Afton is the way to go for ''real'' mountain biking

[RRWilso]

i recently rode at afton for the first time 3 days ago. i have done a lot of riding in colorado, and really enjoy riding at leb, but just dont get the awesome leg burning climbs and technical downhills you get in colorado. afton gives me a little minnesota taste of what mountain biking is all about. thumbs up if your a physically fit rider and like to climb as well.

[jitterjepp]

i recently rode at afton for the first time 3 days ago. i have done a lot of riding in colorado, and really enjoy riding at leb, but just dont get the awesome leg burning climbs and technical downhills you get in colorado. afton gives me a little minnesota taste of what mountain biking is all about. thumbs up if your a physically fit rider and like to climb as well.Don't they also take the chairlift to the top in places in Colorado and only ride downhill?

[RRWilso]

Don't they also take the chairlift to the top in places in Colorado and only ride downhill?

at the ski resorts its always an option to take the chairlifts. i mountain bike as one of my primary offseason training methods for my other sport so i climb as much as i can. at vail you can buy a cheaper pass that doesnt include lifts. then its a 3 hour climb to the top... i love it!

[stoneage]

I used to go to Vail and Beaver Creek every year. The climbs are great and the descents better. One of my favorite routes is up the mountain to the left. You get to the far east of the mountain overlooking the valley and then you descend Two Elk Trail on the other side of the mountain into Minturn. Go see 'Pope' at the best bike shop you'll ever see, have lunch and whatever he has in his frig, and ride the road home. Sometimes the lifts are free at both resorts. Every third day or so, I'd take a lift just for the rest, and bomb down 4-5 times. Some of the best trails are on the other side of I-70, up Red Sandstone Road. TONS of singletrack connect to it.
Vail (http://vail.snow.com//VailAssets/files/summer_flash/Vail_Summer06_Trail_Map.pdf)
Beaver Creek (http://beavercreek.snow.com/info/summer/act.bike.asp)

[Kingbozo]

I used to go to Vail and Beaver Creek every year. The climbs are great and the descents better. One of my favorite routes is up the mountain to the left. You get to the far east of the mountain overlooking the valley and then you descend Two Elk Trail on the other side of the mountain into Minturn. Go see 'Pope' at the best bike shop you'll ever see, have lunch and whatever he has in his frig, and ride the road home. Sometimes the lifts are free at both resorts. Every third day or so, I'd take a lift just for the rest, and bomb down 4-5 times. Some of the best trails are on the other side of I-70, up Red Sandstone Road. TONS of singletrack connect to it.
Vail (http://vail.snow.com//VailAssets/files/summer_flash/Vail_Summer06_Trail_Map.pdf)
Beaver Creek (http://beavercreek.snow.com/info/summer/act.bike.asp)

Are you talking about that little shop in Minturn? Cool place!

[stoneage]

Are you talking about that little shop in Minturn? Cool place!
Yeah, Jim Popeck is the owner. I met him in 1997 while leading a trip out west. Rides a big Harley. Always has various beverages and herbs around the shop. We used to go out to the bar (name?) down the street and get pitchers of margaritas. The next day is when I would ride the lifts. whewww!! If you go through town tell him Mpls Bill says hi. His wife is a trip. Makes these killer tamales.
Pope (http://www.mountainpedaler.com/about.htm)

[Kingbozo]

Yeah, Jim Popeck is the owner. I met him in 1997 while leading a trip out west. Rides a big Harley. Always has various beverages and herbs around the shop. We used to go out to the bar (name?) down the street and get pitchers of margaritas. The next day is when I would ride the lifts. whewww!! If you go through town tell him Mpls Bill says hi. His wife is a trip. Makes these killer tamales.
Pope (http://www.mountainpedaler.com/about.htm)

My wife and I spent our Honeymoon two or three doors down at the Minturn Inn. No biking on that stay, so I wandered over there with the need to at least look at some bikes. Talked to the guy for a while and he let me spin around on a Maverick. Ended up spending close to an hour shooting the sh*t. Very cool shop in a pretty cool town.

[Magic]

Now to bring this back on topic. Thanks Ryan, I'm glad you liked the trails. We have put some man hours into this trail in the past few years to help bring it back to life. I hope you come and enjoy the trails again before the snow piles up again for the year.

[RRWilso]

ya tony ill def. be back out this season. and STONAGE or bill o'reailly..haha that bar is called the minturn saloon, me and my boys eat there every wednesday night in the winter when im out there training, some of the bestdamn mexican/sw food you'll ever eat.:D

[RRWilso]

troy... sorry not tony