Red Rock Canyon - A great place to ride. Pt 1: Charleston Blvd.

I have only been cycling for a little over 1 year now and I have only recently started to ride in the Red Rock Canyon area. I had wanted to ride that area for a while, but I live in the exact opposite part of the Valley by Black Mountain in Henderson, so it's a ways from me so I have always opted for the RMT instead. A couple weekends ago I went on a training ride with some friends out in Red Rock and we rode the 13 mile scenic loop, which I will talk about in my next blog entry. 2 weekends later we made our way back out to Red Rock and rode on Charleston Blvd from the Albertson's located just west of the 215 beltway to the small town of Blue Diamond and back, a ride that totalled about 25 miles. It was a great ride for relaxation and to get some miles in and not too challenging. The roadway has some gentle sloping hills with a couple of decent grades, but nothing too dramatic.

The roadway is pretty well maintained, but it is also well-travelled with a lot of vehicle traffic. The bike lane on the shoulder is pretty wide, so you do have a decent amount of room to work with so the traffic isn't a huge problem. As you can see by the above elevation chart, the roadway gradually slopes to a height of 3854 ft for a gain of just under 700 ft total and the average slope throughout the ride being about 2.7% grade. The maximum grade you will encounter during the ride is about halfway to Blue Diamond and again on the way back, being around 11%, but only for a couple hundred yards.

The best thing about this ride is the gorgeous mountain scenery that you are engulfed by. The contrasts in the surrounding cliffs are breathtaking if you enjoy the outdoors. Tan sandstone mountains are divided into horizontal sections by the rust color of the red rock, giving the area it's name. The elements have carved jagged edges into the faces of the mountains making them a beautiful sight from as far as the eye can see.

Along the ride you may very well come across some wild burros and horses that roam free out on the range. They often find themselves up by the roadway because although there are many signs warning against it, people can't seem to help themselves from feeding the wildlife carrots for photo ops.

After the halfway point and you have cleared the highest part of the ride it is a fast run the rest of the way to Blue Diamond. You can pick up some good speed in the big ring and make it exciting, or you can relax and take it easy as well. It's also a good run for a draft line if you have a few people riding with you and are experienced enough for that sort of thing. Most people tend to take a break when they reach Blue Diamond and drink some water or take a gel. In the summer time make sure that you have plenty of water because it can get very hot out there and you will get dehydrated pretty quickly.

For me, the ride back to Vegas from Blue Diamond seems easier that the ride out, but the elevation profile is nearly a mirror of the first half. Maybe it's me and the "heading back to the barn" syndrome, but I find I have more energy and get faster on the way back. I challenge myself to get over the slopes faster and to pass riders if possible. I like to pick someone out who is way ahead of me and catch them if I can. It is also a great stretch of road for practice sprints and getting up out of the saddle to strengthen your legs.

Plan for about 2 hours to enjoy this route, whether it's just to ride, or to stop a few times and take some photos. It's easy to pull off the road safely just about anywhere for a break. This is the easier of the two biking options that Red Rock has to offer. The loop is the other, which is far more challenging and pushes you alot harder but it is very enjoyable at the same time.

Happy biking!