Mountain Bike Vacation

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    • #127104

      Where is the best place in Colorado I can take a couple day vacation and get the best riding in beginner and intermediate level. Steamboat? Fruita?etc. With a decent night life.

    • #127105

      Steve,
      The short answer to your question is "yes."
      Colorado has a number of great destinations which will provide ample beginner and intermediate opportunities.

      Since there are so many, it would help to narrow things down a bit before choosing one.

      1. When would you like to take this vacation? I wouldn’t want to go to Fruita in July, but I wouln’t want to go to Steamboat before July, or at least late June. Riding conditions and rideability due to weather in Colorado is dictated largely by elevation.

      2. Speaking of elevation, where are you coming from? Do you anticipate difficulties acclimatizing to altitude?

      3. When you say beginner/intermediate, are you talking physically, technically, or both. Colorado has rides on every point of both spectra. Some people are very fit, but not technically adept, so they like our big climbs on smoother trails. Of course, we have rides which are easy both physically and technically.

      4. Do you have a particular geography you like? Fruita is desert and Steamboat is subalpine. Colorado has just about everything. Do you just care about what’s under your knobbies or is scenery important?

    • #127106
      "Steve Harper" wrote

      With a decent night life.

      If you have energy for a decent night life, then you’re not riding hard enough. 😉

    • #127107

      Hey Steve,

      I stayed in Boulder, CO for my vacation last May mainly due to Valmont Bike Park. The surrounding trails in Lyons and Golden, CO didn’t hurt either.

      Valmont is great for beginner and intermediate riders. However, it’s not mountain biking, it’s more skills work but there are some mountain bike-esque trails there. It is a great place to build some confidence though!

      No clue on the night life, I spent the nights with the family but Denver wasn’t that far away if Boulder doesn’t quite cut it for you.

    • #127108

      I am from Colorado so acclimation to altitude not to difficult. :-) I have ridden much of the area around pueblo, springs, Utah thinking of steamboat, fruita etc. Night life such as partying not what I’m into more of resteraunts hotels, camping. I like a little technical to work on my skills but mostly just good rolling single track and some intermediate beginner trails.

    • #127109

      If you’re honing in on Fruita and Steamboat, then time of year will be a deciding factor. For Fruita, you better go soon or wait until fall unless you have a high tolerance for heat. The desert can be brutal in the summer months. As for Steamboat, its best to wait until July or August.

      Both places have good opportunities for camping as well as some good restaurants (Fruita’s pretty limited, but it’s only 8 miles to Grand Junction which really adds to the possibilities). Both destinations have a great variety of trails and plenty of miles. Steamboat is mostly wooded transitional and subalpine. Fruita is definitely desert, but it’s a short drive to the Uncompaghre Plateau or Grand Mesa for some higher altitude rides as well.

      You might also want to think about Salida. There’s an excellent variety there from desert-y trails next to town up to the full alpine whopper, the Monarch Crest.

      Other worthy options include Winter Park/Fraser and Eagle/Vail.
      http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-tr … n-that-is/

      Lots of good riding, restaurants and camping around Breckenridge, and summer is their off season (primarily a ski town).
      http://www.singletracks.com/blog/mtb-tr … -colorado/

    • #127110

      Thank you very much John:-) I think salida may be a good start not far from home . The info on fruita and steamboat helps a ton .

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