Colorado Springs: A Guide to the Pikes Peak Region's Greatest Off-Road Bicycle Rides

This guide (2nd edition) is generally good, but it lacks competition and therefore is a little sloppy. It is essentially the only guidebook available for mountain biking in and around Colorado Springs. As other reviewers note, there are a lot of inaccuracies that can cause temporary confusion, even for a lifetime local like myself (e.g. calling Bear Creek "Beaver Creek", p.58). And with new trails around Pueblo's south shore, this book is due for some updating, which will hopefully include error corrections. It's solid on the standards: North Cheyenne Canyon (Captain Jacks), Palmer Park, Ute Valley, Black Forest. It also includes rides further afield: Woodland Park, Canyon City, and the Wet Mountains. Despite many criticisms, the book is a handy guide for the rider new to the area as well as the local looking for something new. Don't rely on the maps too much--they are quite basic. But the trail descriptions along with the maps (and some common sense) will get you where you need to go.

If you have an old copy of this book.. well.. ya' don't really need this one. It does add some rides around Colorado Springs and Monument as well as a detailed description of the Colorado Springs bike path system and Palmer Park (thank God for Palmer Park!).. The info on the Wet Mountain Valley.. well it does seem outdated. This area is changing rapidly and the trails are getting pretty damaged. I road the "Ghost Town Loop" which makes a good road ride.. but it used to be a dirt road ride.. not much different except the land developers are now raping the land full bore. And the Rainbow Trail... man.. that used to be nice.. but now it's been destroyed by the ATVs.. it'll make you want to shoot the next ATV rider you see.. except you ride a bike so you probably don't shoot things... and ATV guys do shoot things.. so you'd be at a disadvantage.. So.. if you don't own the old book.. buy this one.. it is expanded and still the "bible" for riding the region.. If you already own the old one you probably don't need the new one.. though.. it couldn't hurt... and it's cheaper than a couple of tubes.