Tour de Metro (Denver)

Warning!!!! Mostly non mtb material.

I guess it's not much of a mountain bike ride when your not riding a mountain, or a mountain bike. Then again, the old steel commuter POS bike is a kind of a cyclocross bike and I did ride a little dirt with it.

So, after everyone bailed on me, I was determined to spend a day not eating roasted garlic and tomato bruschetta smothered in olive oil on french bread. It's kind of my new favorite snack food and I need to seperate myself from it. Too much procrastinating about a ride and never leaving the kegerator.

I opted for the POS because I had mileage in mind and well, the road bike had a flat. With temperatures on their way up to the mid 50's, I kept to a couple of easily removable layers. Starting from the house, I glanced over at the Fairmont Trail (the only bit of dirt on this ride) and since things were still semi-frozen from the night, set the skinny tires on the dirt.







I picked up the Clear Creek Trail path and headed East. It is about then that I realized I would have an ifatuation with bridges today.



Once you get passed Wadsworth, it's pretty much the point of no return (at least it is in my mind).





I got a flat sometime around here and had to patch it up. I didn't want to use my spare tube, just in case. The patch geld the whole ride. Yeah, Park patches!

I must be crazy. Every bridge on these paths look exactly the same, yet I must take a picture.



It was after this point that my mind drew a blank. Where I should have turned left, I went right. So, after ending up on 92nd Ave, I figured maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to shorted the trip. So I made my way down Sheridan to 38th Ave and again pushed on to the city. Just before the highway I turned onto Klamath and wow was I glad I did. A Church was just letting out and there were food stands set up all around it. It was all different Mexican foods. I opted for some kind of fried bread covered in powdered sugar (kind of like a Zepolli). HEAVEN!

With the sugar high now in place, I had Coors field in my sites and croossed (you guessed it) another, albeit bigger bridge to pick up the South Platte Trail.



There was a guy fishing in the river. I don't think I would even want to stand in that water (it smells funny). Oh, and there is a picture of a bridge in the background.



Then it's a stop at my favorite store. Especially this one. It is the nicest REI I have ever been in. The old Trolley house is a perfect cool looking building. I spent $19 an assorted trinkets. That's probably the lowest amount I have ever spent there, by a longshot.



Rolling on, I came upon Invesco Field. I knew the Broncos had a game later, but I had no idea people would start tailgating that early. Crazy. Well, mabe not. As I was riding by the parking lots I got up some nerve to ask one of the bigger setups if I could buy a hot dog. He asked if I was a Broncos fan. I said, sure I am a Broncos fan (I am a Giants fan - but I don't pass up opportunities). He gave me a hot dog and a beer, gratis. Thanks Mr. Broncos fan..



Now fully nourinshed with nitrates and alcohol, I continued my journey.



I guess the beer called nature.



I turned onto the Bear Creek Path for the ride into Lakewood. Some people may see a waterfall, I see a bridge!



Bear Creek.





Ta da!



Climbing over the dam in BCLP. By this point I was feeling a little wasted.





I was pretty glad to see the C470 bike path.



It meant that soon enough, I'd be going down Rooney Road and the Taj would be shining in the sun.



A quick trip down Golden path, through downtown via the School of mines, and back up the Tucker Gulch trail back to home. 55 miles!