A Beginner Weekend Bike Tour to Fort Collins

The date is just a suggestion. We'll have to be flexible anyway, since the weather can do just about anything all the way through May... and snow wouldn't make for the best introduction to touring!

Ft. Collins is about 50 miles from Boulder, and relatively flat. We'll find a nice, low traffic route. It might even include some good dirt roads. You'll need a bike in good working condition with a rack and panniers, and we'll need enough tent sleeping space to house everyone.

Hopefully we can find a friendly host that will let us take showers, camp in their back yard, and either cook for them or take them out to dinner. If you know anybody in Ft. Collins that might be interested, let us know!

If you want to go on a longer ride to see how well your bike and body get along, without getting too far away from town, the B360 route works well. It's 28 miles, mostly on paths around Boulder: http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/files/Utilities/Greenways/B360/B360_2010_map.pdf

As far as gear goes, you'll need:

a comfortable bike with a rack and panniers. Lights shouldn't strictly be necessary, but they're nice to have in case. basic tools/repair supplies (patch kit, pump, allen wrenches, crescent wrench, screwdriver, etc.) a couple of liters of water a picnic lunch and snacks, comparable to what you'd take on a long day hike. basic camping stuff: tent (or a spot in someone else's tent), sleeping bag, sleeping pad. We'll be able to re-fill on water and get snacks along the way if we need to. We shouldn't need any cooking gear or dinner food -- we can either eat out in Ft. Collins or cook at our host's house.

Clothing will depend on wht the weather is doing that weekend. Could be anything!

It's 50 miles from here to there, and we should have a good 10 hours of daylight, so there shouldn't be any need to hurry, so long as we keep moving.

(more information posted over at Flat Iron Bike (http://flatironbike.com/2011/03/21/getting-a-first-taste-of-bicycle-touring/))