Tom Franken - Bicycling - Industrial Way

Short review: Old road running along US36 with small shoulder and a serious blind railroad crossing. The traffic isn't too bad and it has a nice connector to the Interlocken trail system.

Detailed review: Industrial Way starts near the intersection of 287, 36, Wadsworth, and whatever other roads connect in that mess. head South on the road on the west side of Sill-Tehr Mazda (the old Ford dealership) across the railroad tracks. Follow the road to the right, under the 287 overpass and you will be on Industrial Way.

The road usually has 6-9 inch wide shoulders which is not much, but it is better than a white line. In a few spots the shoulder is beaten up which will force you into traffic. The traffic is not too heavy and seems to stay close to the 45mph speed limit.

The biggest single problem area is a railroad crossing. The railroad is on a raised bed that is impossible to see over. As you ride up the hill, your speed naturally declines and traffic following you will be on your tail. They cannot see over that hill to get around you. If you have traffic behind you approaching that hill, and don't plan to push yourself over it, you should probably let the traffic past. It's not a big rise - maybe 15 feet - but after a 40-mile ride into Boulder, I have a hard time pushing over any hill!

On the nice side, a tunnel underneath US36 connects to the Interlocken trail system. The tunnel is located just to the West of the buildings as you leave Broomfield.

BicycleInterlocken.org is not as kind to this road as I am. They are right in that it could use a lot of work to make a good bike route. However, I rated it second to worse so I could distinguish it from such death wishes as Wadsworth.