That Time of the Year

It’s that time of the year.

The weather had begun to turn and it’s now that time of the year when it takes only five minutes to get ready rather than twenty. It’s the time of the year when the windproof bib tights are stuffed into the back of the drawer along with the booties and the lobster gloves. Yeah, you still have to break out the leg and arm warmers the next few weeks, and you might still have to wear a cap and long-fingered gloves if your ride early enough in the day, but that’s a small price to pay for the weather finally breaking.

It’s that time of the year when you can actually feel the sun on your back when you’re out for a ride. It’s that time of year when, if you’re lucky enough to be out on a day warmer than seventy degrees, you can smell the tar melting on the road when you stop at a traffic light. (“Smells like summer,” you inevitably mutter to yourself.)

It’s that time of the year when you can actually feel the sweat dripping down your nose as you climb a long, steady hill.

It’s that time of the year when you actually want to ride. It’s the time of the year when more than three guys show up for the weekend jaunt out of town.

It’s the time of the year when you think, “You know, I wouldn’t mind signing up for a few races this summer.”

It’s the time of the year when you think, “I wonder how much better I could get with a coach and a power meter.”

It’s that time of the year when you can actually fit a ride in after work because it won’t get dark until 8:30.

It’s that time of the year when you might even fit in a ride before work because it’s warm enough to not feel like your eyeballs are freezing.

It’s that time of the year when Versus begins broadcasting bicycle races every Sunday afternoon.

It’s that time of the year when your significant other might ask you to take them out for a quick spin in the park and it’s the time of the year when you actually feel like taking a leisurely spin around town.

It’s just that time of the year, the time of year everyone enjoys.

Who's Coming to Moab?

So here’s the deal.

Mr. Picco, Dr. Rob, and myself have discussed organizing a mountain biking trip to Moab, Utah this October. The reason I’m posting this online is to gauge whether or not anyone else might be interested in joining us.

(Neither Mr. Picco nor Dr. Rob has actually confirmed they’re definitely going, but that’s immaterial at this point.)

Before I delve into the details, I’m aware the name of this blog is Road Riding and here I am proposing a mountain biking adventure vacation but we’re all adults here so where’s the harm in a bit of cross-training from road to off-road?

Further, this trip idea is certainly not being crafted in the hopes of a “boys only” ride as my lovely lady friend has expressed interest in joining. Of course, she’s never even been on a mountain bike, but she’s promised her fitness is going to be in top form come October. Considering we’re looking at a beginner / intermediate level tour, it’s not like anyone needs to know how to bunny hop over twelve-inch logs to take the trip.

Now, let’s get down to the good stuff.

If you're even wondering what mountain biking in Moab is like, check out this video (and if you're initials are SJK and you're reading this--DON'T BE AFRAID! We won't be doing anything as intense as the riding below):



Dr. Rob recommended I check out a pair of tour providers online: Western Spirit Cycles and Rim Tours.

So I did exactly that and I found 4-day tours every week in October. Each week you have options to either start your tour on Wednesday and reach an end by Saturday, or start your tour on Sunday and end on Wednesday.

Myself, I’d rather start Wednesday and end Saturday, flying back to NYC on Sunday as a Saturday night stay = cheaper airfare.

How much does a guided tour cost? About $795. What does it include? You can check that out HERE on the Western Spirit Cycling site.

So how would we get there?

The cheapest and most convenient option seems to fly Delta to Salt Lake City ($360), rent a car ($275 for a full-size premium car for Tuesday through Sunday), get a hotel Tuesday night ($99 a night), get picked up by Western Spirit Wednesday morning, rent a bike ($40 daily, Specialized FSR), get back Saturday night ($99 for the hotel), drive back to SLC Sunday, and fly home.

So who’s in? Based on some initial math and research I did online, I’m thinking the total average per person cost for the entire trip would be roughly $1,750, give or take a few bucks.

Check it out online. If you’re interested, either shoot me a note at okaysplendid@yahoo.com or give me a ring on my cell at 914-610-6870 and we’ll work this out and book it ASAP.