Why We Moved to Boulder

The US Pro Challenge bike race through the Rockies finished up yesterday with a last leg which started in Boulder and ended in Denver.  Boulder is a bike friendly city, with city policies that actively encourage both recreational and commuter biking.  Bicycling Magazine named it the second best city in the U.S. for cycling due to its "robust cycling infrastructure and vibrant bike culture" (Davis, CA, was first).  

With this kind of emphasis on biking, having the last leg of a major like race start here was a big deal.  When we heard that the racers were going to come up a hill on Broadway and ride down 13th street, both within a few blocks of our house, Ben and I decided to walk over and see the action.   

We arrived a bit early and decided to get a sub and a beer at Half Fast subs and sit on its patio which overlooked the intersection of Broadway and 13th.  The sub was great, the weather was beautiful, and the gathering crowd was filled with excited anticipation.   The police closed down the roads and then  a parade of police cars with flashing lights drove up the hill and we knew the racers weren't far behind.   

Here they come!  I quickly took one..      

two...

...three photos on my iPhone camera and they were gone!  My, but they were fast!

It was the first time I've ever seen a bike peloton in person, and it was impressive to actually see the tightly packed group zoom by.  And it was great to just be out on a beautiful day being part of things.  

Such easy access to interesting and fun events and activities is one reason why we moved here.