Written By Hayden Seder
Summer may be over, but fall is the best time for biking anyway: With the summer crowds gone, roads, paths, and trails are easier to navigate and the cooler, damper air makes the trails that much grippier and easier to rip!
Morning: Fuel Up
If you’re hoping to make the most of your bike-themed day, a hearty breakfast is the first order of business. Make a quick stop at Wrap City for one of their several breakfast wraps (the most basic of which, the Sunnyside, is eggs, bacon, and cheese, with each wrap adding on to these basic ingredients) that you can take on the go so you can get on the trails! For coffee, stop by Lizzie’s on your way north to the Adam’s Gulch trailhead.
Mountain Biking: Adam’s Gulch
For your first bike foray of the day, head to the Adam’s Gulch Trailhead, located about one mile north of Ketchum. There are numerous trails within Adam’s Gulch itself, but there’s also the ability to connect to all kinds of other trail systems, making this the perfect spot for all manner of biker to dip a toe into the plethora of mountain bike rides in the Sun Valley area. Check out the local Blaine County Recreation District’s online traillink for a guide to all the rides, though a classic is to ride Shadyside to Sunnyside for a nice four-mile loop.
Midday: Lunch and Bike Rental
After a morning on the single-track, head back into town and stop at Ketchum’s newest eatery FRX, a small shop serving breakfast burritos, fried chicken and chicken sandwiches, and ice-cold $1 beers. While the menu is simple (literally: It’s a cardboard sign that says if it’s before noon, the menu is breakfast burritos and if it’s after noon, it’s chicken), what they do, they do right, so order their chicken sandwich special of the day for $5 and a beer (or two—hey, they’re only $1!) and chill at one of the outside picnic tables while you take in views of Baldy.
After filling your gullet, head next door to Black Tie, a combination bike and ski shop to rent a bike for getting around town. While Ketchum is highly walkable, biking is a great way to take in the many shops, galleries, restaurants, and unique spaces that make up this great area. Follow the bike path to Sun Valley (passing the scenic and iconic red Sun Valley barn and a beautiful field that serves as a stable for Sun Valley’s horses) to check out the Sun Valley Village. Bike rentals are available from several other spots in Ketchum, including PK’s, the Elephant’s Perch, and Sturtevant’s.
Afternoon: E-Bike to Hailey and Dinner
After your leisurely afternoon, it’s time for one more bike ride: e-biking to Hailey. Rent an e-bike from any of the aforementioned rental shops and pop onto the Wood River Trail (aka the bike path) from numerous spots in Ketchum to ride the twelve miles of paved path to Hailey. This scenic ride passes over beautiful bridges, past art installations, and along all manner of scenery, providing a unique perspective of much of the area that encompasses the Wood River Valley.
Hailey has a great bike scene as well, with numerous mountain bike trails, bike paths, and shops for rentals, purchases, and maintenance, including Trailhead Bicycles and Sturtevant’s.
For dinner, head to the Power House, a pub for bikes, beers, and burgers. Order up a 1/3-pound Wagyu beef burger and one of their many fresh beers on tap; while you wait, peruse the various vintage mountain and road bikes on display in around the restaurant and bike shop. If you’re lucky, Powerhouse owner and former bike racer Billy Olson might just be around to talk shop about your bike.
