Lakewood is where Denver's suburbs press right up against the mountains. A large city of more than 150,000 people, it spreads west from Denver toward the foothills, and from almost anywhere in it you can see the first ridges of the Rockies rising abruptly from the plains, often with snow on the peaks behind. This finishing point lies just east of the foothills, in a district of houses, malls and office parks, with Green Mountain, a flat-topped grassy hill, standing just to the west.
That mountain wall is spectacular up close. A few kilometres west, the red sandstone fins of the Dakota Hogback and the Fountain Formation rise like broken teeth along the edge of the plains. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a famous concert venue carved between huge red monoliths near Morrison, is only a short ride away. On Dinosaur Ridge, just north of Morrison, dinosaur footprints and bones were first found in the 1870s, and you can still see tracks preserved in the rock along a short trail.
The roads into the mountains from here are superb. Colorado 74 climbs west from Morrison through Bear Creek Canyon to Evergreen, a winding, narrow road along a rocky creek, and US 285 heads southwest through Turkey Creek Canyon toward Conifer and the high country beyond. Further south lies the long climb toward Pikes Peak and the roads around Deckers, a favourite area for motorcycles, with flowing curves through ponderosa pine forest. If you are coming back from the Million Dollar Highway in the San Juan Mountains, you will have crossed half the state and several high passes to get here, so the flat, busy suburban streets will feel tame.
Expect traffic: the West 6th Avenue freeway, the C-470 beltway and the arterial roads can be heavy at rush hour, and red-light cameras are common. Summer afternoons bring thunderstorms over the foothills, often with hail, so watch the sky.
Lakewood has everything you need: fuel, motorcycle shops, restaurants, breweries and hotels. After a long ride, a cold drink on a patio with a view of the mountains turning orange in the evening light is a fine way to finish. Before bed, check the tyres and chain; the high passes and canyon roads are hard on a bike, and you may be tempted to head back out tomorrow.