Crested Butte Biking – West Elk Bicycle Classic

With on the onset of Spring, which will be a bit earlier this year, it’s a good time to start planning your next Crested Butte biking adventure. This Crested Butte biking classic is a 134-mile timed road tour with 9,300 ft. of climbing. The ride starts on the Western State Colorado University campus in Gunnison and finishes in downtown Crested Butte, just 28 miles to the north via Highway 135. However, the West Elk Bicycle Classic never touches 135, but chooses instead the scenic route: It plies the shores of Blue Mesa Reservoir; brushes the Black Canyon of the Gunnison; and visits off-the-beaten-path communities like Crawford, Paonia and Somerset, before finally depositing riders on dirt and gravel for the biggest climb of the ride over Kebler Pass, the backdoor entrance into Crested Butte. All proceeds from the West Elk Bicycle Classic benefit the Mountain Sports program at Western, as well as the communities we visit along this amazing route. Click here to register.