If so, can you recommend a couple of nice trails/rides please?
I imagine that like a lot of the USA there will be some nicely waymarked or easily navigable stuff.
We’re there for 2 days, so something just over 20 miles and something just under 20 miles would be nice, scenic XC stylee if possible

Cheers
🙂

2 classics are 401 Trail & Doctor Park. Both are mainly fireroad climbs followed by singletrack descents.
401 starts out by Gothic and Dr P starts about 10 mile south at the junction of the 742/744 roads
About 20 mile each ride, or less but exhausting due to the altitude.
Local bike shops will have maps and details but they were very easy to navigate and were sign posted.
Enjoy

401, 403, well signposted. You won’t be short of views. Just oxygen 😉 can you fit Monarch Crest (Continental Divide) on your trip? On way back from CB we got dropped off at the top and picked up at the bottom.

I’ve only done the 401. From my point of view, the main reason to dothis ride is not for the trail riding itself, it’s for the fantastic views you have from up there.

what crashtestmonkey and theo d lite said.

I have gone up there every summer for years and lot’s of good riding. Another interesting ride is up Cement Creek Canyon up to Reno Ridge then down Deadman’s Gulch (which brings you right back to a parking lot near the beginning of Cement Creek Canyon. The climb up to Reno Ridge is long (forest road) until you reach singletrack and at altitude. The descent down Deadman’s Gulch will keep your adrenaline pumping—a long series of switchbacks.

Good website: http://www.visitcrestedbutte.com/biking.cfm

403/401 (or 104-401 😉 ) is the classic as far I’m concerned.

Don’t forget that CB is at 9,000 ft. The air is thin and you won’t be able to get enough of it on the ups (it’s an 1.5 hour grind up Washington Gulch to the top of 403 iirc) but waaaay worth it for the downs.

Snodgrass is a nice intro though, through the trees.

Monarch Crest is on my must do before I get to senile list…

deleted as my photobucket playing silly buggers

CB: from 401 by Sofaboy TT, on Flickr

Apologies for the less than brilliant photo but this is from about 2/3rds up 104 (i.e. 401 the wrong way…) it was late June and not all the snow had melted so we turned back about here I think…

ETA: pretty sure that is actually Crested Butte after which it’s named centre shot…

I’ve never been but there is one trail I want to ride more than any other. I going to grow some facial hair, wear jeans and a tartan shirt, rent a klunker and get all nostalgic.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDUe9BFPrzg&feature=youtube_gdata_player [/video]
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enX4Ad1Zb5A&feature=youtube_gdata_player [/video]

Timing is important as well. Many upper trails can still have snow into July and it can start snowing again in late September on wet years.
Another place to consider just down the road is Hartman Rocks just outside of Gunnison. Don’t know if they still have it, but it is/was the location of the Rage in the Sage race.

other posters reminded me of trail names we rode (spent 4 days there), snodgrass, deadmans gulch also great. we didnt “feel” the thin air which surprised me, but the heat and totaly dryness mean we hammered water consumption like never before. We took to freezing a 1L bottle of water overnight and throwing it in the backpack, by the time we’d drained our 3L bladders it’d melted and we had another (nicely cool) litre to pour into the bladder.

403 trail, making most of mate/guide needing to check route book

scenic view from cottonwood pass on drive to CB

Monarch Crest with Munqe Chick in there somewhere

Really cool town with a great atmos, its too far from any airport to have been over-developed as a ski resort so its still got a small town, frontier feel but with everybody there for the outdoors and quality of life.

It is on my list of places to go before I’m too old to enjoy it.

Timing is important as well

Ahh yes. It’s the week after next. The hire bikes are booked. 🙂

I’ll say 401 so that people know that I’ve been their and think I’m cool

Actually I had the luxury I’ve being as fit as I’ve ever been and fully acclimatised. So I really enjoyed the climb.

Oh and Pearl Pass to or from Aspen is the wide but rough classic