Summit County trip planning

Twelve, eighteen or twenty-four miles — all three start with the same van ride to the summit. The honest differences are how long you are out and how much of it you pedal.

Fifty paved, car-free miles link five towns and two passes. Here is how to ride the best of it in a day without a roof rack or a parking fee.

The Summit Stage is free and stops outside our door. A realistic three-day summer itinerary built entirely around it, with the bike rental doing the rest.