TrailCraft Cycles Kid's Zone

Welcome to the TrailCraft Cycles Kids Zone! Here you’ll find information on local events that host kids rides, races and courses. You’ll also find details on the local pump tracks, paved, mtb, gravel and kid trailer routes as well as contact information for coaches, programs and schools with bike clubs.

Races and Rides

The following events have rides, races and courses specifically for your littles. The FoCo Fondo even has child care options for while you’re out on course. Be sure to check out locally owned and operated Trailcraft Cycles if you’re in the market for a high-performance kid’s mountain bike.

Northern Colorado Mountain Bike Fest

Event Type: MTB Festival? Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day
Time of Year: Fall


Send Town Cyclocross

Event Type: Cyclocross Series
Time of Year: Fall


FoCo Fondo

Event Type: Gravel Fondo
Time of Year: July

Cross of the North

Event Type: Cyclocross Weekend
Time of Year: Fall

Send Town Shorttrack

Event Type: Mountain Bike Series
Time of Year: Late Spring

City Streets Criteriums

Event Type: Criterium Series
Time of Year: June and July

Local Pump Tracks

These are great for building those mtb skills and they're super fun!

Spring Canyon Pump Track & Skills Course

Location: Spring Canyon Park
Description: This is a great little park for those that are still developing their skills and confidence. The pump track isn't great for actual pumping but great for striding and cornering. The skills park has lots of features to practice drops, skinny lines and up-and-overs. Located right off the Spring Creek path with more paths and mellow singletrack nearby.

Traverse Park Pump Track

Location: Traverse Park
Description: This pump track was unveiled in the Winter of 2022 and is by far the best within the city of Fort Collins. Great for pumping and jumping and adapts well to riders of all skill levels. Designed and built by Chance Brown with J2 Consulting. It's a little disconnected from the rest of the path system for now but hopefully that will change soon. There are some paths within the park.

Soft Gold Mini Pump Track

Location: Soft Gold Park
Description: This is one of my favorite tracks to take the little kids. It's pretty mellow so they can work on catching a little air and shredding the berms. It's close to the Poudre River, river trails single track, some ponds and the Poudre River Trail.

Lory Pump Track, Jump Lines & Skills Course

Location: Lory State Park
Description: Another Chance Brown creation. This park has a big pump track and currently has three jump lines for riders with different skill levels. The plan is to continue to expand the park as funds come in. The Valley Trails at Lory are great for the kids too. A park permit is required.

Programming and Coaching

These coaches and oranizations can help grow your kid's love of cycling and improve their skills.

Wolfpack Cycling

This is a free, casual, parent-led cycling group for kids.  We try to ride once a week during the late Spring, Summer and early Fall.  Most rides take place at Pineridge Natural area but we do head to Bobcat, Soapstone and other green/blue trails on occasion. Rides often conclude with popsicles and sometimes pizza. The Wolves are mostly K-5th graders.  We have no restrictions on ability but the responsibility lies on the parent to keep track of their children when riding and deciding their route.

Safe Routes to School

The City's Safe Routes to School program works with strategic partners such as Poudre School District and Bike Fort Collins to increase the number of students safely walking, bicycling and taking the bus to school.

Front Range Ride Guides

Front Range Ride Guides specializes in private, custom mountain bike skills clinics throughout the NoCo & beyond. Our highly-experienced MTB skills instructors are professionally-certified and have over a decade of skills-teaching experience.

Ciclismo Racing

Ciclismo Racing is a boys and girls junior development team focusing on Colorado High School League mountain biking and having fun.

Send Town Bike Club

Send Town is a boys and girls junior development team focusing on Colorado High School League mountain biking. They also have high school, middle school, unicycle and adult coaching programs.


Paved, Trailer, and MTB Routes

Whether they're still in the trailer, striding or on a full suspension Trailcraft these are great routes for you and your littles.

-MTB Areas

Devil’s Backbone

  • Location: 17 miles Southwest of the Fort Collins Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.
  • Playground? No
  • Bathroom? Yes
  • Shade? No
  • Description: The Hidden Valley Trail at Devils Backbone is for mountain bikers and trail runners only. It's a 4-mile out-and-back singletrack trail with great flow and berms for the return trip. You can add the first part of Hunter Loop to add distance but it gets pretty gnarly after that. 

Coyote Ridge, Ridge to Ridge & Prairie Ridge

  • Location: 10 miles Southwest of the Fort Collins Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.
  • Playground? No
  • Bathroom? Yes
  • Shade? No
  • Description: The Coyote Ridge, Ridge to Ridge & Prairie Ridge trails encompass about 4 miles of mostly gravel trail with few techy sections but there is excellent flow along Ridge to Ridge. There are a couple of climbs that will rub your groms the wrong way but they are rewarded with equally long descents

Blue Sky

  • Location: 14 miles West of the Fort Collins Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.
  • Playground? No
  • Bathroom? Yes
  • Shade? No
  • Description: Blue Sky is an out-and-back intermediate trail. It isn't necessarily technical but it does undulate a fair amount.   The trail is rolling single-track track with mostly minor obstacles and a handful of moderate climbs throughout, including near the start of the trail after the tunnel under 38E.

Soapstone & Red Mountain

  • Location: 25 miles North of the Fort Collins Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.
  • Playground? No but there is a reservoir
  • Bathroom? Yes
  • Shade? No
  • Description: 

Pinewood Reservoir

  • Location: 27.5 miles Southwest of the Fort Collins Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.
  • Playground? No but there is a reservoir
  • Bathroom? Yes
  • Shade? Yes
  • Description: If you make the drive up to Pinewood Reservoir you'll be rewarded with 5 miles of mostly singletrack trails for your little rippers to bomb around on.  The trails are pretty flat but there are a few short climbs and tech sections on the NW corner of Shoshone Trail that will add some challenges.

Lory & Horsetooth

  • Location: 12 miles West of the Fort Collins Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.
  • Playground? No but there is a pump track
  • Bathroom? Yes
  • Shade? Some
  • Description: The kid's riding at Lory/Horsetooth is arguably the best in the area. The trails are generally not too hilly and not too technical although you can easily add more of each if you'd like. Depending on ability there are probably few hills/tech spots that make cause some hoofing. 

Bobcat Ridge

  • Location: Located 17 miles West of the Fort Collins Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant.
  • Playground? No.
  • Bathroom? Yes
  • Description: The green eastern valley trail is pretty easy and accessible. More advanced rippers can add the blue western valley trails and the Eden Vally out and back.

Pineridge & Maxwell

  • Location:  SW side of Fort Collins at the West end of Horsetooth Road.
  • Playground?  Yes at Cottonwood Glen and Spring Canyon Parks and of course there's Dixon Reservoir.
  • Bathroom? Yes at Cottonwood Glen and Spring Canyon Parks and at Pineridge and Maxwell trailheads.
  • Description:  The area trails are mostly flat and non technical but there are a few climbs, some are long but can be avoided depending on how you loop it. There are a few short tech spots.

Arapaho Bend

  • Location:  SE side of Fort Collins at the East end of Horsetooth Road.
  • Playground?  No BUT there is the Poudre River and a couple of ponds.
  • Bathroom? No
  • Description: The trails at Arapaho Bend are very flat and not very technical- perfect for a chill cruise along the Poudre River and the area ponds. They're a combination of river singletrack and gravel paths.

-Paved & Trailer Routes

SW Loop

Distance: 8 miles
Surface: Paved

Spring Creek and Poudre via NBB

Distance: 10 Miles
Surface: Paved

South FoCo Loop

Distance: 12 miles
Surface: Paved

Spring Creek/Poudre Trail

Distance: 19 miles
Surface: Paved

DQ loop

Distance: 20 miles
Surface: Paved

Boyd and Back

Distance: 22 miles
Surface: Paved

Howling Cow Out and Back

Distance: 30 Miles
Surface: Paved

BIG Greeley Out and Back

Distance: 42 miles
Surface: Paved Path

BIG Loveland Loop

Distance: 40 miles
Surface: Paved Path

Schools with Cycling Clubs and Programs

The following schools have bike clubs and programs. I recommend contacting the front desk directly for specifics.

Elementary Schools

  • Shepardson Elementary-Safe Routes to School Bike Club

Middle Schools

  • Lincoln Middle School-Safe Routes to School Bike Club
  • Webber Middle School-MTB Club

High Schools

  • Poudre High School-MTB Club
  • Rocky Mountain High School-MTB Race Team