This article is part of my Las Vegas Without a Car project. Essentially, I explore all the ways to commute, work, and recreate in Las Vegas without using a car. #LVWaC

The weather forecast is a high of 100°, a welcome mid-August reprieve and beautiful bicycling weather in the Mojave. I woke up with the goal of riding to Boulder City and perhaps getting a little work done at a coffee shop or two along the way.

Every bicycle ride from my home begins with navigating “concrete canyons” indicative of poor (sub)urban planning. Las Vegas is filled with streets like this one, blank lifeless cinder block walls on each side with nothing but asphalt and concrete stretching between. The more modern neighborhoods were designed with required landscaping so you at least see some shrubs and trees spaced along the road. The more affluent neighborhoods have dense vegetation and winding paths that make you feel like you’re riding through a park instead of just down a street. But in East Las Vegas we have concrete canyons that feel like pottery ovens during the summer, radiating heat from every direction as you walk or ride along the sidewalk.

I actually rarely ride down the sidewalk. Initially I started avoiding sidewalks because they’re never swept like the streets are. During my first couple of years riding bicycles in Las Vegas, it felt like I spent as much time fixing flats as I did actually riding. I was constantly picking up broken glass or cactus thorns that would puncture my tubes. I got pretty quick at changing out my tubes but it was starting to get pretty old. I eventually figured out that most of my flats occurred while riding on Las Vegas sidewalks. I started staying off of sidewalks as much as possible and had fewer flats. I eventually found a tire and tube setup that virtually eliminated flats, but I still tend to choose streets over sidewalks. Though now that choice has more to do with exercising my right to use the street than avoiding flats.

Beyond the concrete canyons there are places built for bicycles if you’re willing to just take the ride. Today I eventually linked up with the Union Pacific Railroad Trail, one of my favorite bicycle trails in Las Vegas. The UPRR Trail links with other bicycle trails that can get me to some of my favorite places in the Mojave, such as Boulder City. Once on the UPRR Trail, the vibe completely changes and I’m no longer cooking in a concrete canyon or avoiding aggressive diesel pick-up drivers who don’t recognize my right to use the same streets as them. Now I’m being met by other bicyclists, dog walkers, and parents pushing children in strollers. They seem so happy!

I ride to the edge of Railroad Lake and a massive raptor swoops overhead. I am reminded that we should allow ourselves time for distractions. I step off my bicycle and watch a large Osprey circle for another pass at the lake. Full of ducks, loons, turtles, and fish, I wonder what the Osprey is hunting. Patient and alert, the Osprey continues to make more passes over the lake but doesn’t strike while I’m waiting. The heat is relieved only while moving, so I start back on my ride past Railroad Lake and along the UPRR Trail towards Boulder City.

The trail runs parallel to the railroad tracks and comes within a short distance of downtown Henderson. On past rides, I’ve detoured to downtown and had a coffee at Public Works Coffee, but this time I continue riding out into the desert and connect to the River Mountains Loop Trail.

While riding in the Mojave, particularly in August, water is always a concern. But the infrastructure along Las Vegas’ recreational bicycle trails are pretty amazing. Spaced along many of the trail systems are filtered water stations where I easily top off as needed. With a few bottles stashed on my bike, a weekend cycling adventure is manageable even during the harshest heat waves.

The River Mountains Loop Trail dumps me only a few blocks from downtown Boulder City where bicycles fit naturally into the street life and plenty of restaurant and cafe options await. I generally choose the Dam Roast House & Browder Bookstore where the drinks are tasty and there is usually a good vegan option or two on the menu.

After a tasty breakfast and getting a bit of work done, I make my way back the way I came. The temperature has eclipsed 100° but the moving air keeps me comfortable and I continue to encounter smiling cyclists who woke up this morning with the same idea as me. One in particular looks a lot like me, with long gray beard and a bicycle loaded to the brim with cargo. We ride in tandem for a bit and, when we part ways, he just smiles and gives me the peace sign ✌