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Spoke Talk: Steamboat Bike Park launches new tricks

Loryn Kasten/For the Steamboat Today
Spoke Talk is a weekly column by the Routt County RIders.
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Steamboat Bike Park, now in its second year, continues to grow in popularity and in trails.

The resort’s dedicated trail and bike crew, headed by pro-rider Trevyn Newpher, always are looking for new ways to introduce and progress riders in the park.

This year, they have a few new tricks up their sleeves including extended Twilight Biking, Captain of the Boat Race Series and a new flow trail set to open fully during summer 2015.



Some of the best biking is happening at the resort after work hours: Twilight biking now is available until 7 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings (and for friends and family who aren’t biking, the Coca Cola Adventure Zone is open late, too). Riders who have a bike pass from earlier in the day can keep riding in the evening, and guests who only want to ride in the evening can purchase a Twilight Ticket for $26.

“Since the resort is open Wednesday evenings, it seemed only logical to fill the void of non-Town Challenge weeks with a special downhill competition series,” Newpher said. “Thus, the Captain of the Boat Series was born. This bi-weekly gravity event focuses on fun and camaraderie, where experienced racers can test their skills against the best, and new racers can enjoy a relaxed introduction to competitive downhill racing. Registration for Captain of the Boat is day of, at the Steamboat Bike Shop from 3 to 5 p.m. with races starting at 6 p.m.”



“Our mountain crews are working hard maintaining the trails to accommodate all this activity, while also continuing to develop the park with new trails,” Newpher said. “Working with Gravity Logic, the masterminds behind Steamboat’s Bike Park, as well as Winter Park and the Whistler Bike Park, the resort is currently building Flying Diamond, which will be a flow, jump trail to feature 4 to 5 miles of seemingly endless berms, jumps and drops to challenge black diamond level riders. A portion of the Flying Diamond trail is ready for riders to preview now, access it via Tenderfoot trail near the top of the Gondola. As work continues more portions of Flying Diamond may be previewed this summer. Be sure to check daily trail maps for any trail closures or changes.”

Private and group lessons for every rider from the beginner to the expert looking to progress their skills are available daily, from certified Steamboat Bike Instructors.

Riding the Steamboat Bike Park is quite different from most typical mountain bike experiences. It’s best to use special downhill bikes, which are uniquely designed to accompany the gravity designed trails.

Cross-country mountain bikes are not appropriate for the Steamboat Bike Park.

Full face helmets, gloves, goggles and elbow and knee guards don’t just look cool, they protect against high-speed, gravity-pulling tumbles that might occur on the Bike Park trails. You can rent all the necessary gear at the Steamboat Bike Shop.

The best way to know exactly what’s going on in the Steamboat Bike Park, from new trails to events and everything in between, is to visit http://www.bike.steamboat.com.

Loryn Kasten is public relations manager at Steamboat Ski Area.


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