There's a new addition to the recpath that runs alongside the Dillon Dam Road: Six sets of metal poles planted along its length. These yellow poles are about

4 feet high, 6 inches around, and split the already narrow recpath into three lanes. This is causing some local bikers serious frustration.

“I hate them!” said Sheila Paxton of Frisco as she sat at the recapth's east end in Dillon. “They're stupid and a waste of money.”

Paxton said the poles (officially known as “bollards”) force riders to slow down in order to make sure they pass through safely, which can be a nuisance. She said this leads to congestion on the recpath and increases the likelihood of accidents with riders coming from the other direction.

Paxton's low opinion seems to be shared by many of the bikers traversing the recpath these days.

“They're a waste of money,” Paul Sykora of Frisco said, echoing Paxton's remarks. “They'd be better off fixing the guardrails,” he added, pointing out the dilapidated railings on either side of the Dam Road.

The bollards also pose a problem for those traveling in anything wider than a bike.

“With trailers you have to go through the middle and wait,” said Julie Hanks of Silverthorne as she towed her daughter Sage behind her. “I just aim carefully and go.”

The other problem riders have with the bollards is of a more existential nature.

“I'm not really sure why they put them there anyway,” said Rich Abbott of Dillon. The reason for the bollards installation has been quite a quandary for riders, but according to Denver Water there's a simple answer. Denver Water operates the reservoir, and it says the bollards are a security measure.

“They're there to prevent unauthorized vehicles from getting onto the path,” said Denver Water spokesperson Stacy Chesney.

Chesney said the bollards conform to all necessary regulations and shouldn't pose any problems for riders. While the bollards may appear rather simple in nature, Chesney said there are strict specifications on their placement laid out by a wide variety of laws and entities ranging from the U.S. Department of Transportation to the American Association of State Highway and Traffic Officials and the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“We followed all the guidelines and standards to make (the bollards) as user-friendly as possible,” Chesney said.

While some riders are agonizing over this new obstacle, others are taking a more laidback approach. Though Abbott said he didn't know why the bollards were necessary, he also said his trip through them was relatively pain free.

“I just had to slow down for a minute while another guy went through, no big deal,” Abbott said. “If you're in a hurry maybe it's a big deal.”

Paxton's husband Douglas holds a similar view. He said he doesn't let the inconvenience of the bollards take away from why he rides in the first place.

“You have so much beauty here,” he said as he looked admiringly at Dillon Reservoir. “This is pretty close to perfect.”