Cycling
Las Vegas has a great varied cycling environment. The club is obviously geared toward Triathlon; most triathlons are endurance events that take place for the most part on flat or hilly terrain with a few short steep hills thrown in for a challenge. Our area offers all of that plus long climbs into mountainous areas. There is everything out there plus summertime heat. Many times you will want to fit in a ride when you don’t have tine to schedule with others – we all know how that goes. We also have a lot Vegas visitors that check our site out – in both cases these routes are suggestions that may be useful. Most of our rides are our and back so you can vary the length by turning back at any point. Cell phone coverage is spotty in the more mountainous and remote places so don’t rely on your cell to get you out of a jam in all cases. That’s it stay hydrated in the summer and enjoy our environment.
Here is a summary of how we will be categorizing our rides.
| PACE | TERRAIN |
| A Relaxed pace, with plenty of regroup locations | 1 Essentially Flat |
| B Base pac, with occasional stops/regroups | 2 Gradual Climbing (good challenge for beginners) |
| C Brisk pace with few stops | 3 Rolling Hllls |
| C Fast pace minimal stops |
4 Rolling Hills with steep climbs (very challenging with some relief” |
| 5 Steep very long Climbs (Are we there yet?) |
RIDES
Starbucks on West Charleston – around the Red Rock Loop -to the junction of 160 to the town of Blue Diamond and back approximately 45 miles. We meet at the Starbucks at Town Center and West Charleston. This is the classic Vegas ride, it has everything, hills, scenery, a small town to refuel in and on top of all of that there is a 6′-8′ bike lane along 70% of the route. This is a popular Saturday group ride an A pace on a 3-4 Terrain. If you do not ride the loop the terrain becomes a solid level 2. Verify meeting times with the ride coordinator; times vary during the year as temperatures rise. @15mph = 3hrs
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Starbucks-Charleston-the-Loop-to-160
Starbucks in the Trails Center – through the northwest urban area – to the town of Indian Springs and back approximately 80 miles. We start from the Starbucks in the Trails Shopping Center. This is a long ride; some may look at it as a desolate ride however to locals it offers desert solitude. It is relatively flat with long modest ups and downs. It becomes very challenging when it is windy. You can refuel in Indian Springs. There is a relatively wide breakdown lane on 95 therefore all things considered it is a relatively safe route. This is a great ironman distance training route. You can turn back whenever and create your own ride distance. This is a popular training ride an A-B pace on a 2 Terrain. This is not a regular ride verify date and meeting times with the ride coordinator; times vary during the year as temperatures rise. @15 mph = 5hrs 20minutes
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Summerlin-Starbucks-to-Indian-Springs
Starbucks on Eastern in a shopping center just off I-215 – through Green Valley in Henderson -to the junction of raceway and Lake Mead Blvd – past Lake Las Vegas – through Lake Mead and back approximately 70 miles. This is generally an insiders training ride because it is easy to get off track and until you get to Lake Mead it is very urban. It is rolling and the distance makes it a challenging ride. When you get to Lake Mead bring your wallet there is a $3 park entry fee. There are plenty of convenience stores to refuel at until you get to the park. The park segment is a classic ride. This is a an occasional ride so verify date and meeting times with the ride coordinator; times vary during the year as temperatures rise. This is an A pace on a 3-4 Terrain. @15mph = 4hrs 40minutes
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/107535
Boulder Beach to the north Lake Mead entry station – to the south entry station – back to Boulder Beach – approximately 24 miles. We meet at the picnic area parking lot at Boulder Beach for bike riding sessions for sessions that involve swimming we meet along the beach. This is the classic Vegas/Lake Mead ride; it is also the perfect triathlon training location. There is a lake with buoys to swim along, great cycling terrain and a newly constructed paved running path that goes along the lake through historic railroad tunnels down to the dam. The only thing it doesn’t have is a store to buy what you forgot. There is a $5 park entry fee. This is a popular Saturday ride at an A-B pace on a 3 Terrain. This is not a regular ride so verify meeting times with the ride coordinator; times vary during the year as temperatures rise. @15mph = 1hr 40minutes
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Lake-Mead-Classic-Lakeshore-Loop
When we post a ride we will include the following:
* Date
* Meeting Location
* Ride Type – Mileage/Pace/Terrain
* Example: A 60 miles, Base Pace, with rolling hills (no drop) = 60/B/3 (no Drop)
* Estimated ride time not including stops
* Example 60 miles @ 15mph = 4 hours
* Ride description
* Weather Cancellation Y/N
* RSVP ( contact person and ride leader)
All riders must have the following
All riders participating in a Las Vegas Triathlon Club ride are responsible for carrying the following items:
1. HELMET!
2. Bike tube patch kit, and/or,
3. Spare tube (recommended)
4. Pump or other inflation device (CO2)
5. I.D.
6. Emergency cash
7. Appropriate amounts of water and food
8. Basic tools: multi-tool, tire lever
9. Cell Phone (optional)
Want to get more involved?? Love to ride?? Become a Bike Leader!
The Las Vegas Triathlon Club is looking for ride leaders. Its fun, you get to meet new people, and you have the opportunity to inspire others while getting in a workout.
If you are interested in being a Ride Leader, have questions/comments about the Bike Program shoot me an email: citydave@cox.net I’d love to hear from you.
