What’s NEW for Cycling in Colorado:
At Your Pace Cycling Tours in Loveland. Tap
into Colorado’s epic cycling opportunities and taste the flavor
of local craft brews on the new Loveland Bike & Brews Guided Day
Tour with At Your Pace Cycling. This 3.5 hour long tour will give
participants a taste of some of Loveland’s finest craft breweries and
cycling offerings.
Boulder Bike Tours’ New Organic Farm Tours. Riders will learn about organic farming and take in sweeping views of the Front Range on the new, weekly Thursday and Sunday Organic Farm Tours. Thursday’s ‘Sunset Tour’ includes a wood-fired pizza dinner featuring veggies picked that day. The Sunday
‘Brunch Tour’ features a four-course farm brunch. These scenic bike
rides wind along easy trails, paths and country roads while riders learn
about organic farming and lifestyle from local growers.
The Colorado Classic (August 10 – 13).
Pro-bicycle racing returns to Colorado with the 2017 Colorado Classic, a
four-stage race sanctioned by UCI that will have some of the best men
and women’s teams and racers in the world competing. The race begins in
Colorado Springs, and heads through Breckenridge before finishing the
final two stages in Denver. Denver will host a new companion music, food
and crafts festival dubbed "Velorama” to include headliner music,
cycling events, craft beer, local food, and a unique marketplace.
Colorado Trail Explorer. As
part of his Colorado the Beautiful initiative to get Coloradans
outdoors, Colorado’s Governor John Hickenlooper hatched the idea for a
comprehensive online statewide trail map of hiking, biking and motorized
trails. The Colorado Trail Explorer launched June 3 and includes more than 39,000 miles of trails managed by more than 225 jurisdictions across the state.
Gunnison County’s TrailQuest Bike Challenge. Gunnison
County has designed a new app to track mountain bikers’ unique explored
trails and enter users into the ultimate trail biking competition. The
CBG Trails App by GoMaps, available for free in iTunes and Google Play,
will now track and record rides in the competition: TrailQuest. Each new
mile of trail ridden will add up in a race to 75. Prizes will be
awarded to those who place on the leader board, though the best prize is
trying new trails--exploration.
Outerbike Comes to Crested Butte Mountain Resort (August 18 - 20).
“The BEST bike demo in the universe” comes to Crested Butte this
August. Featuring some of the most popular brands in mountain biking,
including Specialized, Scott and Yeti among many more. Outerbike will
offer participants the opportunity to demo as many bikes as the time,
and their legs, will allow. This is the first time Outerbike will take
advantage of Crested Butte’s world-class mountain biking and gorgeous
summer weather.
14erfest in Buena Vista (September 29 - October 1).
14erfest is a new, free, three-day mountain festival happening in Buena
Vista this September. The event encompasses a range of trail activities
including, but not limited to mountain biking. There will be demos,
clinics, bike polo and group rides. In the evening, participants will
enjoy live music and libations from Colorado craft breweries and
distilleries.
Colorado's Variety of Bike Experiences:
Bike-friendly Fort Collins.
Cycling opportunities prevail in and around Fort Collins, and getting
to know the area atop two wheels offers a bounty of benefits. Road
cyclists will appreciate the 285+ miles of relatively flat, wide bike
lanes, trails and paths, including three main bike trails offering 19
miles of paved surface: the Poudre trail that follows the Cache La
Poudre River; Spring Creek trail following the creek; and Fossil Creek
trail covering miles of open prairie.
Blue River Trail in Silverthorne. The
Blue River Trail is Silverthorne’s link to the county-wide paved trail
system. The 3.5-mile, hard surface paved trail begins at the top of the
Dillon Dam and ends at North Pond Park. The Blue River Trail offers a
meandering, family-friendly paved trail with spectacular views.
High-Desert Biking in Eagle.
Eagle is a high-desert town, which means an extended biking season and
trails that are open into mid-December. Over 100 miles of single-track
mountain biking trails and paved recreational trails are accessible.
Riders can start on beginner trails like Haymaker and Eagle Ranch Loop and then advance to the technical Mike’s Night Out. Eagle Ranch Loop is great for families and various skill levels.
Maroon Creek Road in Aspen. Few
bike rides in the world can match the drama of this eight-mile road
ride. Riders will round a bend and suddenly view the iconic Maroon
Bells, two 14,000-foot peaks striped with snow year-round. The trek
takes riders 22 miles round-trip through a moderately difficult ride
with unparalleled views.
Mineral Belt Trail in Leadville. Biking is a favorite sport on Leadville’s famous Mineral Belt Trail,
where riders can see the tops of the towering Sawatch Range and
remnants of 1880s silver mines, all on a paved, 11.6-mile loop around
town. Portions of the trail follow old railroad grades, making for a
pleasant ride around North America’s highest incorporated city, set at
10,152 feet. The trail winds through Leadville’s historic East Side
Mining District.
Monarch Crest Trail in Salida. Thanks
to the diverse ecosystem in Salida, there’s always great singletrack to
be ridden in the middle of winter or during the heat of summer. The
Monarch Crest Trail should be included on the Colorado mountain bike
bucket list. From the Monarch Crest trailhead at Monarch Pass, riders
will encounter singletrack, doubletrack, fire road, smooth and packed
trails, rocky and loose trails and great views of nature and wildlife.
Trailheads in Niwot. The
town of Niwot in Boulder County is known throughout the cycling
community as one of the best spots to begin or end a ride. Home to
mammals, birds and amphibians, these trails are perfect for
nature-lovers. The 6.4-mile Niwot trail system is composed of easy
trails and provides breathtaking mountain views and shady
cottonwood-lined paths along irrigation canals.
Winter Park, Aka “Mountain Bike Capital, USA”.
With over 600 miles of cross-country trails and two downhill bike
parks, Mountain Bike Capital USA™ has it all: mellow rides,
heart-thumping singletrack adventures and gravity-fed adrenaline. Winter
Park plays host to numerous bike races and events all summer long. For
the novice, seasoned cross-country biker, downhill racer or the
want-to-learn-more-skills casual biker, there are a variety of events
and trails to choose from.
Fruit & Wine Byway in Palisade. Choose
from three different loops from five to 25-miles-long through mapped
points of interest for those who want to stop and experience the
agriculture and industry of the area. Explore historic downtown
Palisade, tour along the scenic Colorado River and enjoy some of the
best vistas of the Grand Valley, all while savoring fresh fruit from the
beautiful orchards, or enjoying the lavender gardens, world class
vineyards, premium wineries and fresh farm market fruit stands along the
way.
7-Eleven Olympic Velodrome in Colorado Springs. Built
in 1983 in preparation for the 1984 Olympic Games, the Colorado Springs
Olympic Training Center Velodrome is the official training venue for
U.S. Olympic and Paralympic track cycling and USA Roller Sports. The
Velodrome features a 333.3-meter banked cement cycling track, which
wraps around a 200-meter track for roller sports. The 1,000-seat
facility is open to the public for community racing, and hosts local,
national and international events throughout the year.
Upcoming Bike Races and Organized Rides:
The Breck Epic (August 13 – 18).
Now in its ninth year, the six-day Breck Epic is North America’s
premier mountain bike stage race, and is widely considered to be one of
the best races in the world. It is distinctly Colorado and traverses the
width and breadth of Summit County. This rapidly growing event attracts
pro and amateurs alike to race approximately 40 miles each day for
three or six consecutive days.
Moots Biking Opportunity in Steamboat (September 3 - 9). The
Home Ranch has partnered with Moots Cycles in Steamboat to offer a
unique experience at the Home Ranch. Home Ranch guests will have the
opportunity to meet Moots team members, test ride their bikes and tour
the Steamboat factory where the handcrafted bikes are manufactured. The
visit also includes biking North Routt County on Moots recommended tours
and on Moots demo bikes, one complimentary massage and scheduled rides
throughout the week with a guide.
Salida Bike Fest (September 14 – 17). The town of Salida will be celebrating all things bikes at the 6th annual
Salida Bike Fest. This four day festival will feature everything from
free group rides, bike films, a chainless race, a bike parade, the
Banana Belt Mountain Bike Race and more.
Pedal the Plains (September 15 – 17). Pedal
the Plains is an annual cycling event that celebrates the agricultural
roots and frontier heritage of the Eastern Plains of Colorado. The ride
creates an opportunity for cyclists to learn about farming and ranching,
while experiencing first-hand the culture, history and landscape of
Colorado’s high plains. This year, Pedal the Plains brings riders on a
tour through Weld and Morgan County, highlighting the towns of Kersey,
Keenesbury and Brush-- communities that still embody a raw pioneer
spirit and a dedication to the land.
Bikes & Brews (September 23). The 5th annual
Bikes & Brews festival in CaƱon City offers three separate scenic
bike races: The Royal Gorge Century (Total ascent 7,900 feet), Metric
Mash (Total Ascent 5,300 feet) and the Red Canyon 50k (total ascent
2,400 feet). All races promise beautiful canyon views, and the Royal
Gorge Bridge is open and will be a part of the Century and Metric
Century Routes—a unique experience as the south entrance is usually
closed to general traffic. The Metric Mash will also allow riders to
cross the world famous, suspension Royal Gorge Bridge.
Tour of the Moon Grand Cycling Classic (September 30). This ride was made famous by the 1980s Coors Classic, and later in the cycling movie American Flyers.
Today, it continues to be considered one of the premier recreational
road rides in the western United States. Starting and ending in Grand
Junction, this 61.5-mile road ride circles the Colorado National
Monument and the town of Fruita, with riders climbing just over 2,873
feet and experiencing a maximum elevation of 6,725 feet.