Missoula Bike Rental/Trail info?

**kathleenturneroverdrive** · 10-04-2012, 11:05 PM

I'm up in Missoula for work for the next week, but have this Saturday and Sunday off and want to get out for a ride both days. I have my shoes and pedals, but need a bike and helmet to rent. I'm cool with 29/26 fully rigid single speed to full suspension, but am not sure where to go for the rental - anyone know the right shop for me to check in with first? Alternatively if any mags want to "rent" me their bike for the weekend I'd gladly pay them for it.

Also - I haven't ridden there before and could use a recommendation for where to ride. Steep and techy is cool with me, but long, smooth xc rides are fine too. I know the area fairly well and can google whatever's cool, but any trail names/locations to check out would definitely be appreciated.

**jamal** · 10-05-2012, 12:28 AM

Missoula bicycle works has demos but I think just sold some of them. Big Sky should have a pretty good selection of rentals.

There's a pretty good list of rides with maps here: http://thursdaynightmtbr.org/
I ride with those guys most weeks.

This is also handy
http://www.arcgis.com/explorer/?open...38953.22855589

Probably be best to start in the rattlesnake.

**Sirshredalot** · 10-05-2012, 04:51 AM

Mrs. Sirshredalot was there in July and rented a Kona Satori for a few laps back in the Rattlesnake. The shops may be turning their inventory over and getting rid of the MTB demo fleet at this time of year, but I know at least one of them rents fat bikes year-round.

**Viggen** · 10-05-2012, 05:35 AM

Missoula Bicycle Works is selling off their fleet and not renting anymore for the season. Stop by Open Road over on Orange street, we are still renting out 29" hardtails. I usually work weekends but happen to be up in whitefish this weekend unfortunately. Tell them Adam sent you in. As for riding, last weekend was quite nice up in the rattlesnake and will likely be a little less dusty after the little bit of snow/precip they got the other day. It is the easy to access an has the best trail network in town IMO. Trail maps can usually be found at the trail head, but the guys at shops can show you the nicer maps and point you in the right direction.

**kathleenturneroverdrive** · 10-05-2012, 06:47 AM

Thanks guys - much appreciated. Looks like 60 and sunny this weekend so should be great riding weather

**stuckathuntermtn** · 10-05-2012, 12:40 PM

Missoula Bicycle Works sucks. It's a shame they're the local Kona dealer. They are owned and run by snobby road racer spandex types. Couldn't/wouldn't fix my shock. Insisted there was nothing wrong after another mechanic ordered the wrong part and lied about sticking some washer in there.
HELLO? When your shock is moving sideways, something is wrong.

Ps, Blue Mountain moto trails are running faaaast right now. Should warm up again this week. Then I'll go riding. Don't feel like riding in the 30's just yet. Anyway, look into the Orchard ridge ride at BM. Or whatever it's called. All the trails around here are marked with a bunch of number and letters, so people make up their own names for stuff.
Also, look up Woods Gulch to Three Larch. Mo Z to MT Sentinal, crazy/crooked canyons. And if you wanna get your spandex on, there's the rest of the rattlesnake.

Sent from my cell phone. no, a cell phone.

**kathleenturneroverdrive** · 10-06-2012, 06:32 PM

Thanks again for the info guys. Not a lot of selection left with demo bikes, but I got a HT Stumpjumper from big sky cyclery and had a blast doing sawmill/ravine/stuart/curry/sawmill. Probably trying to ride sheep mountain loop tomorrow, anyone know if this is the preferred loop? The guy at the shop said I should go up Woods Gulch, do a clockwise loop up top and head back the way I came, but that map shows it as just one big loop from the rattlensnake TH. Sounds like more singletrack the way the shop guy mapped it out, right?

**Viggen** · 10-06-2012, 09:33 PM

Good to hear that you had a good time. The sheep mtn ride is a great one. I would advise to follow the shop guys recommendation of riding it out and back. Climb up woods and descend the same way but instead of dropping back down woods, continue following the ridge all the way back to the Lincoln hills trail head. I always end up stopping at the little store there in the rattlesnake for a beer and a snack on the way back to town.

**Gripen** · 10-06-2012, 10:07 PM

Originally Posted by Viggen

Good to hear that you had a good time. The sheep mtn ride is a great one. I would advise to follow the shop guys recommendation of riding it out and back. Climb up woods and descend the same way but instead of dropping back down woods, continue following the ridge all the way back to the Lincoln hills trail head. I always end up stopping at the little store there in the rattlesnake for a beer and a snack on the way back to town.

Hey. After our last few bikes rides I think you might need to change that "Faster than Gripen" tagline little brother

**jamal** · 10-06-2012, 11:02 PM

The easiest and probably most fun way would be to go up woods gulch and then come back the same way. Next hardest would be to go up that way and then come down into rattlesnake at franklin bridge. The hardest way is to go clockwise. If you go that way you will spend about as much time pushing the bike as you do riding it on the way up and it takes about 6 hours. I did it two weeks ago with a couple of guys and it was hard. http://app.strava.com/rides/23269408

Also if you find a mtn hardwear beanie up there let me know.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 10-07-2012, 09:33 PM

One of these days, I'm gonna have to do the Sheep Mountain Ride. Which way should I go from Woods Gulch though? Straight up the single track from the top of the switchbacks at the right of the T, or up the road?

If you're not looking for an all day, you go up Woods Gulch, left on the road. Left again where the road veers right, and go all the way till it ends. 3 Larch is on your left and it loops all around and climbs back to the T.

Cue angry Creaky.

**toast2266** · 10-07-2012, 10:16 PM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

One of these days, I'm gonna have to do the Sheep Mountain Ride. Which way should I go from Woods Gulch though? Straight up the single track from the top of the switchbacks at the right of the T, or up the road?

My preferred route is to go like you're going to three larches. Take a right up that road you pass that's about 1/2 way to where three larches drops. You go up that road a ways, and it eventually comes to a hard left switchback. On that switchback, a singletrack goes straight - follow that. After a couple hundred feet, it intersects with the sheep mountain trail (going this way makes the miserable climb slightly less miserable). Once on the trail to sheep, go up.

I've only ever done it as a loop down to the franklin bridge, which I recommend since that descent is one of the best in the area.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 10-08-2012, 09:29 AM

Really, over to that side? Wow, have to do that one. Might be a little cold now, but hey, I'll have to pack less water. Is that the way up to Blue Point, or whatever it's called? Might just do that, since daylight is rapidly dwindling.

**toast2266** · 10-08-2012, 11:32 AM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

Really, over to that side? Wow, have to do that one. Might be a little cold now, but hey, I'll have to pack less water. Is that the way up to Blue Point, or whatever it's called? Might just do that, since daylight is rapidly dwindling.

It's really just adding a switchback into the climb. The single track goes straight up the ridge and is kinda miserably steep. Going up the fireroad like I described just cuts out a chunk of the steep singletrack. Blue point is higher up on the singletrack; you'll pass it regardless of which way you go up the climb. Blue point is essentially where the ridge up to sheep mount intersects with the ridge that comes off of Marshall Mtn.

The real trick when doing Sheep as a loop to the franklin bridge is figuring out when the backside was last cleared. Motos aren't allowed back there and horses don't go back there all that often, which means sometimes the backside can have a lot of downed trees.

**jamal** · 10-08-2012, 12:27 PM

Didn't seem that bad a couple weeks ago. I would say less than 10 on the whole loop.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 10-08-2012, 12:28 PM

For sure, seen some trails out by Rock Creek go wild. Thanks for all the info. How long is Blue Point and back whichever way?

Sent from my cell phone. no, a cell phone.

**jamal** · 10-08-2012, 12:57 PM

Blue point and back is about 14mi. When I did it we took about 3 hr, the moving time was 2:21 and we weren't going very fast.

**kathleenturneroverdrive** · 10-09-2012, 05:34 PM

Thanks again for the info guys - ended up riding to blue point and back (thought it was Sheep Mtn until I looked at a map after riding) down to Lincoln Hills and finished it up with a quick lap up and down Sawmill. Wish I had another week to ride around here - you guys have a ton of rad trails.

**tellybele** · 10-10-2012, 10:44 AM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

For sure, seen some trails out by Rock Creek go wild. Thanks for all the info. How long is Blue Point and back whichever way?

Sent from my cell phone. no, a cell phone.

hahaha, you haven't even ridden BluePt but bag(pun intended) on people in spandex!! Man you are freakin' weak.

I see alot of posing in MSLA but this takes the cake.

Enjoy!

**stuckathuntermtn** · 10-10-2012, 07:59 PM

I just never got around to it.
It's not like I'm riding around with shinguards and a full face.

**HotSchmoo** · 10-13-2022, 09:00 PM

Ooohkay ten year old threadbump.
Gonna be in Missoula for a couple days. Was gonna ride. Got my Hardtail xc machine.
What's the best mellow but fun 2-3 hour ride?

**Iowagriz** · 10-14-2022, 04:44 AM

My personal fav for friends is up the Rattlesnake.

Park at the Lincolnwood trailhead. In Lincolnwood subdivision, which is where Rattlesnake drive take a hard right.

Follow trail along the creek for a good warmup to the parking lot.

Ride the paved road up Sawmill Gulch, maybe 1 mile then veer right on dirt road.

GAIA says it's trail 24.0 up, then 24.1

Take those to the top, take a left at the ridgeline and ride the Fenceline trail down

When you hit the gate and parking lot at Sawmill lot, look for the singletrack on your left. Ewok trail for the fun downhill.

Return to start along the same Lincolnwood trail you began at.

Jamal will likely chime in with another favorite

Sent from my SM-S908U using Tapatalk

**HotSchmoo** · 10-14-2022, 07:42 PM

Sweet thanks. Looks like a decent loop.

**jamal** · 10-14-2022, 09:00 PM

Yeah, pretty good one, quick though so for 2-3 hours I'd like, do the lower fenceline loop then go up to the overlook and down spring and wallman or something

Browsing the trailforks routes here are a couple of good ones that don't involve me actually having to make them myself

Here's snowbowl overlook loop, so maybe turn left and go up the wallman trail on the way down spring gulch if you want to ride more. Eh actually I never go up the trail labeled "the gut" on there and instead use the middle "fish ladder" or that right green "sawmill climb.' No idea who comes up with half the names on trailforks it's pretty fucked and we need like, a committee to go through and decide names and make edits trailforks or something.

three larch - sidewinder - sound of music

Barmeyer to the top of dean stone and then out the ridge to deer creek- this but opposite direction and you can mostly ride trail back to town instead of road. Here's the last time I did it:

https://www.strava.com/activities/7862352955

Blue mountain is fun too but some parts can be a little rough on a hardtail and there are a ton of trails going all over the place and it can be confusing. This is a fairly good loop although I usually climb back up from the bottom of orchard and come down the front.