We should have brought a bike stand. You know those little wooden stools we had in our bathrooms as kids, the ones we needed to climb up on to be able to spit the toothpaste into the sink? When we walked into Vélo Cuba, a customer was standing beside his bike, holding it upright, while two mechanics sat on those same tiny stools, examining his drivetrain. In a corner, someone cleaned a chain in a stockpot full of dirty solvent. Ten bikes of varying age, size, brand and quality hung from a rack rigged to the ceiling.

The sleepy border town—once known more for sex changes than bike rides—has a plan to become Colorado’s hot, new gravel-grinding destination. Here’s how one dedicated local is proving this place has real cycling soul. After 24 hours in Trinidad, I still haven’t seen another bike.

On the first day of class when Scott breaks out his digital clinometer to demonstrate measuring angles of slope, Yorch sheepishly pulls out the analog Mexican version. We all have a good laugh about it – it’s like the ‘Mexican time’ joke; political correctness in this group is about as useful as a border wall. Plus, there’s a teachable moment here: rung what ya brung.

Pedaling along city paths or winding country roads, bicycle tourists are rewarded with unique vantage points and stunning views — it’s a travel experience unlike any other. And, as networks of bike trails continue to expand and connect, more journeys destinations than ever are safely accessible by bike. But taking advantage of these extensive networks by traditional pedal bike isn’t feasible for all riders; fortunately, electric bikes make long-distance tours accessible to a broader audience.

We were halfway through our weeklong bike tour of western Cuba’s tobacco country when we stopped at Julio’s fruit stand on our way to the town of Viñales, lured by the prospect of fresh coconut water. We parked our bikes on the side of the road, and Julio led us to a splintered bench and motioned for us to sit. Silently, we savored the juice as our heart rates subsided and sweat dried.

Jerry Brown was a 39-year-old Coloradan living in Texas when he read a newspaper article in 1989 about a multi-use trail that traversed 486 miles across his home state, from Denver to Durango. The Colorado Trail (CT) had just been dedicated with ceremonies at its northern and southern terminuses and immediately following its opening, 13 people hiked the trail, according to the Colorado Trail Foundation. After reading the article, Brown made plans to ride it.

After brief seasonal hiatus, many ski area chair lifts are about to start spinning again. Lift-serviced bike parks continue to grow in popularity, both with summer ski area tourists and locals who use the parks to hone their skills. While most users prefer the unique geometry and suspension of downhill bikes, a handful of bike parks are welcoming Class 1 electric mountain bikes (eMTBs) to join the mix this season.

In a March 2016 letter from the U.S. Forest Service’s Washington, D.C. office to its regional foresters, the agency admitted that e-bike management on federal lands might change. “Monitoring of e-bike use for visitor safety, social issues, along with performance metrics and natural resource impacts, will continue to develop and advance,” the letter read.