Fruita Mountain Biking

Fruita Mountain Biking Offers Uncrowded Trail Gems

It seems you can't take a road trip without seeing scores of cities proclaiming themselves as "Mountain Biking Capital USA" or "Mountain Bike Mecca." Colorado's Old West hamlet of Fruita has several claims to fame, proudly displayed like badges of honor. For starters, Fruita is home to the 18-hour endurance race of the Fruita Fat Tire Festival (coming up April 26-29, 2007). Fruita is also humorously known as "the original Moab."

A more peculiar but interesting claim to fame for Fruita has to do with a famous farm animal. In the 1940s, a farmer cut a chicken's head off and the chicken survived for quite a long time. Known as "Miracle Mike," the chicken lived on a liquid diet and was featured on the freak show circuit. Freak show chickens aside, Fruita blossomed a decade ago into a premier hot spot on the mountain biking circuit. With its hundreds of miles of trails along soaring red cliffs, through exposed landscapes dotted with native cacti and brush, Fruita will surely become one of your favorite places to rip down 12-inch wide ribbons of silky single track and then blaze up lung-churning climbs over rocky terrain.

Fruita has lots of secret rides (ever heard of the Long John Silver Trail in the south?) but you'll typically only find most of them with an experienced guide. If paying a guide isn't in your budget, you can buy either of the two books on the subject: "Mountain Biking Grand Junction and Fruita" or "Fruita Fat Tire Guidebook," available at most Fruita bike shops.

Once you decide where to get some fat tire action in Fruita, make sure you pack plenty of water and sunscreen, as summertime highs can exceed 110 degrees. For comfortable riding temps, head to Fruita in the spring or fall. You won't find a bustling nightlife or all-night clubs in Fruita, but you will find biking services such as high quality bike shops, biking guides, and really good trail maintenance.

Next time you're dead-set on heading out to Moab, take that exit to Fruita with a pair of mountain bikes and a space saving Shuttle Pack riding up top. The Shuttle Pack frees up your car's interior space by keeping all your gear in a waterproof container mounted just under your bike frame on the roof of your vehicle.