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In town for GABF - locals recommend a good downhill tour?

1K views 10 replies 6 participants last post by  Mr.DadaGuy 
#1 ·
HI, I'm from Austin TX and will be in town for Great American Beer Fest.

Looking for a good downhill ride on Friday morning. Can anyone recommend a good destination, and possibly a good tour guide?

I am more of a XC rider, never done any true downhill -- probably don't want to huck anything over 2 feet but would like a good adventure and some decent technical obstacles, great views etc.

I will not have my gear with me, so I will need rental.

Thanks for any advice or pointers....

Cheers
 
#3 ·
I'm more a trail / AM rider and the DH trails I know are at the ski areas, which are closed now, but I'm sure there are others. Might want to call some local bike shops to see who has a rental in your size and get recommendations from them.

That said, there are some great XC and Trail rides in the front range area of Denver. Some of my favorites are Lair O' the Bear (12 mile out and back) and Colorado Trail at Buffalo Creek (lots of options there - fast and flowing). Mathew Winters Park at Red Rocks and Mt Falcon in Morrison also have a nice mix of single track and technical challenges.

If you want views of the city, you can go do a more XC type trail - Hayden Park on Green Mountain in Lakewood and after any one of the options to climb to the top, you can take the Summit Loop trail and get good views of the foothills, Golden, Denver and the southern part of the Denver metro area.

Most scenic of all those IMHO is the CO Trail at Buffalo Creek. You are literally riding through conifer forests with jagged rock out croppings and in some parts can ride through areas of recent forest fires that are stark, yet beautiful.
 
#4 ·
I am more of a XC rider, never done any true downhill -- probably don't want to huck anything over 2 feet but would like a good adventure and some decent technical obstacles, great views etc.
There are trails you can shuttle here, but they are multi-directional multi-use trails. So they are not DH trails. They are just trails with roads near the top.

The immediate Denver area is not DH friendly despite there being lots of people who ride DH. As mentioned before you have to head up to the ski resorts, which are now closed. And non-ski resort shuttle trails in the mountains are either starting to snow in, on private land or illegal.

That said, some of the "XC" trails here can get pretty technical. You're just going to have to pedal/push up.
 
#5 ·
Unfortunately I've never rented a bike out here, so you might have to google around a bit. The only shop I've personally been to that rents MTB here is Littleton Cyclery

As far as XC riding, take a look at lair of the bear, white ranch, or mt. Falcon park for some good riding. If you dont mind a drive away from Denver a bit, golden gate canyon has some great trails with some good technical downhill adventures as a reward.

Also, enjoy the GABF -- it is a good time with TONS of good beers to try.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for all the great feedback... I read up on a few of these, and this review stood out since he's appealing to folks who have not been acclimated to the elevation...

h tee tee pee://trails.mtbr.com/cat/united-states-trails/trails-colorado/front-range/trail/white-ranch/prd_166798_5844crx.aspx]White Ranch Front Range Trail Reviews

Reviewed by: mtnmatt8 , Racer

Recommended Route:
The comments that I am submitting are for a ride that I recommend for riders who have friend’s visiting from lower elevations that may not have time to acclimate but want to get the feel of what Colorado Mountain biking is all about. We parked one car in the lower parking lot, and then loaded the bikes into another car and headed to the upper parking lot and parked at the first lot where Belcher trail crosses the road. From here you can do about a 12-mile ride to the lower parking lot. Start by going north down Belcher Hill trail to the junction of Rawhide, and turn left. Take Rawhide trail on double track to the outer limits of the park. This loop does involve more climbing that I had anticipated but the fast single track combined with the views makes it worth it. There are some technical downhill sections and one grueling climb out the valley up to the Longhorn trail. There are several options to shorten the loop, but I suggest taking the whole loop, turn right on Longhorn and ride up to the parking lot. If you want to avoid virtually any climbing turn right at the junction of Rawhide and Belcher Hill and ride up to the parking lot. From this parking lot take Sawmill trail single track from the southwest corner of the parking lot and ride sweet single track across the meadow. This trail turns into double track and climbs slightly to the junction of the Belcher Hill trail. Turn left on Belcher Hill and ride for a very short distance and look for the Maverick trail on your left. Maverick is a really nice single track that ends in a short climb, and joins up with the Longhorn trail. Take the Longhorn trail right down more fast technical single track down through the valley and up the other side. You will come to the junction of the Longhorn and Shorthorn trail. Take the Shorthorn trail up to the right and ride some more fast technical single track. There are some sections where you may have to walk, but most of it is nice and fast on the side hill through the pines. The next junction will be the Longhorn again, here you can turn left and right the technical single track downhill with tight switchbacks or continue on the Longhorn trail until it meets Belcher and go left down to the parking lot. I recommend turning left down the Longhorn trail. The most technical section is the very beginning. The Longhorn trail winds down the mountain to the junction of a new trail called the Whipple Tree Trail. Take this trail to the right and follow the nice rolling single track to the junction of Belcher Hill. Take Belcher Hill left all the way to the parking lot. Jefferson County open space has made some huge improvements to this section of trail. It’s a fun ride to the parking lot, and the sandy rock garden will keep you on you toes, or your ass. There are a lot of variations of this ride to make it longer or shorter, just take a map and make your own ride up as you go. I prefer to ride from the bottom to the top and then back down, but as I said in order to include your friends that are not in great climbing shape this is a great ride. Allow about 3-4 hours to shuttle and ride.
 
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