Gateway to Gravel

Oft overlooked Trinidad keeps pushing to become Colorado’s gravel-grinding epicenter.

Juan Alberto Delaroca is on a mission down in Trinidad, Colorado. After working at high-paced creative agencies in Boulder and Austin, Texas, he moved down to the border town that’s better known for dispensaries and a history of being the sex change capital of he U.S. than bicycling. But DelaRoca saw untapped potential for some serious gravel riding in the surrounding hills and he has been busy promoting the place as a hub for cycling’s fast-growing category. He recently collaborated with Trinidad State and the Professional TrailBuilders Association to create a construction-industry-based program that will be the first of its kind. The program is currently scheduled to start in the fall of 2020 and DelaRoca says a prominent corporate donor has already committed towards funding the program for the next three years. “The gravel scene in southern Colorado is starting to pick up steam,” DelaRoca says. “Last year saw big attendance for two gravel events, the Pony Xpress and Hi-Lo Gravel Country. Word is getting out. Some of the best uncrowded dirt roads to explore in the state are in Trinidad-Las Animas County. Things are set to improve even more when a portion of Fisher Peak Ranch opens to the public in the fall.” The Branson Hi-Lo Gravel Grinder race (facebook.com/BransonHiLoGravelGrinder) is on tap September 21, when we all hope biking is the most important thing on our minds again.