Moab is the place to mountain bike in Utah. Just as I arrived into this desert town, thousands of cars passed me by with mountain bikes strapped to their backs. They were coming from the 24 hour “Hours of Moab” mountain bike relay race that had taken place that weekend.
I rocked up to Poison Spider to get me a mountain bike. They offered a 29 inch rim Trek Rumblefish bike for 60 USD a day. Little did I know what fun I would have on this warrior of a machine.
Slickrock trail is the mecca for mountain bikers. The rock resembles sandpaper, making traction off camber not a problem.
The only problem is the gradients. Crazy ascents and descents made walking a must for someone like myself more recently accustomed to biking in flat floodplain Cambodia. Its not technical trail, just hyper steep. And my poor old bike could have done much better if it didn’t have me riding it.
When I wasn’t petrified from the trail, I was able to have a look around. There were incredible views on offer over La Sal Mountains, the Colorado River, Negro Bill Canyon, and down over Arches National Park. And it was perfect weather – not too hot, not too cold, and beautiful blue skies.
The Slickrock loop is only 20 km, but it took me over 3 hours to complete. I was therefore glad to head north out of Moab for the afternoon to Moab’s Brand Trails for some easier mountain biking that didn’t make my legs shake. A loop of Rockin’ A and Circle O made for a good end to a crazy day of mountain biking. And Moab’s Microbrewery was the perfect place for refueling, with local beer and gigantic platters to replenish the calories spent.
That looks like a fabulous adventure!! I have heard a lot about Moab. Great pictures!
Moire, it must have been steep, as I know you are a demon descender!