Route Advice request: between Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado

I have some business to conduct in Colorado Springs and thought I
would use it as an excuse to bicycle from my home in Fort Collins to
Colorado Springs and back. I am looking for a fairly direct route (so
I can ride each direction in a long day) and am fully aware this isn't
the prettiest touring in Colorado...

I know roads north of Denver well, but post this to ask about fairly
direct routes between Denver and Colorado Springs. The Colorado
Department of Transportation (CDOT) bicycle map suggests three major
alternatives in the state highway system:
1. Colorado 83 (via Franktown)
2. US 85 (via Sedalia)
3. I-25 (via Castle Rock)
I know I-25 and this is an acceptable though not particularly pleasant
choice if necessary. My query is about the other two alternatives
above. Is one significantly better or worse than the other (or
I-25)? Are there some other roads such as county roads that I should
investigate instead?

Thanks for any assistance and apologies to those of you uninterested
in Colorado.

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

On Apr 17, 12:42 pm, wrote:
I have some business to conduct in Colorado Springs and thought I
would use it as an excuse to bicycle from my home in Fort Collins to
Colorado Springs and back. I am looking for a fairly direct route (so
I can ride each direction in a long day) and am fully aware this isn't
the prettiest touring in Colorado...

I know roads north of Denver well, but post this to ask about fairly
direct routes between Denver and Colorado Springs. The Colorado
Department of Transportation (CDOT) bicycle map suggests three major
alternatives in the state highway system:
1. Colorado 83 (via Franktown)
2. US 85 (via Sedalia)
3. I-25 (via Castle Rock)
I know I-25 and this is an acceptable though not particularly pleasant
choice if necessary. My query is about the other two alternatives
above. Is one significantly better or worse than the other (or
I-25)? Are there some other roads such as county roads that I should
investigate instead?

Thanks for any assistance and apologies to those of you uninterested
in Colorado.

--mev, Mike Vermeulen

Hunh, I'm in the same boat -- I live in Fort Collins and am very
familiar with most routes up north between Denver and the Wyoming
state line. But south of Denver is a great mystery to me too. My
suspicion is the roads east of I-25 through Castle Rock and Monument
are the way to go, but I've only done bits and pieces of rides through
there. Never the Whole Monty from Denver to Colorado Springs.