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

Abajo Mountains to Moab MTB Tour: Highlights

The Abajos Mountains to Moab bike tour is a point-to-point excursion that covers some of the most…

WOOOOO… HOOOOO…!!!

…terrain Utah can serve up. Remote is a word that barely scratches at the surface of describing this combined mountain and desert landscape. Starting high in the mountains, riders are treated with cooler temps, the pungent smell of pine, and the sound of the breeze in the trees. After pedaling alone the alpine roller coaster of the Abajo Mountains, riders rocket out of the mountains on a massive descent to find themselves riding alongside the weird, warm, and wonderful landscape that is quintessentially Utah’s Canyon Country. The riding on this tour is comprised of rugged jeep roads with only few short and walk-able exceptions. This tour is suitable for intermediate to advanced mountain bikers.

If you have more time, consider joining us for this longer tour, Hayduke Trail Mountain Bike Tour

☛ Bicycling: Bears Ears National Monument – This Bikepacking Paradise May Soon Be Filled With Oil Wells

NEWS: On December 27th, 2016 much of the terrain that our Trans-Utah MTB tour passes through was declared the Bear’s Ears National Monument by President Obama. This is a magnificent region of redrock cliffs, mysterious canyons and stone silence.

YouTube – Celebrate Bears Ears: Welcome to our New National Monument!

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is a proud member of the Grand Staircase-Escalante Partners in support of their commitment to education, stewardship and restoration of the full National Monument.

Abajo Mountains to Moab MTB Tour: Dates

Potential tour dates are listed below and not all tour dates will run. Lock in your preferred tour date early as unopened tour dates will be closed. Please see the Winter/Spring/Autumn Tour Calendar and the Summer Tour Calendar for confirmed departures. Any unopened date can be a Custom Week (9 riders required). Please contact us via email or call 970.728.5891

To easily register for a particular tour, please click the Book Now! link after the tour date listed below. This will select the tour name and the appropriate date on the registration form.

NOTE: The Abajos Mountains to Moab MTB Tour meets on the day prior to the trip start date.

2024 Spring Tour Dates

No tours are scheduled at this time.

Tour Status Notes: NO STATUS = Date Set, no riders have signed up. TOUR OPENED = Tour Opened, rider minimums not met. TOUR A GO! = Tour is Go, rider minimums met. SOLD OUT = Tour Full, rider maximums met.

Why Should you Sign-Up Now and OPEN a Tour Date?
This is the proverbial chicken and the egg conundrum! We need our cyclists to first commit to the date that works for them so that we can commit to that date.

For starters, when you OPEN a date you get to pick your preferred departure date, and there is no penalty if the tour does not run. Once you pick your tour date, Lizard Head closes nearby dates and funnels all additional riders to your chosen date until the tour meets its 6 rider minimum.

BONUS: As an added bonus, we can also hold a spot for you on another tour date of your choosing. There is no fee to switch to another tour date.

In conclusion, if you want a tour to run, we need you to sign up and not wait for others to do the same! Waiting for others may mean that a tour date takes longer or does not confirm. Just Do It! Once a few riders jump into the proverbial waters, others will follow!

NOTE: In anticipation and encouragement of future tour signups prior to reaching the tour minimum, the Lizard Head Cycling website may be updated to show TOUR A GO prior to actual tour confirmation. So, even if the website says that this tour is a go, please wait for your official Email Confirmation before booking non-refundable travel reservations.

Abajo Mountains to Moab MTB Tour: Overview

Arrival Town/Airport: Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Junction Regional Airport – GJT)

Departing Town/Airport: Grand Junction, Colorado (Grand Junction Regional Airport – GJT)

Tour Length: 4-Days Cycling

Total Miles: 125 miles (additional mileage options available)

Mileage Range: 21-50 miles

Ability Level: Upper Intermediate (3)  to Advanced (3/4) 

Tour Cost: $1,565 per person.

Tour Discounts: Please see our Reptile Rewards & Tour Discounts page to learn more about Reptile Rewards, Tour Discounts, and Group Discounts. Tour discounts are not stackable with any other discounts or promotions – only the highest valued discount is provided. Please note that for discounts to apply the tour minimum must be met.

Tour Includes: 4-days of guide service, all meals, forest service fees, energy food, liquid refreshments, shuttles and mechanical support. Alcoholic beverages, bike rental and massage are additional.

Mountain 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.

Mountain Bike Rentals

Lizard Head Cycling Guides is proud to rent the Scott Spark 930, a truly fantastic way to go up or down a mountain. We have been riding mountain bikes for a very long time here at Lizard Head, but we can easily say our rentals are the most fun mountain bikes we have ever ridden. The Spark 930 blends the featherweight lineage of its race focused cousin with the single track chops of a 120mm travel ripper - this bike is up for anything.

The Spark 930 features: Spark Carbon HMF-Alloy Frame, FOX 34 Float Performance 130mm Fork, FOX Nude EVOL/120mm/TwinLoc rear shock, Shimano XT-SLX 12 Speed Drivetrain, Shimano Deore Disc Brakes, Syncros X-25 TR Rims, Maxxis Rekon Folding Tires, plus Syncros Dropper Post. Approx. Weight: 28.88 lbs / 13.10 kg (without pedals)

Mountain E-Bike Rentals

The Strike eRIDE 920 offers SCOTT’s latest technologies together with the newest Bosch motor. Versatile, reliable, and accessible, the Strike puts the accent on the comfort with 150mm of travel, slicker tires, thicker grips and saddle to give you a solid choice for any outing.

☛ Learn more about our Mountain Bike & E-Bike Rentals and Equipment

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

Rental Tent, Ground Pad and Sleeping Bag: $85 – Lizard Head Cycling offers late model camping gear rentals. The rental tent is a 3-person Sierra Design tent (sleeps 2 comfortably). The ground pads are 1.5 inches thick and our synthetic sleeping bags are rated for 20 degrees (so you’ll feel warm & comfy in the wilderness). **Al la Carte tent rental is $55.

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.

Overall Route Map

☛ MUST READ: Training for Your First MTB Tour: 5 Best Tips to Improve Your Pedaling Technique

Abajo Mountains to Moab 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 0: Tour Meet Day

On Day 0 (the day prior to the tour start date) we meet in the late morning at the Courtyard Marriott in Grand Junction, Colorado. At the tour meeting we will go over gear, fit bikes and then shuttle in to the field to meet the group and camp tonight on the edge of the Dark Canyon.

Day 1: Dark Canyon to Elk Ridge of the Sierra Abajos
30 miles with up to 3,050 feet of climbing

From the edge of Dark Canyon the route ascend upward into the Ponderosa Pines of the Sierra Abajos. The transformation of vegetation on this day is remarkable.

Our route climb finishes atop of Elk Ridge, a high plateau in the mountains. From here we duck in to the shelter of the trees where riders are greeted with post-ride hors d’oeuvres, beverages and a warm fire.

Day 2: Elk Ridge to Needles
50 miles with up to 1,190 feet of climbing

DOWN DOWN DOWN. This 50 mile day is literally all downhill… except for the up. 🙂

After a mighty coffee call that echoes through the forest trees and a hearty breakfast, we’ll saddle up for a massive day of descent (over 4,000′) out of the mountains and back into the desert. On the way we’ll stop to look down into the Needles District of the Canyonlands. As we continue to descend, the Ponderosa begin to give way to desert Junipers and Indian Paintbrush. The route begins to taper off about 30 miles in and at this point Six Shooter Peak and the massive walls of Indian Creek will reveal themselves – the splitter cracks in these walls attracts rock climbers from all over the world. Our route travels briefly along HWY 211, the only pavement our mighty steeds will see on this tour, before heading north into Lockhart Basin. From here the riding slowly transforms into fun sections of slick rock and a number of washes.

We’ll camp with the Needles overlook towering above us and the Abajo mountains from where we just came off in the distance. And if the evening is clear, we’ll see stars in ways that some will never experience.

Day 3: Lockhart Basin
30 miles with up to 1,800 feet of climbing

In the morning we’ll wake up to a coliseum of glowing orange rock and blue sky. Today’s ride, while having the least amount of vertical gain and loss, does offer the most exciting riding. The ride is not overly technical, but it is LOTS of fun. The rollercoaster-like road dives, dips and climbs alongside a cliff band that parallels the Lockhart Canyon and the Colorado River. The few short technical sections will pose a formidable challenge for riders of all ability levels, but are also short in duration and can be easily walked. The White Rim trail can be seen across the river, but with as much excitement and as little traffic as Lockhart provides, you’ll quickly understand why this route is our little secret.

Just before the final miles of the ride, the hardest section, known as the keyhole, provides some of the best riding on the tour and ensures that very few vehicles are able to go where we just biked. 🙂 Being that the same is true of our support rig, we’ll say farewell in the morning and plan to meet the mothership again in camp. Tonight’s camp sits directly above the east side of the Colorado river and, when conditions are appropriate, a fantastic dip provides the perfect way to wind down the day.

Day 4: Hurrah Pass to Moab
21 miles with up to 1,700 feet of climbing

HURRAH!

That’s the name of the pass we must overcome before our tour comes to a close. After an energy packed breakfast, we’ll say goodbye to the Colorado River and head into Lockhart Basin for 15-mies of twists and dives before arriving at the base of the day’s biggest challenge, the 1000′ ascent of Hurrah pass. From the top the big views looking down onto the Colorado River are impressive.

BUT WAIT, THERES MORE!

After descending this massive hill, many riders think they are scott free, but one last 300′ hill ensures that riders will have more than earned the super scenery along the way. The finish line is the Moab Brewery parking lot. Here we’ll have a hearty lunch and a couple of celebratory brews.

Well Done!

Post-Tour Logistics: The Abajos to Moab tour ends in Moab where we enjoy a celebratory brew or two at the Moab Brewery and then a farewell dinner out on the town in Moab.

NOTE: Guests are responsible for their own post tour lodging in Moab. Guests should stay at Moab Valley Inn for pickup to shuttle to Grand Junction the following morning.

Post tour the following morning at 7am Lizard Head Cycling will provide a complimentary shuttle back (1.5 hours) to the Courtyard Marriott in Grand Junction, Colorado at the Grand Junction airport. Guests can expect to arrive in Grand Junction at 9:15am

Abajo Mountains to Moab 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: Guides in camp will prepare all meals. Meals include: Dutch oven lasagna, wild salmon, grilled chicken, salads, quinoa, fruits and lots of seasonal veggies. Any dietary preferences or allergies should be noted on the registration form. Each of Lizard Head Cycling’s lunches contains gluten free options.

Ride Difficulty: This custom tour is designed for Intermediate/Advanced cyclists with various levels of fitness. Each day there are additional mileage options for advanced riders.

Tour Support: An off-road vehicle that carries luggage, food and equipment will support this tour. On the remote singletrack trails cyclists ride with their lunch and water in their packs.

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