Another new bike for Sean 11/26

I picked up my new Bike!

I decided I wanted to get a hard tail to use for dirt jumping and just to cruise around Interlocken and the bars.

So I now and the very happy owner of a new Black Market Riot. The guys at The Fix did a great job on helping me pick components and putting the bike together.

Frame: Black Market Riot
Fork: Rock Shox argyle 318 Coil
Wheelset: Transition Revolution 36 - Black
Cranks: Shimano Hone 175mm
Brakes: Hayes Hydraulic
Headset: FSA Impact
Seatpost: Rock works 27.2
Handlebar: Easton EA 50
Stem: Black Market Underboss
Seat: Deity DH/FR saddle
Tires: Maxis Larson TT
Pedals: Transition Platform
Grips: ODI lockon
Rear Der: None
Front Der: None
Casette: Cog & Space Kit (Single speed)

Gooseberry Mesa, Utah 11/24

We had long wanted to get done and ride Gooseberry so with snow all over Moab the day before this seemed a perfect opportunity.

The night before we went down and checked out Springdale which is the little town just outside the entry to Zion and very pleasantly surprised at the feel of the town. It was a great little place and where we had dinner was awesome. The bike shop was small but jam packed with stuff and the staff was incredibly helpful.

Gooseberry was just flat out excellent - all of the riding was totally world class and the way the trail was strung together was outstanding. The riding changed style and feel a few times through the trail but always it was fun and challenging.


The riding was very three dimensional. At times it felt like you were in a huge slick rock skate park - which is probably why one section was called God's Skate Park. The views were also excellent with the entry to Zion being visible at various times.


Lot's of ups and down with many of them being steeper than they look. In many ways it was similar to the Slick rock trail in Moab but with the steeps not being as a long, which in my opinion made them a lot more fun.


The trail meandered in and around rock domes and bowls.


It was very well marked and hard to get lost on. This was the end of a nice section of up and down slick rock.


A good example of how you were in bowls a lot.


Amber doing a step drop into a bowl.


Out on the south rim the feel of the trail switched again with fun flowing singletrack combined with steep slick rock sections.


There was also some fun play sections. This is a fissure you can roll over with a pretty back drop.


One of the slick rock sections on the south rim.


The south rim section of the trail has a small out and back to the viewpoint vista and the riding out there remained excellent as well.


Coming back along the north rim you have the option to take a number of spurs. This is in the Yellow Trail section and again the riding was just straight up good times.


The last section we used was the Bowls and Ledges section - yep it was good times as well.


Overall I would have to say that the ride was one of the most enjoyable rides I have ever done. Lot's of variety, lot's of options to play and a great sense of flow.

We need to go back and do some sections like the Hidden Canyon section and also go back and do some of the other rides in the area - there are a lot of them! We may well end up down there again over the Christmas holiday week.

Thanksgiving, Moab 11/23

We didn't get to do much riding in November - this was due to the fact we moved apartments. My job changed offices from Boulder to Broomfield so rather than commute we moved into a new apartment in Interlocken. The move ate up a lot of the weekends in November.

So because of that we were really looking forward to the thanksgiving weekend to be able to head over to Moab. Unfortunately there was nasty weather on the Wed night so we opted to drive over on Thursday which ended up being a really good idea with I-70 closing down for a while during the night.

On Friday we woke up at camp to a layer of snow over everything. It snowed much of the night.

I was very torn as Moab under a layer of snow could be incredibly pretty and it would make the riding "interesting". However it was also likely that the riding might just be less than enjoyable. We decided to pack up camp and drive down to St George, Utah and check out Gooseberry Mesa since we had long wanted to do that ride and this seemed a perfect chance.

The drive was not bad at all and I only got one speeding ticket.

Moore Fun, Fruita, 10/28

Sunday we stopped in at Frutia on the way home and tried the Moore Fun trail. It has a reputation as being a fun fairly technical trail and we haven't ridden very much at Fruita so it seemed a perfect Sunday ride option.

Every year I tell myself that we need to ride Fruita more often and every year we keep riding Moab instead.


Moore Fun has some enjoyable riding in the first hill with it all being ridable but it certainly wasn't easy. Once you were above the first hill the riding was very similar to many rides in the Front Range.


We opted for an out and back again so that we could taste the ride in both directions and to avoid the road that makes the loop.


So, to be honest, I was somewhat disappointed. To much of the riding felt like I was riding in the Front Range but it may have also been because it was a very hot day and the climbing was not that much fun. I like and enjoy technical climbing but this ride had more sections that just were not fun compared to sections that were enjoyable.

Moab - Flat Pass 10/27

Finally catching up on old posts before the year ends.

This weekend saw Amber and I in Moab again. We got away late Friday night and rather than camping in our normal spots we camped up Onion Creek.


I love some of the views you get to wake up to in Moab. This camping spot was at the top of the creek section as the valley opens up.


We decided to head over to Flat Pass as we had not done it since last year and I was curious on how it would feel after riding so much over the summer.

Unfortunately it felt really nice and that means not a lot of photos. We did it as an out and back to get full value and to avoid the road which you have to do if you do it as a loop. We did it as a loop the first time we did the ride and I just think it is a better (although harder) ride to do it as an out and back.



Flat Pass is anything but and has lots of fun ledges that you get to climb or descend.




It was a pretty warm day and with Amber and I both riding pretty quickly our dog Moab kept seeking shady rest spots.


It was a fun ride.