If you clicked through to here, there’s a good chance you’re interested in heading out on a mountain bike adventure in Colorado. No matter what you do, we’re [mostly] sure you’ll have an amazing time, but we’d also like to help ensure you have the best time possible. It’s worth saying here that we of course would like to recommend our own guided custom Colorado bike tours, but we do this not out of a misguided attempt to sell tours, but because we are confident that Front Range Ride Guides are the best at what we do. We want to champion the very best MTB tours in Colorado, and hope you’ll come along for the ride! And if anything we say inspires a few questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Look for Guides with Experience
Colorado has some of the roughest and rockiest terrain in the US, and this means that experienced guides can mean the difference between having an incredible adventure and the possibility of disaster! “Experience” goes beyond simple skill on a mountain bike and moves on to intimate knowledge of the mountainous terrain you’ll be traversing. Our guides are not only fully trained & professionally certified, they have an unsurpassed knowledge of the area. This ensures our guests are safe, but it also means that our guides know all the best, most fun routes!
Hydration and Nutrition
Look, mountain biking in Colorado can be challenging. Of course, there are easier routes, but we’ve found that the kinds of people who want to venture out here have adventure in their hearts and are looking for something new, bold, and challenging. If it sounds like we’re describing you, that’s great and we support your sense of adventure. However, we highly recommend that you take nutrition and hydration seriously before and during your MTB tour.
It’s important to not only eat before heading out on your MTB adventure, but it’s also vital that you eat the right kinds of things. Nutrient-dense carbs are key, so make sure to eat fruit, wholegrain bread, and plenty of vegetables. You can, of course, accompany this with tasty protein options of your choosing, but don’t fill up too much on protein.
Hydration is another thing worth considering. As any fluids lost through sweating will need to be replaced. While you should absolutely take hydration breaks, it simply isn’t realistic to expect any mountain biker to be able to take the time (and carry enough water) to fully rehydrate during their trip. Instead, focus on hydrating pre-ride. Post ride, you should look to replace the fluid loss on your journey in the 4 to 6 hours afterward. Good hydration can make the difference between a successful mountain biking trip in Colorado and a trip to the hospital. It’s also worth mentioning that Colorado has an amazing craft beer scene that you should absolutely sample at some point, but not before a big day mountain biking as this will leave you dehydrated and not ready for the challenge.
Choosing the Right Route for your Level
While we can’t go into all of the best routes for different mountain bikers’ energy and experience levels as there is an almost endless number of routes. However, we would still like to talk about managing your expectations and considering factors like altitude, knowing your own limits, and choosing the right trails for your energy level and skill set .
Firstly, it is vital to know how your body reacts at different altitudes and to pay attention to how you feel. Altitude sickness occurs when you climb to a higher altitude faster than your body has time to acclimatize. Your body receives less oxygen, but you continue to exert yourself. Altitude sickness can come with a range of different symptoms, including loss of appetite, dizziness, nausea, headache, and shortness of breath. The best way to avoid altitude sickness is to make your ascent gradually.
Knowing your own limits and choosing the right trail can be grouped together as they go hand in hand. If you have a lot of time, you can research exactly where you should go, reading around the different MTB trails outside of Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and the Front Range. However, there is just so much to weigh up and figure out that we recommend letting us do all the work for you. Our custom half-day, full-day, and multi-day Colorado mountain bike tours can be made exactly to suit your needs and your skill level. You tell us what you’re capable of and what you’re looking for, and we’ll take care of the rest.
There is much more we could say about how you can get the most out of your Colorado mountain bike trip, but we’d rather just show you out on the Front Range!
