Recommended Guide/teacher for Breckenridge mountain biking [Archive]

jjdamnit

08-06-2008, 02:36 PM

If you don't know already Breckenridge is located in the heart of Summit County. There are lots of riding opportunities in and around Breck.

Do you have your own bikes or are you planning on renting?

Most of the ski shops in the county are bike shops in the summer. If you need to rent I recommend Colorado Freeride (formerly A Racer's Edge) or Great Adventure Sports. Two of the better shops in Breck.

As far as kid friendly we're all kids up here! You can go to the town of Breckinridge (http://www.gobreck.com) site and check out mountain biking under the summer activities page. The town maintains some of the trails and has a pretty good map of those trails. The town also built a skills park at the top of the 4 O'clock trail.

Also check out Ripstoke (http://www.ripstoke.com/) I know Dave and his crew are based out of Breck in the summer. They are the only guide service in Breck. The Mountain Wave (http://www.mtnwavesnowboards.com/biking.cfm) shop offers a shuttle trip up to Vail pass and then you ride down the paved rec path to Frisco.

Before you come try to ride as much as possible, road, to school (for the boys), off-road, circling the block, even a stationary trainer, get those pedals a spinning. Breck sits at about 9,600'. That means there's not as much air to breathe. The better shape you and the boys are in means you'll enjoy what ever trails you choose more. My wife's uncle, who was born here, used to say, "It's not the first mile up that gets you it's the second," referring to the altitude.

The trails range from the paved recreation path between Frisco and Breck to lung busting hike-a-bikes that take you over the continental divide. The choice is yours.

Keystone ski resort offers lift served bike trails with a skills park at the base area. They charge for the lift access but the skills area is free.

The Colorado Trail (http://www.coloradotrail.org/) cuts through the heart of summit county and provides some great single track opportunities.

Also check out Maverick Sports (http://mavsports.com/). Go to the events page and click on either the SMC banner or the Fire Cracker 50 banner and check out the topo maps posted for each of the race courses. I'm not recommending to race but the maps for each course give you some idea of the riding that's available. If you are here on a race day go check out the race. Jeff and his crew make sure that the events are fun for everyone from the juniors to the pro and elite classes.

As far as maps go I would recommend using the USGS 7.5 series over any other. Because you'll be biking in the back country it can be easy to get lost. The 7.5 series have enough detail to be useful.

The last factor to consider is the weather. Afternoon storms roll up the Blue River valley, over Breck, towards the continental divide bringing rain and lightning with them. If you get caught above treeline in a lightning storm it can be deadly. Every year there are deaths in the back country due to lightning strikes. For that reason it is best to ride early in the morning. You can see the storms rolling in so you have plenty of time to get to safety.

The storms are short in duration but can bring intense rain. I always carry a full set of rain gear. Remember to bring a rain jacket. The day time temps range from the mid 40's to the high 70's but we have had snow in August. The night time temps can go as low as the upper 20's so layer accordingly.

We moved here specifically for the biking and stayed for the skiing. Here's what the trail out our front door looks like...

Hope you have a great trip.