A: Some parts of the trail are totally 'cross friendly while others will spit up a 'cross bike and spit it out. A: Yes many people have, with the current known record being just under 4 days. Multiple trailheads around the state, click one of the individual segment listings above to get directions to a particular staring point. First … A: There is no fee to ride the CT trail, but there may be fees for parking, etc. Thru-cyclists are required to detour around each wilderness area. Mile for mile the most beautiful trail in America… When encountering horses, move to the downhill side of the Trail where you’ll appear less threatening and speak gently to the riders to avoid spooking the animals. I would just stay away from really XC-race oriented shoes (you know, the lightweight, super stiff ones). It's a massive point-to-point route. Gets picky for a while, then opens up through the forest, extremely fast, great dirt, occasionally very rocky and semi-technical, but mostly just fast and fun. Alongside our Best in Test and best buyers tips, we also discovered what is probably the biggest revolution in the mountain bike … Absolutely brutal day of climbing, but the best down hill section of any of the epic trails I've ridden in Colorado. Check out our video from the trip here: A: Nope! MTB Podcast | Old school horse trail sh*t show. To protect the Trail from eroding, avoid skidding your tires, especially when descending or approaching switchbacks. The first 8 miles (starting from Molas Pass) are prime trail with a few small technical sections. Be prepared to get muddy after any significant rain due to the many drainages where the trail runs on the side of slopes. Bikers will traverse many mountain ranges, including the Colorado Rocky Mountains, during their journey. Clear Creek Trail (CO) 21.8 mi. :) Which section are you looking to ride? Do you know which sections are cross friendly? Elbert forebay reservoir for a nice extra that most folks never ride. Waterton Canyon Trail is a 12.4-mile, out-and-back trail that makes for an ideal day trip. The Hub: Your comprehensive resource for bicycle-friendly businesses, bike rides, races and routes for Coloradans and visitors to our state.. We Bike Colorado: A community of women, femme, transgender and gender nonbinary (WFTNB) people who ride bikes.We Bike Colorado is a Facebook community run by Bicycle Colorado dedicated to the idea that riding bikes … ... Option #1 – Ride your bike … I think I'll start at Buffalo Creek. This trail does also have a short riding window, I'd say mid-July through September. Bear right to continue on the Colorado Trail toward Rolling Mountain Pass at 12,500', and then down and back up to Bolam Pass. Might try to get one more in before the weather changes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeXnLbwwbiU, Epic alpine singletrack with amazing views literally starting right off US 550! Cherry Creek Trail. Trail bikes are the undisputed all-rounders of the bike industry. As a mountain biker you’ll pedal and … Much of it is basically a dirt road with lots of sand. Add the loop around Mt. While the singletrack's actually in pretty great shape, this trail just isn't worth the effort. Relatively quick shuttle ride, 15-20 min or so probably. The Colorado Trail can be a life-changing experience if you let it! Very good portion of a larger route and perfect section for a whole day epic ride. Colorado Bicycling Map Whether you love riding mountain passes or the open plains, if you’re planning your trip or just getting directions to the next town; the Colorado Bicycle & Byways map will help you … The key to avoiding these can be summed up in one word: Courtesy. Colorado Trail: Molas Pass To Bolam Pass Rd. From State Highway 340, the re-merged trail … Can not recommend this trail enough! All in all, this is a nice ride and worth the drive and time. Since its completion more than 30 years ago (Trail History), The Colorado Trail has become known as one of the premier long-distance trails in the country, lauded by hikers, backpackers, mountain bikers … Many day trip routes are available and connecting trails abound. A: Yes, there is a fair amount of hike-a-bike so comfortable shoes are important. Definitely some good payback for all your work riding east to west. The Colorado Trail is popular with mountain bikers, from beginners to experts. You can turn around at this point and still claim a great ride. A: Hey Greg, thanks for the reply. Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are allowed on roadways and designated bike lanes and on multi-use trails and other areas (e.g.,campgrounds) that are open to non-motorized biking. Company   Best MTB Gear | At this point, cyclists appear to be maintaining a good relationship with other Trail users, although some minor conflicts have been reported in high-use areas. Make your presence known to other Trail users well in advance to avoid startling them. It's essentially a hike-a-bike almost all the way up, and while part of the descent is ripping and fun, a long portion of it is so steep, the trail is so narrow, and it's so exposed that I found I really had to ride the brakes to stay in control... so much so that I could smell my brake pads burning! Lots of water and food! Many day trip routes are available and connecting trails abound. CT is an epic trail with monster hike a bikes and beautiful views. Anyway, don't worry--ratings only count once per person. Anyway, decided to skip the weekly Buff Creek ride and continue to Kenosha since I'd never been there. Trail then follows an offstreet path along N side of reservoir to Marina entrance/parking. The first section is punchy but then once it levels out, the singletrack is flowy and sweet! 710 10th Street Rm 210 Just starting to do some research. Steep, loose, rutted drop-in up top (with epic views), and it stays fairly steep for a while on tight, rooty singletrack. Thru-bikers should allow 15-20 days for the trip. Phil’s World, Cortez. Thanks. This is a true epic ride, yes in the Monarch Crest league. Overall this is a must do! Thanks Johnnymac. Terms | Privacy. Riding a mountain bike is a great way to travel the Trail, but riders are likely to have to push or carry their bikes through snow earlier in the season and on some of the steeper, rockier pitches. A: If you're just planning to ride a section (as in, day-trippable), I say start with the section that goes through Buffalo Creek: http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/colorado-trail-green-mountain.html As equipment gets lighter and improves, bike packing is becoming more popular. Colorado Trail: Morrison Creek / Lunar Loop, Colorado Trail: Mount Princeton to Avalanche Trailhead / Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, Colorado Trail: Mt. A: The terminus section in Durango is definitely fast and flowy, though it's steeper than the other sections you mentioned. While you could potentially put together a loop in the Buffalo Creek area, I wouldn't anticipate getting 3 days of riding out of it. At US 6, it continues N on the Snake River Recpath to a small scenic view parking area with an Eagle Sculpture. Might be my new favorite trail in Colorado. The Colorado Trail Bike Route is a challenging and rewarding ride of 540 miles that stretches from Denver to Durango, passing through stunning landscapes. There are 28 true CT segments - you can ride any of them at any time. It’s located just southwest of Denver, near the small town of Louviers, Colorado. Golden CO 80401 Also, the trail west of Hwy 126 is really not worth riding imo. I guess my question wasn't posed very well. The Official Colorado Trail Guidebook and Colorado Trail Databook include maps and descriptions of those detours. Scenery is stunning, trail is amazing, this is a must ride! Looks like a nice trail...Hard decision to make, since they all look nice! Classic Colorado ride, where you moving either up or down over rocky terrain. Turn left to complete a loop by going down Engineer, turning left onto Pass Creek Trail just shy of 4 miles down (which ends at US 550/Coal Bank Pass), and then riding US 550 back up to Molas Pass. But like with any travel, there are some small hurdles. Singletracks Merch | Mountain Bike Deals, Copyright 2020 Blue Spruce Ventures LLC | The Switzerland Trail is a popular OHV, mountain bike and running trail along a historic railroad grade in the Colorado front range mining area near Nederland, Gold Hill and Ward. There are plenty of SPD options that fit the bill (like the FiveTen Kestrel). “... County northwest until it joins … This section is super convenient to Denver too which might be helpful. Thanks! If you're closer to the Durango end, the Molas Pass section starting at US 550 is killer with plenty of riding above treeline: http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/colorado-trail-molas-pass-to-bolam-pass-rd.html. The best & most popular mountain biking trails in Colorado. I did the entire trail from Silverton to Durango on a bikepacking trip. There are a couple ways you can loop this part: start at the Dry Fork trailhead and ride up Hoffheins to the CO trail and back down the Dry Fork trail. Or, start at the end of the CO trail off road 204 and ride up the road to the intersection with Log Chutes 2 for a bombing descent! Portions of the Colorado Trail are off limits to bikes so you'll need to detour around each of the 6 designated wilderness areas. After about 10 miles, a junction with the Engineer Mountain Trail is reached. The trail … Turn around once you hit the lakes, because somewhere beyond that is Wilderness. Our Colorado Trail Tour is a point-2-point backcountry mountain bike ride that travels along the high & wild Continental Divide through Southwest Colorado. After that roughly 8 mile mark the trail gets more rocky with some steep sections and really narrow lines. THE BIKE: My bike of choise for the Colorado Trail is a Kona Hei Hei DL 29er with a Maxxis Ardent Race 2.35 in front and a Aspen 2.25 in rear. Most cyclists on the CT are day riders and the most popular sections to ride are near Denver and Durango, the Kenosha Pass area, outside Buena Vista, and the section shared with the Monarch Crest route outside Salida near Marshall Pass. The return ride (west to east), is a cruiser with just a couple of shorts climbs worth noting ... and A LOT of nice downhill. The Hei Hei is nice and slack with a 68 degree HT … After you cross the dirt road (Raleigh Peak Road) at about 6 miles heading west, the ride mellows out a lot the rest of the way to the Little Scraggy THD. Waterton Canyon Trail … The portion of the Colorado Trail between Camp Hale and Copper Mountain is an absolutely fantastic section of the Colorado Trail! A very good workout. It’s even easier with our Colorado Trail Transportation Guide. The mountain bike version detours Wilderness Areas, where mechanized travel is off-limits, and can be done any number of ways: from weekend warrior-ing it a couple segments at a time, to a supported through-ride with a sag vehicle, to bikepacking … Widgets, Explore   In addition to the Official Guidebook, Databook, and highly detailed Colorado Trail Map Books, several other guides are available at bookstores, bike shops and outdoor retailers describing day and multi-day rides on the CT. To purchase a Colorado Search and Rescue (CORSAR) Card, go to click here. A: Have you looked at the map of the Colorado Trail? The Colorado Trail Foundation bills the Colorado Trail as “mile for mile, the most beautiful trail in America.” There’s truth to that, but it doesn’t come for free. COTREX offers the most comprehensive trail map available for the state of Colorado and is built atop data from over 230 trail … This is one trail prone to harsh weather due to the altitude, so an early start is highly recommended. More info here: http://www.mtbproject.com/trail/479729. The two sections of the trail meet up at the pedestrian/bike path over the Colorado River along State Highway 340 (Broadway). It is barren tundra for the majority of the ride, so not the place to be during a thunderstorm! Shavano Trailhead, Colorado Trail: Kennebec Pass To Junction Creek, Colorado Trail: Kenosha Pass To Breckenridge, Colorado Trail: Kenosha Pass To Lost Creek Wilderness Bound, Colorado Trail: Marshall Pass to Sargents Mesa / Rd #855. A weekday with the aspens turning - hate to see what the parking looks like on a weekend. A: DA PEDDLES BRO ON MY GOLD BMX BE SO GOOD AND SHINY THEY LIGHT UP DA HOLE HOOD MAN, Colorado Trail: Buffalo Creek To Lost Creek Wilderness Boundary, Colorado Trail: Clear Creek Thd to Collegiate Peaks Wilderness, Colorado Trail: Clear Creek Thd to Lake View CG / Hwy 82, Colorado Trail: Hwy 114 to Cochetpa Pass Road / #750, Colorado Trail: Hwy 50 to Mt. The singletrack is ripping, the climbs are tough, and the high alpine riding is unparalleled! Best suggestion would be to put together a 3-day point-to-point ride with a shuttle. …cared for by The Colorado Trail Foundation. Like most CO trails, this one is the same rocky, steep and breathtaking views 360*. It is possible to thru-bike the Trail without support by resupplying at nearby towns, including such as Frisco, Breckenridge, Leadville, Buena Vista, Salida and Silverton. To view a PowerPoint presentation on gear choices, techniques, planning, etc., by experienced bike packers Greg and Bridger Vallin, Christopher Wieland and John Admire, see this pdf: Vallin BikePacking Presentation. Colorado Cyclist offers a vast selection of bike gear at competitive prices backed by expert service and advice. Southeast Colorado Springs Bicycle Map; West Colorado Springs Bicycle Map; The area maps were developed through a process of trial and error, engaging neighborhood stakeholders, and collecting … They are prohibited, however, in the six wilderness areas through which the CT passes. A: They all look fantastic! Great fat bike ride and the trail doesn't get that much use except for animals from late October-May. IMBA Epics | If you are only going to ride this segment one way, it would definitely be west to east. The trail includes singletrack and rugged & remote dirt roads. Another way to preserve the Trail is to dismount and walk through muddy areas. What I rode of this section of the Colorado Trail was a two-way back-country ride on a hiking trail with few technical features although it does twist and turn. Not looking to make the whole trail into a loop, just a section of it...like you mentioned, building a loop within it. Highly recommended! A: Thanks Jeff, Im not sure which section at this point. In this group test, we review 15 of the most exciting models of the season. Rode out and back, starting from the South Platte THD. It is certainly a rigorous climb the first mile and really the first 5 miles. The tour takes place in high and wild San Juan Mountains of Colorado. #12 of 85 Outdoor Activities in Denver. Very pleasant forest and back-country feel. Most of The Colorado Trail is open to mountain bikes. Denver. The trail is a gradual climb through rolling mountain meadows in Roosevelt National Forest. Best long distance trail I have ridden, so many good sections, and beautiful scenery! It is an amazing ride. Monarch's a good warmup, and the Fooses downhill is pretty amazing. The Colorado Trail flows through eight mountain ranges, six wilderness areas, five major river systems, and six National Forests. Great trail. The secluded, wooded surroundings here offer ample opportunities to see many types of birds, including blue heron, osprey, owls, and hawks. Always a nice ride in the summer but a couple of inches (3-4) of snow make it a different ride . From Denver, start off S. Platte Canyon Rd. Bicycles are prohibited in each of the six Wilderness Areas; it is against … Otherwise, if you really want to build a loop, you're going to have to use gravel and paved roads to make it happen. Supported trips can be done in even shorter time. Support Us | Etiquette requires cyclists to yield to all other non-motorized Trail users, including hikers and horses. Traveled all the way from Norway and did the whole trail last summer with two good friends. I would just start from Hwy 126. The trail that they added at the 20mi mark is a brutal sustained climb that would take a special breed to clean, but the down hill afterwards is spectacular. But overall the trail is very doable for the conditioned rider. Expert riders enjoy the challenge of the steeper terrain, such as the 75 miles in the San Juan Mountains from Molas Pass to Durango. The Colorado Trail bike … Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone, Dirt. I'll keep researching maps and such. The Colorado Trail (CT) is fairly easy to get to on either end as the race pretty much starts in towns. The Colorado Trail is popular with mountain bikers, from beginners to experts. At about this time the altitude really starts to get to you too! Rode from the top of Monarch Pass and down Fooses. Portions of the Colorado Trail are off limits to bikes so you'll need to detour around each of the 6 designated wilderness areas. Year round you can take on the exciting network of flow trails at Phil’s World in … A movie about three good friends, the Colorado Trail and mountain bikes! It's part of the CTR so you ride it but don't go out of your way for it. A little climbing a little technical and beautiful views. Since these guys are trying to ruin this trails rating... Beautiful segment of Colorado Trail. Be prepared to share the trail with a lot of hikers as well. Another easily-accessible section starts at Kenosha pass at US 285: http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/colorado-trail-kenosha-to-breckenridge.html Fred has done the same thing to other highly-rated trails as well--not sure why. ctf@coloradotrail.org. The Colorado Trail is a monster of a trail, but this shouldn’t sway you from bikepacking it. Colorado’s Official Trails App – Discover & explore Colorado’s unique trail experiences. This is a popular ride for bikepackers/shuttles, but excellent out and back or loop ride options exist as well. Unfortunately, there's not a sign telling you where the Wilderness boundary is, so best to turn around at the lakes. The video summary of our 2017 thru-ride of the Colorado Trail. The Colorado Trail is a multi use trail that runs 500 miles (529 by bicycle) from Waterton Canyon in Littleton, Colorado to Durango, Colorado… Beefier tires point-to-point ride with a shuttle we review 15 of the CTR so you 'll need detour... Of slopes is punchy but then once it levels out, the meet... Long distance trail I have ridden, so not the place to be during a thunderstorm to share the with... There 's not a sign telling you where the trail ’ s just! With two good friends, the Colorado trail Databook include maps and of. Offstreet path along N side of slopes always a nice ride and where you moving up. 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