If you're coming here primarily to mountain bike, you are in for a treat! The trail network in and around town is solid if a bit limited in scope, but the scenery rules and the riding is fun.

Within 45 minutes to 90 minutes of town, there is excellent riding. Phil's World in Cortez and the RAT Trails in Ridgway are both worth building a day around. If you're staying in Telluride for a week and you're serious about bikes, you'll want to do at least one day trip. And if you are really serious, you can always drive 2.5 hours to Moab for slick rock riding.

Here's how to think about the whole picture.

In town and on the valley floor

The two trails that make the most sense as a starting point are Galloping Goose and the Ilium Loop. Together they give you a proper ride: mellow doubletrack and singletrack through the river valley, aspen groves, and beautiful scenery. The climbing is manageable, the views pay off constantly, and it's accessible right from town without driving anywhere.

Don't expect technical features or big descents. This is cross-country riding through gorgeous terrain, not a skills park. If that's what you're after, the mountain is the right call.

On the mountain

Most of the on-mountain riding at Telluride is lift-access, which means a bike park pass (~$50 a day), even if you're only going up to Mountain Village.

Two things worth knowing if you want to ride on the mountain without paying: all trails are free before 9am and after 5pm. The Prospect Trail and the Telluride Trail are both favorites — Prospect for high-alpine terrain and San Juan views, the Telluride Trail for a long winding descent back into town (okay, this isn't burning many calories, but you can ride it up instead :-) ).

The other free option is the gondola-to-Jurassic route. The gondola is always free. Load your bike, ride up to Mountain Village, pick up Jurassic near the Peaks Hotel (follow the road downhill from the gondola top), and ride it down to the Riverside trail, which connects back to Galloping Goose.

For a longer loop with some mild climbing, the Remine Creek to Aldosoro to Penelope Cruise lollipop is a nice option. You can ride there directly from town.

Phil's World — the day trip worth making

Phil's World in Cortez is about an hour and fifteen minutes from Telluride, and it's the best pure mountain biking day trip in the region. The trail system is flowy, well-maintained, and designed for fun — long flowing singletrack with bermed corners, rollers, and enough variety in difficulty that it works for a wide range of riders. It's lower elevation than Telluride, which means it's rideable earlier in the season and later into fall, and dries out fast after rain. I'm a beginner and my sister is more of an intermediate, and we have a blast riding there together.

Plan a full day. Drive down, ride for three to four hours, stop at Dolores River Brewery for pizza and a cold beer on the way back.

RAT Trails — closer, and still worth it

The Ridgway Area Trails ("RAT") are 45 minutes away from Telluride. The system climbs via a well-built switchback trail, then opens up into a number of options with good views of the Sneffels Range the whole way. The standout trail is Ratical — fast and flowy with jump options if you want them, and the kind of run you'll do multiple times before you feel done with it.

Stop at Tacos del Gnar in Ridgway on the way back. Even my SoCal friends demand a stop here when they visit.

What to know before you go

Telluride's bike scene hasn't caught up to skiing, yet, but summer is the best and biking will be a wonderful part of a great visit.