[Lancashire Lass]

Seasons greetings to all you riders ... don't let the festive feast stop you from getting out to ride ...

I'm looking for any advice from bikers as; myself and 3 friends will be visiting Colorado/Utah in September 2006 and are just about to start researching where to visit and ride. I went to Breck, Moab and Fruita on a whistlestop tour back in 2001 but I'd like to go back and spend 2-3 weeks out there, maybe skipping Breck this time - although the Peaks Trail is always worth a visit. Can you recommend a vehicle to rent for 4 adults, bikes and kit? Also where can we ride en-route to Fruita and Moab to break up the journey? Any ideas on where to go, ride, sleep etc are much appreciated. I'm only just starting to look now, so I am totally unsure of our complete ambitions .....

Thanks in anticipation

Lancashire Lass

 

[Memphisrider]

When I visit Colorado I go to Durango. Somehow I never have a need to visit anywhere else. I did a quick day trip to Moab a couple of years ago but retreated to Durango for the rest of the vacation. I can never get enough of that place and I am considering retirement there.

 

[Lancashire Lass]

When I visit Colorado I go to Durango. Somehow I never have a need to visit anywhere else. I did a quick day trip to Moab a couple of years ago but retreated to Durango for the rest of the vacation. I can never get enough of that place and I am considering retirement there.

Okay, thanks for that. I've just had a quick look at Durango mountain biking ... looks like there's plenty there. I need to guage distances between these places .... I'll have to get a map next!!

 

[rcharrette]

Look into the Monarch Crest trail as a spectacular ride.It is located about 2-1/2 - 3 hours drive from Denver. 30 miles point to point ride (their are shuttle services available out of Salida). Ride starts on top on Monarch pass and climbs to over 11K feet before you start the 20 or so mile undulating descent. Spectacular views and single track you dream of. Even in September be prepared for hail and snow up there. Get an eary start to avoid PM thunder storms! I've lived in Colorado for 8 years and did this ride for the first time last year. I was blown away! In Moab, Porcupine Rim is a must do. Have fun!!

 

[roaddog]

aaahh, September. Colorado's secret month for riding in the higher mountains. Gosh, I dunno. People will tell you to go to Winter Park or Crested Butte. THen Salida is on the up and coming, with the Monarch Crest Trail and a whole buncha other stufff. Me? I live in Leadville and like it right here. I can recommend Salida, which is a very nice town with Absolute Bikes sharing building space with a nice coffee shop. I do day trips to Salida alot in the spring and fall. During the summer I stay here where its a bit not as hot.... Yea, that's it! Salida, Crested Butte, and Durango. By then, you are somewhat close to Utah. I have yet to get to Durango myself.

 

[forkboy]

Okay, thanks for that. I've just had a quick look at Durango mountain biking ... looks like there's plenty there. I need to guage distances between these places .... I'll have to get a map next!!

3hrs, 150 miles.

Yeah - we have a few trails in & around Durango. It's about 15-20 degrees cooler than Moab at any given time during the year. September is a great month to ride in either place.

 

[KRob]

Check out this thread. The quintessential Utah/Colorado tour.

 

[rippling over canyons]

I concur with the rest: Crested Butte, Durango, and Monarch Crest. The Colorado Trail next to Keystone is good, in addition to the portion from Kenosha to Georgia passes. Fruita if its not too hot that time of year.

North of Durango, July 2005

 

[Anonymous]

Kinda like asking

Where to bike in Austrailia. Not quite as big, but just as many cool places to be. What kinda trails do you wanna ride? You wanna do from 9k to 13k feet, to be followed by a killer down hill? Or would a 230 foot climb on Moore fun (at around 4400 feet) be more to your liking? Do you wanna do an "epic" from Camp Hale to Durango? About 200 miles. Or would a quick lift served 3000 vert on Vail mnt do? Snowmass village has the same. Wanna do a short hot July run? I recomend tha Kokopelli loops. Turkey flats is hard to beat in September. Scout trail in Glenwood Springs is good from May to September. As is Mushroom Rock, in Carbondale.

Sorry, but this is kinda of one of the " Where's the best chicken fried steak in the US" kinda questions.

 

[Lancashire Lass]

Look into the Monarch Crest trail as a spectacular ride.It is located about 2-1/2 - 3 hours drive from Denver. 30 miles point to point ride (their are shuttle services available out of Salida). Ride starts on top on Monarch pass and climbs to over 11K feet before you start the 20 or so mile undulating descent. Spectacular views and single track you dream of. Even in September be prepared for hail and snow up there. Get an eary start to avoid PM thunder storms! I've lived in Colorado for 8 years and did this ride for the first time last year. I was blown away! In Moab, Porcupine Rim is a must do. Have fun!!

Ooooh, sounds good. I'll check it out. Thanks for the info ..... anymore is gratefully appreciated. I've ridden Slick Rock and Porcupine Rim but I'll be back to ride them again as they were just destined to be ridden more than once in my lifetime

Merry Xmas.

 

[Lancashire Lass]

aaahh, September. Colorado's secret month for riding in the higher mountains. Gosh, I dunno. People will tell you to go to Winter Park or Crested Butte. THen Salida is on the up and coming, with the Monarch Crest Trail and a whole buncha other stufff. Me? I live in Leadville and like it right here. I can recommend Salida, which is a very nice town with Absolute Bikes sharing building space with a nice coffee shop. I do day trips to Salida alot in the spring and fall. During the summer I stay here where its a bit not as hot.... Yea, that's it! Salida, Crested Butte, and Durango. By then, you are somewhat close to Utah. I have yet to get to Durango myself.

I'll check out everything I'm told!! Thanks for the info ... there's just so much to see and do in just 2-3 weeks and I want to do 'it all'!!

Thanks again - it's all appreciated.

Merry Xmas

Lancashire Lass

 

[CSPRINGS]

September trip...sounds Warmer than it is now....

HI Lancashire.et al.
.
First you land in Gatwick, grab your box, pull out the Aluminum goddess inside, grab your spanners and assemble. Admire your work, then hop on and jump down the first set of steps you can find in the sunlight. OK that was lots of work so treat yourself to a Lions bar or a Ploughmans..........

Oops sorry, you are departing the your cozy island and coming to the States. OK, You need to watch the weather wherever you go. I live near Denver and have lived and ridden in both Colorado and Utard. I spent a wonderful month in Englaterra, next time I hope it will be with my mountainbike as opposed to the road one with the ram horned looking steering wheel thingie.

If it were me, I would definitely skip the mountains at upper altitude. I would head to the Desert areas which I love anyway even in July. In September the temps are not near as HOT HOT HOT. Do you plan to B&B, car camp, tent camp, hotel camp??? What kind of rides are you looking for, intensity, duration, do you like smooth and mellow, or do you prefer it rough and fast, drops? how high? Will everyone be at a similiar level? This kind of info may help us point you in an appropriate direction.

Peace
CSPRINGS

 

[Lancashire Lass]

HI Lancashire.et al.
.
First you land in Gatwick, grab your box, pull out the Aluminum goddess inside, grab your spanners and assemble. Admire your work, then hop on and jump down the first set of steps you can find in the sunlight. OK that was lots of work so treat yourself to a Lions bar or a Ploughmans..........

Oops sorry, you are departing the your cozy island and coming to the States. OK, You need to watch the weather wherever you go. I live near Denver and have lived and ridden in both Colorado and Utard. I spent a wonderful month in Englaterra, next time I hope it will be with my mountainbike as opposed to the road one with the ram horned looking steering wheel thingie.

If it were me, I would definitely skip the mountains at upper altitude. I would head to the Desert areas which I love anyway even in July. In September the temps are not near as HOT HOT HOT. Do you plan to B&B, car camp, tent camp, hotel camp??? What kind of rides are you looking for, intensity, duration, do you like smooth and mellow, or do you prefer it rough and fast, drops? how high? Will everyone be at a similiar level? This kind of info may help us point you in an appropriate direction.

Peace
CSPRINGS

Wow, I've just seen Santa up there in the sky .... .honest! The snow's on it's way too
Thanks for your thread. I've been to Moab in September before and it was hot enough for me then. My friends and I are all similar level in riding skills and we'd be looking for up to 20 miles of riding each day of cross country with some 'technical stuff', good downhills and some good climbs thrown in for good measure - that way you'll cover all our requirements!! (An average day's climb over here would be up to 5,000ft over 20-30 miles of rocky and technical trails). We don't know what sort of accommodation to go for as we don't really know what's out there but cheap and cheerful, no frills, would be ideal - any tips or pointers in that directon is much appreciated. Likewise if you want to know the best rides over here .... then just shout out as we have some fabulous rides.
Thanks again and enjoy the festive season - keep those wheels turning.

 

[CSPRINGS]

Arriving and basic info ?

Hi,

Renting bikes or bringing your own?
What bikes will you be riding?
Landing in Denver ?

I go to moab usually 2+ times a year there is anywhere from 3 to 6 the smaller the better since and we always camp, the more primative the better, about 6 hours for a grocery run is the norm. So I can't really help on the Hotel/Motel bit. You can surf many of them on the net. Check to see if there are any Moab happenings / events the week before and during your stay. When there are events you need advance reservations or the no vacancy signs will really piss you off.

 

[Whip]

CO/UT bike

I assume you're flying into Denver? End of Sept is the month the aspens change so I reccommend riding in CO on the end of your trip and UT first. You might want to consider a crew cab pickup for your travels. Alternately a van might be nice. My home bias is the Roaring Fork Valley Glenwood Springs to Aspen. From there you can head over Independence Pass to Buena Vista then Cottonwood Pass to Crested Butte. Close to I-70
and the Moab scene.

Seasons greetings to all you riders ... don't let the festive feast stop you from getting out to ride ...

I'm looking for any advice from bikers as; myself and 3 friends will be visiting Colorado/Utah in September 2006 and are just about to start researching where to visit and ride. I went to Breck, Moab and Fruita on a whistlestop tour back in 2001 but I'd like to go back and spend 2-3 weeks out there, maybe skipping Breck this time - although the Peaks Trail is always worth a visit. Can you recommend a vehicle to rent for 4 adults, bikes and kit? Also where can we ride en-route to Fruita and Moab to break up the journey? Any ideas on where to go, ride, sleep etc are much appreciated. I'm only just starting to look now, so I am totally unsure of our complete ambitions .....

Thanks in anticipation

Lancashire Lass

 

[rr]

You could do a big loop around CO and hit Moab too. Fruita/Moab for 3-4 days, Durango for 3-4 days, then drive back east and hit Crested Butte and the Monarch Crest ride for 3-4 days. Finish it off with one of the best high country rides in the state- Kenosha pass into Breck. You could do some lift assisted riding at Keystone for a day and even checkout Winter Park and the frasier valley for a few days.

Man, that sounds like a killer trip, of course the weather could spoil some of the high country riding in Sept., but you could improvise and checkout the front range too, we have some great riding on the FR.

 

[rcharrette]

Anyone mention Fruita?

Seasons greetings to all you riders ... don't let the festive feast stop you from getting out to ride ...

I'm looking for any advice from bikers as; myself and 3 friends will be visiting Colorado/Utah in September 2006 and are just about to start researching where to visit and ride. I went to Breck, Moab and Fruita on a whistlestop tour back in 2001 but I'd like to go back and spend 2-3 weeks out there, maybe skipping Breck this time - although the Peaks Trail is always worth a visit. Can you recommend a vehicle to rent for 4 adults, bikes and kit? Also where can we ride en-route to Fruita and Moab to break up the journey? Any ideas on where to go, ride, sleep etc are much appreciated. I'm only just starting to look now, so I am totally unsure of our complete ambitions .....

Thanks in anticipation

Lancashire Lass

As far as pure riding enjoyment I would take Fruita over Moab anyday. True Moab has a better "town", but the single track in Fruita rocks! Worth a visit.

 

[Lancashire Lass]

You could do a big loop around CO and hit Moab too. Fruita/Moab for 3-4 days, Durango for 3-4 days, then drive back east and hit Crested Butte and the Monarch Crest ride for 3-4 days. Finish it off with one of the best high country rides in the state- Kenosha pass into Breck. You could do some lift assisted riding at Keystone for a day and even checkout Winter Park and the frasier valley for a few days.

Man, that sounds like a killer trip, of course the weather could spoil some of the high country riding in Sept., but you could improvise and checkout the front range too, we have some great riding on the FR.

Thanks for that, much appreciated ... there's plenty more food for thought there. It's hard to think of good summer weather right now as it's been minus 3 degrees here today, during the day, and we're in for a good old deluge of snow tomorrow - I can feel a good night ride coming on . Thanks again, I'll certainly do some investigating now. Cheers.

 

[Deano]

A small amount of advise from another UK rider

Hi! Myself and a group of friends took an 8 day holiday to Fruita last April/May. We flew into Denver, stayed overnight at Idaho Springs high in the mountains then got to Fruita in a few hours. We took one day to go ride Porcupine Rim, but spent all our other days in Fruita (and rode every day). There are an incredible amount of trails there and it's growing all the time. Go speak to Troy and the people at OTE Sport for great advice, coffee and laughs; a fantastic shop with all you need and the people who have largely developed the whole area.

My advice would be to spend less time driving and more time riding. You'll undoubtedly have a lot if fun!

 

[Matno]

If you're really looking to spend 2-3 weeks, I'd highly recommend trying out Utah's "other" rides. If you fly into Salt Lake City, you could start out with some of the most spectacular trails in the world along the Wasatch front. I'd suggest you try Guardsman's Pass (Big Cottonwood Canyon in SLC) and the Alpine Loop that passes Sundance Ski resort. For that matter, many of the ski resorts in that area, including Sundance, Park City, and Deer Valley (among others) offer ski lift access for riding. Not sure if they'd still be operating in September though, but you could check. Even if not, the riding (both up and down) is spectacular. The Ridge Trail in American Fork canyon is spectacular and could take weeks to cover all of the trails there. All of this riding is beautiful singletrack trails at high altitude with alpine scenery like most people only imagine.

Further south, if you head the western side of Utah you could ride Brian Head (another ski resort with some of the best singletrack trails anywhere) and then drive a little further south to St. George. For fun technical-playground type riding, you can't beat Gooseberry Mesa, and it's within view of Zion's National Park - something that you ought to at least drive through on your way over to Moab and Fruita, although you can't ride in the park. There are tons of other trails in and around St. George that easily rival other more famous places. Dont' tell anyone that I told you though...