Moab Skinny Tire Festival March 2 - 5 2007

[bcipam]

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

[DeniseGoldberg]

I haven't been to this event, but I have gone to Moab with my road bike - and I agree that it is a wonderful place to ride.

If you're thinking about the festival but want to hear more about riding in the area, I do have a journal about the day trips (and hikes) that I did there on my two short trips there, one in 2001 and one in 2002. Note that these were the last trips I took before moving to a digital camera, so the quality of the photos is not as good as those you've seen on my more current journals. But they should still give you an idea of the area.

www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/denise2001moab

For another view of riding there, here's a link to another journal written by a rider who participated in the Moab Century Tour in 2006, another LAF fundraiser: www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/BigNasty.

Oh - and if you decide to go to this festival, I'd love to hear about your experiences there! Trip reports, please...

--- Denise

[bcipam]

Here are some of my photos from the event -unfortunately I did not have a digital camera at the time so quality is not good. I can't explain how beautiful this event is. Each day's rides made me cry. Moab is tuly an inspired place to ride and this event is done top notch. The whole town supports it and its local organizer, Mark Griffith.

Denise has posted some awesome photos in her Web Blog. Yes, lots of those areas are where we ride!!!!


First day riding along the Colorado (the river is coming up)


The climb into Arches (yes there is alot of climing on this ride)


Summit at Dead Horse Pass


Everywhere we rode - the snow covered mountains were in the background

[Trekhawk]

Wow Pam the photos are wonderful. I love Utah and think this would be an awesome ride but some crazy woman last name bob talked me into riding a 200km brevet on the 3rd. Only joking Jo Im really looking forward to our adventure.....really.

If anyone heads over to Utah for this I want to see photos please.

[mtbdarby]

Pam, are you doing this?

[bcipam]

I want to do it but.... lots of buts - I may be having surgery, I'm not certain I can get in shape to do the rides, but, but, but... I hoping to.