This time of year in Steamboat is a rollercoaster for me… One day it can be unleashing the most epic snow storm you’ve ever seen and the next it could be 70* and you’re fishing or burning up the tarmac on two wheels. It's because of this exact variability that I avidly follow my moto of “play to the conditions”. Though some like to fully commit to one sport between summer and winter, I prefer to make the most of each weekend by highlighting what the conditions and weather are providing. This past month I had a three-day weekend that I was proud of and I think highlights the diversity of recreational opportunities this time of the year in Colorado. The mountains are still packed with snow but you have warm days and venturing to lower elevations you'll easily find dry dirt. Knowing this, ... [Continue Reading]
Cycling Family Celebrates Spring
We are a cycling family and the arrival of spring marks the end of snow biking season and the first of what I trust will be many wonderful road and trail rides in the warm months ahead. Just two weeks ago I took my teenage son for a late season fat bike ride, promising a fun descent as reward for climbing Blackmere to the quarry. A quick stop at Orange Peel had him fitted on an improbably light rental machine and before long we were cruising up Blackmere's meandering switchbacks scouting fun lines for the descent. A recent storm thwarted most of our options for single track, as the lines hadn't set up enough to ride. Leaving those for another day (and it was hard to bypass NPR) we ventured down Little Moab for a taste of adrenaline, and then gave the Nordic trails a try, finding them ... [Continue Reading]
Biking In, On and Around the Snow
What is the draw to biking in or on the snow – you ask? It is cold, below freezing, and potentially dangerous. You are riding on snow after all, and did I mention the cold? Oh and don’t forget the moose that seem to be frequenting the walking trails recently. It adds up to one crazy idea – right? Well picture this; the sound of the snow crunching beneath your tires, the smell of the crisp, mountain air and the quiet peace that being outside in the snow brings to one’s soul. And there is no better place to experience this sensation than Steamboat Springs. Now, you don’t have to ride uphill on Emerald Mountain or own a designated fat bike to enjoy biking in the snow. There are many different ways to participate in this peculiar phenomenon. We have: commuting to work on the groomed ... [Continue Reading]
Add a Fat Bike Adventure to Your Ski Vacation
Winter. Bikes languish in the garage as we keep an eye out for the next blower storm and deluge of Steamboat’s legendary Champagne Powder ©. Even in an excellent ski year, you may notice packed single track on Emerald Mountain, or a knobby track snaking up Why Not. There is still biking to be had, and a new generation of machines make it not only possible, but fun. Fat bikes and their clownish tires open up incredible new terrain to the intrepid cyclist, and one of the easiest and most enjoyable introductions to the sport may be had at the Lake Catamount Touring Center (970) 871-6667. A short drive from town, Catamount has gently rolling terrain and many kilometers of groomed track for Nordic skiing and Fat Biking. Plan a morning trip, as the trails will be firm and fast, ... [Continue Reading]
Bike Girl in Bike Town - Winter Training
Welcome to the Bike Girl Blog. Who am I? Just a girl, who moved here 16 years ago and fell in love with the biking culture that Steamboat Springs has in abundance. Stay tuned for tales and misadventures from the road and trail about Steamboat’s biking world. It’s the beginning of February, and even though I love every minute of ski season, I am so ready to start riding my bike. But it snowed another 6 inches last night, its 16 degrees, and I still have plenty of mindless TV to catch up on. So what am I to do? Set up my trainer, work out how to use my Comcast On Demand, and find my bike shorts, of course. What is a trainer you ask? Trainers come in all shapes and sizes and allow cyclists to train inside without moving. My friends like to call it my “bike to nowhere” program and it ... [Continue Reading]
Fat Bikes Hit the ‘Boat
Steamboat riders aren’t just restricted to biking in summer anymore. The new craze of fat bikes has hit town in force, opening up countless new snow-riding options in the wintertime. “Steamboat’s perfect for it,” says local Robert Orr, who competed in Idaho’s 200-kilometer-long Fat Pursuit Race through Yellowstone this year. “We get great snow and have great terrain for it that’s not too steep or rocky.” Fat bike retailers like Orange Peel Bicycle Service, Ski Haus and Wheels reported record rentals over the winter, as a subpar snow year proved perfect for fat bike pedaling. “It's fun and different,” says Moots President Butch Boucher. “Our guys like to ride the single track they ride in the summer. Plus, it’s super accessible here, and the equipment keeps getting better; ... [Continue Reading]