Fifty Plus (50+) - Winter - Spring Bicycle Event Suggestions?

I like to get away from the rain to ride during winter and spring. I usually go to Moab, Utah for the Skinny Tire Festival in March and Northern California in April.

I'm open to suggestions, what is going on that you'd like to share for winter - spring events?

Here's a short video of Skinny Tire Festival's ride in Arches National Park. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pie2XPerqF8

http://www.skinnytireevents.com/content/section/4/31/

cycle zydeco
flordia bicycle safari

bubba fest flordia keys nov 2011

I don't have any suggestions, but I have a question.

I've been thinking of doing the Skinny Tire Festival next year. Can you tell me what the weather and conditions are usually like?

I've been there STF five times, wide range of weather. First of all, it's desert in March, so you can count on cool mornings (or down right cold), rides start at 9:00, so temps at that time in the high 30's to mid-40's. The sun makes the difference here, temps warm quickly as the sun rises and fills the canyons. Combine the sun and hills and you can warm up really quickly, so leg and arm warmers, wind breakers can come off pretty soon into the rides. The weather in 2007 never did warm up, so all my cold weather gear stayed on all day, 2006 was so nice that arm warmers and knee warmers were all that was needed, and they came off by the 20 mile mark. So morning temps in the high 30's, mid-ride temps in the 50's and end of ride temps may hit 60.

What I do is pack everything I have for winter and spring riding, better to have it and not need it. Each morning I decide what to wear and layer up accordingly, with a place to stash things I take off. They usually provide a gear drop at a rest stop, I pick up things I take off at the finish. Weather forecasts are pretty accurate for that area, so the NOAA 7 day predictions can help with last minute packing decisions.

Are you flying out? Amtrak to Grand Junction, CO or Price UT would also be an option.

Amtrak to Grand Junction, CO or Price UT would also be an option.

Thanks.

Amtrak to Grand Junction. Price has no checked baggage service, and bike must travel as checked baggage.

I want to ride the Monument and some other stuff around there too. Maybe the Mesa if I get ambitious and the weather seems right.

I'm planning 17 days away. Two or three travel days in each direction, depending on how you count, so 11 to 13 days there, split between Colorado and Utah.

You'll enjoy the monument, beautiful ride and nice introduction to canyon country riding. That will be too early for a mesa ride (Grand Mesa), it's elevation is 11,000 ft, usually snow up there into July, but nice cross country skiing if you can arrange that.

Too bad they don't offer baggage service in Price/Helper. That's a cool area if you are ever in there, lot's of native american rock art and the San Rafael Swell area is fascinating. The museum in Price is nice, lots of natural history of the area. Lots of native rock art around Moab too, some along one of the STF rides, look for the sign.