Park City, Utah is famous for skiing, snowboarding, festivals and shopping but it has another well kept secret, mountain biking. After the snow melts the hills are filled with excellent trails for biking and hiking.
There are trails for all different skill levels. Whether you are a beginner or advanced Park City has something for you.
Some might be a little hesitant to ride in an area that has so much incline. Luckily a ski resort has a special piece of equipment that can help you with that problem.
During the summer months, they run the ski lifts and you can get a lift up to the top of the mountain and ride the trails down. This takes away a lot of the work involved in mountain biking, and it becomes just fun downhill ridding.
The prices are reasonable for an all summer lift pass. These prices are reasonable when considering the beautiful area that you will get to ride in.
There are two lifts that can give you a head start up the mountain. The Town Lift leaves from the heart of Center Street.
The other lift, Payday lift takes off from the resort base area. These lifts are also a great idea if you have children that would struggle keeping up, during difficult uphill sections.
Before heading out on the trail do some research and find out what kind of trail would be best for your group or yourself if you’re ridding alone. There are trails that differ not only on difficulty but also that offer different attractions.
Some trails that are very popular, are those that take you to a scenic overlook of the area. Some people also really enjoy trails that involve stream crossings, jumps or banks you can ride on.
If you do not have gear there are several services in the area that rent bikes and other necessary gear. Also if you need any repairs which is a very common need in mountain biking most of the businesses were you can rent a bike offer bike repairs and tune-ups.
There are several pieces of biking gear that you will want to be equipped with. First of all you will want a mountain bike with tires that provide enough grip to keep you from sliding off the trail.
It is also recommended that your bike has several speeds so that you can change gears depending on the incline of the terrain. This usually will not be something you need to worry about since almost all mountain bikes are equipped with gears today.
Another vital piece of equipment is a helmet. Especially if you are planning on taking the lift up the mountain, and doing all downhill riding.
Make sure that your brakes are in good working order, it’s a good idea to go test them out before you get on the trail. Poor brakes can result in dangerous accidents.
It is not uncommon to get a flat tire in Utah because the climate produces a lot of thorny plants. There are several options that reduce the chances of getting a flat tire.
During the summer months it can get very hot and dry in Utah. For this reason it is important to bring plenty of water.
If you are not familiar with the trails in Park City you will want to have a GPS or a map. Some of the trails cross each other and it is fairly easy to get on the wrong trail and end up lost.
GPS which stands for global positioning system are a great tool to have on the trail. It uses satellites to pinpoint your position at any time.
You can also download maps into the GPS so that the bike trails will appear on the screen with your location. This makes it almost impossible to get lost, and you can also plan out your trip ahead of time.
If you do not have access to a GPS you can pick up a map at the Park City Visitor Bureau. There are over three-hundred and fifty miles of public trails to take advantage of.
Ronald Pedactor is a resident of Utah and has written hundreds of articles relating to tourism and real estate. He recommends (http://www.parksedgeparkcity.com) for your next condo in Park City.
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