As temperatures along the Front Range climbed into the mid-90s, cyclists climbed Lookout Mountain Road outside of Golden on Monday, July 10, 2023. It’s about a 4.5 mile climb from the Pillars marking the start at 6,043 feet, up to Buffalo Bill’s Grave at 7,392 feet – 1,286 feet of elevation grain. Colorado’s cycling community is still reeling from the death of 17-year-old rising star Magnus White late last month. White was riding north of Boulder when he was struck from behind by a 23-year-old driver who drifted from her lane.
It’s the manifestation of a worst-case scenario that has gone through the minds of many Colorado motorists, especially in the mountains. The state’s narrow, winding roads can be dangerous for both drivers and cyclists tasked with sharing the road, even when there’s not much traffic around. Now, add in busy weekend traffic, cars backed up behind you — and the danger gets even higher.
That’s the sort of anxiety-provoking situation which inspired Littleton’s Kristen McCammon to write in to Colorado Wonders :
“What’s the proper etiquette as a car driver when encountering cyclists on curvy mountain roads?”
McCammon recounted her experiences driving down mountain passes, or east through the foothills, back onto the front range, and coming upon a cyclist. Then, just not really knowing what to do.
“I feel like if I try to pass them, that’s when somebody’s going to come around a blind curve that I can’t see,” she said.
Colorado Department of Transportation Chief Engineer Keith Stefanik describes […]
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