their construction plans. For more information, send e-mail to Neal.Lurie@central.sun.com.

Ride Guide is available online at RockyMountainNews.com.

October 13, 2000

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