We have many exciting tours for both the road biker "aka. roadie" and mountain biker.
Our bike tours are set up as 2, 4, 8-hour and multi-day tours. If you know the type of rider you are then our site has much of the necessary information for you to make a decision which tour is right for you. Information includes: a) length of ride, b) difficulty, c) origination site, d) cost, e) what to bring, f) what to expect, g) description, h) weather, and more. Although much information is available, we still get many calls from potential guests about which tour is right for them.
Included here is information on helping to evaluate how to chose a bike tour.
1) The first question is whether one is interested in road biking vs. mountain biking. The reason this is important is because road and mountain biking require different skill sets. For road biking, tours or rides are evaluated in terms of a) elevation gained, b) ascent grade, c) distance, d) altitude (important in Colorado especially for those from sea level) and e) terrain. Although technical skill is required, generally choosing a road tour does not take in consideration this requirement. Yes, steep down hills require extra skill, but having a relative consistent surface negates some of the additional technical skills that are required in mountain biking when compared to road biking.
Both road and mountain biking are tremendously rewarding and can provide tremendously satisfying experiences; However, mountain biking generally requires more technical skills. As a result, when evaluating or choosing a mountain bike tour, technical ability should also be included in the equation.
So how is trail difficulty rated and what skills are necessary for mountain biking?
In terms of trail rating systems, there are a few different systems available. One that is internationally accepted by many users is the one attached here by the International Mountain Biking Association (IMBA).
For more information, please check out their site:
As for riding skills, here is a small list of skills that should be considered when evaluating mountain bike trails and terrain:
RIDING SKILL
• Steep uphills
• Water bars, logs, rocks
• Turns, switchbacks
• Steep downhills
• Shifting
• Walking a bike
We as a guide service use this criteria in addition to a multitude of other factors as described above plus fitness level, age, previous experience in classifying our tour difficulty ratings. An important part of our job is providing education for our patrons to better understand mountain biking and road biking and the skills sets necessary to ride specific trails and road.........
Here are a few pictures of some of our recent mountain and road bike tours:
This is one of our flag ship 4-hour rides. For novice riders, doing the whole route can be an 8-hour ride as well. For even more fun, ride all the way back to Boulder for a great and long descent.
For more mountain bike trips and tours we offer, please check out out: http://www.coloradowildernessridesandguides.com/mountainbiking/index.html
Road bike descent from Trail Ridge Road (highest continuous road in the US) at 12,000'+ to Grand Lake.
This a great 4000+' descent road bike descent. The main skill required here is braking and cornering. Remember on big down hills, when in doubt grab your rear brake rather than your front break!
As of now, we are only one of two bike tour companies authorized by Rocky Mountain National Park Service to provide bike tours and descent in the park.
Americas Best Mountain Ride:Riding from Nederland to Estes Park along Peak to Peak Scenic highway (Colorado oldest scenic highway). Almost 60 miles of breathtaking scenery and high mountain riding.
For more mountain bike trips we offer, please check out:
For more road bike trips we offer, please check out:
http://www.coloradowildernessridesandguides.com/roadbiking/index.html
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