Coming Close to Death on Slickrock Mountain Bike Trail

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.

Religiously following the paint marks on Slickrock Trail.

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.

My warrior of a bike that could tackle just about anything – Trek Rumblefish.

Slickrock trail is the mecca for mountain bikers. The rock resembles sandpaper, making traction off camber not a problem.

Amazing scenery on Slickrock Trail, Moab – with my warrior Trek Rumblefish machine.

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.

Following the painted markers on the Slickrock Trail.

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.

Little did I know the crazy trail that was to lie ahead that day.

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.

2 thoughts on “Coming Close to Death on Slickrock Mountain Bike Trail

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