GRAVEL BIKING

There’s never a dull moment riding gravel in the West End, with constantly changing scenery and terrain, the miles are challenging yet engaging. The West End rewards those hard earned miles with stunning desert, mountain and high plateau scenery.

Our extensive gravel network is attributed to decades of mineral exploration, which has left a labrynth of dirt roads to explore. Some are regularly maintain county roads, but there’s plenty of side roads where you never know what you’ll get! Expect to encounter rocky, sandy, and even washed out sections at times.

West End gravel miles are often slower than you might expect, due to the undulating terrain and sometimes soft surfaces. Our network ranges from old mining roads in the canyons of the desert, to alpine forested roads and big vistas on the Uncompahgre plateau.

Very little mag chloride is used in this area as the motorized traffic is low and dust isn’t a major issue. The West End demands larger volume tires (45-47 are suggested), easy gearing and good brakes.

In the dead of summer, avoid the canyons and head up to Norwood or the Uncompahgre Plateau where a moderate summer day can still be found. Find some miles in the desert side of the West End during the spring and fall, but keep an eye on monsoons and surface moisture to avoid getting caught out in the mud.

Carry more water than you think is necessary, and always download routes before heading out (cell phone service is limited).

Links to places to gather Gravel Information (outside of our website):

• West End Cycling Adventures

• Gravel Maps

• Gravel Adventure Field Guide

• Strava