Pamestique 

I want to promote another great event. If you haven't done this ride, please consider it. It's well worth the trip. The website is skinnytirefestival.com. It's a LAF event. Moab is a super cool town. Also take your MTBike along. Lodging is very inexpensive. If you need a spring event, please consider this one. Here's the write up:

Cyclists know about Moab; they know it as the home of the Slickrock Trail, the Mecca of mountain bikers. What many don’t realize is Moab has some of the best road biking in the world. There are hundreds of miles of paved roads in and out of the world-class scenery that is known by every adventure seeker globally.

The Festival rides the best of the best: 1) Arches National Park, 2) Along the mighty Colorado River, 3) Dead Horse Point and back.

The Four rides of the Festival highlight Moab’s different riding opportunities. The first two days follow the mighty Colorado River corridor, both up-stream and downstream. The next two days leave the valley and climb the beautiful canyon roads into redrock country.

From the bike seat you embrace the landscape, feeling the contours as gravity tugs on your tires, challenging you to climb and daring you to descend. You’ll appreciate the grand scale of this place once you’ve ventured far from town under your own ‘skinny’ power down byways known only to a lucky few. Join the fun and adventurous group of riders through Canyon Country.

Channeling the energy riding through the grandeur of Moab’s canyon country is bound to inspire. For most riders, cycling is more than just a release; it can help define a deeper sense of purpose. To add to that purpose, the Skinny Tire Festival was created. It is an annual fundraiser to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation. Each participant in the Festival contributes to the Foundation. Write a check, seek out sponsors and fight cancer.

superdex

If you're on the fence, step up! --The ride is capped at 1000 riders. I'll be there, and yes, there is pie in Moab

Pamestique 

Superdex have you done this ride before? I did it the first, second and third year, I've missed the last two years due to injuries. It's about the most awesome riding around. And the ride organizers are the the greatest. Mark Griffith is a super guy with a touching story to tell. He and his friends have really made a nice event.

I would appreciate your testimonial as well in order to get others to do this ride.

jppe

Logistics will not let me consider this one this year but will keep in mind in the future. Doesn't ther ride across Utah incorporate some of these roads/areas on their extended ride in the fall? I definitely plan to get out that way and ride some day. I've driven the roads by car and would love to see it from a bike.

superdex

I have not ridden this particular ride, but I did ride their fall century this past October (also an LAF-benefitting event), amazingly well supported, beautiful! scenery, great stories. One of the better rides I've done.

(FWIW, I'm not a 50+er, but I'm "lucky" enough to lost my grandmother, great-grandmother, and aunt to cancer, and my mom battled Hodgkn's disease in her early 20s and won. The cause is close to me, if you will )

Stacy

But what about those hills?

superdex

from what I've seen for routes, nothing as severe as the La Sal loop --

https://skinnytirefestival.com/Map_Elevations.pdf

and

https://skinnytirefestival.com/rides.html

Stacy

You do like your hills, doncha?

I'm wondering about getting a bike from Grand Junction to Moab. Anyone ever used any of these bike shuttles?

Pamestique 

There's no way to get around the climbs but the first days ride is basically flat. You ride out of town turn West along the Colorado River and then turn around and come back. The Next day you go East and the climbs begin. But it's gradual in between this gorgeous slot-like canyon. The scenary opens up to a beautiful plains area. Again this is an out and back ride (all the rides are out and back with a lunch offered at the turn around).

Depending on how the ride is organized both Arches and the ride to Dead Horse Pass is tough. But you take your time and enjoy all the beauty around you. The ride through Arches is lovingly either up or down, no flats whatsoever. The climb into Arches involves a 15% grade (but it's short). There is one kindof tough hill after the turn around (you have fun going down it but realize all too late you will later have to climb back up it). Arches is very rolly. Dead Horse Pass however is a climb up a mountainside and then the ride back down. I'm old and fat, and hills are not my firend but I did OK. I just put it in granny and set a stady pace and was up in no time. The view at Dead Horse is just awesome (see below).

I've never done the Fall ride but it's also organized and run by Mark Griffith. He does such a great job and you get to meet such nice and wonderful people. They come from all over from East Coast to West, mid west etc.

The entry fee is not much (although it is a fund raiser so the more the merrier) and hotels in Moab are cheap as is the food. I know the ride organizers will help you arrange shuttles etc. Just contact them re your questions For me? I'm driving. It's 12 hours frm where I live but once i get past Vegas, it's a gorgeous, interesting ride. One year I had to drive through snow furries. I live in California so that was fun (not!).

The view from Dead Horse...


Roads are always clean and car free - plus those beautiful snow capped mountains seem to be in every photo!


The climb into Arches... If I can do it so can you!

Stacy

Nice pix. Got any more?

Pamestique 

Actually I don't (long story) but go to teamestrogen.com - check for the Moab post there under charity rides and see Denises's Blog. She has some great pics of the ride areas.

Here's her Blog address:

www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/denise2001moab