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Crested Butte to Telluride Gravel Ebike Tour: Highlights

Crested Butte to Telluride Gravel Ebike Tour: Dates

Potential tour dates are listed below and not all tour dates will run. Lock in your preferred tour date early as unopened tour dates will be closed. Please see the Spring/Autumn Tour Calendar and the Summer Tour Calendar for confirmed departures. Any unopened date can be a Custom Week (9 riders required). Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891

To easily register for a particular tour, please click the Book Now! link after the tour date listed below. This will select the tour name and the appropriate date on the registration form.

Also consider our 5-DAY Gunnison to Telluride Gravel Tour which is almost the same as this tour, but it is 1-DAY SHORTER Both tours can be run with mountain bikes, gravel bikes, or mountain/gravel e-bikes.

2024 Tour Dates

Tour Status Notes: NO STATUS = Date Set, no riders have signed up. TOUR OPENED = Tour Opened, rider minimums not met. TOUR A GO! = Tour is Go, rider minimums met. SOLD OUT = Tour Full, rider maximums met.

Why Should you Sign-Up Now and OPEN a Tour Date?
This is the proverbial chicken and the egg conundrum! We need our cyclists to first commit to the date that works for them so that we can commit to that date.

For starters, when you OPEN a date you get to pick your preferred departure date, and there is no penalty if the tour does not run. Once you pick your tour date, Lizard Head closes nearby dates and funnels all additional riders to your chosen date until the tour meets its 6 rider minimum.

BONUS: As an added bonus, we can also hold a spot for you on another tour date of your choosing. There is no fee to switch to another tour date.

In conclusion, if you want a tour to run, we need you to sign up and not wait for others to do the same! Waiting for others may mean that a tour date takes longer or does not confirm. Just Do It! Once a few riders jump into the proverbial waters, others will follow!

Crested Butte to Telluride Gravel Ebike Tour: Overview

Tour Length: 5-Days Cycling/4-Nights Lodging

NOTE: This tour can also be run as a 4-Day tour by starting in Gunnison (Riding Days 2 to 5) or by ending in Silverton (Riding Days 1 to 4). The riders that sign-up first pick the tour length.

Arrival Town/Airport: Gunnison, Colorado

Departing Town/Airport: Montrose or Telluride, Colorado

Mileage Range: Varying between 20 to 40 per day

Ability Level: Intermediate (2/3) , Upper Intermediate (3) , Advanced (3/4)

Tour Cost: $2,495 per person. Add $100 per night per person for a private room any night of the tour. Please see our Reptile Rewards & Tour Discounts page for more information on Group Discounts. Please note that for discounts to apply the tour minimum must be met.

Early Bird 2025 Discount - For 6-Day or longer tours take $200 off the tour cost. Discount applies to new registrations only made before October 31, 2024. Please make sure to mention this offer when you register.
Excludes Self-Guided tours. Tour discounts are not stackable with any other discounts or promotions.

Tour Includes: 5 days of guide service, 4 nights lodging, all meals, forest service fees, energy food, liquid refreshments, in tour shuttles, and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages, bike rental, and massage therapy are additional.

Lodging for 4 Nights: (subject to change)

• Night 1: Long Holiday Motel, Gunnison, CO (elevation 7,700′)
• Night 2: Tomahawk Guest Ranch, Powderhorn, CO (elevation 8,500′)
• Night 3: The Inn at the Lake, Lake San Cristobal near Lake City, CO (elevation 8,720′)
• Night 4: Grand Imperial Hotel, Silverton, CO (elevation 9,320′)

Meeting Hotel and Ending Hotel reservations and costs are NOT included unless specified otherwise. Guests are on-their-own to make reservations at the Meeting Hotel or Ending Hotel, or other nearby hotels.

Mountain Bike Rentals

NOTE: The make, model, and specifications of rental bikes may differ from what is described below. Please contact us if you have any specific needs for a rental bike or have any questions about rental bikes.

Mountain Bike Rentals

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent the Scott Spark 930, a truly fantastic way to go up or down a mountain. We have been riding mountain bikes for a very long time here at Lizard Head, but we can easily say our rentals are the most fun mountain bikes we have ever ridden. The Spark 930 blends the featherweight lineage of its race focused cousin with the single track chops of a 120mm travel ripper - this bike is up for anything.

The Spark 930 features: Spark Carbon HMF-Alloy Frame, FOX 34 Float Performance 130mm Fork, FOX Nude EVOL/120mm/TwinLoc rear shock, Shimano XT-SLX 12 Speed Drivetrain, Shimano Deore Disc Brakes, Syncros X-25 TR Rims, Maxxis Rekon Folding Tires, plus Syncros Dropper Post. Approx. Weight: 28.88 lbs / 13.10 kg (without pedals)

Mountain E-Bike Rentals

The Strike eRIDE 920 offers SCOTT’s latest technologies together with the newest Bosch motor. Versatile, reliable, and accessible, the Strike puts the accent on the comfort with 150mm of travel, slicker tires, thicker grips and saddle to give you a solid choice for any outing.

☛ Learn more about our Mountain Bike & E-Bike Rentals and Equipment

If you have any further questions, please read more on our Rental Bikes FAQ page. You can also email us at info@lizardheadcyclingguides.com or call us at 970.728.5891

Meals On Tour

Lizard Head Cycling Guides provides most meals on all tours (unless otherwise noted) including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guides will prepare a daily lunch en route for nearly every tour, both road and off-road, as well as provide nutritious snacks at periodic aid stations during the day.

Most of our road tours utilize local restaurants for all meals and occasionally guides may prepare a dinner or two during a tour. Due to the nature of being "off the grid", most of our off-road tours feature guide prepared meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. FUN NOTE: When guides prepare a meal in camp and the guests sit around and watch, this is called "Guide TV".

We also pride ourselves on being able to cater to specific dietary requests and needs, so rest assured that you will be able to get the nutrition that works best for you during your tour. Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, or a someone who loves it all – we will keep you well fed during the tour!

Lunches: Lizard Head Cycling Guides prepares healthy lunches to keep you going. We will serve you fresh organic fruits and veggies, salads, hummus, sandwich fixings, nuts, gourmet cheeses and, of course, plenty of salty/sweet snacks such as chips and cookies.

Dinners: On our road tours, Lizard Head Cycling sources our favorite restaurants in each town that we visit. Our guides focus on establishments that offer fresh and local ingredients and guests choose whatever they desire to eat off the menu including: appetizer, salad, entrée, and of course, dessert... yum! Also, while on tour if a guest wants to dine early before the group and go to bed, this is fine. We understand that on some days sleep is the most important post-ride element.

Overall Route Map

Below is an example of the daily routes for this tour and are subject to change based on season, available accommodations, road closures, and other factors. The actual routes will be made available to registered participants before their tour, so please view these routes as a general outline as to what to expect.

Crested Butte to Telluride Gravel Ebike Tour: Itinerary*

*PLEASE NOTE: Tour itineraries are subject to change and modification based on the group, available accommodations, road construction, road closures, and other unforeseen circumstances including weather, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, landslides and/or other acts of nature. Also, the distances and elevation profiles shown below may not reflect the actual distances and elevations while on tour as these are provided here to give an idea as to the anticipated mileage and terrain. Please view this itinerary, the distances, and elevation profiles as a general outline as to what to expect while on this tour.

Overview: Crested Butte to Telluride Gravel E-Bike Tour

The tour meets in the mountain hamlet of Crested Butte and travels a wildly remote route through the mountain towns of Gunnison, Lake City, Silverton and finally Telluride. Along the route cyclists climb three 12,000-foot mountains cols in Slumgullion, Cinnamon and Ophir.

Due to the considerable climbing on this tour, cyclists can choose to pedal Mountain E-Bikes. If your fitness level is high,  a standard pedal mountain bike is just fine. Due to the rugged descents from the high passes, rigid gravel bikes are only recommended for cyclists with advanced technical skills.

If you are a fly-fisher person, this route offers numerous opportunities for casting into wild rivers.

Day 1: Crested Butte to Gunnison via Kebler Pass
34 miles with up to 1,460 feet of climbing

Day 1 pedals over Ohio Pass and then takes a wonderfully long scent to the town of Gunnison. This is a beautiful route with wildflowers and big sky views along Ohio Creek.

Day 2: Gunnison to Cebolla Creek (Tomahawk Ranch)
43 miles with up to 3,990 feet of climbing

Day 2 follows the Gunnison River to start before the climbing commences. Our lodging for this evening is alongside a remote section of the the tranquil Cebolla Creek at the Tomahawk Guest Ranch.

Day 3: Cebolla Creek to Lake San Cristobal
31 miles with up to 3,340 feet of climbing

Colorado Rocky Mountain High!Today’s route offers only one climb to the tour’s first 12,000-foot pass, Slumgullion. Wow!  Tonight we stay along the shores of Lake San Cristobal or within the town of Lake City.

Day 4: Lake San Cristobal to Silverton
35 miles with up to 4,010 feet of climbing

Another day with only one climb! The route follows the river up and up into the mountains. The grade is not steep until about mile 17 where the route begins to climb in earnest to the above tree-line Cinnamon Pass. From the top of Cinnamon one feels they are on the roof of Colorado. The 10-mile descent eventually brings us to Silverton Colorado.

Day 5: Silverton to Telluride
30 miles with up to 3,595 feet of climbing

Today’s final ride takes us over Ophir Pass through the town of Ophir (Lizard Head Cycling’s world HQ), onto the Galloping Goose and finally into the Telluride Valley. Watch for Marmots an Elk atop Ophir Pass. Once in Telluride, we have an adult beverage at New Sheridan Bar.  Cyclists can spend the night in Telluride or take the shuttle to the Montrose, Colorado airport.

NOTE: If you are driving to this tour, contact us for travel logistics.

Crested Butte to Telluride Gravel Ebike Tour: Logistics & FAQs

General Tour & Cancellation Policies

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all of our tour and cancellation policies, which can be found by clicking here.

Travel Insurance

If you have not already, now would be a great time to consider adding travel insurance to your tour. You are welcome to use any travel insurance company you would like. We recommend Generali/Trip Mate.

Generally, if contracting COVID causes clients to cancel or interrupt their tour, trip insurance companies would treat it as any other illness as long as it is contracted after the insurance was purchased. Please check your individual plan documentation for details. Please note that quarantine is usually only covered if clients are actually sick with COVID. If a state requires quarantine upon arrival because of standardized state law, coverage is generally not covered. Again, check your individual plan documentation for details.

American Guests - use this link: http://www.generalitravelinsurance.com/get-a-quote.html?partner=LIZA0855

• The Premium Plan is the only plan which offers Pre-Existing coverage so long as the plan is purchased prior to Final Payment.
• The Premium Plan is the only plan that offers an optional Cancel For Any Reason - the policy must be purchased within 24 hours of initial trip deposit, the full trip cost must be insured, and if they cancel for Any Reason, it must be 48 hours prior to departure, and the reimbursement for an Any Reason claim is 60% of pre-paid, insured, non-refundable trip cost.
• Customer Service can be reached at 1-800-874-2442 for coverage questions and policy modifications or to purchase by phone. Agency Code: LIZA0855

Canadian Guests - use this link: https://tripmate.catravelins.ca/?utm_source=lizardhead