Q: is a cross bike suficient for this trail, or is it meant for mtb strickly?
A: Some parts of the trail are totally 'cross friendly while others will spit up a 'cross bike and spit it out. :) Which section are you looking to ride? If you're looking to ride the whole thing I would suggest something with beefier tires.
A: Thanks Jeff, Im not sure which section at this point. Just starting to do some research. Do you know which sections are cross friendly?
Q: Does this trail have a section closer to vail/Avon area?
A: Check out the Searle Pass segment
Q: for their great information and trail described we have the following questions. we come from Switzerland and know alpine bike difficulty levels according to singletrail-skala.de. how do you appreciate the difficulty of the colorado trail http://singletrail-skala.de/s3? There are sections that are more difficult than S2 level? if so, can you please tell us in which trail sections, between Denver and Durango? There are also more difficult trail sections than S4 level? if so, can you please tell us in which trail sections, between Denver and Durango? Does the downloadable gps track already includes the nationalpark bypasses? I do not know the monsoon time. It is possible to drive the trail between mid august and end of september? here in switzerland we normally use alpine passes with max. 3000 meters above sea level. what about wild camping, outside of wild reserves? We do not know any bears and wild cats in Switzerland. Contacts with wildlife are more likely or unlikely, especially when camping? where are there meaningful and realistic behavioral suggestions for wild animal contact? many thanks in advance for answers, and best regards Claude from Switzerland
Q: how much does it cost
A: There is no fee to ride the CT trail, but there may be fees for parking, etc. depending on which segments you ride and where you put in.
Q: DO you have to ride the whole 535 miles
A: Nope! There are 28 true CT segments - you can ride any of them at any time.
Q: Anyone have ideas for loops on CO trail? Never been on the trail, would be flying into DEN starting at the trail head. Looking at a 3-ish day loop.
A: Hey Greg, thanks for the reply. I guess my question wasn't posed very well. Not looking to make the whole trail into a loop, just a section of it...like you mentioned, building a loop within it. I'll keep researching maps and such. Thanks!
A: Have you looked at the map of the Colorado Trail? It's a massive point-to-point route. 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. Otherwise, if you really want to build a loop, you're going to have to use gravel and paved roads to make it happen. Best suggestion would be to put together a 3-day point-to-point ride with a shuttle.
Q: Has anyone completed the whole trail from start to finish - if so, how long does it take and where there any issues one should know about?
A: Yes many people have, with the current known record being just under 4 days. More info here: http://www.mtbproject.com/trail/479729
Q: I am planning on riding the colorado trail this coming summer. I currently use clipless pedals (spd), and I am comfortable with trails intermediate to advanced but I am concerned about doing the hike-a-bike sections in bike shoes. What are your thought about clipless vs flat pedals for this trail?
A: Yes, there is a fair amount of hike-a-bike so comfortable shoes are important. There are plenty of SPD options that fit the bill (like the FiveTen Kestrel). I would just stay away from really XC-race oriented shoes (you know, the lightweight, super stiff ones).
A: DA PEDDLES BRO ON MY GOLD BMX BE SO GOOD AND SHINY THEY LIGHT UP DA HOLE HOOD MAN
Q: Hi every body, i will be with a friend in Denver colorado in a conference 13-17 October. I would like to do 2-3 days of mountainbiking before the conference. i will have a car and i dont care to invest 3-4 hours on the road in order to have a decent singletrack with nice landscapes. my limit is acrophobia (fear of heights). Any suggestions?
I got shuttled up with a few of my conworkers who were biking this route. I ran all 21.45 miles and it’s not easy. there is a creek so having a water filter is what you need and want. it does it hot as you drop down and the climbing is insane. go with a group and stay with your group. cause once you’re out there you’re on your own until gusty rest point, from there you have about 2.5 miles left until the fire road.
| ThankGreat trail, absolutely beautiful. Couple punchy ups, but otherwise beginner friendly. Glad I rode it.
| ThankOfficially, most of this ride is Segment 3 of the Colorado Trail (Little Scraggy Trailhead to FS Road 560).
| ThankA demanding trail at elevation with over 3400' of climbing, an average grade of 6% and a maximum grade of 35% (as you approach the 9 mile marker). It is also part of the Continental Divide Trail and a major portion of the legendary Monarch Crest Ride.
| ThankThis is a true epic ride, yes in the Monarch Crest league. Absolutely brutal day of climbing, but the best down hill section of any of the epic trails I've ridden in Colorado. Scenery is stunning, trail is amazing, this is a must ride! 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. Might be my new favorite trail in Colorado. Lots of water and food!
| ThankGreat trail. A little climbing a little technical and beautiful views
| ThankI did the entire trail from Silverton to Durango on a bikepacking trip. CT is an epic trail with monster hike a bikes and beautiful views.
| ThankRode out and back, starting from the South Platte THD. It is certainly a rigorous climb the first mile and really the first 5 miles. A very good workout. 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. The return ride (west to east), is a cruiser with just a couple of shorts climbs worth noting ... and A LOT of nice downhill. Definitely some good payback for all your work riding east to west. If you are only going to ride this segment one way, it would definitely be west to east. Also, the trail west of Hwy 126 is really not worth riding imo. Much of it is basically a dirt road with lots of sand. I would just start from Hwy 126. All in all, this is a nice ride and worth the drive and time.
| ThankOld school horse trail sh*t show. It's part of the CTR so you ride it but don't go out of your way for it.
| ThankVery good portion of a larger route and perfect section for a whole day epic ride. Classic Colorado ride, where you moving either up or down over rocky terrain.
| ThankThe first section is punchy but then once it levels out, the singletrack is flowy and sweet! Turn around once you hit the lakes, because somewhere beyond that is Wilderness. Unfortunately, there's not a sign telling you where the Wilderness boundary is, so best to turn around at the lakes.
| ThankWhile the singletrack's actually in pretty great shape, this trail just isn't worth the effort. 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!
| ThankWhat 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. Very pleasant forest and back-country feel.
| ThankThe portion of the Colorado Trail between Camp Hale and Copper Mountain is an absolutely fantastic section of the Colorado Trail! The singletrack is ripping, the climbs are tough, and the high alpine riding is unparalleled! My favorite part is getting to traverse between Searle Pass and Kokomo Pass, spending a significant amount of time way above treeline. Highly recommended!
| ThankThe portion of the Colorado Trail between Camp Hale and Copper Mountain is an absolutely fantastic section of the Colorado Trail! The singletrack is ripping, the climbs are tough, and the high alpine riding is unparalleled! My favorite part is getting to traverse between Searle Pass and Kokomo Pass, spending a significant amount of time way above treeline. Highly recommended!
| ThankRode from the top of Monarch Pass and down Fooses. Relatively quick shuttle ride, 15-20 min or so probably. Monarch's a good warmup, and the Fooses downhill is pretty amazing. Steep, loose, rutted drop-in up top (with epic views), and it stays fairly steep for a while on tight, rooty singletrack. 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.
| ThankThanks Johnnymac. Fred has done the same thing to other highly-rated trails as well--not sure why. Anyway, don't worry--ratings only count once per person.
| ThankSince these guys are trying to ruin this trails rating...
| ThankGood
| ThankBeautiful segment of Colorado Trail. Like most CO trails, this one is the same rocky, steep and breathtaking views 360*.
| Thank