Western Spirit Cycling

One of our fabulous Western Spirit Cycling guides, Tim Bateman, is also a 29er shock poster boy!
Click here to check it out.

So after a heinous flight from Moab to DIA with the “bag at the ready” and an aborted landing, I finally made it to Canada. Only problem was my bike & gear ended up in San Fran. WTF?! United… I guess the measly $30 charge for my oversize XL bike was too good to be true, so I had to pay up somehow.

Thankfully the good folk at Vancouver International tracked it down and got it to me here at the host hotel in time for a quick build and short shakedown ride in Stanley Park before handing it off again to be “checked in”. After transferring gear from one Dakine bag to the new Dakine BCBR bag I was ready to exhale and go find some grub. Unlike most other race venues, the BC Bike Race is one host city you can comfortly indulge in the freshest sushi the night before a big race and still sleep soundly. With a few pints of Stella to wash things down and a fat dessert to top it off I’m finally ready to tackle the north Shore course of Day # 1 tomorrow.

Not sure if I’ll get any other chances to blog during the week, but rest assured, the fine folks at bcbikerace.com will have you covered with race results and beautiful photos of this special part of Canada. By next Sunday, 4th of July, we’ll be up in Whistler toasting another journey complete. The forecast looks good, the legs are (over)rested and the S-works Stumpy is GTG. The rest is up to me.

Wish me luck. Over & out

sevy

Happy 2nd day of summer !

Can’t believe it’s been so long since any posts! WTF?!!! I guess we’ve all been super busy around Western Spirit World HQ’S. Ain’t that the truth. Late May into June has been a whirlwind of wrapping up Canyonlands season and getting everything in place for our busy summer season.

Take last week for example. Three different rigs getting ready to leave Moab for almost 3 months. Besides the obvious rig with tents, coolers stoves, groovers, etc. we need to rig for our satellite locations spread out over the west. That means getting hundreds of water bottles, Western Spirit Cycling tee shirts & of course our lovely Western Spirit coffee mugs into the trucks, vans & trailers getting set to go. Not to mention any number of our 80 plus strong fleet of rental bikes. Logistics…. that’s the name of the game these days.

To make it even a little more fun, I’m prepping to leave town for three weeks myself. I’ll be flying out of tiny Canyonlands airport this Friday for Vancouver, Canada and the 3rd edition of the BC Bike Race. My friends Deane Payne & Andreas Hestler made it possible to trade a Western Spirit Cycling trip for a free number plate in their race. I raced it in their 1st edition and had the best time so I’ve wanted to go back ever since. Turning 40 this September was just the catalyst I needed to make it happen, so now that I’m four days from leaving, it’s really sunk in. The training and miles are in the bag - too late for any more fitness at this point. Really I just need to dial in the Stumpjumper, pack the bags and make sure I’ve got enough chamois butter to get me through 35 hours of racing.

After that I’ll be roadtripping with Dre from Whistler down the coast to Ashland, OR and the start of our annual BIKE Week trip with the fine folks from Bike Magazine and some of their best friends & advertisers. That will be a super fun trip I get to help guide and it’s turned into a reunion of sorts now that we’ve done it for so many years. This years edition is on the Umpqua River Trail which just happens to be some of the sweetest track anywhere. After 11 of 12 days riding singletrack I’ll be ready for a little R&R on the beach with family, so a trip out to CT will wrap up the three weeks before coming home to Moab in late July. Whew! Kinda tired just thinking about it, but can’t wait! More to come on the race if I get a Internet connection.?

NewsFlash: MORE NEW SINGLETRACK IN MOAB !!!

That’s right - this isn’t an April Fools joke, we really do have a whole new trail system that’s entirely legal! It’s called the Intrepid Trail (after Intrepid Potash - one of the trail’s sponsors) and it’s located up off Hwy. # 313 at Dead Horse State Park. 

The trail was a combined effort from Utah State Parks, Moab’s very own Trail Mix and even some generous help from the National Park Service. With many hands on hours from Jeff Van Horn, Trail Mix volunteers and various trail work groups, the trails we’re finally finished this last month. Govenor John Huntsman came down from SLC to officially open the trail on a beautiful Monday morning and rode the entire loop with all the local riders that helped make the trail a reality. 

The trail itself is comprised of one 9 mile outer loop and a shorter 4 mile inner loop. There’s a wonderful trailhead and the system is marked quite well with signs at every intersection showing “you are here”. There’s several world class viewpoints that look down to the Colorado River and far off into Canyonlands National Park. It would not be a stretch to say the views from this trail rival anything, anywhere. I’ve ridden everywhere form the Italian Dolomites to British Columbia Canada to the Grand Canyon, but the view from the Big Chief Overlook crushes them all. How’s three mountain ranges, the Colorado River, Behind the Rocks and Dead horse State Park itself sound for starters.

So all this sounds great right? Well the best thing about these trails is how FUN they are. Unlike pretty much any other trail we have, the Intrepid Trails are pretty easy. That’s right, I said it - easy singletrack in Moab. Sure there’s a few sand pits, and a switchback or two that might make you dab, but 98% is fully rideable by a beginner rider. So next time you have friends in town who may not be quite ready for Porcupine Rim or even the Soverign Trail, send them up to Dead Horse State Park to check out our latest and greatest new offering. And better yet, go along with them. You won’t be sorry.

Wondering what the family vacation will be this summer?  Want to tread lightly - take only pictures - experience our National Parks - camp -eat delicious low impact meals - take an ecofriendly vacation?  Consider a Western Spirit Cycling bike trip.  We have all sorts of spectacular and green vacations for you this summer.  Give us a call, 800-845-2453.

The Nike photographers and talent were hanging in Moab UT with Western Spirit Cycling these past 2 weeks shooting various athletes in various athletic Nike garb.  Really amazing athletes!  Not only were they European, which is always fun to listen to their funny voices- but the incredible feats these folks pulled off would make your chin drop to your chest.  Two of these guys are base jumpers, crazy I know, but the places they have been and the jumps they have done were amazing.  They have both used those bat suit wing suit suits which basically means they honestly fly thru the air.  A couple of climbers, a mountain biker and that pretty well rounded up the talent portion of their show.

They got the shots they wanted and you’ll probably start seeing them in magazines soon.  I just hope they come back and just chat me up a bit…..love the accents.

Looking for a green vacation?  What could be better than some beautiful desert mountain biking just outside of Moab, Utah, home to the country’s first EPA Green Power Community. Before and after your biofueled (you’re the one powering your bike - that’s biofuel, right?) White Rim Trail bike trip, listen to wind-powered public radio KZMU 90.1 FM.  Get some!

Thinking of coming to Moab to do some mountain biking?  Think no more.  Just do it.  Spring is springing and it’s time to get on a bicycle and feel the air on your skin.  Carpe Diem!  Why leave till tomorrow what you can do today?  Being happy is a way to be wise.  If you only do what you know you can do - you never do much.  Laugh as much as you breath and love as long as you live.

Have you bought your plane ticket yet?  Are you in your car yet?  Come to the home of Western Spirit Cycling and enjoy some world class mountain biking - Moab style.  See you soon!

How bad can life be if you get paid to go ride some killer singletrack?  I ask myself that everyday.  I am actually pretty darn fortunate to work as a guide for Western Spirit Cycling Adventures — I go to spectacular riding venues and my guests are always happy to see me b/c they are on vacation, I cook for them and keep their beer cold!

My first trip of the season will be at the end of March in Tucson, AZ, on our Sonoran Desert Tour.  This will be my first time there, so I am learning the trip under the tutelage of veteran guides Scott and Rachel.  I’m told the riding will be super fun — a mix of loose, rocky terrain; a flume trail; some rolling climbs — just what the doctor ordered!  Hopefully there will also be some time to train for the Western Spirit Bikini Team.  However, great caution will be taken when riding between the saguaros and cholla.  Any loud exclamations of “ooopsie” will likely be coming from my mouth.

Highlighted on this tour are the AZ Trail, Fantasy Island, and the Link Trail.  These are some of the best trails in the region and will be sure to please all.  Nothing like swooping and zooming, rock hopping and kicking it.  So, if Clint Eastwood asked me do I feel lucky? my Magic 8 Ball and I would not hesitate to respond: without a doubt.

If you haven’t checked out Bike Mag for March 09 you need to jump on your bike right now and buzz on down to the newstand and get yourself one.  Seriously; stop reading this and GO!!  Allez, allez.

Just looking at the pictures has been enough to get me salivating for my springtime riding.  Another best thing about checking out the best rides in the best bike ‘zine is knowing that we at Western Spirit ride on almost every trail described in the issue on one of our trips.  We are talking hassle free, week long riding on the best trail EVER!  And when I say ‘ever’ we all know it really means: ’so far’.  And as the new best trails come into view you know that Western Spirit will be there re-conning the best flow, getting all the permit paperwork lined up and getting a new ride out there for ya’ll.

Dude’s, I am sooo pumped right now!  Can’t wait for the snow to thaw.  See you out there on the best trails- I’ll be the one with the best smile.

Best,

Sheri