Red Rock Canyon

[chuckroast]

I was on a business trip to Vegas this week and took advantage of an off day to rent road bikes and ride the Red Rock Canyon loop with a co-worker who's a runner.

What a terrific ride. The first five miles are a bit of a climb, especially for us midwesterners who are used to rolling hills, not continuous climbs. The payoff though is totally worth it in views back across the canyon and toward the city. The big time descents are great too, but a little scary since I hadn't seen them before and didn't know the route.

A big bonus was road riding in February in shorts.

Anyway, a lot of you probably know about this but if you don't, it's a great alternative to the usual Vegas attractions.

[BarryG]

Yes, it's a nice loop. To truly appreciate the canyon, put on some hiking boots. There are some really amazing trails and views to be had.

[manet]

http://movies.go.com/bad-day-at-black-rock/d825096/drama

[Hoboken Biker]

I was just in Vegas as well [Magic Show] & thought about taking a ride out to Red Rocks for some riding, but didn't do my homework ahead of time. Did you ship your bike or hook up with one of the rental shops? Were the bikes and the shop good & easy to deal with? Any insight and suggestions would be very welcomed.

Thanks,

[DRZRM]

When I lived in LA Mrs. DRZRM's mom lived in Vegas, and we would knock around those trails on MTBs whenever we went for a visit, and I'd see road bikes on the approach. It was great single-track riding, almost good enough to make Vegas tolerable. And a couple of nice shops over there who do rentals, but I always brought my own.

[chuckroast]

We rented from a LBS named Las Vegas Cyclery, 702-596-2953, that was on the road that led to the canyon.

The equipment was decent, Cannondale Synapse, mostly Ultegra with 105 Triple.

It was a good road to ride, not all pot-holed like here in freeze thaw country.

I did see a lot of hikers and rock climbers but I didn't notice there was mountain bike single track there.

[ada@prorider.or]

[QUOTE=chuckroast]d ride the Red Rock Canyon loop with a co-worker who's a runner.

QUOTE]

was there loved find sorry that i had only a camper but terrific place indeed

could not resist to ingrave ADA in the rocks

[Frankp]

My in-laws live in LV and when I was there this past August I ran the Red Rock loop...I found out about it from a local triathlon store. It was one of the best runs I'd ever had! can't wait to go back...Frankp

[davids]

I did something similar about 4 years back, but I rented a mountain bike. I was at a conference held at a hotel/casino north of the strip - Just a miserable place, atmo.

I found two afternoons where I could escape, and I went out to Blue Diamond, southwest of LV. I think this is the Red Rock Canyon area? Blue Diamond is a lovely little oasis - A few dozen houses, and a bike shop (http://www.bikeoutpost.com/index.htm) at the center. I rented a bike, got some directions, and spent hours playing on the desert trails. As a New Englander, I'd never ridden anything like it. The trails were fast and dusty, and the scenery was spectacular.

http://www.bikeoutpost.com/images/photo_home_sm2.jpg

[george]

I heard the sunsets are awesome at red rock canyon...