The best traffic-free bike rides around Boulder

Panorama Point on Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder, CO, offers stunning, panoramic views of the city, whether it's day or night, all year round. You can drive up to the overlook, making it accessible to families and dogs. Parking is limited, however, and the vehicle length limit on Flagstaff Road is 30 feet because it is narrow and twisty. Several trails start and/or pass by here including Flagstaff Trail and the Viewpoint Trail, the latter of which climbs from Boulder Canyon and Eben G. Fine Park near downtown. Panorama Point has three picnic tables, but no restrooms.

The east end of Pearl Street before you reach the Pedestrian Mall has seen a lot of growth these last few years. There are great restaurants and coffee shops as well as shopping. There are several large outdoors stores from well-known brands, including Patagonia, Arc'Teryx, Backcountry, Stio, and Mont Bell, all within a few blocks of each other.

Fourmile Canyon Road is a popular cycling spot that connects Boulder Canyon all the way up to the "ghost town" of Gold Hill via Gold Run Road, Gold Hill Road, and the Peak to Peak Highway. This particular section of Fourmile is from Boulder Canyon to Poorman Hill Road, another popular gravel road that connects to Sunshine Canyon.

Sunshine Canyon is a popular ride that that takes you straight from downtown Boulder up into the foothills past popular hikes like Mount Sanitas and Lions Lair. This upper section of Sunshine Canyon is gravel, but it is generally well-graded, and hard packed; it is frequently completed by local cyclists on road bikes. The only place where the gravel can be a little looser and chunkier is toward the top of the canyon by Gold Hill, so be aware when ascending or descending.

The road up Flagstaff from Chautauqua to Chapman Drive, where you can continue to Artists Point overlooking Boulder, is an iconic Boulder climb. This fun, twisting road (whether you ride up or down) grants you great views over the city as you pass by large sandstone boulders and cliffs, stands of pine trees, and several viewpoints. Watch out for cars on both the ascent and descent, this is a very popular drive for tourists and locals alike and there are several well-trafficked hiking trails off of the road.

The east end of Pearl Street before you reach the Pedestrian Mall has seen a lot of growth these last few years. There are great restaurants and coffee shops as well as shopping. There are several large outdoors stores from well-known brands, including Patagonia, Arc'Teryx, Backcountry, Stio, and Mont Bell, all within a few blocks of each other. Boxcar Coffee is an excellent place for a post (or mid) ride latte and pastry, and its right next to Rapha, a high-end cycling clothing shop that also serves coffee.

Super Flagstaff, or more commonly, "Super Flag," is the name of the tough climb from intersection of the road to the Flagstaff amphitheater and Artist's Point, and Chapman Drive to the true summit of Flagstaff Road, marked by a collection of mailboxes. From the bottom of Flagstaff Mountain by, Chautauqua the total ascent is 1,978 feet with the average gradient at 8.2 percent, but there is also a short, 1,000 foot section which goes at 20 percent. This infamous hill is a favorite among locals. From the top you can either turn around and head back toward town, or continue onward toward the remote-feeling Gross Reservoir on the other side of the mountain.

Gross Reservoir is a large lake on the other side of Flagstaff Mountain. There is a hard-packed gravel road on it's eastern shore which is a great place to snap a few photos after the tough climb up Super Flag and long descent down. If you are unwilling to take you bike on gravel, however, you still get great views of the reservoir and the surrounding area at the junction on the pavement.