FAQ

Why mountain bike in Colorado and Moab?

Because they have some of the most superb mountain biking trails in the world! See our full tour itinerary, and the photos and video in the gallery if you need convincing.

What advantages do you get traveling with SingleTrack Colorado over a DIY tour?

Hassle-free holiday: Our tour is fully arranged, fully guided during each ride by two guides, and supported by a van and driver. This means you don't have to deal with logistics like getting to and from the airport, or booking rental cars and hotels. It also means you don't waste time trying to find the trailhead, or need to worry about getting lost halfway through an epic ride. Safety is also important—which is why all of our guides are first-aid qualified. Having an adequate number of staff means you are able to ride trails that you wouldn't be able to without a driver, because our driver can drop us off at one end of the trail and pick us up at the other end. Having two guides also means the group can split into slower and faster groups depending on the make-up of the group—meaning you don’t need to worry about holding other people up, or on the other hand, being too fast for others. Two of our guides have spent time as professional bike mechanics so we can fix most trail-side disasters and get us back to civilisation safely. Of course, being on a group tour means you get to ride with a group of great people who share your passion for riding.

Local knowledge: we use guides who really know the trails in Colorado and Moab. We use a mixture of local Coloradan guides and other guides who have been guiding in Colorado and Moab for several years. Having a good knowledge of the trails is invaluable in many of situations, such as if we encounter un-seasonal snow fall, we know alternative rides we can do instead. Or for example if there are thunderstorms about in Crested Butte, we know where there are some alternative rides where the thunderstorms don’t tend to hit, like Hartman Rock trails near Crested Butte (don’t ask us why this happens though, we’re not meteorologists!).

Diverse itinerary: Colorado is relatively small geographically – roughly similar to the size of New Zealand, so it’s possible to see some of the best of it in the two weeks we spend there. That’s why our itinerary is a tour around the best places in the State to ride, rather than being based in just one place. While riding in all these different areas requires a little more driving than staying in just one place, when you travel all that way to Colorado, we think you’ll appreciate riding the best trails available throughout the State. Overall, it’s fair to say that our tour itinerary is a mountain biker’s paradise: there’s miles of flowing Colorado singletrack, there’s stunning mountain scenery, there’s quaint and quirky mountain towns, most with their own micro breweries for après trail relaxation, and there’s the strange desert and canyon filled landscape and trails of Moab.

What's included and what's excluded in the price of the holiday

Included:
-14 nights twin-share accommodation in quality chalets and motels
-van transport to and from Denver Airport, and throughout the tour
-full guiding, each group of 7-10 guests is accompanied by two guides
-all breakfasts, a welcome dinner and a farewell dinner

Excluded:
-flights to and from Denver
-meals, other than those listed above
-drinks, incidentals

Where can I find out about flights to Denver?

Prices vary, but you can expect to pay approximately NZ$2200-$2,800 for return flights to Denver from most cities in New Zealand. Of course, specials and cheaper deals are often available from the various airlines. Most of the larger airlines like Air New Zealand and Qantas fly from New Zealand to Denver, usually via Los Angeles or San Francisco. It’s also worth checking Air Tahiti and United Airlines, which can have some good deals. While we don't book flights for you, we recommend you speak to Harbour City United Travel in Wellington for professional knowledgeable advice on travel to Denver and insurance appropriate for our holidays. Barbro at Harbour City United Travel knows what you’re coming for so she’s ready for your questions about bike boxes, baggage allowances, and your requests for the special airline carbo-loading meal (not yet available unfortunately). Of course, you can speak to your local travel agent too. Before paying for your flights, we recommend you confirm with us that your holiday has reached the minimum number required and is confirmed to go ahead.

When you speak to your travel agent, you will need flights that arrive in Denver on Saturday (day 1 of the itinerary), and depart Denver two weeks later on Saturday (day 15 of the itinerary). * See next FAQ about any changes to arrival/departure dates.

Note on baggage allowance: while baggage limits are subject to change, and you should check with your travel agent before you book a flight, generally if you travel to the U.S, then you will have a baggage allowance of at least 23kg x 2 pieces. And your carry-on luggage of course. Also, it is the policy of many airlines to impose a surcharge for carriage of your bike (though this also often means it is allowed to be a bit heavier than a standard piece of luggage). It is worth checking with your airline if it is their policy to impose such a bicycle surcharge. In our experience, depending on who you strike at check-in, any surcharge policy may or may not actually be imposed on the day—remember it’s always a good policy at check-in to be nice, and act like your huge cardboard box is normal!

Can I arrive or leave on slightly different days than those listed in the itinerary?

Yes. We know some of you might have work or other commitments, so we’ve structured the itinerary with some flexibility. If you can’t make the Saturday departure from New Zealand to Denver, you can leave on Sunday instead. And if you can’t get Monday following the holiday off work, then you can leave Colorado a day early – no problem. Talk to us if you’d like to arrive or leave on a day different to that listed in the itinerary.

Can I stop-over somewhere else in the US on the way to or from Denver?

Yes of course - it’s easy to combine your SingleTrack Colorado tour with some more holidaying in the U.S. Talk to your travel agent about options for stop-overs.

What can I expect to pay for meals and other incidentals?

As mentioned above, we provide all breakfasts and two evening meals from the total of 14 nights you’ll be needing dinner while on tour.

Meals in Colorado range between NZ $10 for a burger and salad at a bar, and NZ $70 for a slap-up affair at a classy Aspen restaurant. In general though, a good healthy meal fit for a hungry mountain biker will cost you about NZ$25. A beer or wine is similar to New Zealand prices and will cost you about NZ$5. Of course it depends on how much you buy, but as a guide, if like most mountain bikers you eat like a horse, and allowing for an occasional drink, you could expect to spend in the order of NZ $40 a day on food and incidentals.

How fit do I need to be?

SingleTrack Colorado holidays are for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers. This doesn’t mean you have to be super-fit. If you normally ride your mountain bike a couple of times a week, at a moderate intensity, for a couple of hours each time, (i.e. if you're a weekend warrior) then you'll be fine. You will probably be grateful for the two rest days scheduled into our itinerary (one on day 5, the other on day 9) and you will probably want to take the easier ride option on day six- the most physically challenging ride of the tour. If you ride more like three or four times a week and often ride for three to five hours at a time, then you'll be in fine form for the tour and will probably be able to push yourself a bit more on the tougher trails. Because we have two guides on each ride, we can split the group into faster and cruisier groups. But either way this isn't a training camp, so we don't expect you to be racing or to ride as fast as you can. If you ride your own pace, you'll have a much better time than if you try to race the others to the top of every climb. Besides, when you get home after two weeks of altitude training, you’re going to be flying!

How technically difficult is the riding?

SingleTrack Colorado holidays are for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers. The rides on our itinerary are usually a mixture of smooth singletrack and technical singletrack, and rough double track, so you need to be comfortable riding such trails. The singletrack in Colorado can be quite technical with rocky and rooty sections—just enough to have you grinning from ear to ear. But the riding isn't technical like "North Shore" Canadian riding. However, just down the road from Breckenridge is Keystone Resort where there are several lift assisted ‘black run’ downhill and free-ride routes, often used for NORBA events - you could choose to spend a couple of days on those trails at the start or end of the holiday. But if you do, no crashes at the start of your holiday please! If on the other hand, you are unsure about whether you are competent on singletrack, give us a call or send us an email and we can talk about it and help you to figure out if this holiday is right for you. We’ve seen some good road riders start a holiday as singletrack novices who have left being confident singletrack riders. If you’re worried you might be ”too competent”, just let one of the guides know and we’ll show you some of the trickier lines! Because we have two guides, we can sometimes split the group so that those who prefer a hard technical ride can carve it up on a tough trail, while those who fancy an easier cruise can chill out with a simpler trail.

What kind of bike is best?

We think trail-bike type full suspension bikes are best. But, any good quality mountain bike with a quality suspension fork will work. For example, a hard-tail with 80mm of front travel will be OK - but you'd best be fit and prepared to get the hammering that a hardtail will dish out over 14 days on tour. We think a dual suspension bike with about 100-120mm of travel front and rear is ideal. A long travel (7 inches and more) wouldn't be ideal as these bikes are often relatively heavy and are often not easy to pedal uphill. You can hire a good quality full suspension bike in Colorado for about NZ$75 a day, or closer to $300 a week. While we can arrange a hire bike for you, we encourage you to bring your own bike, because you are familiar with it, and you know how it handles. If you are going to hire a bike, you should at least bring your own pedals and seat – there’s nothing worse than having to ride a bike with an uncomfortable seat. It's important that your bike be 100% when you bring it with you. It's much easier to fix minor problems at home when you or your local shop have the time to source any necessary replacement items. Riding your bike almost every day for two weeks puts some serious wear on your bike—probably the equivalent of several months of normal use back home. So, please don't think “those suspension bushings are getting a bit worn, but I think they'll last the tour”. Trust us, you'll be really disappointed if you miss a couple of days because your bike is out of action with a maintenance issue. Also, before you come out we'll send you a list of bits and pieces you should always travel with, like a spare derailleur hanger and spare brake pads.

How many people are on each holiday?

There can be anywhere between 7 and 10 guests on each holiday. Each group is accompanied by two guides.

How will the high altitude in Colorado effect me?

Without a doubt you will feel the effects of riding at heights of 9,000-12,000 feet (2,700-3,700metres). For most people shortness of breath while climbing and being surprised at how quickly you run out of steam on uphills, particularly in the first few days, will be the limit of the effects. Very occasionally people will experience headaches brought on by the altitude. However, there are a number of simple steps, for example drinking more water, that will limit the negative effects the altitude can have - we'll go over these steps when you arrive on tour.

How hot is it in Moab and Fruita?

Moab is in a desert, so it's hot. It is certainly considerably hotter than New Zealand in June or July! It is not uncommon for mid-afternoon temperatures to be in the high 30s and low 40s. However, it is a very "dry heat" and many people find this dry heat easier to handle than a humid heat. Because it's hottest in mid-afternoon, we hit the trails early in the morning when it is cooler - we are normally off the trails by midday. This means we're not out in the hottest part of the day, and it gives you time to laze under the shade of a tree in Moab's local park or to cool off in the pool at the hotel for the rest of the day. Of course, your hotel rooms are air conditioned. (While it is cooler in Moab from October through to May, unfortunately the Colorado trails are covered in snow during these times, and the trails in Moab can also get extremely crowded during May and October).

What gear do I need to bring?

We'll send you a detailed list before you leave on holiday. But in summary, you'll need at least three pairs of good biking shorts, the same number of tops, and a camelback capable of carrying three litres of water, and the following gear: a good waterproof jacket, a pump and basic bike spares like tubes and a multi-tool. As noted above, the weather should be nice and sunny, but could include some cold or wet days so you’ll need to bring clothing suitable for both hot and cold weather. As an aside, we recommend wool riding clothing as it’s suitable for both hot and cold days and you can wear it for days on end without stinking the trail up!

I don't want to ride everyday, are there other things to do in Colorado?

There are lots of other activities you can do in Colorado other than riding your bike. For example, in Breckenridge you could go white-water rafting on the Colorado river. In Durango you could take a scenic train journey to the old mining town of Silverton. Crested Butte is a great town to just chill out in with a beer or a coffee and watch the locals glide by on their cruiser bikes – and a visit to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame on the main street is an absolute must. In Moab you could take a jeep ride on Slickrock, or an incredible balloon ride over Canyonlands. But be warned, whichever day you take off the bike, the others will tell you that you missed the best singletrack in the world.

When do I have to book by?

Places are limited to 10 people per tour so book early to avoid missing out on your preferred date. Most of our guests book October - January prior to their tour. If you book before 1 December, there is a $100 discount off the price. On the other hand, if you’re doing things “last minute”, give us a call, if we’ve had a late cancellation, we might be able to squeeze you in.

What about insurance?

You need comprehensive travel insurance in the U.S. There’s no equivalent of ACC, and the cost of health care is enormous, so if you are injured, or if you get sick, insurance is absolutely necessary. While in Colorado and Utah, hospitals are bound by law to treat you, they won’t let you go unless you or your insurance company can pay. For this reason, we require that you have your own travel insurance that covers you for illness and for any accidents while riding your bike. Your travel agent will be able to help you with the details.

What will the weather be like?

It's summer, so it will be glorious sunshine every day! Of course, we can't guarantee that, but in general the temperature in Colorado during June and July is sunny with a biking pleasant mid 20’s celcius. However, while we expect the weather to turn it on for you, it is always colder at the top of the passes we ride, so you must bring warm riding gear also. The Rocky Mountains are also prone to thunder storms that arrive later afternoon and blow over quickly, but you’ll want your waterproof jacket in case we get caught in one of these brief but often very wet storms. Moab will almost certainly be sunny clear skies, with the temperature in the 30's in the morning when we are riding - later in the afternoon it may well get into the 40s (so stay in the pool!).

I have a partner who doesn't bike much, will they still enjoy the holiday?

While we’re happy to accommodate a non-biking partner, and while there’s lots of non-biking things to do in Colorado, the holiday is still mountain-bike-focused. So, if you’re not biking most days, you would probably find yourself a bit left out. Please feel free to talk to us about it if you and you’re non-biking partner are considering the tour.

Who goes on a SingleTrack Colorado tour?

9/10 of our guests are kiwis, from all over New Zealand. We get a few Aussies and Brits too. 1/3 are women, the other 2/3 are men…obviously. Some of our guests have been mountain biking for more than 20 years, some for just a couple of years. But all of our guests have at least one thing in common – they’re all passionate mountain bikers!