Colorado Springs Cycling Resources

We may be biased but Colorado Springs, Colorado is one of the most under-rated cycling destinations in the country.  There is a good reason many key cycling companies and training facilities call it their home.  There are not many places in the world that you can “easily” ride your bike to 14,000 ft elevation and descend singletrack all the way back down to 7,000 ft in one trail or road.

We hope this guide is helpful to both local riders looking to learn a bit more about local resources along with helping people coming from out of town to ride our dense network of single track and high alpine roads.

If you have any questions about anything local be sure to reach out via email or give the shop a call and we will do our best to point you in the right direction.

 

Colorado Springs Mountain Bike Trails

Captain Jacks / Chutes Loop:  A Colorado Springs classic loop.  Long steady climb followed by a fast, flowy and loose descent!  Be careful on Jacks as the decomposed granite can get super loose and feel more like surfing than riding.

Palmer Trail to Section 16:  A great climb starting up High Drive that finishes by climbing Palmer Trail before pointing down Section 16.  If you love chunky, fast descents then this one is for you.  While it is possible to ride it on a hardtail or even rigid mountain bike, it is far from an easy trail to get down.  Lots of rock drops and techy sections to pick your way through.

Palmer Park:  This is a great spot if you just want to get lost for a bit, mostly because many of us that have ridden it multiple times still can’t find our way around well!  Thankfully you are never more than a mile or so from your car and a road runs through the middle of the park so it is always easy to find your way back to the car.  Palmer Park doesn’t have a ton of elevation gain but it can get very technical so be ready for a lot of rocks.

Ute Valley Park:  Very similar to Palmer Park but further north in town, lot of fun technical sections and a great place to get in a quick lunch or post work ride.  Commonly used by SRAM employees for lunch looks and product testing so you know there is some good stuff there!

Red Rocks:  This is another great place for a quick loop.  It’s not super technical so great for people still working on technical skills but can still be quite fun ridden at speed for more advanced riders.  There is a lot of climbing back here so it is a tougher trail for those still building their fitness.

Bear Creek Park:  This is my favorite place to send beginner riders.  Many of the trails are not very technical, the climbing isn’t too bad but it can still be a fun trail system to ride or a great way to connect trails when riding to the singletrack from downtown Colorado Springs.

Pikes Peak via Barr Trail:  Start on the Barr Trail singletrack at the summit of Pikes Peak (14,115ft elevation) and descend fun but technical singletrack all the way into Manitou Springs (6,412ft elevation).  Expect to walk a bit near the top to get around narrow rock chutes, bring plenty of clothing as the summit is usually 30+ degrees colder than it is in town and expect rapidly changing weather.  Barr trail is also quite popular on the weekends so this is a good one to try and do during the week to avoid conflicts with uphill hikers.

Pikes Peak Plummet:  This loop hits a lot of great high alpine singletrack around Pikes Peak but starts at Elk Park rather than the summit of Pikes Peak.  This ride is often confused with descending Pikes Peak from the summit but just a heads up, they are not the same.  If you don’t need the novelty of descending from the summit, this is typically a more fun route!

 

Colorado Springs Road Cycling Routes

Cheyenne Canyon:  An iconic local climb.  Great pavement, breathtaking views, and steep grades are why many of the best riders in the world have tested themselves on this climb at some point in their careers.

“The Group Ride”:  This ride meets every Saturday at 10am in Acacia Park.  This “ride” is really more like a training race for many of our local pro’s so be prepared for a few hours of really fast paced riding.  Regularly used by World Champions, Olympians and even the occasional World tour rider, this one is sure to put even the best riders deep in the pain cave.  If you are not comfortable riding in tight packs, with regular sprinting and averaging 20-22 mph for 3 hours it may be best to skip this one for now.  This is a drop ride so be sure you know your way back just in case you get dropped or have a mechanical.

Pikes Peak:  Probably the most iconic climb in America.  There are very few places you can pedal a road bike to 14,115 ft elevation.  Expect it to be very cold at the summit, yes, even in the middle of summer, bring plenty of clothes for the descent and some cash so you can grab some snacks in the summit house.  There are plenty of places to get water along the route.  Check out a video we did when team Stoli / Barbados climbed up Pikes Peak recently.

 

Colorado Springs Bike Rentals

Routes Outfitters:  This is a great stop for those wanting to rent high end mountain bikes from brands like Revel, Mondraker and Guerrilla Gravity.  They have a location near Red Rocks next to Trails End Taproom, our favorite local spot for a post ride beer and also another location in Monument.

 

Colorado Springs Lodging

Buffalo Lodge Cycling Resort:  There are plenty of places to stay in Colorado Springs but Buffalo Lodge is one of our favorites as they do an awful lot to give back to the cycling community along with having a really cool property near Manitou Springs.

The Golden Egg Cottage:  This is an Airbnb hosted by a local mountain biker that is a friend of ours.  They did a great job building a really cool cottage with a bit of a cycling theme.  As hosts they know our trail systems and roads better than most people in town and can give you some great route options.

 

Colorado Springs Cycling Coaches

Performance United:  Andy Sparks of Performance United has coached athletes at all levels of the sport including multiple Olympic and World Championship medals on the track and on the road.  He also runs weekly community Wattbike sessions for any athlete that would like to get in some proper high intensity training under the guidance of one of the best coaches in the game.  In full disclosure, we are biased here as we are partners with Andy and share shop space but we believe Andy’s record speaks for itself if you are looking for world class coaching.

Robert Mayfield Coaching:  Rob is a near mythical like creature in the track cycling world, part mad scientist, part honey badger, if you want a great coach to get you to the top of the podium, Rob is a great guy to talk with.  He primarily coaches road and track cyclists.

Matheny Endurance:  Daniel Matheny is both a great athlete himself, commonly landing on the podium in endurance mountain bike events before moving to full time coaching.  Daniel works with some of the best mountain bikers in the country and is a driving force behind multiple Junior development programs.  When he isn’t coaching, he is usually seen setting up race courses to support some of our biggest local events such as the Pikes Peak Apex.

CTS – Train Right:  While based in Colorado Springs, CTS has coached athletes all over the world and hosts training camps in some of the best riding areas in the world.  They work with athletes on all levels, from the casual racer up to World Tour racers.

 

Colorado Springs Mountain Bike Skills Clinics

MTB with Stacy:  Stacy and crew run some amazing skills clinics here in the Colorado Springs area.  Before starting a coaching business, she was a formal teacher so really understands how to help people learn.  A number of our regular customers have taken her courses and come back saying it was a great investment and it really helped them improve as riders.

 

Colorado Springs Cycling Clubs and Programs

COS Racing:  One of Colorado Springs largest cycling clubs.  They have riders of all levels, from casual or club riders all the way up to professionals.  Their club does nearly any type of riding but primarily focus on Road, Gravel, Mountain Bike and Track.  They do have a formal race team but also a number of club rides if you are not interested in racing.  They are a great group to work with and do a lot to encourage riders in our sport.

SoCo Velo:  Soco Velo is another local treasure, giving a lot back to the cycling community.  They have hosted a number of great events in the past including a week night crit race series.  Their moto best describes their friendly and laid back attitude, “It doesn’t matter your discipline – It doesn’t matter your level – Just as long as you ride”

Trails End Trailblazers:  The Trails End Trailblazer ride is a super fun weekly mountain bike ride that starts and ends at Trails End Taproom.  They host rides at both their Monument and Colorado Springs locations.  These are pretty much guaranteed to be a great time!

Rouge Veterans MTB Alliance: Rogue takes veterans and current service members that want to ride and introduces them into a group that will support and helps build their skills in mountain biking. We have a strong community and culture within the group that all support each other. Whether you need to learn to fix your bike or someone to just enjoy nature we got your 6 covered.

Colorado Springs Cycling Club:  CSCC is a recreational bicycling club which promotes safe and fun cycling for all ages and abilities. Whatever your level of proficiency, from beginner to experienced rider, our club offers enthusiastic cyclists many ways to get more out of riding.

Front Rangers Junior Cycling Team:  The Front Rangers is a youth cycling organization. Our mission is to provide youth aged 12-18 with a level of coaching and support to meet their personal needs. We have a variety of membership options – each with different approaches for recreational riding, training, racing, and coach involvement. We provide Year-round track, road and mountain rides and coaching, with weekly activities in season, plus winter season cyclocross and indoor training for all members

Kids on Bikes:  Kids on Bikes has made it their mission to get more kids riding bikes through education, providing access to bikes and by giving kids opportunities to ride they may not otherwise have.  They manage a number of bike libraries throughout Colorado Springs and give an awful lot back to our community.  They also run The Pedal Station which is a great resource for used gear and learning bike repair through some of their open stand / volunteer nights.

Colorado Springs Cycling Events

719 Ride:  The 719 ride is a great way to challenge your climbing abilities with its 71.9 miles gaining 9,190 feet of elevation.  This ride is set up so you do up to 5 laps starting at Chipeta Elementary School to “complete” the ride.  Riders are more than welcome to ride fewer laps if they do not feel up to the full distance or have time constraints so it is easy to adjust to your own goals.  We love this event so are happy to offer $71.90 off any custom built wheelset if you can show you are registered for the 2022 event!

The Pikes Peak Apex:  The Pikes Peak Apex is a 4 day mountain bike stage race showing off a lot of the amazing trails in our back yard!  If you are not up for a full 4 day race or can not get the time off, they welcome people to race stages individually as well.  This event is always a great time, backed by some amazing sponsors.  The racing up front may draw some of the best athletes in the country but don’t underestimate how much fun people are having that are not in it for the podium.  The rest stops are always a party and the majority of the racers are out to have an amazing yet challenging experience.  If you are looking for event photos, we have them free to download of all the athletes on our Event Photos page!

Colorado Springs Bike Mechanic Training

U of Q:  Formerly known as Barnett’s Bicycle Institute, U of Q is Quality Bicycle Product’s formal training program for both aspiring and experienced bike mechanics alike.  We are fortunate to have them right here in Colorado Springs.

Colorado Springs / Pikes Peak Cycling Shuttles

Paper Street Shuttle Company:  These guys will shuttle you nearly anywhere in the area to ride.  They will definitely make sure you have a good time so hit them up for any shuttle needs you might have!

Adventures Out West:  These are the people to call if you are looking for a shuttle to ride down Pikes Peak Highway or Gold Camp road.  Both routes are not technically demanding so most riders should be able to handle them without issue.  They do have rental bikes available for their shuttled rides.

Colorado Springs Bike Fitting

Robert Mayfield:  Robert takes his years of experience studying physiology and racing professionally to help you get the best possible fit for your personal physiology and riding goals.  We love that Rob makes it a point to adjust for personal needs rather than just aiming for generic fit positions that some use.  We are biased as Rob also works out of the same building as we do!

 

Health Benefits to Cycling

Health Benefits to Regular Cycling:   If you are looking for a way to stay healthy then cycling is a great option for a huge number of reasons.  Check out this article for more details.
*Thanks Emily for suggesting we add this!

Other Cycling Resources

Share the Road: Cyclist & Pedestrian Safety Awareness for Drivers:  A guide to help drivers and cyclists share the road as safely as possible.