Cycling inside the Las Vegas metro area isn't that great, but once you get out of town, you have some amazing, world-class options. There are a lot of stoplights and heavy traffic in and out of strip malls that make a lot of the main Las Vegas streets unsafe - whatever you do, riding your bicycle on the Strip is pretty much unadvised, cool as it may be.
The best options for a long, hilly, road bike ride are to head towards either Lake Mead to the east, to Mount Charleston in the northwest or to Red Rocks to the west.
At Lake Mead, you have two choices - the paved River Mountains Loop Trail, which is away from traffic and in great shape for road biking, or the roads. Stay away from the roads between the Hoover Dam and the Alan Bible Visitor Center or Boulder City, as these get quite congested. Instead, head up the north shore of Lake Mead to get away from traffic.
Mount Charleston is one heck of a hill climb! Starting in the Valley, you can go up to 9,000 feet (and then back down the mountain for a great downhill).
Red Rocks is very popular for riding - it's a good climb just to get from Summerlin (or the Strip, which is further away) to the start of the scenic loop, and then the scenic loop itself goes up, then comes back down. The problem with this ride is the traffic - lots of tourists in cars with cameras on the Red Rocks scenic drive can make it a little hairy, and sometimes you'll be going faster than they are. The good news is that it's a two lane road, with bikes on the right hand side and cars supposed to be on the left hand side.
For more local information, check out Biking Las Vegas to see what the latest news is. Also check out the RTC Bike Map for bike lanes and paths in the Las Vegas Valley and Boulder City. Warning - the RTC Bike Map is a 1.3 megabyte PDF, and not really suitable for mobile devices.
Road Bike Races and Rides:
Where can I get a bicycling event schedule?:
The best source for local Las Vegas events - they include everything - is Biking Las Vegas.
Bike Paths:
Southern Nevada now has an amazing set of trails for hiking, running, mountain biking, and in some places, horseback riding. The River Mountains Loop Trail is a 35 mile long trail that loops around the River Mountain Range, connecting the Alan Bible Visitor Center in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Henderson, Boulder City, Railroad Pass, and the Hoover Dam.
Bike Rental:
You can rent road, tandem, and cross bikes from <a href="/business/las-vegas-cyclery">Las Vegas Cyclery</a>. They rent Cannondale CAAD9 road bikes. Bring your own pedals and shoes if you ride clipless. Las Vegas Cyclery organizes guided tours where they pick you up to either Red Rocks or Mount Charleston (for a downhill ride).
You can also rent hybrid and road bikes (Pinarello FP6 Campagnolo Chorus 11 speed or Cannondale Synapse 5 Compact) from <a href="/business/mcghies-las-vegas">McGhie's Las Vegas</a>, and if you're staying at the Red Rocks Casino and Resort and order them through the concierge, they'll deliver. From that hotel, you can ride out to Red Rocks and do the scenic loop pretty easily, out of traffic in the bike lane.
Bike Stores:
Las Vegas Cyclery sells Specialized and Cannondale road bikes and mountain bikes. They also offer road, tandem, cross, and mountain bike rentals.
Because a lot of visitors to Vegas stay on the Strip and don't rent a car, Las Vegas Cyclery also offers mountain bike, road bike, and hiking day tours that cover everything, including pickup and dropoff on the Strip. Try the Mount Charleston downhill shuttle for a fun ride in the summer - at 9,000 feet, Mount Charleston is quite cool, and you can zip downhill to the desert for 18 miles!
Location:
8221 W Charleston Blvd
Las Vegas,
NV 89117
Location:
7260 W. Azure Drive Suite 130
Las Vegas,
NV
McGhie's Las Vegas is a full-service bike store and rental outlet. They rent out Trek, Cannondale, Pinarello and Cervelo bikes.
If you're staying at the Red Rock Resort and Casino, they'll deliver bikes to you, and if you buy a $2,000 and up bike, they'll reimburse the cost of your hotel room (free trip to Vegas, anyone?). There are some restrictions and so forth, so check with them before you plan this one.
Location:
4035 S. Fort Apache
Las Vegas,
NV 89147