Mountain Biking Breckenridge: How to Ride the High Country Right

Breckenridge looks like a postcard town with big trails around it. Ride it and you learn the mountain sets the rules.

Mazda sponsored this trip. I came for the riding and left with a few lessons from the high country that I would pass on to anyone planning their first day out.

Let your lungs pick the first ride

Breckenridge sits at 9,600 feet in the White River National Forest. Nearly every mile of trail starts higher than most riders live.

Take the first day easy. Spin a graded climb before you chase anything steep. Drink more water than feels necessary. Give your legs a day to settle in. The trails will still be there tomorrow.

Use the town of Breckenridge's trail pages to match routes to the day you are having. A short loop with a view beats a summit push you cannot finish.

Watch the sky, not just the trail

Summer afternoons in the Tenmile Range build storms fast. A dry morning can turn to lightning and hail within an hour.

Start early. Be off exposed ridgelines by early afternoon. Check the forecast at breakfast, not the trailhead.

Our trailhead stop came with wet ground and snow still visible among the trees. When the trail is wet, ride through puddles rather than around them. Riding the edges widens trails and tears out the plants holding the ground together. If a trail is too muddy to ride without leaving a rut, ride something else. The Breckenridge trail pages and the forest office post current conditions and closures.

Share the trail like the locals do

Breckenridge trails are shared. Hikers, runners, equestrians, and riders all use the same paths.

Yield to horses first, then people on foot. Slow down, call out early, and pass when invited. IMBA's rules of the trail are a good baseline for anywhere you ride.

Moose use these valleys too. Give them the whole hillside. A moose is not a photo opportunity.

The slopes above town are also stitched with old mine sites, private claims, and closure areas. Ride signed trails only. Stay off closed roads and reclaimed slopes, and leave old structures alone.

Why the Mazda fit this trip

Mazda set us up with one of their CX crossovers. It turned out to be a great mountain bike rig.

Getting to trailheads in the high country means steep grades and thin air. The car pulled up those climbs without fuss.

Our trailhead had wet ground and snow in the trees. All-wheel drive kept things calm on slick gravel and dirt roads.

Bikes, helmets, layers, and a muddy pair of shoes all need a home. There was room for everything, and nothing felt crammed.

Mountain weather changes fast. Having a warm, dry car waiting at the end of a cold ride is a small thing that feels huge.

Leave it better than you found it

Pack out wrappers, tubes, and everything else you carried in. Follow Leave No Trace practice, and do not cut switchbacks. The tread holds the hillside together. Every shortcut becomes a channel for water.

The Colorado Trail crosses the region as well. If you ride a piece of it, treat it like the long-distance resource it is.

The best part of riding here is how much there is to explore. Take your time, watch the weather, and leave the trails in good shape for whoever rides after you.