There’s so much adventure waiting in Boulder, you couldn’t possibly pack for it all.
Luckily, you don’t have to. Boulder has a great selection of top-notch outdoor and athletic stores. Find quirky apparel, bike experts, cheap ski gear and custom-measured everything’s made right in town.
Here are some of our favorite locally owned stores to help outfit you for your next active adventure in Boulder.
Boulder’s Ultimate Guide to Shopping
This article is part of a larger series. To see all the articles in this Ultimate Guide, click here.
Apparel
Skirt Sports, 2795 Pearl St., Unit 102
Skirt Sports was started by local pro triathlete, Nicole DeBoom, who wanted to wear something flattering and fashionable yet high-performance during her training. She wore her first design in an Ironman in 2004 and has been selling Skirt Sports ever since.
The shop sells women’s activewear from sizes XS to 3X. Skirt Sports has a brick-and-mortar storefront on Pearl Street that’s totally worth a visit. While you can buy Skirt Sports online, this is currently the only place to shop in person.
Budget and Discount
Boulder Sports Recycler, 4949 Broadway
This is the oldest gear consignment shop in Boulder where you can find premier and brand name products at way reduced prices. The Boulder Sports Recycler has a whopping 20,000 consignors, including sponsored athletes and industry reps. This means it’s the best place in town to score the coolest gear and clothes for the best prices. The 25-plus-year-old shop itself was founded by accomplished athletes.
The Pro’s Closet, 2845 29th St., Unit C
The Pro’s Closet started with a local resident living in a Volkswagen Bus (so Boulder) with the goal of minimizing his life. He began selling his possessions online, which grew to become an eBay store for used bikes, gear and sports clothes. In fact, the eBay store specializes in selling cycling gear. You never know what you’re going to find.
Note: This is not a traditional retail space, although customers are welcome to visit and browse the inventory. In many cases, you can inspect the products from the warehouse in person before purchasing. You can also tour the facility, and the on-site bike museum is open to the public.
General Sports
Neptune Mountaineering, 633 S. Broadway, Unit A
Neptune is one the most reputable and renowned mountain shops in Colorado. One of an elite few to achieve the ranks of world class mountain shops. It’s been a staple in Boulder since 1973, and has been locally owned since inception. Nestled with a view at the feet of the Flatirons, it’s been serving as a community hub and toy store for adults for more than 45 years. Neptune has gear for climbers, skiers, mountaineering and camping — you name it. It’s also home to a museum of artifacts from the history of mountaineering curated by the original owner, Gary Neptune.
Recently completely renovated, the store now features a café featuring coffee from a local roaster and food from local bakeries. Be sure to check out their calendar of weekly slideshows and presentations that will inspire your next adventure. This is the place to get geared up to get outside.
Epic Mountain Gear, Village Shopping Center, 2525 Arapahoe Ave.
Looking to buy or rent ski or snowboard gear? This is your home. Epic Mountain Gear (formerly Boulder Ski Deals) has an established reputation and boasts five different locations; Epic first started in Frisco in 2014.
You can find kids’ equipment here, get fitted and get tips, mountain gear, tune-ups, access to the Epic Pass tickets, lessons and products and more.
Local tip: Instead of renting your ski gear at a ski resort, rent it here instead and bring it up with you. You’ll save bank.
Two-Wheeled Sports
Full Cycle Bikes, 1211 13th St. and 1795 Pearl St.
Boulder loves bikes and boasts a great selection of local bike specialty shops. Full Cycle is one of the locals’ favorites. Full Cycle, which actually has two locations in Boulder, has been a staple in town since the early ‘80s. It claims to be Boulder’s oldest and most “inclusive” bike shop. It sells every kind of bike from road to mountain, to electric and racing. You can repair and rent bikes here and enroll in classes and group rides, too.
Full Cycle is a relaxed, friendly shop (complete with shop dogs). The Pearl Street Location even has a bar, The Tune Up at Full Cycle, where you can have a beer, coffee and snacks and chat with the staff and other bike-lovers. New for 2019: Strade Bianche Cafe´, an Italian-inspired cycling cafe next door to the Tune Up location
Local tip: Full Cycle posts all of its deals and discounts on Facebook, on its website and in its newsletter.
Sports Garage Cycling, 2705 Spruce St.
Sports Garage claims to be Boulder’s only “full-service, high-end bike retailer dedicated to alternative surface cycling.” That’s single track mountain biking, backcountry adventure, gravel roads and dirt paths. With an unrivaled fleet of over fifty demo bikes, Sports Garage attracts bike enthusiasts, serious mechanics, and riders craving a “dirt” education . As Sports Garage puts it, where the pavement ends is where the shop’s passion begins. Sports Garage was founded 25 years ago.
Boulder Cycle Sport, 4580 Broadway, Unit B
Boulder Cycle Sport was founded by a small group of University of Colorado alumni in 2005. Since then, it has won numerous awards, including America’s Best New Bike Shop, multiple Top 100 Dealer listings and America’s Best Bike Shop.
Its continued mission has been to redefine the community bike shop with the highest level of customer service to all levels of cyclists, while igniting change in the world through the power of riding on two wheels.
A full-service bicycle retailer with two locations (there’s also one at 629 S. Broadway St., Suite K), the shop offers bicycles, accessories, apparel, repair/maintenance services, professional bike fitting and hosts community events for bicycle enthusiasts of all ages and all abilities. Boulder Cycle SPort provides a range of road, mountain, comfort, triathlon, commuter and electric bikes from brands including Yeti, Scott, Giant, Liv, Pinarello, Mosaic, Mariposa, BMC, Linus and Surly.
Vecchio’s Bicicletteria, 1833 Pearl St.
Vecchio’s (pronounced veck-ee-ohs) has a strong reputation for repairing and fitting road bikes. Custom fitting is big here; all bikes are built to order, with components selected a la carte and assembled in house with hand-built wheels. Vecchio’s only sells U.S.-made steel and titanium bikes. Got an old bike that needs serviced? This is your place. After all, “vecchio” means “old” in Italian.
Foot Sports
Boulder has a long list of running stores. Boulder Running Co. used to lead the pack as the first running store in the country to offer video gait analysis for shoe-fittings, but the shop has since been sold to the chain JackRabbit. Flatirons Running in south Boulder and Fleet Feet Sports also closed.
Newton Running, 3675 Frontier Ave.
Get your hook-up for runs at Newton. The world headquarters are based in Boulder. This ambitious company aims to be the world’s leader in “natural running shoe technology and form.” In true Boulder style, Newton also cares to help make the world a better place and has that written into its mission statement. Newton holds special events, running clinics and fun runs; in the past, you could find runs on Tuesday nights. Do a demo run and learn about your running form.
Shoes and Brews, 63 S. Pratt Parkway, Longmont
This shop is not in Boulder, but it’s worth the drive east. This is a nanobrewery and shoe store in one. Many beers have running-related names. Every Thursday, there’s a free fun run, followed by half-priced drinks. These are wildly popular in the warmer months. Plus, any day you visit, try the 800-Meter Road Challenge. However fast you run the 800 meters is how much your beers will cost. The faster you run, the cheaper your brew.
