Heading out to Vail next week for 5 days and was wondering what people might have for cycling ride recommendations (road or mountain bike) and possible ideas for trail running routes. My wife and I are going to be staying at the Lodge at Vail if that helps with reference at all. With mountain biking not looking for anything crazy, but something fun to enjoy the sites and get a workout in as well.
And if there are any of the shops you recommend for rentals over others that advice would be helpful. Was considering venture sports.
My wife’s family has been going to Vail for years and have a place there. I suggest checking out Vail Bike Tech in Lionshead near the gondola. Ask for Matt Toth (tooth as we call him) or Beau Jacobs and tell them the Horton’s sent you.
After a good day of riding there are two great bars to go to: Garfinkel’s, which is a much bigger place with pool tables and music and Bart a Yeti’s, which is much smaller with a dive bar feel.
You’ll have to join me on a lunch time run! My office my, or may not be in the Lodge at Vail.
You have to ride Vail pass, at least so you can say you’ve done it. Its a good ride if you can avoid the tourists (who get driven up and ‘ride’ down). Depending on how long you want to ride, you can continue over to Copper and/or down to Frisco. If you want to add some more good climbing you could drive over to the Keystone area and ride up Loveland Pass (way more traffic and no bike path compared to Vail Pass).
As someone else mentioned you could also ride the ‘Copper Triangle’, Vail to Copper to Leadville to Copper.
For mountain biking you can ride on Vail and Beaver Creek mountains, I think there’s more at BC. If you want to do the down hill thing you can ride the chair/gondola (for a fee) to the top and ride down.
I’d recommend exercising early to avoid the heat and the afternoon thunderstorms.
eidt - for convenience, Vail Sports (bike rentals) are out the back door of the Lodge. Plenty of mountain bike rentals, not sure about road.