Please click here to jump to the Overview section with all tour details including pricing.

PLEASE NOTE: This tour is not regularly scheduled, but it can be configured as a Custom Tour for your group with a minimum of nine (9) riders. Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891 for more information.

Mountain Bike and Road Bike through Redrock Canyon Country. This tour delves into the heart of Southeastern Utah and Southwestern Colorado. This itinerary offers both road mountain biking and mountain biking while it rides through the supernatural landscapes of Arches & Canyonlands National Parks, climbs the challenging La Sal Mountain Loop Road and rides beneath the 800-foot tall red sandstone walls within the Colorado River Canyon.

Moab Road & MTB Tour: Highlights

• The Colorado National Monument
• Arches National Park
• Unaweep Canyon
• Dolores River Canyon
• …and the challenging ride to Moab, Utah through the La Sal Mountains

Moab Road & MTB Tour: Tour Dates

PLEASE NOTE: This tour is not regularly scheduled, but it can be configured as a Custom Tour for your group with a minimum of nine (9) riders. Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891 for more information.

Moab Road & MTB Tour: Overview

Tour Length: 6-Days | 5-Nights Lodging (Sunday through Thursday)

Starting Town: Grand Junction, Colorado at the Courtyard Marriott at 7am Sunday morning.

Ending Town: Grand Junction, Colorado between 5pm & 6pm on Friday night

Total Miles: 262 up to 327. (Can I keep up on this tour?)

Ability Level: 3 (Advanced)

Tour Cost: *** Please Call for Custom Tour Pricing – 970.728.5891 ***

PLEASE NOTE: This tour is not regularly scheduled, but it can be configured as a Custom Tour for your group with a minimum of nine (9) riders. Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891 for more information.

Tour Includes: 5-nights lodging (Sunday thru Thursday), all meals (Sunday’s lunch thru Friday’s lunch), road bike rental, mountain bike rental, professional guide service, park entry fees, & shuttles. Massage therapy and alcohol beverages are additional. NOTE: A $100- discount is provided if initial deposit payment is made by May 30th

Logistics: Cyclists fly into and out of Grand Junction, Colorado. Cyclists arrive in Grand Junction on Saturday and depart the following Saturday.

Lodging Highlights Includes: (subject to availability)

• Day 1 (Sunday): Gateway Canyons Resort – Gateway, CO.
• Days 2 & 3 (Monday & Tuesday): Red Cliffs Lodge – Moab, UT.
• Days 4 & 5 (Wednesday & Thursday): Gonzo Inn – Moab, UT.

Road Bike Rentals

NOTE: The make, model, and specifications of rental bikes may differ from what is described below. Please contact us if you have any specific needs for a rental bike or have any questions about rental bikes.

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent Scott Bikes. The Scott Addict 10 Disc was designed from the ground up with those longer days in mind. With geometry that is less focused on racing and more on enduring, the Addict 10 will be your go to when you’re looking to put the miles in.

The Scott Addict 10 Disc features: Carbon Frame and Fork, Shimano Ultegra 2x11 Drivetrain, 34x32 Compact Gearing, 30mm Tires, and Hydraulic Disc Brakes. Approx. Weight: 16.89 lbs / 7.66 kg (without pedals)

☛ Learn more about our Rental Bikes and Equipment

Road E-Bike Rentals: Click Here for more information on our Road E-Bike Rentals including pricing. Please note that E-Bikes are not available for certain tours including those that involve camping. Please contact us for more information before registering for a tour. NOTE: E-Bikes are great, but our tours are designed to be ridden without motorized assistance. We offer "bumps" along the road so that everyone can stay together.

Tandems and Recumbents: Lizard Head Cycling Guides happily accommodates both tandem and recumbent bikes on our tours.

If you have any further questions, please read more on our Rental Bikes FAQ page. You can also email us at info@lizardheadcyclingguides.com or call us at 970.728.5891

Meals On Tour

Lizard Head Cycling Guides provides most meals on all tours (unless otherwise noted) including breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Guides will prepare a daily lunch en route for nearly every tour, both road and off-road, as well as provide nutritious snacks at periodic aid stations during the day.

Most of our road tours utilize local restaurants for all meals and occasionally guides may prepare a dinner or two during a tour. Due to the nature of being "off the grid", most of our off-road tours feature guide prepared meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. FUN NOTE: When guides prepare a meal in camp and the guests sit around and watch, this is called "Guide TV".

We also pride ourselves on being able to cater to specific dietary requests and needs, so rest assured that you will be able to get the nutrition that works best for you during your tour. Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Vegan, or a someone who loves it all – we will keep you well fed during the tour!

Lunches: Lizard Head Cycling Guides prepares healthy lunches to keep you going. We will serve you fresh organic fruits and veggies, salads, hummus, sandwich fixings, nuts, gourmet cheeses and, of course, plenty of salty/sweet snacks such as chips and cookies.

Dinners: On our road tours, Lizard Head Cycling sources our favorite restaurants in each town that we visit. Our guides focus on establishments that offer fresh and local ingredients and guests choose whatever they desire to eat off the menu including: appetizer, salad, entrée, and of course, dessert... yum! Also, while on tour if a guest wants to dine early before the group and go to bed, this is fine. We understand that on some days sleep is the most important post-ride element.

Ability Level: Can I Ride This Tour?

Definition of Ability Levels

= Intermediate (2/3) Rides and/or takes spin classes 1 to 3 times a week for a total of 50 or more miles.
= Upper Intermediate (3) Rides and/or takes spin classes 2 to 4 times a week for a total of 75 or more miles.
= Advanced (3/4) Rides and/or takes spin classes 3 to 5 times a week for a total of 100 or more miles. Has ridden multi-day tours and done a century ride.
= Expert (4) Rides 4 or more times per week totaling 150 or more miles. Rides E.F.I. with regularity. Has done numerous multi-day tours, century rides and races.

How Fit do I Have to Be? If one month prior to the tour, you can ride 2 to 3 times a week equaling a total of 75 or more miles a week, you'll do just fine. We like to jokingly say that "one is ready for a Lizard Head Cycling Tour when they are finished with tour" and this is true! The only way to simulate a week long bike tour is to go on a week long tour.

Our average rider age is 55 years. These are bike tours, not races so we take our time to stop, take pictures and see the sights. We have all day to reach our destination and most riders take "bumps" at some points. We offer reduced mileage options for each day. Of course if someone wants to ride E.F.I. (Every Freaking Inch), we love to show them all the extra climbs, loops and hidden canyons that can be included!

Do the Bump! Daily mileage options allow cyclists of varying abilities to enjoy this tour. One of our favorite options is to give cyclists a "bump" via the support vehicle, or a 10 to 20 mile lift down the road representing an hour of pedal time. After the bump the rider is "off the front" and riding at his or her own pace without feeling they are being left behind the group. They'll then have time to linger and take in the spectacular scenery. All cyclists come together in time for lunch. Afterwards, cyclists can take another bump and/or continue riding.

Seamless Mileage Options: Lizard Head Cycling Guides designs multiple mileage options for each tour – something we're well known for in our business. This technique is similar to heliskiing in that one does not ski everything, they ski the best. 🙂

Slow or Fast? Many cyclists who sign up for our tours have worried themselves silly about not being able to keep up, but then they're surprised to find that all the worrying was about nothing. They do just fine! Slow and Fast only exist relative to other cyclists. Speed does not matter as long as one is moving on the bike. As long as one is moving, they are truly going fast enough.

If you have questions about your ability to ride this tour, please contact our office via email or call us at 970.728.5891 - we'll more than happy to guide you!

Please also see this blog post for more information.

Moab Road & MTB Tour: Itinerary*

*PLEASE NOTE: Tour itineraries are subject to change and modification based on the group, available accommodations, road construction, road closures, and other unforeseen circumstances including weather, wildfires, flooding, hurricanes, landslides and/or other acts of nature. Also, the distances and elevation profiles shown below may not reflect the actual distances and elevations while on tour as these are provided here to give an idea as to the anticipated mileage and terrain. Please view this itinerary, the distances, and elevation profiles as a general outline as to what to expect while on this tour.

Day 1: Colorado National Monument
58 miles of Road Riding with up to 6,500 feet of climbing

Day One’s riding begins on Rim Rock Drive of the Colorado National Monument. The 23-mile drive follows a Redrock Rim nearly 2,000-feet upward through a series of canyons above the Rio Colorado. The entire road has been designated a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places and was named by National Geographic as one of the country’s Top 10 Under-Appreciated Parks.

The National Park Service for maximum scenic impact, using the National Park Service Rustic style, developed the detailed design for the road in 1932. The road was constructed with almost entirely manual labor by the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps, and represents one of the most significant Depression era public projects. Extensive drilling and blasting was required, and three tunnels were bored. Work was suspended by the Second World War from 1942 to 1948, and was finally completed in 1950. At its height, the project employed more than 800 men.

After Day One’s morning tour through the Colorado National Monument cyclists head into the stunning confines of Unaweep Canyon. Unaweep Canyon is quite possibly most spectacular road ride in Colorado; it is also one of the least known roads in the state. Geologically speaking Unaweep was at one time a river channel of the Colorado River before the massive uplift of the Uncompahgre Plateau diverted the river’s course.

Today cyclists enjoy riding the road where the river once traveled. Although smaller in scale, the experience is akin to riding a bike through the Grand Canyon. The splendid resort of Gateway Canyons (opened in 2005 on the Dolores River) in Gateway, Colorado awaits us for dinner and lodging this evening.

Day 2: Gateway Canyons Resort to Moab
Up to 47-miles with over 5,000-feet of climbing and 5,000-feet of descending

From Gateway Canyons Resort cyclists pedal mountain bikes on dirt roads 22-miles up John Brown Canyon. This is a challenging climb with huge views of mountains and canyons. After enjoying lunch at the top cyclists descend 5,000-feet over 25-miles on pavement through Castle Valley to Moab and the Red Cliffs Lodge.

Day 3: Red Cliffs Lodge to Arches National Park
57 miles with the option of 102 miles with over 5,000 feet of climbing

An extraordinary location, access from Red Cliffs Lodge to Moab’s national parks is not complicated. The difficult part could be choosing which park; Arches National Park and Canyonlands National Park are both just miles away.

On Day 3 cyclists start the day with a big 30-mile climb to Canyonlands National Park’s Island in the Sky & Dead Horse State Park with a shuttle up to the Island in the Sky as an option. After taking in the jaw-dropping views from Dead Horse State Park cyclists descend 20-miles to Arches National Park. In Arches cyclists ride as far as Devil’s Garden, the furthest point in Arches National Park encompassing impressive arch after arch views. After the visit to Arches National Park, cyclists return to Red Cliffs Lodge for another night’s stay.

“Lizards, including the colorful collared lizard, are one of the most frequently seen animals in Arches. When not chasing flies or basking in the sun, they are often seen doing what appears to be push-ups. This odd dance might enhance their stereoscopic vision, helping them see what’s looking back at them.” — National Parks Service

Day 4: Moab Mountain Biking
20 miles or up to 30 miles

Day 4 will be spent mountain biking in Moab. Beginner to Intermediate level singletrack will be available. To start the day cyclists will be shuttled from the Red Cliffs Lodge to the mountain bike trailhead. Day 4’s lodging will be in downtown Moab’s Gonzo Inn. If the group desires, there is a road biking option through the Needles District of Canyonlands National Park.

Day 5: The La Sal Mountain Loop Road
60 miles with over 5,000 feet of climbing

On Day 5 Lizard Head Cycling offers its riders the stunning La Sal Mountain Loop Road. The La Sal Loop is the Moab Tour’s “mountain stage” with turns, twists and sometimes hairpins through the La Sal Mountains. The top elevation of the Loop Road reaches upwards of 8,000-feet.

The La Sal Mountain Loop tour starts with a pedal within the Colorado River Canyon before turning up to ride beneath the wondrous scenery of Castle Valley. Cyclists enjoy lunch upon topping out at the vista atop the La Sal Mountain Loop Road.

The descent to Moab that follows showcases the intersection of canyon country and mountains. In summary the La Sal Loop’s descent is a 27-mile beauty with 100-mile views to the west. It is a highlight ride of a tour jam packed with highlights. Tonight’s lodging is again at Moab’s Gonzo Inn.

Day 6: Moab Mountain Biking
20 miles or up to 30 miles

Day 6 will be spent mountain biking more of the best Moab has to offer. Today’s trail destination will be Gold Bar Rim or the trails of the Bar M Ranch. After riding, cyclists will be shuttled back to Grand Junction.

Well Done!

Moab Road & MTB Tour: Logistics & FAQs

Bike Shipping

Lizard Head Cycling recommends shipping with BikeFlights.com. Bikes can be shipped either to our partner bike shop in each meeting town for professional assembly or directly to the meeting hotel for self-assembly. Bike boxes can generally be left at the meeting hotel during the tour. Bikes shipped across the continental US should be shipped 8 days prior to your tour.

Meals
Most meals are included. In total 5 dinners, 5 breakfasts and 6 lunches are included.

Breakfasts and dinners are in restaurants where clients either order off the menu or choose from a buffet. Fresh lunches that include salads, local fruit, vegetables and meats are served in roadside parks by the Lizard Head Cycling Guides. Any dietary preferences or allergies should be noted on the registration form. Each of Lizard Head Cycling’s lunches contains gluten free options.

If on any given night a guest is tired or not feeling particularly social, they can choose to eat early and retire. Lizard Head Cycling enjoys hosting its guests for meals each evening, but understands some of us may just need to lie down after a day in the saddle. A meal should not feel like marathon after a big day on the bike.

Ride Difficulty
Moab Road & MTB Tour is designed for intermediate to advanced cyclists with various levels of fitness.  Each day there are additional mileage options for advanced riders. With the rolling terrain and only a few steep & long climbs, the Moab Road & MTB Tour is a good tour for early season conditioning.

Tour Support
A 15-passenger van and trailer that carries luggage, food and equipment supports Lizard Head Cycling’s tours. Cyclists keep a day bag that is accessible within the support vehicle.

The vehicle will sag and then pass riders to set up aid stations every 20 to 25 miles. This allows cyclists to linger at the back and then take a ten-mile, fifteen-mile or whatever mile “bump” forward to catch-up or get ahead of the group. Energy food, drink mixes, and fresh fruit are available throughout each stage.

The Daily Schedule
Cyclists ride their own pace. Lizard Head Cycling does its best to support riders in their varying desires and efforts. Cyclists can either use our tours to simply support their tour experience or to engage in a guided experience along the route.

Cue sheets with directions, profiles and locations of aid stations are given out for each stage.

General Tour & Cancellation Policies

Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all of our tour and cancellation policies, which can be found by clicking here.

Travel Insurance

If you have not already, now would be a great time to consider adding travel insurance to your tour. You are welcome to use any travel insurance company you would like. We recommend Generali/Trip Mate.

American Guests - use this link: http://www.generalitravelinsurance.com/get-a-quote.html?partner=LIZA0855

• The Premium Plan is the only plan which offers Pre-Existing coverage so long as the plan is purchased prior to Final Payment.
• The Premium Plan is the only plan that offers an optional Cancel For Any Reason - the policy must be purchased within 24 hours of initial trip deposit, the full trip cost must be insured, and if they cancel for Any Reason, it must be 48 hours prior to departure, and the reimbursement for an Any Reason claim is 60% of pre-paid, insured, non-refundable trip cost.
• Customer Service can be reached at 1-800-874-2442 for coverage questions and policy modifications or to purchase by phone. Agency Code: LIZA0855

Canadian Guests - use this link: https://tripmate.catravelins.ca/?utm_source=lizardhead