Snowmass, Colo., (May 25, 2017) – In Snowmass, biking is to summer what skiing is to winter. The same mountain that offers more than 3,300 skiable acres and 4,406 vertical feet in the winter becomes a hub for downhill and cross country riding in the summer. Snowmass offers over 80 miles of trails that connect directly to Snowmass Village, featuring chair lifts offering direct to trail access, cross-country terrain, rentable bikes and gear, cycling pros to give instruction, cheap and free bus transportation which carry bikes up and down the valley after a one-way ride, and more.

New for summer 2017, Snowmass debuts new and updated bike trails. The Seven Star Trail is new for the 2017 summer season, while the Campground Connector Trail has been rerouted. The Snowmass Loop, 24 miles of singletrack combining over 10 different trails which can be split into three or four different segments, returns as a local and guest favorite.

Snowmass is home to a variety of biking events throughout the summer.

2017 Biking Events in Snowmass

Snowmass Bike Park Passholder Week – June 23-29: All 2016-17 Aspen Snowmass Winter Season Passholders can get one day of free lift access to Snowmass Bike Park, 50% off downhill bike rentals, and a screamin’ deal on a Park Ready Clinic session ($39, offered daily from 9:30am-12:30pm) during Aspen Snowmass’ Passholder Week.

Snowmass Loop Mountain Bike Fondo – June 24: The Prestige Imports Snowmass Loop Mountain Bike Fondo, presented by Intense Cycles, returns for its second year. The 2017 event features a new and improved 20-mile course, utilizing portions of the Snowmass Loop. Participation in the MTB Fondo is free and open to the first 75 riders; all participants who get a free spot in this exclusive event are encouraged to support the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association (RFMBA) through an annual membership or an online donation at RFMBA.org/support.

Snowmass Demo Days – June 24-25: Snowmass Demo Days provides guests the chance to test ride the season’s hottest bikes on the scenic cross-country trails surrounding Snowmass Village and the lift-served downhill trails of Snowmass Bike Park. The two-day, free bike demo event in Snowmass Base Village features Yeti Cycles, YT-Industries, Santa Cruz Bicycles, Intense Cycles, Cannondale, Kona, Scott, Spot Bicycles, Guerrilla Gravity, Commencal, Haibike, Cima Cycles, Banshee Bikes outfitted by MRP and more. Guests can also bring their own bike to demo components like the PUSH Industries Eleven Six shock or an iOmounts Nomad mobile device mount, check out the latest in women’s bike apparel with SHREDLY, try out nuun hydration products, get involved with the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association, or get a tune up from mechanic Kazzy Saito of Zen Bikeworks. Registration opens in Base Village daily at 9:15am. No registration fee required, but donations to the Roaring Fork Mountain Bike Association are strongly encouraged. A lift ticket is required for Snowmass Bike Park lift access. Guests can preregister for Snowmass Demo Days by visiting snowmassdemodays.com/signup/.

Mavic Haute Route Rockies – June 24-30: The Haute Route is cycling’s first global series of multi-day races designed for amateur athletes. Held in mountain locations including the Colorado Rockies, French Alps, Pyrenees, and Italian Dolomites – Haute Route events are some of the highest elevation, toughest amateur cycling events in the world. Mavic Haute Route Rockies starts in Boulder on June 24th and finishes in Colorado Springs on June 30th. Competitors face seven timed and ranked stages covering 550 miles and an excess of 52,500 feet of climbing on some of Colorado’s best known mountain roads, many soaring above 10,000 feet. Rookie and expert athletes tackle some of the most renowned terrain in the cycling world as they make their way from to and from Snowmass on June 28^th and June 29^th.

Enduro World Series – July 29-30: In late July, Snowmass will host the only U.S. stop of the Enduro World Series for the second year in-a-row in 2017. The two-day event blends high altitude Colorado singletrack with some of the biggest descents and best riding in the area. The Enduro World Series features six stages in addition to over 15,000 feet of descending and 1,500 feet of climbing, with both lift served and back country access to start lines. Snowmass is the sixth stop on the 2017 EWS tour.

Audi Power of Four – August 5: Summer 2017 marks the 7th annual Audi Power of Four Mountain Bike race. The series features a point-to-point course, which includes classic single-track on the Government Trail in addition to new flow trails on Snowmass and the challenging steep climbs and descents on both Aspen Highlands and Aspen Mountain. The full four-mountain course covers 33 miles and features 10,000 feet in elevation gain and decent. The race series also includes a two-mountain course, which starts in Snowmass and finishes at the base of Buttermilk’s Tiehack after covering 18-miles of glorious single-track trails.

VIDA Women’s Mountain Bike Clinic – August 5-6: VIDA Women’s Mountain Biking Clinic is an ideal place for women who rip to learn or enhance their mountain biking skills, as well as to meet other ladies who share their passion for the sport. The two-day event provides women with the opportunity to connect with VIDA coaches and fully immerse themselves into the nitty-gritty of proper biking technique.

CU In Snowmass – September 23-24: The University of Colorado comes to Snowmass to compete in the Rocky Mountain Collegiate Mountain Bike Races, where talented collegiate racers compete in Short-track, Downhill, and Cross-Country events amidst the natural beauty of Snowmass in the fall.

In addition to biking events, Snowmass provides guests the opportunity to experience biking in Snowmass in a variety of different ways.

Downhill Mountain Biking

Cyclists seeking an adrenaline rush need look no further than the Snowmass Bike Park, where downhill biking trails weave their way from the top of the Elk Camp Chairlift down to the Snowmass Village base — a thrilling descent of 2,893 feet. Advanced downhillers can get their kicks on the 3.2-mile, 1,400-vertical-foot Valhalla Freeride Trail with jumps, table tops, and a wall ride. Additional lift-served options include Vapor and Viking, two trails that offer up a combined 6.2 miles of downhill over bridges and berms and through forest and meadows, from the top of Snowmass’ Elk Camp chairlift to the base of the mountain. Cyclists of all abilities can ‘go with the flow’ at Snowmass Bike Park on the flowing 3.5-mile Verde Trail descending from the top of the Elk Camp Gondola through spruce and aspen forest.

The Snowmass Bike Park is open daily from June 23 to September 4 and weekends only on September 9-10, 16-17, 23-24, September 30 – October 1. The Elk Camp Gondola is open from 10:00am – 4:00pm (last ride down at 4:15pm), while the Elk Camp Chairlift is open from 10:00am – 3:00pm (last ride down at 3:15pm). Tickets are $42/day or $109 for three days. This summer, the Snowmass Bike Park is open late on Tuesdays (and every other day of the week) from July 11-August 15 to complement the Farm to Table dinner series at Elk Camp Restaurant. New this summer, discounted late arrival tickets for 2:00pm until dusk biking are only $29 on Tuesdays in advance of the Farm-to-Table Dinner.

Road Biking

Amateur and elite road cyclists alike travel from all over the world to ride renowned routes: such as the nine mile climb up Maroon Creek Road to Maroon Bells, with its spectacular views of the red rock cliffs and exhilarating descent; the heart-pumping climb to the top of Independence Pass (Colorado’s fourth highest paved road), at 12,095 feet above sea level; and the 11 mile ride to Ashcroft Ghost Town. Snowmass also offers gentler scenic, paved trails including Brush Creek Trail which connects cyclists to the Rio Grande Trail (over 40 miles of paved trail) that runs along the beautiful Roaring Fork River. The continuous multi-use trail features many access points off the Rio Grande railroad, providing an easy grade up and down the valley.

Cross-Country Biking

Guests can get their thrills on cross country trails including the Seven Star Trail a 4.2 mile long buff single track with 1,000 feet of vertical rise, the Snowmass Loop which links together 24 miles of varied single-track on a circumnavigation of the Snowmass Valley, or on the wide, shady Ditch Trail, a two-mile round trip to a spectacular lookout point into the Maroon Bells and Snowmass Wilderness.

To plot a ride and to find more information on biking in Snowmass, visit www.bikesnowmass.com. For additional details on biking events, please visit www.gosnowmass.com.

About Snowmass, Colorado – A renowned winter playground and vibrant mountain community just 8 miles from downtown Aspen, Snowmass consistently ranks as one of the best ski areas in the world. In addition to unmatched natural beauty and over 300 sunny days a year, Snowmass ski resort offers guests 3,332 acres of multi-level terrain and boasts the second largest vertical drop in the United States. 95% ski-in/ski-out lodging, 37 restaurants, numerous shops and boutiques, a bounty of off-piste activities, and a friendly, small town feel beckon visitors year-round. For more information and a complete calendar of events and activities, please visit: www.gosnowmass.com.

Snowmass Tourism Media Contact: Sara Stookey, Public Relations Coordinator, Snowmass Tourism, 970-922-2285 or sstookey@SnowmassTourism.com.

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