5280 Magazine

Founded in 1993, 5280 is the largest local magazine in Colorado. The magazine's stories often make national headlines, and since 2005 5280 has been nominated for four National Magazine Awards. Get 5280 Magazine digital subscription today.

5280 Magazine

Onward & Upward

JOSHUA W. STRONG

A partial list of places in Colorado where it’s OK to talk about guns:

Home Field Advantage

WESTERN PROMISES • Four local artists are disrupting the West’s Marlboro Man stereotype as part of Cowboy, a venue-wide exhibition (September 29 to February 18) at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver.

In Step • Why I no longer strive to keep up on the trails.

TAKE YOUR TIME • Three trails well-suited to leisurely fall hiking.

Revolving Doors • Tennyson Street may have lost a few beloved businesses over the past decade, including Elitch Lanes and BookBar, but a slew of new boutiques and eateries—plus a few mainstays—has helped the six-block stretch between 38th and 44th streets maintain its reputation as one of northwest Denver’s premier retail and dining destinations.

Prime Style • The hapless Buffs aren’t the only ones who need their new coach, Deion Sanders, to revamp their vibes. Coloradans—ridiculed for their Chaco tans and penchants for plaid—could learn a thing or two about fashion from the recent GQ Sports Style Hall of Fame inductee, too.

Keep Colorado Wild

Morning Munchies

Buzz Worthy • With Colorado’s pollinators in peril, it’s never been more important to support our local bees and beekeepers. Thanks to these makers, it’s also deliciously easy.

Leap Of Faith • Lucina Eatery & Bar invites diners to give themselves over to the culinary traditions of Latin America, South America, Spain, and the Caribbean.

FOUND IN TRANSLATION • We highly suggest branching out from the familiar offerings on Lucina’s menu. Use our primer on these items listed in Spanish to order like a pro.

How The West Was Won • A Grand Junction–based task force may have finally figured out a way to put the brakes on runaway auto theft in Colorado.

New School? • Colorado State University rests on land seized from Indigenous tribes, who have largely been ignored by CSU ever since. A new administrator plans to build those relationships and improve Native Americans’ access to higher ed.

HOLY GRAVEL! • Combine gravel biking’s welcoming culture and ease of entry with Colorado’s seemingly endless maze of dirt roads and trails, and it’s clear why the Centennial State has become a mecca for the sport.

GRAVEL BIKE BREAKDOWN • Any bike can be a gravel bike if you ride it on gravel, but the discipline’s growing popularity is due, in large part, to a new breed of-gravel-specific bicycles (which start around $1,000). And there’s a lot more to them than simply slapping some bigger tires on a road rig, says Adam Miller, founder of Carbondale’s Revel Bikes. Here’s what makes Revel’s Rover (from $4,000) perfect for getting on, and then off, the asphalt.

SIZING IT UP • Finding a bike that fits is less like getting a new T-shirt and more like buying a suit. So think of Zack Allison—co-owner of Bike Sports, a Fort Collins bicycle fitting studio, event organizer, and race team—as your tailor.

FREE WHEELS • The Front Range may be Colorado’s most densely populated urban corridor, but finding wide-open gravel isn’t a problem.

BUCKET LIST RIDES • Four epic gravel routes spread across the state’s most epic terrain.

EVERYDAY CARRY • Leaving the blacktop behind means you need to be prepared. These nine essentials will help ensure you make it back home on two wheels instead of two feet.

RIDING IN STYLE • With gravel riding taking the best of both road cycling and mountain biking, it’s only...