photo courtesy vail.com.

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge (USAPCC) hits Vail for Stage 3 with an uphill individual time trial that should be super spectator friendly. Riders will climb almost 1,800 feet from the resort town of Vail up Vail Pass to the finish. If you’ve never watched a professional cycling race in person, this could be a fun stage because riders will be constantly streaming through the course for more than 2 hours (instead of the 2 minute whoosh! you can expect when viewing the peloton).

Stage 4 of the USAPCC takes riders from the town of Avon north to Steamboat Springs. This stage is only about 82 miles long (only!) with just over of 5,000 feet of climbing which is pretty mellow compared to previous stages. The official USAPCC description says “(w)ithout significant climbs or high-speed descents, cyclists have numerous opportunities for breakaways” which means this should also be an exciting stage to watch.

If I haven’t mentioned it before, the USAPCC is being covered by the Versus channel so even if you can’t make it out to watch the race you can still keep track at home. On Sunday, portions of the race’s final stage will even be broadcast on regular old NBC.

Mountain biking Stages 3&4

The mountain biking opportunities along this stage lean heavily toward the “lift-serviced” variety. Beaver Creek (in Avon) operates a summer lift as does Vail and the Steamboat resort. Leadville is sorta “just over the hill” from Vail – but not really. It’s still a 40 mile drive or so and the singletrack opportunities there are limited. Along the Stage 4 route on Highway 131 itself there just aren’t many trails (at least according to our trail database). Just the excuse you needed to rent a sick DH bike and leave your climbing legs at home!

Where to stay

Since Stages 3 and 4 start and end in resort towns there should be no shortage of great places to stay. The good news is summer rates are usually less than half what you’d pay during prime ski season so live it up and stay somewhere nice!

Get ready for our final USAPCC preview covering Stages 5 and 6 later this week.

On Tuesday, August 23 the USA Pro Cycling Challenge (USAPCC) will kick off stage 1 where the racers will get their first real taste of the mountains.The folks in Salida are clearly excited about the race start and they’ve even set up their own website, SalidaStageStart.com, to fill visitors in on the race and surrounding activities and events. As the smallest host city in this year’s race, Salida should be a great spot to get up close to pro riders while experiencing all the amazing mountain bike trails in the area (more on that later).

The view of Salida from the trail on S Mountain.

After an opening circuit around the town of Salida, the cyclists will head up to the top of Monarch Pass to duke it out for the first of the King of the Mountains (KOM) points. If you’ve mountain biked the Monarch Crest trail you probably drove up most of the roughly 13-mile ascent to Monarch Pass on US 50. The climb appeared less steep than I remembered during my drive-by last week; officially, it’s 3,200 feet over 13 miles which isn’t exactly Tour de France steep but still it’s higher than Alp d’Huez. And over the next stages the racers will be forced to ride even higher!

From Monarch Pass it’s a quick descent down to the town of Gunnison where the riders will head north to the finish at Mount Crested Butte. Along the way there’s a sprint line in Gunnison and another in the town of Crested Butte just a couple miles from the finish. Speaking of the finish, the line at Mount Crested Butte represents the race’s only uphill finish where the top riders will pick up more KOM points.

Race day in Crested Butte promises to be an all day party, starting with a Townie Criterium at 11:45 (the same time racers will be leaving Salida). At 1pm the US Handcycling Federation is putting on a handcycle criterium in town while up in Mount Crested Butte kids will get a chance to race in a strider bike competition. Oh, and there will be plenty of live music, food and beer at the Finish Festival just steps from the finish line where the first riders are expected to roll in around 3:30pm.

Mountain Biking Stage 1 (Salida)

Ok, so the cycling race promises to be exciting but depending on where you stake your spot, you’ll probably only get to see the riders for a few moments before they buzz past. Which leaves plenty of time for mountain biking!

Salida is best known for its epic mountain bike route known as the Monarch Crest trail. This 30+ mile singletrack ride starts at the top of Monarch Pass (right on the USAPCC Stage 1 course) and (mostly) descends via the Continental Divide/Colorado Trail, Silver Creek Trail, and Rainbow Trail back to the town of Salida. Maddslacker wrote about this ride a few weeks ago and last week I got my second chance to ride the trail. Still as epic and beautiful as usual but this month there’s a world-class bike race happening there too!

Salida sits at a bit of a mountain bike trail crossroads with the Continental Divide Trail (~ 3,000 miles), Colorado Trail (~500 miles), and Rainbow Trails (~100 miles) all within just a few miles of town. While I was there I spoke with riders from New Zealand, a group in the middle of riding from Canada to Mexico via the Continental Divide trail, and dozens of day-trippers from around the state. And if Salida is the hub of mountain biking in Central Colorado, Absolute Bikes is the grease that keeps mountain bikers running smoothly. I spent a good bit of time in the shop with owner Shawn Gillis and was excited about the stories I overheard: epic day trips on Monarch Crest, Leadville training rides, and top Divide Trail race finishes.

Mountain biking around Salida isn’t just about big miles – there’s also a world-class trail system right in town that offers everything from machine-cut beginner fare to advanced, technical singletrack cut into the hills. Shawn from Absolute Bikes has been instrumental in getting the Salida Mountain Trails built and maintained and last week he gave me a quick tour of the network. The cool thing is the trails are sited and designed to maximize the riding season so even when other local trails are socked in with snow, the “S Mountain” trails are usually ready to ride. The parts I rode reminded me of classic “desert” rides like Bootleg Canyon and Chutes and Ladders in Fruita. Absolute Bikes has great maps and their folks are always happy to point riders to the best singletrack.

Mountain Biking Stage 1 (Crested Butte)

As a mountain biker I couldn’t have been more excited about Stage 1 of the USAPCC with a start in Salida and a finish in Crested Butte. For many years if you had asked me to name my favorite mountain bike trail the answer would have been (and might still be) Trail 401 in Crested Butte. And the crazy thing is when I asked the locals for their next favorite ride, most of them had a really hard time choosing from the dozens of classic trail rides in the area.

Crested Butte is also home to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and Mount Crested Butte features lift-serviced downhill runs for gravity-oriented riders (more on that from mtbgreg1 soon). Some have even argued that Crested Butte, along with Marin County, CA, is the birthplace of modern mountain biking.

And it’s not just that the trails in and around Crested Butte are well designed and fun to ride – the scenery turns great rides into world-beating epics. In summer the wildflowers along the trail are unbelievable and the soaring mountains make every view photo-worthy. If only trails like 401 weren’t so flowy – it’s damn hard to force yourself to stop to admire the views!

Where to Eat

For such small, remote mountain towns, both Salida and Crested Butte have some amazing dining options. After an epic ride along the Monarch Crest trail, I recommend treating yourself to a big steak dinner with a poblano relleno stuffed with grits at the Laughing Ladies Restaurant in Salida. And in Crested Butte, head to the Brick Oven for pizza (natch) and Colorado beers on tap while hobnobbing with local super-athletes on the outdoor patio. The Brick Oven patio also happens to be located just feet from the sprint line in Crested Butte so get your table early!

Where to Stay

Salida has a number of chain hotels including the Hampton Inn, Comfort Inn, and Super 8. I spent a night at the Hampton Inn and it was great – close to downtown plus there’s an indoor pool/hot tub and free breakfast.

Since Crested Butte is more of a resort town and ski destination, there are a number of options for lodging as well. The Elevation Hotel & Spa is super swanky and is located at Mount Crested Butte with lobby-level access to the bike lifts and mountain bike rentals. Not only that, it’s just steps from the stage 1 finish. You can also find plenty of condos for rent in the ski area through web sites like VRBO.com.

Fun Facts

This area of Colorado is so massively amazing for mountain biking that I haven’t even mentioned Gunnison (site of the first sprint line of Stage 1) or the ride I did while I was in Crested Butte last week (it’s actually along the Stage 2 course). So stay tuned for info on the next stage – who would’ve thought mountain bikers would have so much to get excited about for a cycling stage race?

The USA Pro Cycling Challenge (USAPCC) is coming to Colorado in less than 2 weeks and I just got back from previewing the first few stages late last night. From what I can tell, this is going to be the biggest and best cycling event in the country since the Coors Classic back in the 1980s! With the top 3 finishers from the Tour de France and 15 current or former National Champions, the USAPCC could easily rival the Coors Classic which was, at one time, the fourth largest cycling race in the world.

Prologue: Colorado Springs

The USAPCC kicks off with a time trial on August 22 at 1:15pm. The course is just 5.18 miles long and starts in the Garden of the Gods, a beautiful park located just west of downtown and one of the area’s top tourist attractions.

Time trial starting line.

I got a chance to ride the course on a proper rode road bike with Cameron Chambers, 2005 24 Hour Solo National champion and Carmichael Training Systems coach, and all I can say is this course is going to be fast! From the starting line there’s a super short climb on the park road – maybe 100 feet or so – before a sweeping left turn and a bombing descent out of the park on Ridge Road. At the bottom of Ridge there’s a sharp left turn onto West Pikes Peak Ave for a few blocks before a dog-leg right onto Colorado Avenue.

Backdrop to the start line.

Colorado Avenue is the main corridor through an area of town known as Old Colorado City and it should be a great place to watch the race with plenty of shops, restaurants, and bars dotting the route. From here it’s a straight shot (literally) to the finish downtown beside the Antlers Hilton hotel. The top riders will easily finish the mostly downhill route in 10 minutes or less! Still, this is the best opportunity to see all the riders as they come down the course one at a time.

Mountain Biking the Prologue

Red Rock Canyon

The starting line for the Prologue is literally steps away from the Ute trail, a mountain biking route inside Garden of the Gods. The trail is short and the area will probably be a zoo on race day but you may just be able to sneak in on a mountain bike using one of the alternate park entrances.

Just across US 24/Cimmaron from the Prologue course is Red Rock Canyon with a network of about 10 miles of mountain bike trails. Monday was the first time I had a chance to ride at Red Rock Canyon and I have to say it’s an amazing addition to the local trail arsenal. The trail features wide open climbs, white shale descents, Ponderosa pine switchbacks, and a few sandstone sections to keep you on your toes. Red Rock Canyon also connects to the Section 16 trails and it’s possible to link up with the miles of trails in Cheyenne Canyon without leaving the dirt for more than a half mile.

Where to Eat

Before my rides Monday I got a chance to meet up with Kings Chef Diner owner Gary Geiser while sampling a yummy breakfast burrito filled with eggs, crispy hashbrowns, and sausage and topped with Colorado Green Chili.  Gary is a mountain biker with serious credentials (Ned Overend was his neighbor in Durango and he trained at the US Olympic Center in town) and he’s been fueling C-Springs athletes for more than a decade.

Now some people may not know this but in addition to mountain biking I’m also an amateur competitive eater (I once got a t-shirt for finishing a 5-lb burrito). Gary has his own eating challenge at Kings Chef called the New Mexico Stomper, a 5 lb. burger served with a large order of fries. Finish the whole thing in less than an hour and it’s free. So far only 2 people have completed the challenge – both women – which sounds like a dare to me. Stop in for a bite and there’s a good chance you’ll rub elbows with some elite riders (and eaters).

Along the prologue course, check out Front Range BBQ (one of my old faves) or the newly opened Firehouse Southern Style BBQ. Meadow Muffins is also a great local bar / restaurant right on Colorado Ave.

Where to Stay

Colorado Springs has a ton of hotels in every price range you can imagine. If you want to go high end, stay at the Antlers Hilton and ask for a room facing south or west to get a glimpse of the action. During my trip I stayed at the Cheyenne Mountain resort and it was great – a very quiet, relaxed spot on the west side with easy access to the best mountain bike trails.

Fun Facts

Chris Carmichael, Lance Armstrong’s longtime coach, is based out of Colorado Springs and his Carmichael Training Systems company is housed in the old Van Briggle pottery building on US 24, blocks from the prologue course. And while the company is known for their training videos and remote coaching services to some of the world’s top athletes, they also have an incredible workout facility available to locals for a monthly fee. Which just makes me want to move back to Colorado Springs even more now…

And that’s just the USAPCC Prologue! As you can tell there will be a ton to see and do around the race later this month. If you live in the area there’s no excuse for missing this race and even if you don’t live nearby, this is a great excuse to watch a world-class cycling event while checking out the MTB trails in Colorado Springs. Next stop: Salida, CO and Stage 1.

Next week I’m heading to Colorado to preview a couple stages of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge race happening August 22-28. Even though it’s a road race this will definitely be an event mountain bikers can get excited about. Here are four reasons to pack your bags:

1. Amazing mountain backdrops. This is Colorado after all and with stages traveling between places like Crested Butte, Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs, Breckenridge, and Golden the scenery will not disappoint. Oh, and I’ve heard there are mountain bike trails in some of these places (more on that later).
2. The field is stacked with 136 big name cyclists. I know some of us might not want to admit knowing these guys but c’mon – the top 3 finishers from this year’s Tour de France will be racing in Colorado this month (Cadel Evans, Andy Schleck, and Frank Schleck). Bonus: Cadel Evans actually started out as a mountain biker, winning two World Cup titles and finishing 7th in the 2000 Olympic MTB race.
3. The race is expected to be one of the largest spectator sporting events to take place in the US. Ever. Organizers predict about a million people will watch the race during the week and spread over 518 miles, that’s almost 2,000 fans per mile. My suggestion: head to the Prologue time trial or the top of one of the high mountain passes to get the full crowd effect.
4. Watching the race is a good excuse to ride a new mountain bike trail. Stage 1, for example, crosses over Monarch Pass which just happens to be the trailhead for the Monarch Crest trail maddslacker wrote about earlier this week. And if you’ve never been to a pro cycling race before, it’s basically just a big party at the side of the road – perfect for unwinding after an epic trail ride! Hopefully you’ve saved up a few “sick days” at work…

Because this race is such a big deal and we LOVE to talk about the mountain biking in Colorado, we’ll be posting a series of trail articles centered around each stage of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. First stop: the Prologue in Colorado Springs!

Monarch Crest, an IMBA epic ride, is definitely one of the top trails in Colorado. Factor in the ratio of downhill to climbing, and it’s even sweeter. The only downside is that due to its high altitude, there is but a short window of opportunity to ride it between the leftover spring snow and new autumn snow. The good news is, that window is open…NOW!

If you haven’t ridden this amazing trail, this is the year to get off your duff and do it, and here is everything you need to know to put the trip together.

The Trail

Monarch Crest features singletrack connected by some fire road sections to make a mostly downhill run from the Monarch Pass trailhead back over to Highway 285. The starting elevation is about 11,300 feet and for the first two and a half miles it climbs steadily. The initial section of  fire road quickly gives way to singletrack that is level at first, but soon climbs some more to top out on the continental divide at around 12,000 feet. This is a great spot to stop for some snacks and 360° scenery.

From here the trail sidles along the Divide for a bit before heading downhill on more fire road,  plenty of buff singletrack, and even a talus field. Ultimately, the classic route links portions of the Colorado Trail, Silver Creek Trail, and Rainbow Trail for about 30 miles of authentic Colorado high country riding. There are two bailout points: at Marshall Pass around 11 miles in, and also at the Rainbow trailhead around mile 20. Including Rainbow, my GPS logged 2,770 feet of climbing, and a whopping 5,580 feet of descending!

Singletracks has the difficulty listed as ‘black diamond’, but I have found the entire trail to be rideable – the really technical sections are easily walked if needed. A solid intermediate rider should be able to tackle 99% of the trail. As for physical physical exertion, you will feel the altitude. Keep a slower, but steady pace, stay hydrated and fueled, and you should be fine.

Getting there

Monarch Crest is located near Salida, CO, which is a three hour drive from the Denver area. If you’re flying in from out of state, also check Colorado Springs, as some airlines have deals on flights to there, and the drive is an hour shorter.

Where to Stay

Salida has a range of lodging choices from seedy motels to the big hotel chains and even some swanky bed and breakfasts. I tend to stay at the Holiday Inn Express so I can take advantage of the free hot breakfast.

Where to Eat

There is everything from fast food to trendy microbreweries. I can personally recommend Amicas Pizza and the Salida Cafe.

Local Bike Shop

Absolute Bikes is THE bike shop for the Salida and Monarch Crest area. If you’re coming from out of town, they have a great rental fleet, and they have all your other needs covered as well with supplies, gear, last minute service and most importantly, maps and trail info.

Shuttle Service

Option #1 High Valley Shuttle Service. $20 per rider. Reservations recommended.

Option #2 If you have two vehicles, drop one at the Poncha Springs Visitor Center and drive the other, with bikes and riders, to the Monarch Pass trailhead. This approach involves driving back up to Monarch Pass to collect a vehicle after a very tiring bike ride.

Option #3 Drive to the Monarch Pass trailhead. Get on your bike. Ride the whole trail, and then sit in the parking lot at the Poncha Springs Visitor Center with a sad look on your face until someone offers you a ride back to your vehicle. A $5 bill and/or 6 pack of beer helps.

Be Prepared

Start early (no later than 10am). Violent thunderstorms pop up most afternoons, and they develop very quickly.

Bring plenty of food, water, and sports drink. This is a long trail, with sustained technical riding at very high altitude. I bring:

A 70 oz Camelbak with water and one 24 oz. bottle with Hammer Nutrition Heed.

Hammer Gel, Clif Shot Bloks, Sport Beans and a granola bar or two. (I kind of lose my appetite for ‘real’ food when exerting at high altitude.)

Most of the trail is remote, and even utilizing a bailout point you’re in for a long walk if you have a serious mechanical. I bring:

Two tubes, two CO2 cartridges, mini pump, tire lever, multi-tool with chain breaker, SRAM power link, tire sidewall patch kit, spare derailleur hanger, zip ties, velcro strips and some gorilla tape.

The weather will start out cool, get pretty hot, and then possibly show you some rain, hail or even snow later in the afternoon. I bring:

My usual shorts and jersey, and a jacket that converts to a vest. Tights or shell pants are also a good idea if you have room to carry them.

If you see lightning or hear thunder, take the closest shelter you can find, or drop down one of the bailout roads.

If you have a GPS, consider signing up for a Singletracks Pro membership here to gain access to the downloadable maps of this and other great trails. Absolute Bikes sells an excellent printed map with turn by turn directions and photos of all the intersections. For pre-trip planning, they have also posted a great map with photos, mileage, and trail descriptions here.

Monarch Crest is truly an epic ride. It is long and difficult but also fun and beautiful. When it’s all done, you will definitely thank yourself for making the effort!

The Ibex Asta Pro is a 26″ full suspension mountain bike with 100mm of travel front and back, and I have the opportunity to spend some quality time with one and see what it’s really made of!

Out of the Box

Ibex is a small direct-to-consumer company, and since every customer will receive their mountain bike by mail, Ibex wanted me to go through the entire un-boxing and building process to see what I thought.

The packaging was excellent and the bike was very well protected, and as a result the frame and all of the parts were in pristine condition.

The bike is finally uncovered!

And while that is good, it is to be expected. Where Ibex really impressed me is the attention to detail and all the little extras they throw in the box to make the life of the consumer easier.

Extras

For one thing, Ibex included a pair of Wellgo SPD clipless pedals complete with cleats. Most bike companies nowadays, whether in the shop or online, don’t bother with providing pedals. I think some of the reasoning is that with so many pedal options on the market, it is a very personal component and most people just stick with what they enjoy. Yeah, that’s what they try to tell us, but I think a bigger part of the equation is that these companies are trying to find a way to cut costs on their end. Ibex goes the extra mile and throws in a pair of pedals.

To attach the pedals to the bike, Ibex included a pedal wrench for plenty of torque.

As for all of the other wrenching that needs to be done when building a bike, I found an Ibex-branded multi-tool that was more than capable of handling everything for this basic build. Just in case you are new to the bike scene and don’t own any of the tools required to put this bike together, Ibex has you covered.

Finally, I found two bottles of touch-up paint, just in case the frame had been scratched, or in case you want to touch up any scuffs or scratches from normal use down the road.

These extras are all super thoughtful, and I wouldn’t have been bothered in any way if these things hadn’t been in the box. The fact that they were just highlights how serious Ibex is about going the extra mile.

After I removed all of the comprehensive packaging, the bike went together very easily. I adjusted the air pressure in the fork and checked the pressure in the shock, and I was ready to ride!

First Impressions

About 5 days ago I got out and thrashed the Asta on a 17-mile route that is sure to shake down any bike and expose any issues that need attention. I can honestly say that the Asta took all I threw at it and kept begging for more pain! The bike felt very stiff and precise as I shoved it in and out of corners.

The bike climbed superbly thanks to the low weight (27.66 lbs stock with pedals) and minimal suspension, but the 100mm of squish was ready and available when things got messy. The Asta definitely doesn’t have the forgiveness of a longer travel bike, but the suspension did its job and took the edge off of all kinds of roots and rocks.

These are still preliminary impressions, but the Asta is an amazing climber and a capable descender, and that is a very fun combination! I think this bike fits squarely in the category of “Trail Bike” that it is intended for. It just does really well at shredding singletrack.

Thoughts on the Component Spec

Shimano XT

I haven’t spent a significant amount of time on Shimano’s XT group before but so far I am enjoying my experience. The shifting has been super crisp and totally predictable! I am so thankful that the new Shimano shifters are set up to be shifted either like Shimano’s traditional shifters OR like SRAM’s shifters with just the thumb. After one or two rides, I gave up trying to use my index finger and just stuck with what I felt comfortable with: using my thumb.

Also, I think a full XT kit is a really nice spec at this pricepoint, as the complete bike only retails for $1899.99. It’s hard to find a full XT kit on a sub $3,000 bike, not to mention a sub $2,000 one!

WTB Wolverine 2.1″ Team

I’m normally a sucker for fat tires, 2.35″ being my width of choice unless I’m on a downhill bike, but the 2.1″ WTB Wolverines feel right at home on this style of mountain bike. In my opinion, they have been riding pretty dang well and have hooked up when I’ve needed it. I may move up to a 2.25″ tire for a little more grip in the corners… but just because that’s my personal taste.

FSA Carbon Handlebar

I thought the carbon handlebar was an interesting choice for a bike of this price range, but since all of the other components are so nice, it’s tough to say where I’d rather have had the money spent. Perhaps the grips? Bottom line, I think it’s a great touch, and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it!

I could keep writing about my thoughts and impressions so far, but the fact is I want to feel like I have really ridden this mountain bike before I write about it so that when I do write, I can do so authoritatively. My plan is to put the Asta Pro through an abusive treatment of at least 300 miles of singletrack. I’ve already been thrashing it in the mountains of North Georgia, and I have a road trip to Colorado planned for the beginning of August. Rest assured: this bike will be TESTED!

A big “thank you” to Ibex for providing this mountain bike for review!

Whistler Mountain bike park is opening today after the second snowiest season in the resort’s history kept the trails buried longer than usual. And in Utah, Sundance resort opens today as well May 25, though it will be the first in the state to do so. According to Salt Lake City’s City Weekly, Deer Valley opens June 17 and Snowbird will still have skiing in July but they predict the MTB trails will be ready by Father’s Day.

There’s still snow in Colorado as well which means resort trails and the high elevation backcountry rides (think Monarch Crest and Trail 401) will need at least a few more weeks to thaw and dry. Meanwhile, those of us in the southeast have been riding for months. A case of quality vs. quantity (of riding time)? That’s certainly up for debate…

Here’s a list of some key (projected) opening dates for 2011:

Open: Whistler (British Columbia), Diablo Freeride Park (New Jersey), Sugar Mountain (North Carolina)

May 25: Sundance (Utah)

May 27: Snow Shoe Mountain (West Virginia)

June 3: Sol Vista (Colorado)

June 4*: Keysone (Colorado)

June 10: Northstar at Lake Tahoe (California)

June 11: Trestle Bike Park (Colorado)

June 17: Deer Valley (Utah)

June 24: Mammoth (California)

* Unofficial estimate / wild guess

Help us add to this list by adding additional opening dates using the comment form below.

In case you hadn’t heard, it’s National Bike Month here in the US and there is a lot going on. Many local groups are hosting bike to work events and it seems like there’s at least half a dozen fat tire festivals happening every weekend. With that in mind we thought we’d highlight a few events and contests (we know you love ‘em) happening this month.

CycleFest Colorado

This weekend the Colorado High School Cycling League is hosting a series of events to raise funds for the youth cycling program (one of, if not the, largest in the US). There’s a gala dinner in Denver hosted by Gary Fisher tomorrow night (seats start at $100) and a group ride in Boulder the following morning (Sunday, May 15).

CLIF Bar Meet the Moment

On Monday CLIF Bar is launching an online campaign called “Meet the Moment” where users are asked to upload photos and stories about their experiences outdoors. One lucky winner will get a chance to pursue their next adventure (like a free trip to trek the Amazon) but the cool thing is CLIF will donate $5 to one of five projects to “protect the places we play” for every person who participates. Not only that, they’ll double the donation if more than 10,000 people participate.

Performance Bike 100th Store Giveaway

It’s hard to believe but this month Performance Bike is opening their 100th store and to celebrate they’re giving away some big prizes during the month of May, including a hundred $100 gift cards, two Pearl Izumi gear kits, and a GT Sensor 9r Expert mountain bike worth $2,349. You can enter online or in the store through the end of the month.

What local events are you attending (or have you attended) during National Bike Month?

When the singletracks editors asked each of us to come up with our five favorite mountain bike trails in our respective areas, I was stoked to start writing. Then I realized I had to pick just five trails. Singletracks lists a couple hundred trails in the Denver “Front Range” area. Picking a mere five is just … wrong.

5. Buffalo Creek – Pine, CO
Buffalo Creek is the number one rated trail on Singletracks.com. While I’m not convinced that lofty status is completely deserved, it certainly is a great ride. Located fairly close to the Denver Metro area, it’s also far enough away to not be as crowded as some of the rides closer to town. It’s a mix of fire road, twisty singletrack and some moderately technical stuff. There is climbing, but it is spread out over enough miles to make it easy to find a rhythm and crank it out.

Buffalo Creek offers several loop options that can be connected in different ways to make each visit a little different. It is perfect for beginners to get that first “epic” ride under their belts, but seasoned XC riders will have plenty to grin about too. There is even a double black diamond section being constructed to give the gravity crowd something to do.

4. White Ranch – Golden, CO
White Ranch is a network of trails that includes some doubletrack and lots of singletrack. Decent sun exposure makes for generally dry trail conditions. A popular route is to go up the left side, which is doubletrack and then come down the singletrack. There are also several singletrack cutoff trails that traverse the mountain and connect the sides of the larger loop. White Ranch also features some challenging sections, including the sandy rock garden near the parking lot. Intermediate riders can push themselves and advanced riders can find lots of stuff to play on. It can even be done as a shuttle ride by leaving a car at the bottom parking lot and then driving to the parking lot at the top, but you really should earn all that downhill with some steep, technical climbing.

Photo by Grant Landsbach

3. Red Rocks / Dakota Ridge – Denver, CO
Ask 10 Denver mountain bikers to name the first trail that comes to mind and I’ll wager seven of them will say Dakota Ridge. It is typically ridden as a loop with Dakota Ridge, Matthews Winters and Red Rocks bringing you back to where you parked. The Dakota side climbs straight up a “hog’s back” and then traverses some crazy technical rocks. The descent at the other end is just as abrupt as the climb was. After crossing the paved road, Matthews Winters starts out as hard pack and gradually gives way to small ledges and babyheads, all with very little climbing. Next, drop through a huge notch in the sandstone, and the fast singletrack of Red Rocks trail returns you to the trailhead. A variation is to add Morrison Slide which splits off from Matthews and reconnects with Red Rocks after climbing over the top of the mesa.

Photo by (and of) Grant Landsbach

2. Bergen Peak – Evergreen, CO

Like most trails in the Denver Metro area, Bergen Peak involves a fairly steep climb, a nice view while you catch your breath, then fast, grin inducing singletrack all the way back to the parking lot. This trail seems to strike a nice balance between climbing and descending. Most people who have ridden it will attest that it feels like there is more downhill than you climbed on the way in. It is listed as black diamond here on the site, but if you’re an intermediate rider or even a beginner with decent endurance, you will still enjoy the ride.

Photo by BFD

1. Apex – Golden, CO
Apex starts out with a rocky singletrack climb that connects to a figure eight. The right hand side of the eight is a hard pack climb up and over the hill with a series of switchbacks coming back down. The left side is called Enchanted Forest and is one of the most fun descents of any Denver area trail.

While Apex is a great trail system and a lot of fun to ride, many will argue that it is not necessarily the best trail in the Denver area. The reason I listed it at number one is because it is the trail that we have come the closest to losing access to. It is enormously popular with bikers, runners, hikers and equestrian users. In 2009 the latter two groups spearheaded an effort to severely limit the biking experience at Apex and they lobbied the county commissioners heavily to that end. Colorado Mountain Bike Association (COMBA) got the word out and hundreds of mountain bikers respectfully made their voices heard. The upshot was the county was obliged to do more trail use studies, and although the current compromises are still skewed slightly in favor of the smallest user group who contributes the least in terms of money and volunteer hours, the trail was not closed to bikers, and we are still allowed to descend Enchanted Forest, albeit on even days only.

Photo by Grant Landsbach

Honorable Mentions:
As I mentioned at the beginning of the article, it’s tough to pick just five great Denver area trails so here are my honorable mentions: Lair o’ the Bear, Deer Creek and Mt Falcon. Check them out in the Mountain Bike Trails section of the site.

Winter riding in Colorado is a balancing act of temperatures, short days, snow and trail access. Rides after work require decent lights, and most of the popular trails close an hour after sunset. Temps can vary from below freezing to the 70′s, sometimes from one day to the next. Storms can dump two feet of snow in a 48 hour period, only for it to melt and dry out a week or two later. Many of the higher elevation trails are snowed in from November through May which further limits winter trail riding options. Combine all of these factors with the temptation to leave the bike and go skiing, and before you know it, a month will have gone by with no time spent in the saddle.

Here are some winter trail options for those of us who aren’t into snow biking.

Green Mountain

Green Mountain is pretty much the go-to trail for winter riding in the Denver area. With its southern exposure and lack of trees, it dries quickly and it is open until 11pm for night riding. There is ample parking at both the Rooney Rd and Alameda Pkwy trailheads.

I tend to use the Rooney Rd trailhead and ride counter-clockwise, with some backtracking to hit connector trails and add more mileage. My favorite way to come down is ‘Box o’ Rocks,’ and if you watch for it, there is a cut-off as you get back to the interstate that has some stuff to play around on. If you miss the turn coming down, look to your right just before the overpass. You can ride back up that short section from there.

Green Mountain photo by taiguy.

If you have energy and lights left, head across Rooney Rd. to Zorro Trail, which is a connector to the Dakota Ridge Trail and takes 10-15 minutes to climb.

Matthews Winters / Dakota Ridge

Just across the ridge, the Matthews Winters/Dakota Ridge area gets plenty of sun and is very rocky, which helps keep it dry. Start from Red Rocks Parking Lot #2 and head across the road to the Dakota Ridge trailhead. From the descent at the other end, head back across the same road and pick up Matthews Winters. Morrison Slide is an optional add-on, but either way you’ll end up back at your car. The Dakota Ridge section features some of the most technical riding in the Front Range area, whereas the Matthews Winters side, though still quite rocky, is much less intense.

These trails are not open at night.

Dakota Ridge photo by Grant Landsbach.

Ridgeline Open Space & Quarry Mesa

For some winter night riding other than Green Mountain, head a few minutes south to Castle Rock for Quarry Mesa or Ridgeline Open Space.

Ridgeline, as the name suggests, is rolling singletrack that follows a ridge on the west side of town. There are a couple of modest climbs and a few switchbacks, but the rest is fast, flowing singletrack. Access the trailhead from Coachline Rd and enjoy the views of the city lights from the top of the ridge.

Quarry Mesa is a short, lollipop-shaped trail. It’s all singletrack with some switchbacks leading up the side of the mesa and a loop around the top. Ride up, do the loop both ways, and come back down for a total of five miles. Like Ridgeline, there is nothing technical. (Note: Rhyolite Bike Park is not open at night, but the mesa trail is)

Both of these trails dry quickly and are open until 9pm. Day or night, they are great options for grabbing a few miles of wintertime dirt.

South Shore Lake Pueblo

Just two hours south of the Denver area, Pueblo is usually free of snow and has some amazing riding. The South Shore Lake Pueblo trail system has roughly 18 miles of interconnecting trails with everything from flowing singletrack to super technical rocks and ledges. I recently went there for the first time and it was incredible! A friend and I rode for over three hours and linked together 14 miles of trail and still didn’t see everything. The trail surface varies from gravel to hardpack as well as sections covered in broken shale and even some slickrock. Riders of any skill level will find plenty to do and trails can be looped together or ridden in opposite directions for even more variety. This trail network should definitely be on your winter to do list!

Parking at the main entrance will require a state parks pass, but if you drive about a mile further west, the “red gate” parking lot on the right-hand side of the road is free. From there you can access four of the major trails into the network.

Hopefully these suggestions will help keep you off your trainer this winter, and if anyone has other winter trail suggestions in Colorado, drop them in the comments!

Although this is the final trip report, I’ll be posting additional articles over the next few weeks covering packing strategies, gear reviews, logistics, and more. For those following the saga of the tire tubes this week here’s the spoiler: I made it to Moab with my last spare and a patched tube – no more problems. In fact, I even rode this week on the front tire with the missing valve plunger and it’s still holding up great!

Day 6: Paradox Valley to Geyser Pass

This was the day we had all be anxiously awaiting: 5,300 feet of climbing over just 25 miles. None of us had ever climbed that much in a single day so we really weren’t sure what to expect. On the one hand, it was day 6 which meant the trip as almost over. On the other hand, we had a LONG way to go before all that downhill in Moab. After 5 days of riding we figured we were at least in better shape than when we started.

Paradox Valley is basically surrounded by mesas on three sides so we knew we were in for a steep, early climb to get out of the valley. We didn’t realize it at the time but we would actually be following part of the 105-mile Paradox Trail that links the Tabeguache and Kokopelli’s trails. Just a mile from the hut we began a 2,000 foot ascent with incredible views of the valley below. One member of our group had been suffering knee problems over the past several days and was luckily able to find a local to shuttle him to Buckeye Reservoir about halfway to the next hut.

The top of the first climb of the day.

After about an hour and a half we made it to the top of the mesa and the scenery quickly changed from scrub and cacti to tall pine forests. The ground beneath us was still dry but at least it was cool and shaded. After another 1,000 feet of more gradual climbing we made it to Buckeye Reservoir and eventually the Colorado / Utah state line.

We ate a quick lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the line and continued to climb and the scenery changed again with rushing streams, placid lakes, and aspen trees all around us. At around mile 20 we veered off the forest road and onto a private ranch doubletrack for the final 4 mile climb to our hut.

The night before we had received updated directions to the Geyser hut because the hut had been moved just the week before. The new hut location was about a mile closer than the old one and the route was to be marked with red tape tied to tree branches. Now I’m not sure if exhaustion played a role here but we completely missed the flags and ended up just a quarter mile from the old hut location before we realized we were lost. Not only that, we were now in the middle of a herd of cattle with a snorting bull less than 50 yards in front of us. We could literally see the steam coming out of his nostrils!

Turning back down the trail, we retraced our steps and found the steep approach to the new hut location. Including our detour we had climbed 5,900 feet that day and were wiped out from the effort. At least we had 7,000 feet of descending to look forward to the next day!

Top-bunk view from the new hut location. Not too bad.

Day 7: Geyser Pass to Moab

Before we could enjoy our 7,000 feet of descending we needed to start the day with a push over Geyser Pass itself. This meant about 1,000 feet of climbing which actually went by fairly quickly (we walked a fair amount of it on the ranch roads). As soon as we left the property we saw groups of shuttle riders heading up to Burro Pass and passed shuttle vans parked on the sides of the forest road.

I won’t talk much about the change in scenery between Geyser Pass and the town of Moab other than to say it’s a stark contrast. Our minds were blown pretty much the entire way down.

We mapped a customized route for the day that included the Moonlight Meadows trail which turned out to be a high alpine, cow-carved singletrack through meadows and aspen groves. Moonlight Meadows fed into Clark Lake trail which was basically more of the same, though with more evergreen forest and stream crossings.

From the bottom of the Clark Lake trail we took a connector back up the mountain to get to the Hazard County trail. I was a little frustrated that we were still climbing and not making progress toward the town of Moab but that quickly went away as we started the Hazard County descent – banked turns, incredible views, and smooth singletrack. My favorite singletrack of the entire trip!

Hazard County dumped us onto Kokopelli’s trail which, at this point, is basically a forest road but it was fast and fun descending to UPS. The UPS trail reminded me of Gooseberry Mesa a bit – sections of slickrock, chunky rocks, and quick stretches of hardpack and sand. Most of us crashed at least once on UPS (including myself – twice) and to be honest I wasn’t happy with my bike handling on the technical stuff. I decided to skip LPS and Porcupine Rim and headed down into town on Kokopelli’s Trail while the others completed the gauntlet.

Just before 4pm we regrouped at the Moab Adventure Inn, changed out of our bike clothes, and scarfed burger and beers at the Moab Brewery before Jake and I took the Porcupine shuttle back to Durango. Our epic Moab singletrack tour put us into Moab a couple hours past our ETA but fortunately the super guys and gals at Porcupine waited for us and didn’t give us too much s%!t. We felt kinda bad about how dirty and stinky we were, especially sitting in such a nice new van for the 3 and a half hour ride!

While the trip was difficult and frustrating at times I felt a little bummed that it was over so quickly. Fortunately Jake and I had an extra day to relax in Durango before early flights Saturday morning. I even surprised myself by getting back on the bike the next day and tooling around the Telegraph trails a bit. This is one of those trips all of us will remember for a long time – at least until the next one!

Recap: 3 tubes down, only 1 spare remaining (everyone else was riding 26-inch wheels). We’re 87 miles and 3 days into a roughly 220-mile hut-to-hut mountain bike trip from Durango to Moab. Hard rains overnight have left the ground around our hut sticking to everything (shoes, tires, bags, etc.).

Day 4: Dry Creek Basin to Wedding Bell Hut

Dry Creek basin was anything but dry when we awoke and based on the conditions we were seriously considering the alternate “muddy day” route. In fact, the route description said if things were super muddy our best bet would be to ride on the road to the town of Naturita, get a motel for the night, and skip the Wedding Bell hut completely. The route description also mentioned dust storms could be an issue along the way but we figured the previous night’s rain would at least keep that under control.

The plan was to head out on the overgrown and rutted doubletrack to see just how muddy things were. Fortunately conditions were decent with only the occasional mud bog along the way. After a few miles of sunflowers and fragrant sagebrush we spit out onto a wide gravel road and blasted down to the town of Basin, CO.

Hitching post outside the Basin store.

Basin really isn’t much of a town (there’s just one store as far as we could tell) but we were able to stock up on cold drinks, chips, and hand sanitizer before heading out. Matt even ordered a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich from the kitchen despite the fact that it was only 10:30am.

From Basin we took road U29, an unpaved farm road that seemed to stretch into infinity. There were several short steep climbs but mostly the road just seemed to go up. With the wind full in our faces and little change on the horizon it felt like we were riding stationary bikes for hours on end. This would be the first of two long valley slogs between mountain ranges, a boring but necessary part of our journey.

At around mile 30 we crested the final climb and were amazed to see that we had been climbing a ramp the entire time with canyons unfolding ahead and below. We began descending the rocky road which was a blast after all that flat climbing. We found the hut about a half mile away from the main dirt road with surprising and amazing views of the Delores River below.

After a dinner of boxed macaroni and cheese with spam (made from powdered milk and no butter) we explored the area around the hut.  The landscape was pocked full of rusted cars, broken glass, and abandoned uranium mines but offered some of the best sunset views of the trip.

Day 5: Wedding Bell Hut to Paradox Valley

The next morning Jake mentioned his tires were low due to the change in altitude over the past few days (we were now somewhere around 6,500 feet) and suggested we all check our pressures. My front tire definitely felt like it could use some air so I added a few strokes, removed the pump, then stared in horror at my bent presta valve stem! I quickly attempted to screw it down but the air was rushing out. Matt was nearby and came over to assess the situation. With one quick motion he broke the bent stem off and the hissing stopped. Nate remarked that he had done the same thing once before but didn’t get more than a couple hours out of the tube before it went completely flat. Fortunately I was able to patch one of my pinched tubes the night before so I at least had two *potential* replacements.

Our route for the day started back on the often rocky BLM road we traveled the afternoon before and traced the edges of Bull Canyon for about 8 miles before beginning a sustained climb onto the mesa above. From the mesa we could see the “town” of Bedrock and the green Paradox valley below. Our path into the valley? The infamous Catch-em-Up trail.

See those 12,000 foot peaks on the left side of the photo? We would be climbing that on days 6 & 7.

Catch-em-Up started out as a shortcut trail used by cattle ranchers to move their herds out of the valley for summer grazing up on the mesa. Our route guide painted this as a “must ride” (though there was an easier alternate) and promised 1,100 feet of descending in just 1 mile. Matt lowered his seatpost and tucked in for the descent which went pretty well at first. Until, that is, the trail became completely ridiculous. Huge boulders, non-existent lines, sharp switchbacks, and steep angles made it impossible to ride more than a few feet at a time before dismounting. To his credit, Matt rode way more of Catch-em-Up than the rest of us, though I think he was a little disappointed with the condition of the trail.

At the bottom of Catch-em-Up we rode less than a mile to the Bedrock Store and scarfed down microwave Philly Cheese Steaks and Chimichangas. The rest of the ride featured flat roads across Paradox Valley with amazing views in every direction. The night’s hut was located near the Paradox Valley Bed & Breakfast where we scored hot lasagna, salad, garlic bread, and cinnamon rolls for just 10-bucks each! It was hot in the valley (we were now at 5,500 feet) but the quiet, farm vibe was relaxing ahead of our 5,300 foot climb on day 6.

Tomorrow: Part IV – Paradox Valley to Moab!