Won a trip to Las Vegas
 

We had a contest at work and I was lucky enough to win a trip to Las Vegas. I'm not much for the Vegas vacation that comes to mind for most people. All I want to do is ride my bike. I was wondering if you guys might be able to help me put a a two-wheeled spin on this deal.

I don't know any details yet. All I know is that I'll get a Friday off and I'll get to spend the weekend. I should be on my way in a month or so. I'm definitely looking forward to more details, but I can start crafting a general plan.

First thing is getting a bike. I'm thinking about renting a bike from McGhie's or Las Vegas Cyclery. Renting might not end up being cheaper than shipping my own bike, but it would be less of a hassle and a much nicer bike if I rented the Super 6 or SystemSix. Anyone have any experience with any of these rental companies? I want to be able to rent the bike for 2 or 3 days without any problems.

Second is figuring out where to ride. I'd like to do a century one day (Saturday) and take an easier, scenic route the next day (Sunday). Red Rock seems like a good candidate for Sunday. Anybody have any ideas for Saturday? I'd like to climb a lot, if possible. I'd plan on waking up very early (I can bring lights if need be) and finishing before it got too hot. I have a CamelBak and my wife could meet me with water halfway through the route. I wouldn't mind traveling a bit away from the city to find a nice route.

While I'm at it, any ideas on what I should do while I'm not riding? I'd like to go to Zion National Park in Utah, but there are only so many hours in a day, right? I suppose I could get a hotel in Utah one night, but then my trip wouldn't be free, would it? ;) I'm mostly interested in outdoor attractions. Death Valley? Lake Mead? Zion? I'd love to see the Grand Canyon, but that's going to have to wait for its own trip.

Stick to Zion
 

You do all of your riding in Zion, there won't be much climbing around Vegas to do anyways. Also during the summer cars aren't allowed in many parts of Zion, and there are some long climbs to be had, you should look into renting from St. George, I don't know what shops rent there, but I do know there are several good bike shops there. The biking around st. George is really good also, and can be a cheap place to stay. If you're into mountain biking you should also stick to the St. George area, but you may want to invest in a guide, the Gooseberry Mesa trail is the best trail I have ever ridden (better than moab) but it is easy to lose the trail. I hope that helps, I just hate being around vegas, it is expensive, too many damn cars, flat and everything is very spread out, st george is kinda a **** hole, but the riding is much better and Zion is one of the most beautiful places in the world.