We’ve ridden cross country mountain bikes in the deserts of Utah, the woods of Minnesota, and the mountains of Colorado, however, we have never had a true lift-served downhill mountain biking experience. It’s something we’ve always been drawn to, especially me as I’m the slowest uphill ridden known to exist, but it’s been relatively inaccessible to us. By the time we get home from our work season in the midwest, Colorado ski resorts are cleaning up the downhill gear and slowly transitioning into full-on winter mode. Snowmaking guns scatter the hills and downhill trails are slowly covered up by layers of both manmade and natural snow.
This year we were so excited when we got home from our work season a little early and the Angel Fire Bike Park was still open. We packed up our camping gear and made the 4-hour drive south from Buena Vista to Angel Fire, NM for a weekend of camping, downhill mountain biking, and relishing the fall weather that we knew would be soon gone.
We were so excited to try downhill riding for the first time but admittedly a little nervous and uneasy about being essentially new to a sport. Angel Fire is perhaps the most accessible hill in the fact that it is beginner and pro friendly, laid back and easy going with a small town vibe, and they have everything available in their rental shop to get you out on the mountain safely.
On Friday (their times are more limited as it gets later in the season) we got set up with downhill bikes, padding, full face helmets, and a map of the area. They were kind to point us in the direction of where to start to get the feel for the trails and bikes. When we first looked at the map, we couldn’t believe how many trails there were on such a seemingly small mountain. I think instantly Tyson had a goal of riding every single trail though I was a little bit more reserved.
The sun was shining and the wind was blowing – it was a chilly fall morning but we were layered up and ready to roll. Unexpectedly to us, layering for this sport was harder than we thought! It was pretty chilly on the lift ride up but then warm and sweaty on the way down. We didn’t really want to wear backpacks so we just dealt with the layers we had on.
One thing we absolutely loved about Angel Fire – something you’ll get similarly at smaller ski hills in the winter – is that we were able to park right near the base of the lift and so every lap down we could check on Hank, change if we needed to, and grab a snack or swig of water. It’s that small town feel that we are generally drawn to and we loved that about Angel Fire Bike Park.
While it was late in the season so perhaps a bit different, Angel Fire was not a busy resort. We never really waited in line to get on the lift and even if it felt busy in the base, you’d rarely run into anyone on the hill. We rode Friday and Saturday and Saturday definitely felt a little bit busier than Friday but still – pretty unnoticeable on the hill.
There were definitely some surprises for us on our first experience. First of all, we knew that downhill mountain biking would be fun but we didn’t know we’d be instantly addicted. Our second lift ride up we were already trying to figure out how we could travel West in the summers to tour more downhill parks. It’s so fun to go fast, rip fun and flowy trails, and eventually hit the manmade features. We were hooked.
Another surprise to us was just how tired our hands and arms got! Well, I guess mostly me but literally by the end of day 2 my forearms were worked and just the vibration of rough terrain sent a cramping-like sensation through my arms!
The last surprise to us was that neither of us crashed or broke anything. We for sure thought, based on previous experiences involving mechanized travel and speed, that this would be common for both of us. We were probably both a little bit cautious as we were working to get comfortable. We were happy to come out unscathed and we were also able to rent protective gear in the rental shop.
Some gear you’ll want to have or rent:
- Full face helmet
- Knee pads
- Elbow pads
- Chest/shoulder protector
- Goggles
- Gloves
- Comfortable gear to layer under/over the protective gear.
- Shoes – these are another big factor that we didn’t realize until we were there. Ideally, something with a grippy rubber and a rather stiff build would do the trick. On the first day I just wore street tennis shoes and while they were grippy and stayed on the pedals, I hit a couple rocks with my feet and thought it’d be super easy to break a toe with a softer shoe.
It’s easy to rent gear and show up with what you have before investing a lot of money into true downhill gear. It worked perfectly fine for us and although I was referred to as a dude multiple times and maybe looked a lil gapperish – we were comfortable and protected.
Angel Fire offers an amazing trail system of progression and so it was really fun to start slow and work our way up every run. We were so much more comfortable by the end of day two and we could’ve spent way more than two days there! Because of the way that the trails progress, we didn’t get in over our heads and felt comfortable the entire weekend. Even the greens (or easiest trails) were super fun and flowy and as long as you are having fun – the rating system can be irrelevant if you want it to be.
We will absolutely be back to bike (and hopefully ski!) Angel Fire in the future and look forward to being able to spend more time on downhill bikes. There is even a lot in the base area that is dedicated to campers/vanlifers etc so it was very easy to just pitch a tent and then head up to the lift in the morning. There is a small fee to camp overnight but it’s worth it to be so close to the mountain (and they have porta-potties and water). If you’re ready to dive into lift-served downhill biking, Angel Fire Bike Park is the perfect place to go to try out the sport as you’ll have a small town vibe, no pressure whatsoever, and a comfortable and progressive trail system.
It’s also worth mentioning that we spent Sunday camping outside of Angel Fire in the wilderness and exploring the surrounding area and it is such a unique, quiet and beautiful place to explore. There are few crowds, vast expanses of wilderness, and a million stars to sleep under.
Some facts about Angel Fire Bike Park:
- Largest Bike Park in the Rock Mountains
- 2000+ feet of vert
- 60+ miles of lift-served terrain
- Voted Best in the Southwest by MTBparks.com (4+ years)
Be sure to head over to the Angel Fire Bike Park website for all the details on the bike park schedule, lift tickets and pass prices, rental gear information, some rules and regulations, and more!
