Fort Collins-Boulder 100, CO
This was my first attempt at coming up with a self-supported 100-mile bicycle ride in Northern Colorado, and admittedly it is not the best route. On some stretches there are traffic lights every couple of miles and not too wide shoulders. However, there are very few turns and the rolling course features no climbs that are particularly long and steep. It is out and back, and virtually impossible to get lost. There are places with some nice views of farms, the mountains, and lakes.
The ride only goes to the northern-most edge of Boulder and then back to Fort Collins. However, for a good Ironman-distance route (112 miles), one could continue on to Pearl Street Mall for a coffee/lunch stop before turning around!
Route Sheet
| Total | Segment | Directions |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 0.8 | Start near Richards Lake and head on out (north) towards Douglas Rd. |
| 0.8 | 2.3 | Left (west) on Douglas |
| 3 | 7 | Left (south) on Shields St. |
| 10 | 10 | Becomes County Hwy 17 |
| 20 | 0.2 | Becomes Taft Ave. in Loveland |
| 20.2 | 0.4 | Left (east) onto W. County Road 20 into Centennial Park for a bathroom break |
| 20.6 | 0.4 | Head back to Taft Ave. |
| 21 | 2 | Left (south) on Taft Ave. |
| 23 | 6.5 | Becomes County Hwy/Rd 17 |
| 29.5 | 0.6 | Right (west) onto County Rd. 2E |
| 30.1 | 4.9 | Left (south) onto Highway 287 (107th St.) |
| 35 | 0.7 | Becomes Main St. in Longmont |
| 35.7 | 4 | Right (west) on 17th St. |
| 39.7 | 4 | Left (south) on 75th St. |
| 43.7 | 2.1 | Right (southwest-south) on 73rd St. |
| 45.8 | 0.1 | Right (west) on Niwot St. |
| 45.9 | 0.8 | Becomes 71st St. |
| 46.7 | 3 | Right onto Highway 119 |
| 49.7 | 0.1 | Left onto 55th St. |
| 49.8 | 49.8 | Left onto Highway 119, and go back the way you came from |
| 100 | Finished! |
From the Logbook
March 11, 2006(Sat)
Started at 8:50 a.m.; finished at 3:30 p.m. Actual ride time was 6:08, or 16.3 mph average. That was disappointing since I was in the aerobars 95% of the time and was trying to average closer to 17-18 going at Ironman race pace. However, traffic lights were killing my average. Also, there were more rollers than I’d like to simulate an Ironman course. It was about 28 degrees the entire way so my water bottles froze, and I needed to stop to unscrew their lids to drink from them. Eating also required stopping due to wearing two pairs of gloves. Neck was getting sore due to having to tilt my head all the way back while in the aerobars since the helmet visor otherwise obstructs the view. Need to do something about that. All in all not a bad ride; a bit cold, but tolerable.
