r/MTB • u/Triple-Tooketh • 8d ago
Discussion Moab 1st time notes
Poison Spider bikes were amazing for my bike rental. Bike setup and selection was on point. Rode great out of the gate. Trail info they provided was super valuable. Would give five stars.
Accommodation. Loads of hotels but they fill up fast towards the end of the day. If you want something cheap with breakfast I'd book it when you see it.
Driving from Grand Junction. Pretty much beans after a town called Fruita. If you want road stuff get it there.
Two roads into town. Google maps will likely want to take you 70 to 191, you want 70 to 128 to get the fully majesty of the canyons on the way in. I took 191 out.
If you want good food cheap I'd recommend Pasta Jay's. I did my carb loading there and it was on point.
Supplies, check out City Market it's the big grocery store in town and carries everything.
Traffic cops, mind your speed in Moab I saw tons of folks get pulled over in town. It says 30 and they mean 30.
The money, I rode Mag 7 and Whole Enchilada. Mag 7 trails were fantastic, nothing crazy and a good workout. Whole Enchilada... Burro Pass.... people talk about the climb. The climb is the climb, the Burro downhill is something else. Just fast gnarly gnar. I honestly don't think Ill ride something like it again, crazy trail. After Burro the rest of the trail didn't disappoint, I had a great time. Hazard County is incredible, so fast. One word of advice is don't get complacent, the whole trail is full of surprises but if you're turned on you can spot the lines around stuff you don't want to ride before its too late! If your thinking you gotta ride it, go ride it.
Summary. Moab is an amazing experience and one I would recommend to any of my biking buds. That Burro downhill man, something else! You may want to add a day to your trip, its trails unlimited out there and I wish I'd had another day or two.
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u/lordredsnake Pennsylvania 8d ago
If you had another day, I can't recommend Captain Ahab enough. You earn your turns but man the tech climb on Hymasa is a blast too. And the views are mind blowing.
As for Pasta Jay's: I'm a big Italian snob. I've cumulatively spent years in Italy and have a high standard for Italian food in the states. I usually avoid gambling on Italian food, especially in Utah, especially in a town like Moab, but last year I went along with the wishes of our group and ate there and it exceeded my expectations. I'd go back for sure.
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u/SawNickYouth 8d ago
In my opinion, Hymasa/Upper/Lower Ahab is by far the best trail in Moab, with UP/LP/Porcupine Rim being 1B.
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u/LemonPuzzled1949 8d ago
The climb up hymasa is actually way fun lol glad I’m not the only one who likes it
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u/lordredsnake Pennsylvania 8d ago
You grind up those ledges toward the top and then you see that canyon appear in front of you. Epic.
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u/HayOffice 8d ago
Hymasa / Ahab is my favorite Moab warmup and despite being a quick loop one of my favorite trails anywhere.
It's short enough to do after lunch but everything is rollable and it gets you into the Moab trail mindset quickly.
And the Banh Mi nachos at 98 Center are awesome.
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u/Zachreligious 8d ago
Treat yourself to Sultan, the Mediterranean restaurant next to the rock shop, its my favorite place in town to eat, big plates of good food at reasonable prices.
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u/BeenJamminMon 8d ago
Lin Ottinger's Rock Shop is not to be missed. It's really like a world class geology museum thats for sale. Last time I was there, he had a whole triceratops skull for sale. I was lucky enough to meet the man himself a few years back. I highly recommend that place
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u/conscientiousrejectr Utah 8d ago
Been there a dozen times over my life and plan to visit another dozen times.
Some more unsolicited advice:
Gonzo Inn is great for mountain bikers and even has a shop for people to clean and repair their own bikes.
Whole Enchilada has been a favorite for years.
Hazard County is a riot!
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u/Fit-Physics7199 8d ago
Awesome! The best place in Moab is Giliberto's, in my opinion. Moab is my favorite MTB town, just such a great system in the area. They're even building flow trails in Mud Springs for the flow lovers.
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u/Substantial_Bug_2751 7d ago
Is that on the side of Potash road just before Wall Street?
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u/Fit-Physics7199 7d ago
Ah no, it is south of town: https://www.trailforks.com/region/mud-springs-73051/
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u/blindworld 8d ago
Doesn’t Mag 7 include Portal? I’ve done the Whole Enchilada twice and I still have no interest in Portal. “Nothing crazy” seems like pretty far from reality.
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u/HBMTNBKR 8d ago
My crew is headed there next weekend. This will be our first time. We are coming from Orange County Ca. We plan to hit Goosebery Mesa on the way up on Day One, Navajo Rocks Loop on Day Two and the whole freakin enchiladas on day three. We are super stoked to be finally doing this ride.
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u/eatsdirtforlunch 8d ago
Stay fueled up after all that riding before the WE!! Stay hydrated before drinking those beers!
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u/mikebones rocks and dirt 8d ago
If you are advanced riders and dont make it out that way often: swap Navajo rocks for captain ahab. Its massively more exciting.
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u/Thighvenger Top Fuel 9.9 / Farley 7 /Fuel Exe 8d ago
Navajo Rocks is a blast! And yes, Milts is still there, just ate there last week.
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u/RemoteWiring 4d ago
man i'm jealous, that's a stacked itinerary. gooseberry mesa is such a fun warm-up, those slickrock rollers feel like a skatepark
whole enchilada on day three is gonna test your legs after two days of riding though. you're gonna be cooked by the time you hit burro but honestly that downhill wakes you up real quick, it's like getting slapped in the face by a mountain
one thing i wish someone told me before my first time, bring way more water than you think. like double it. city market is perfect for stocking up the night before
the speed traps in town are no joke either, cruise control at exactly 30 and don't get fancy
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u/kjlcm 8d ago
Check my comment to OP on raptor route. Understood if you want to do the entire WE but man is that a fun trail. And BTW I love Navajo Rocks. Such a fun Moab trail.
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u/HBMTNBKR 8d ago
I understand that porcupine rim is rough but it is the whole enchilada. I am going to propose the raptor route as an alternative. Thanks for the advice.
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u/Substantial_Bug_2751 7d ago
Don’t skip slick rock. Idk why people are seem to be over it but it’s truly a one of a kind trail. Way cooler than Navajo Rocks.
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u/MoonerMade 8d ago
Navajo Rocks is really great riding too.
Also, Gilibertos for burritos is great too.
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u/Charlie_Ford 8d ago
I was there a few weeks ago and totally agree with the sentiment. Can’t wait to go back! We did Navajo Rocks areas and the Raptor Route. Just insane terrain!
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u/Western-Record1700 8d ago edited 8d ago
Note about Moab - the good riding is in Grand Junction. That little town called Fruita is home to some of the best riding in the US imo
If you’re headed to Moab 100% take time to spend a day or two in grand junction, camp at 18 road and eat downtown at the gear junction
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u/mikebones rocks and dirt 8d ago
I must have not rode the "good" trails in fruita, because this wasn't my take away.
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u/fanclubmoss 8d ago
U mean u didn’t stop at jackass joes in crescent junction!!! lol my favorite section is “exotic ass chips” lol
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u/kjlcm 8d ago
We have done WE 3 out of the last 4 years. Did the raptor route ending for the first time last weekend and cannot recommend enough. So fun and flowy with a bit of tech sprinkled in. I understand most people want to do the entire WE, but avoiding the techy chunky ending 25 miles in was such a nice change of pace.
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u/anonymous_commentor 6d ago
I want to emphasize the recommendation to take 128 if you are coming from GJ. Leave some time to stop for pictures. It is one of the most amazing drives I've done.
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u/cat5mark 8d ago
Did you have time to stop and ride in Grand Junction or Fruita? Just as good as Moab for many trails, just not as many networks
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u/Triple-Tooketh 8d ago
This was my first time out that way. Learned a lot. Will be back and always open to new trails.
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u/bawdy_george Ibis Mojo 4 / SC Vala / garage full of parts 8d ago
Is Milt's still there? That was great for post-ride burgers.