When I first started riding a good few years back, Moab and Fruita were THE places to ride before you die.
With the rise of Whistler and the likes of Morzine in Europe etc, poor old Slick Rock and Porcupine Rim doesn't get a look in.
Are we all becoming lazy and only after lift assist these days?
Still the same for me. I did 2 days in Moab (Slickrock, Porcupine Rim) and I'd still rather go back there, or similar, than the Alps or Canada. 
If you've not been, you've missed something special.
The contrary for me - I avoid lift assisted places, I like to earn the down
I was over in Moab & Fruita last year, I've yet to find anywhere that compares
Uplink, Fruita: What's it like compared to Moab? I fancy there and Crested Butte next time.
We still get plenty of people coming out with us to that area. As far as I can tell, people still love riding there - for good reason, I may add!
Fruita is very similar to Porcupine Rim (not so much of the slick rock as, er.. Slick Rock!)
It's nice having a trail to yourself though -
Tear along the dotted line
Poisonspider, are you anything to do with the bike shop with the same name?
Uplink, Fruita: What's it like compared to Moab?
Chalk & cheese really - or at least the bits we did, at Moab we did Porcupine Rim & then stayed on the slickrock for a couple of days
Fruita was pretty much 100% singletrack with lots of short[ish] loops with some amazing views
I liked the general area around Fruita [Grand Junction etc.] a lot better than Moab
but both just take your breath away at times
i agree with uplink.
i wanna ride my bike when i go away.
dont want to sit on a chairlft half the holiday.
downhilling is for lazy fat feckers....... 
I'm not associated with the shop, but it's were the name came from.
I was out there in 2001 as part of a 2 week holiday in Colorado with a 4 day trip to Moab, stopping off at Fruita on the way.
I road it all on a Whyte PRST-1 which was intersting, especially on some of the drop off's on Porcupine Rim (which was my favourite trail).
Agree with uplink, the views are awesome, the area is so vast it was sometimes hard to get your head round it.
Ahem......I might be about to have a spare week in Feb, always wanted to do desert riding in the US. People out riding at this time of year or is it way too cold?
If not Moab, where in February?
Been to Moab and Whistler. Whistler was just loads more fun, and that includes the XC rides, not just the lift-assisted bike parks. I wouldn't go back to Moab, but thats not to say I didn't enjoy the experience.
Average temp in Feb is about 4 degs C according to a quick Google search. A little chilly then ;o)
i was thinking vaguealy of a trip to moab this year or next.
ANyone who's been want to give me some info on getting there, accom etc?
Eg where to fly to, and do you need to hire a car or can you get there easily on buses? Many campsites around etc?
Also is it better to take your own bike, or is it cheap hiring it there.
Best time to go?
Cheeers
The same could also be said for Lake Tahoe .Mr Toads Wild Ride is nuts !
Meeeee, There is a fair bit of info on our website http://www.ride-the-world.co.uk and has reasonably up to date flight details etc.
There are dozens of motels in Moab town but you could also rent a condo or camp. Camp sites vary from really basic to having shower blocks.
I'd recommend getting a car as it gives you a bit more freedom. You can get trail head drop off's from town and I should think Grey Hound will do a bus link from DIA or Salt Lake Airport.
There is a good selection of bike hire options available and prices vary quita a bit from shop to shop and model to model. e.g. an FSR from Rim Cyclery may cost $45 for the day or a Turner from elsewhere could be $80. I'd say take your own but then you need to pack it up, pay extra on the flight, risk damage etc.
Best time to go is spring or 'Fall' when it's a good riding temperature. Avoid in summer as it is just dangerously hot unless you are up and riding around dawn.
ANyone who's been want to give me some info on getting there, accom etc?Eg where to fly to, and do you need to hire a car or can you get there easily on buses? Many campsites around etc?
Also is it better to take your own bike, or is it cheap hiring it there.
September/October is the best time to go. It's just too hot in the middle of the year and it's very quiet then, right at the end of their season. One local told us that it was the time when they got to go out and play!
We flew to Vegas and stopped off at the Grand Canyon and Durango on the way through, Denver is another option.
Accommodation - Shedloads of it everywhere. Don't bother booking. Really, just turn up. We found it gets cheaper as you get out of town (I'm talking a mile or so, walking distance!) In Moab we stayed on Moab RV Park, in a little log cabin. $50 a night and it had a double bed and a bunk, bed linen, a BBQ, parking space, heating and air-con (Clilly in the mornings) Showers and toilets in a block, but a HUGE block, all new, and silly, stupid clean! There is camping there too, you camp under a sunshade!
We hired a car. It's fairly cheap and driving on the empty roads is stress free. Set the cruise contol 5mph over the limit and go. Limits in Utah are higher than in the UK - 65mph on 'A roads' 75 on the Freeway.
We only did 2 days riding, and we got 2 well maintained Konas from Poison Spider Cycles in Moab, $74 IIRC for both for 2 days, all in. They spent 1/2hr setting the bikes up for us, and you get a free waterbottle to take home (Still got mine) At that time of year, I'd say there's no need to book, but we did anyway, the guys at Poison Spider were very helpful, but there are 3-4 other very good shops in town. Just pick what bike you fancy riding. All the shops have route maps and will happily give advice.
Next time I'll probably do more riding and take my own bike.
Just go. The locals are really nice, helpful friendly and chilled. The food is great out in the country (If you like Tex-Mex, chilies and the like. I do!) and it's such an easy and relaxing place to travel in and a mind blowing area of the world.
Have a look at my pics here -
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peter_atkin/sets/72157607093304856/
Oh, one other tip: DRINK WATER ALL THE TIME!
Even in September it's a very, very dry place to be. VERY low humidity and even when it feels just plesently warm, you dehydrate very quickly. We did Slickrock (14 miles ish) and took a 2 and a 3 litre camelback and a bottle each. We drank the lot and were still very dehydrated. The day after we did Porcupine Rim, which is mostly downhill, and took 2 litres on top of that and took it easy. We drank the lot again!
meeeee
I would fly direct to Denver [BA I think]& hire a car
For Fruita - if you just want to ride & relax the Balanced rock motel is good & cheap
http://www.single-serving.com/USA/CO/Fruita/sleep.php
if you want more things to do on an evening, down-town Grand Junction would be better
Second PP's tip.
I took a spare bladder for my Camelbac, had 3l of water and 3l of Gatoraid(sp?) and drank the lot on one ride of Slickrock.
There's plenty of riding that isn't lift assisted in Whistler, BC generally and the Alps - in fact the vast majority of it requires you to earn your descents. From what I've seen, I'd hazard a guess it's as good as owt in the US. I rode at Moab - it was fun, but the slickrock soon became dull once the novelty wore off. Sceptics need to use better guiding companies or do their own thing and get off the beaten track if they think that outside the US it's all lifts and lazy DH riding.
Will my Epic be a good choice of bike for Moab? Or is a bigger bike better? Just wondering as i'm thinkng of chainging my bike next year so if a bigger bikes better i'd maybe hang on until next year otherwise will look into this Autumn
Moab is still an amazing place to ride.
Last time I went we flew to Vegas, had a night there (fun but one night is all you need) then rented a HUGE 4x4 and drove up. Stayed in a cool hostel where you got a little 4 man hut. Also had a hot tub.
10 days there and when we fancied a day off riding we took the 4x4 offroad and up a few canyons.
Great trip - only extra cost was all the T-Cut and elbow grease to polish all the blemishes off the car.
Meeee - An Epic will be fine.
I'd love to go and see the rock colours and formations, pretending I'm flying about with Santini Air.
@ wl
I'm not suggesting that everything outside the US is lift assist only. I've ridden in the Pyrenees (which was lift assit free and fantastic), Morzine, Les Arcs and Verbier and I can fully appreciate that there is loads of non-DH specific riding.
However, I would wager that the vast majority of people who go to Whistler, the Alps etc. primarily use the lifts as their only means of gaining significant altitude.
I hasten to add that I'm no fan of riding up hill and I've used my fair share of lifts, funiculars, vans and Landrovers in my time.
I guess my post wasn't necessarily about people being lazy, more about why somewhere that was THE best place in the world is no longer mentioned anymore.
Airwolf was AWESOME!!!!!
I can't wait to visit in March ..will be riding with Denver locals who ride Moab regular so hopefully I'm in for a real treat!
I dunno....there's a huge climb from the end of the Fitz lift to the start of Crank It Up in Whistler Bike Park.
Last time I went I had a 10 year old Kona hardtail - you'll me fine with any modern bike. I have flown into Denver, Salt Lake and Las Vegas - wahtever suits.
Car is best, and loads of accommodation available. If going in October check you avoid the fat tire festival if turning up on spec. If going for that sort out accommodation.
Routes / guides easy to find and a few shuttle buses to take you closer to the trails.
From Moab and Fruita why not add in Durango - a nice triangle and some cracking rides there as well.
Just go!
A few of us went November time I think years back now. It was brilliant. The best ride was a shuttle to about 3000 feet ABOVE the top of Porc Rim and a ride along the cliff edge until you joined Porc Rim.
That's a ride that'll stay with all of us I think I'd go back definitely.
"I dunno....there's a huge climb from the end of the Fitz lift to the start of Crank It Up in Whistler Bike Park."
Oh to be so jaded...
Will my Epic be a good choice of bike for Moab? Or is a bigger bike better? Just wondering as i'm thinkng of chainging my bike next year so if a bigger bikes better i'd maybe hang on until next year otherwise will look into this Autumn
Well I did all on a rigid bike (1993 I think)
I think its more about how your ide than the actual trails. Porcupine rim suraface wise seemed like the lakes so if your OK with that you'll be fine. If you want to go fast huck the drops then a bigger bike will be better, assuming your happy with it on the up
slick rock was smooth and therefore un demanding on bikes.
I loved Moab a real high light of my life
If you like scenery from a bike book a trip round the white rim trail
If going in October check you avoid the fat tire festival
I think that's held in the Spring
Without trying to harp on too much Morocco has all of this! Guy on our trip who has ridden around a lot of places in the world said riding in Morocco was like riding the Alps and Moab all in one day and was actually better than Moab. i've never been though.
Here's my Jones on the Slickrock trail last September. Worked OK on many rides but a full sus was best on Porc Rim decent to get the full experience. Go, you won't regret it.
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