When it comes to off-road riding, there are reasons why places become legendary. Moab in Utah, with its slickrock trails and epic views, is the stuff dreams are made of. And I'm still dreaming, as I never made it there, aborting my road trip from Las Vegas at Zion National Park when jetlag kicked in.
Zion may not be as famous as Moab but there's a reason why the Red Bull Rampage MTB event is held there every other year. Heading out to the trails on Gooseberry Mesa the drops were still massive and the riding still technical (read cactus-tormented) but the crowds were zero. Definitely worth checking out – ask the staff at Bike Zion to show you the way or you'll have a butt-crushing seven-mile off-road ride to the start of the trail.
In riding terms it's been a busy summer, with the Utah road trip ending at Interbike in Las Vegas – a massive bike show in the desert. It was a chance to demo all of next year's bikes, followed by an attempt to raise enough money through gambling to buy them. Top tip: the easiest casino to leave is definitely Planet Hollywood. Stay at the Venetian and you will be old before you ever find the exit.
Hopefully the cycling momentum built up recently can be carried over into the winter months. Yes it's October but, no, that's not an excuse to hang up your spokes for the winter. The brochures may be turning to all things snowy but, as the chaps at IceBike have proven, this is no barrier to getting out and using your bike for some cracking winter travel options.
Winter mountain biking, road training and forward planning
• First up Flow MTB have two spaces left on their legendary Ride Morocco trip, deaprting 24 October to 1 November. The riding is on challenging mule tracks but a Land Rover is there to offer an uplift service. Cost is €900 (£828) which includes guides, transfers, accommodation, food and water but not flights or alcohol.
• Still on a mountain bike theme, Mountain Bike Adventure have just revealed a new cross-country route in the Algarve to add to their growing roster of mountain bike, erm, adventures. The company are currently offering a 20% discount for customers booking as a group of four or more.
• It may be becoming obvious now that we like a bit of mountain biking. Hang in there, there's some road riding coming up, honest. Before that, Joyriders MTB in sunny Cordoba, Andalucia, Spain have just secured sponsorship by clothing brand Spiuk, meaning clients will be able to get their hands on some snazzy riding jerseys to wick away the winter sweat. Plus the company have just added a new uplift day to their roster so if you're a budding downhill rider you can treat yourself to sunshine days on the area's black runs without having to push back up. Heaven. Full suspension bikes available for hire too. What a great way to spend those dark winter days …
• Still in Spain and the winter training camps offered by Andalucian Cycling Experience are looking quite attractive. The company is offering a seven-day beginner's road riding camp from 6 to 13 February, covering a total of 354km, or 490km if you feel like pushing yourself. Prices from €525 on a B&B basis.
• On a future-forward note, if you're looking to plan next year's cycle adventures the Adventure Cycling Association have a great resource for getting your ideas into some sort of system which will be of use to you when you next look at it.
• Put the 2010 Passportes du Soleil MTB event in your diary: 26 and 27 June. If you've ever wanted to take in two countries and 75km of trails in one day, this is the event for you.
• And finally Charge bikes have sent two of their sponsored riders, Juliet Elliot and Posy Dixon, out to San Francisco to check out the riding there. The fixie girls will be updating their blog daily as well as compiling a travel Ride Guide to the city that embraces fixed gear riding with penache, which we will be hosting here shortly.
• And let's not forget homegrown adrenalin rushes. After many years of machinations and digging, Gisburn Forest in Lancashire is now playing host to a series of new MTB trails ranging from an 8km 'blue' route to a 22km 'red' course for thrill seekers. This adds to north-west's already fantastic Grizedale and Whinlatter trails among others. Check out more trails - and add your own - on our interactive map.
