Best Mountain Bike Events in the Rockies 2023

The Team at Stambecco takes pride in finding and describing the top mountain bike across the country, especially the Rockies, home to many of the best events nationwide. Strambecco’s rating criteria are based on various factors, including reputation, route quality, location, rider feedback, and the overall uniqueness of the event or race. Spanning Colorado, Utah, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming, Rocky Mountain terrain features of Strambecco’s best list include tall peaks, canyons, basins and valleys, and forested regions. You can expect lots of elevation gain and events at high base elevations. Clearly, though, the Rockies offer world-class single-track, flow trails, steep and technical climbs, and nerve-racking rocky descents, all with scenery and backdrops.
If we had to pick the best of the best, or those you’d classify as bucket list events, you’d have to start with the Leadville 100 or any related events that are part of the Leadville Race Series. The Telluride (CO) 100/50 and Pierre’s Hole 100/50 (Wyoming) in July and August are part of the prestigious National Ultra Endurance series. Looking for an event to pair with an Aspen/Snowmass visit this summer? Check out the under-the-radar Aspen/Snowmass 50 on a stunning single-track course in/around the Snowmass ski mountain. Looking for a multi-day event? Look no further than the Breck Epic, arguably one of the best stage events in the US.
The overall quality of events in the Rockies is partly due to the quality of the producers. In the Rockies, premiere event producers include Outside Events, Lifetime Events, Team Evergreen Cycling, and Gemini Adventures.
Strambecco does not list every event. We strive to identify and review events that are special and noteworthy. If you have suggestions on other events we should consider or review, please contact us here or send us a note at editors@strambecco.com.
The Sarlacc Attack is a top 50K mountain bike race in Colorado and part of Adventure Fest, a unique multi-sport experience in Fruita, Colorado, near Utah’s border, combining MTB, Gravel (Dirty Edge…
The Silver Rush 50! Oh, where to start; the Rush is a hard-charging endurance mountain bike race at the altitudes of Leadville Colorado which is part of the Leadville Race Series and…
Outside Events presents Sunrise to Sunset in Winter Park, CO. The event is designed to offer recreational and competitive cyclists the opportunity to compete in a fun and rewarding 12-hour endurance race…
The Stages Cycling Leadville Stage Race takes the course of the historic Leadville Trail 100 MTB and spreads it over three exciting days. Riders get the chance to win daily prizes and…
The Laramie Range Epic is a high-quality mountain bike event on the beautiful single-track trails of Laramie, Wyoming. The race originated in 1998, starting in historic Downtown Laramie. At that time, the…
The Telluride 100 is a top-level endurance mountain bike race that is a part of the National Ultra Endurance Series (NUE), taking place in the incredibly scenic Telluride, Colorado. The pictures speak…
The Audi Snowmass 50 replaces the event previously known as the Power of Four MTB. The ride/race showcases the best singletrack in the Aspen/Snowmass region with a 25-mile loop ascending 5000’ feet. …
The Emerald Mountain Bike Epic is one of the most well-attended and beloved mountain bike events in Colorado and the entirety of the United States. Attracting everyone from first-time riders to pros,…
This is it, the race of all mountain bike races. One hundred miles and 10,000+ feet of elevation gain at high-altitude, extreme terrain of the Colorado Rockies. This event was created for…
As the name implies, this 6-day mountain bike stage race is epic. A mountain bike event with humble beginnings has become one of America’s top mountain bike stage races. With six big…