Trail Review: Coler Mountain Bike Preserve
This is tech heaven. Techy techy techy techy techy.
But don't let that scare you. There are plenty of green trails that connect everything together, and the blues aren't all that blue except in a few sections. If you stay away from the blacks and double-blacks, you can make a perfectly enjoyable day of it.
The whole system seems centered around the Airship Coffee Shop in the middle of the preserve. Sure, you could ride all day at Coler and never actually go to the cafe, but why? Even if you don't coffee during a ride (which my 52-year old heart absolutely does NOT do), they have kombucha on draft, beer, and a super-fun vibe for people watching.
Oscars is the reliable blue that wraps throughout the park.
Oscars made my XC-loving soul happy. Honestly, I could've ridden that all day long. But, I went here with my friend Nanna, who really really really wanted to play on some downhill features (i.e., tabletops, jumps, gaps).
Just like the "hubs" at Slaughter Pen, Coler had a hub that was connected by a paved uphill trail, aptly named "Pedal Assist". We pedaled our way up that many times (being passed by damned e-bikers) so we could shred the downhill trails from that hub.
Fire Line (blue) was the tamest DH and was a fun, swoopy, smooth trail with lots of rollers and tame tabletops that you could really get some speed on.
Rock Salad and Rock Soft were my favorites (black) - both had some fun techy features and enough rocks and trees to keep me on my toes. Lots of rolls and small drops with rock gardens in between.
Rock Solid (double black) was an ill-advised choice. I mean, it was rideable, but it was really rocky. Maybe if I had done it on fresh legs, I wouldn't have endo'd. If you ride from this hub, I highly recommend warming up on Rock Salad or Rock Soft and then hitting Rock Solid while you're still fresh. Once you smoke yourself, take a fun run down Fire Line.
Coler is definitely the place to hang if you want the techy downhill. I'm not a big fan of doing hot-laps, but it is good practice to dial in the DH skills. I wish I had been able to make it back there before I left, but the weather just didn't cooperate.
My trailforks log for the day: https://www.trailforks.com/ridelog/view/67786788/
For another perspective, check out my friend Becky's review: https://www.twowheeledwanderer.com/posts/coler-mountain-bike-preserve/