[dirtygirlmagnet]

Hey everybody! I've been away from riding downhill for a few years, but now I'm back. I don't want to wait until the resorts open to get out on my new bike.

I live in Denver, and all of my riding friends are into XC type stuff. Anybody out there have good pointers on where to find some shuttle/hike spots?

Thanks for the help

 

[Full Trucker]

You will not find this information readily available to you by posting on the internets. The people here are very protective of their DH stashes, at least online. Most everyone is pretty happy to show a new person "IRL" as it were, after meetin' 'em/ridin' with 'em/diggin' with 'em. You will get much "advise" in this thread, and a lot of it is going to be sarcastic and crappy. Instead of letting the unwashed masses chime in, I will summarize the replies you will get below:

1. You need to pedal up to earn your downhill
2. Shuttle Apex, only on odd days <snrk>
3. Hit some local dirtjump spots or local bike parks (Golden Bike Park, Rhyolite, Valmont Bike Park, Trestle Skills Park) and make some friends with the local dirtjump contingent. Most of them ride DH as well, and might know of some goods.
4. Buy a trail bike, n00b!
5. Just wait for resort season, it's not that far away and you'll meet moar DH folks to ride with outside of the resorts.
6. This has been discussed before, search function, n00b!
7. Mtbr front range forum!
8. stick to the resorts. ride xc during the off season

Of the 6 common responses above, there are 2 of them that are useful. A few of those comments were actually made in threads that are still on the first page of this forum.

Perhaps this could be made a sticky somewhere, along with a thread about Front Range tire choice? Oh wait... wrong forum for that.

 

[stoney]

What most people call trail riding is XC here. You will learn to ride good DH on a 5" bike. You will pedal a lot. Go to Winter Park once the snow melts.

I've been here for over 6 months and had friends that have lived here forever and ride DH. I've only been shown two DH trails, which apparently aren't even that good, and even then I could never find them again.

Best of luck.

 

[Pesqueeb]

Wait, Shuttle Apex on odd days? No wonder............

 

[dirtygirlmagnet]

Thanks for the advice, anything is helpful.

To elaborate on my situation, I used to ride and race plenty of Downhill when I lived on the east coast. Last summer I went to WP a few times on a borrowed bike, and realized how much I missed dh bikes. I was bored with wp pretty quickly, and decided that if I'm going to do this for real, I should get my own bike again, and do it for real.

So here I am with a downhill bike that's too clean. I really want to go somewhere that I can help with digging/building and ride some real trails and features. I'm sure it'll happen eventually, I'm not suprised with folks being protective and not posting a map of all the secret spots to go to.

 

[-BB-]

First rule of fight club...


Seriously thought, you probably will not be able to get anyone to give away the location of a DH spot online... where anyone can see it!

As was said above, it is much better to ask if there are any other DH'rs in the area that wouldn't mind letting someone new in town tag along for a ride or two. You will get a MUCH better resp from that. And maybe also post up a pic of you riding something so they know that you have some basic skills and wont be someone they have to drag to the hospital bc they were in way over their heads.

 

[dirtygirlmagnet]

First rule of fight club...


Seriously thought, you probably will not be able to get anyone to give away the location of a DH spot online... where anyone can see it!

As was said above, it is much better to ask if there are any other DH'rs in the area that wouldn't mind letting someone new in town tag along for a ride or two. You will get a MUCH better resp from that. And maybe also post up a pic of you riding something so they know that you have some basic skills and wont be someone they have to drag to the hospital bc they were in way over their heads.

Good point.

Okay, change of topic. Anyone out there have Wednesdays off and care to show me around some trails? I've got a potential shuttle vehicle (reliability is a little subject) or gas money.

I'm just dying to get out and ride. This new Huffy wont ride itself.....

 

[Full Trucker]

I've been here for over 6 months and had friends that have lived here forever and ride DH. I've only been shown two DH trails, which apparently aren't even that good, and even then I could never find them again.

Hey, it's not our fault that the 6 months you've lived here HAS BEEN DURING WINTER. Sheesh...











Now, you gonna keep riding that hardtail 29'er or you gonna buy a DH bike this year so we can ride?

 

[Ithnu]

FT pretty much nailed it with the reponses. And one of many reasons why the non-resort DH trails are not talked about online is that some are on private land. That's not people being jerks and not sharing. That's about the land owner not wanting trespassers.

And Apex is best shuttled in the dark on odd days.