Colorado Springs Brewery Tour by Bicycle

Westside Brewery Tour by Bicycle

Explore the westside of Colorado Springs via bicycle and sample beers from a variety of local breweries with this handy brewery tour itinerary. 

Preparing for Your Colorado Springs Brewery Tour

• If you don’t have a bike of your own, or you don’t feel like hauling one to the starting point, we highly recommend PikeRide bikes. You can rent one for the day or by the hour as you ride from location to location. Colorado Springs also has a scooter option, but they don’t come with nifty baskets for collecting crowlers. Choose accordingly. 

• Your beer-venture begins in Downtown Colorado Springs and ends in Manitou Springs. You can reverse that, but parking is more affordable (or free if you know where to park) and there are lots of bikes and scooters to go around. 

• Your total route will add up to about 14 miles round trip. The opening 7 miles to Manitou is uphill, but the grade is gentle and the PikeRide e-assist motor makes navigating them a breeze. The 7 miles back to Downtown Colorado Springs is downhill and you’ll definitely enjoy every minute.

• Watch your bike’s battery. Try to select a full bike and check frequently to make sure you have enough charge. You can always trade out along the way, but it’s better to be safe than struggling on those hills. 

• Please Note: We’ve only shared 5 stops to help you pace yourself and drink responsibly. Remember that drunk-cycling or scootering is a ticketable offense. Do not ride or scooter while intoxicated. There’s no shame in locking up your ride and calling a rideshare if you accidentally down a brew with 12% ABV or love that new sour just a little too much to have just one. Please follow all traffic laws, proceed with caution at intersections and around driveways and follow all PikeRide rules for cycling safety. Have a safe trip! 

Your Brew Ride Itinerary

Breakfast Recommendations: 

• Urban Egg
• Denver Biscuit Company
• Phantom Canyon (weekends)
• Western Omelet

Directions: Pick up a PikeRide at Pikes Peak Avenue near Nevada Ave. There are several parking garages in the area if you don’t want to worry about meter parking. You can also park in non-metered residential areas and walk to any of the PikeRide stations. Your first beer stop is Phantom Canyon Brewing Company, located at the northeast intersection of Pikes Peak Ave. and Cascade Ave.

Phantom Canyon Brewing Company

2 E. Pikes Peak Ave. 

Phantom Canyon’s flagship beers include Boxcar, a red ale, Streamlined IPA, Dos Lunas lager and Aspenglow wheat. They offer flights to help you maximize your opportunities to taste without quitting before you’ve even begun. If you show up on a weekend, they have a great brunch with rotating items, too. It’s a very Colorado way to begin to your day of beer excellence.

Directions: From Phantom Canyon, you’ll use the Cascade Ave. bike lane to head south toward Colorado Avenue. Turn right on Colorado and head west over the bridge and under I-25 to your next destination. The sidewalk is extremely wide on the leg of Colorado, so ride it to maintain your safety. You’ll hit Cerberus at the northwest intersection of Colorado Ave. and 17th St.

Cerberus Brewing Company

702 W. Colorado Ave. 

At Cerberus, you can enjoy a wide variety of creative brews and excellent food (lunch here is highly recommended). Cerberus has a large selection of IPAs, as well as craft sodas that are perfect for non-drinkers or riders who are pacing themselves. If you happen to make a trip on a warm weekend, you’ll be delighted to sample one of their refreshing beer slushees. 

Directions: From Cerberus, you’ll double back east on Colorado Ave. and turn right on Chestnut St., following it south until you hit the Midland Trail. Head west on the Midland Trail. The trail will take you along Highway 24 and eventually break off onto Cucharras St. (at 21st St.) for a few blocks. Continue west on Cucharras St. until you reach 23rd St. and turn right. Head north to Colorado Ave. You’ll see OCC brewing on the north side of the street. 

OCC Brewing Company

2316 W. Colorado Ave.

OCC Brewing Company is a tenacious business. After multiple setbacks in their opening days, they have rapidly positioned themselves as a new favorite in Old Colorado City. If you skipped lunch until now, they have great eats — light sides, great fries and unique meals. They also have a lot of great craft beers and the chance to try more than one with a custom beer flight. Put a pin in the Barrel Aged 2021 Olde Borador. It’s 11% ABV will probably tank your afternoon. But it’s worth another visit. Instead, try the Angry Scotsman Scottish ale or the Tarantulas Marching, a chocolate caramel American brown named for the tarantula migration in Southern Colorado.

Directions: After OCC Brewing, you’ll head just a few streets up. While it’s legal to ride on Colorado Ave., we don’t recommend it. Bop on back to Cucharras St. and turn right. Head west and turn left on 25th St. and follow it back to the trail on the right. Head west on the trail until just before you reach 31st St. Turn right on Golden Lane Road from the trail and then turn right on Colorado Ave. This is another place to carefully navigate using the sidewalk to your destination. Head east to 30^th St., where you’ll find Trails End Taproom. 

Trails End Taproom

2925 W. Colorado Ave. 

While not a brewery, this taproom is a must-stop location if you want to sample a lot of Colorado craft beers in one location. Trails End also serves imports and other brews. Since you pay by the ounce, you can decide how much you want to drink. For the record, the taproom’s new location is the old Mason Jar, and they still have some of the top foods (biscuits and fried chicken for the win). We can’t really recommend a beer since the taps change but we can assure you there will be something you actually like! 

Directions: From Trails End Taproom, you’ll get back into the Midland Trail and start the biggest leg of the ride—the journey to Manitou Springs. This is an absolutely awesome ride, especially in the summer. However, it can get tricky in the “no man’s land” between OCC and Manitou Springs. The trail will seemingly balk at Ridge Road. Cross Colorado through the light and follow the trail up the switchback path to Pikes Peak Ave. Head to Columbia Road and turn left, where you’ll pick the trail back up on your right and continue west. 

You may also simply ride on the road (Colorado Ave.) from Ridge Road to the trailhead). Weigh if you feel it is safe option when you are there to assess traffic. Your route will transition into what is now called Creek Path and run behind the swimming center. The trail will pop you out onto Manitou Ave. near the Cog Rail locomotive and City Hall. Turn right and proceed west. Manitou Brewery will be on your left after Pawnee Ave. It’s tucked back from the sidewalk next to Swirl Wine Bar and LeGrande Accents Boutique. 

Manitou Brewing Company

725 Manitou Ave. 

Manitou Brewing Company is the last stop on this bicycle brewery tour and it’s another excellent location (frankly, this city is a goldmine). Lagers, blondes, wheats and IPAs are on the menu, plus any concoction the brewer was inspired to create. Their fruit-forward beers are some of the tastiest around, with excellent sours, wheats and porters. If you have managed to pace your tour to the dinner hour, try their wings, mac or truffle fries. Or, if you want to explore Manitou free from the worries of parking and driving, walk around town and find a cuisine that inspires you. 

Directions: From Manitou Springs you can turn back and take the Midland Trail all the way back to Downtown Colorado Springs. Since you won’t be making stops, you spill out onto Cimarron St. by the United States Olympic Museum. Cutting through America the Beautiful Park will bring you back to Colorado Ave. You can get back into the bike lane on Cascade Ave. and navigate to your car or home. If you’re feeling extra ambitious, you can also connect with the Greenway Trail or explore more of Downtown Colorado Springs.