Mountain bikers tackle snow at nighttime race

By Jason Blevins, The Denver Post

COPPER MOUNTAIN — As the Broncos bombed, more than 160 mountain bikers converged on Copper's frozen village Saturday night for a rare winter bike race.

It was a record showing for Leadville race organizer Cloud City Wheelers, which has been hosting wintertime bike races since 2007 and never saw more than 70 participants.

"Winter mountain biking is definitely picking up," said Sterling Mudge, whose Wheelers funnel race registration revenue toward singletrack trail construction in Leadville. "This season especially, with the weather, it seems like people are still in bike mode."

With bright lights and warm tights, the riders pedaled two 5-mile loops from Copper's Burning Stones Plaza east to the area's nordic trails and back through the village.

The mingling of first-time winter racers with veterans on massive-tired snow bikes stirred a festive vibe. Though the snow was quickly shredded by the first wave of riders, forcing most of the pack to push their bikes through calf-deep sugar, laughter resonated through the dark.

Read more about Saturday night's race.

Read about fat tike bikes, or snow bikes, Wednesday at OutThereColorado.com and in Thursday's Out There section in The Gazette.

Leadville Winter Mountain Bike Race Series
Feb. 4 -- Tennessee Pass Nordic Center
March 3 -- Leadville's Mineral Belt Trail
April 7 -- Leadville's historic mining district