Best casual bike rides in Fort Collins, CO
Fort Collins is one of Colorado's best bike towns — the Poudre River Trail and Spring Creek Trail thread the city with flat, car-free miles, and the whole place is built for two wheels. These casual route ideas lean on that path network so you can just roll and take it in.
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Fort Collins family / flat ride — 5.8 mi
Short loop on quiet paved roads with almost nothing in the way of climbing. You're looking at just under six miles and about 43 minutes, all on smooth pavement with next to no traffic.
Fort Collins bike paths ride — 16.73 mi
Head southeast on quiet pavement for a flat, easy spin out and back, picking up just 161 ft of climbing across the full 16.7 miles. All traffic-free roads make this a mellow midweek cruise with zero stress.
Fort Collins longer scenic ride — 17.38 mi
You're looking at about 17 miles of mixed pavement and gravel running south, with roughly 900 ft of climbing packed into the loop. The work's distributed across the ride, so pace yourself on the quiet roads and settle into the gravel sections when they roll uphill. This one's got just enough elevation to keep you honest without hammering you all at once.
Fort Collins gravel ride — 14.64 mi
Head west on quiet roads, then drop onto singletrack for a proper loop with about 803 ft of climbing mixed in. You'll see paved and dirt sections trade off, so bring a bike that handles both, and expect a solid 75 minutes of work.