Saturday, December 10, 2005

Road Biking Colorado

While I visited Bicycle Colorado office in Denver the other day, B.C. executive director Dan Grunig recommended Road Biking Colorado: The Statewide Guide. Every time he reads the book, he gets the jones to get some good mountain riding in.

In a way this book isn't necessary. I've traveled many of the roads author Michael Seeberg describes in his book by pointing my bike west toward the mountains from my Colorado Front Range home and riding. In the mountains, there really aren't any bad cycling roads. The views always take my breath, the mountain streams always rejuvanate, the sounds and smells always inspire and refresh. It's nice living in paradise.

But when I sat down to read this book, I -- like Dan -- got a serious hankering for bike riding. There's snow in the streets, but I wanted to hop on my bike and ride the mountain passes and scenic byways described by Seeberg. It's a great little guidebook if you need a kick of motivation to get out and ride.

There's the usual guidebook stuff such as mileage markers, espresso shops, maps, and landmarks. Seeberg notes that presence or -- more commonly -- the lack of shoulders on mountain roads. He touches on some potential hazards of high altitude cycling such as altitude sickness, rapid weather changes and lightning.

The book splits Colorado into geographic regions. He does not focus exclusively on mountain riding; the final section of the book is on riding across the Colorado Eastern Plains.

If you live and cycle in Colorado, get this book for inspiration and motivation. If you plan to visit Colorado and want to get some mountain road riding in, this book is a must. Buy from Amazon.com.

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