Littleton, CO Outdoor Activities

Campus Cycles owners Mark Velat and Bobby Verenna grew up in the cycling world. Mark has been riding and racing for more than 30 years now, and Bobby broke into the retail end back in sixth grade. At their shop, patrons reap the rewards of their expertise when shopping from shelves of sturdy bikes and gear from brands such as Giant, Cannondale, and Electra, in addition to children's two-wheelers and tricycles. Their service department’s technicians recalibrate bikes with tune-ups, and fit specialists match individuals with the ideal cycle. Patrons can also visit on demo days when big-name manufacturers show off their latest products and let riders take them out for test-drives on nearby mountain trails or paved roads. Meanwhile, the store's Get to Know Your Bike classes give riders basic repair and maintenance skills so they can remedy minor damage incurred when tires pop on fiberglass banana peels littering the road.

Designed by adrenaline junkies specifically for Speed Raceway, each eco-friendly electric XLR8R kart can thrust racers at speeds nearing 50 mph through Speed Raceway's quarter-mile track. With 2 inches between you and the track below, the karts revolutionize the wind-resistant, frictional foundations of modern physics, proving once and for all that all physics is theoretical, especially gravity. Each 12-lap contest pits white-knuckled drivers against one another, and the entire field against a smug, unrelenting clock. Soon, licensed members can view an online database of their best times anytime, anywhere, and always in the presence of a disbelieving trackside crush.

Derby was reborn in the early 2000s as a ferociously fun sport. Nearly all modern leagues are composed of female, DIY-spirited bands of punky costumed, vicious-monikered rascals who shove each other on traditional quad roller skates. The Rocky Mountain Rollergirls, Denver's original all-women flat-track roller derby league, is operated by the more than 40 skaters who makeup its six teams: home teams Red Ridin' Hoods, Sugar Kill Gang, Dooms Daisies, Kill Scouts, and traveling teams, Fight Club and the Contenders. These fearless athletes leave bouts with sprained shoulders, bruises, and hematomas, which is nothing compared to the competitors' pain (the ladies took home second place in the 2009 Women’s Flat Track Derby Association regional tournament and fourth in the national tournament).

Former professional motorcycle racer and 20-year veteran street rider Jason Curdy dedicates his company, Full Throttle Riding Academy—a state-sponsored school and recognized training provider of the Motorcycle Safety Foundation—to teaching motorcyclists to ride safely and respect the road. Starting with the two-day Basic Rider Course, students learn to safely maneuver their vehicles on an off-street range and study riding regulations within the classroom. By the end of the course, they’ll have the knowledge and command of their bikes necessary to start riding. Riders can also brush up on their street skills in the half-day Experienced Rider Course, which incorporates more advanced riding techniques, showing them how to optimize lane position and how not to read a book at the wheel.

Sandwiched between Dinosaur Ridge and the Hogback, Action Karting buzzes year-round with the sound of drivers zigzagging across its 17-turn outdoor track. The company's professional, Italian-made go-karts sport 6.5-horsepower Honda engines that power the pint-sized rides to speeds of up to 55 miles per hour. Before speedometers spring from zero, Action Karting's staff always delivers a safety speech that includes a review of hand signals, such as those for "left turn," "right turn," and "stop, collaborate, and listen." The track can also be rented out to host private events, including birthdays and corporate team-building events.

The Denver Outlaws joined Major League Lacrosse as an expansion team in 2006, immediately staking out their territory with a Western Conference title and a trip to the league championship. In the years since, they have never once missed the playoffs, even when something good was on TV. From their inception, the Outlaws have marauded the league record books, setting attendance records in their inaugural season and improving from there, with recent Fourth of July games drawing more than 30,000 fans to Sports Authority Field at Mile High. This year’s Independence Day game continues the tradition of fireworks exploding over the field and a wave of apple pie filling flooding the parking lot.