RIU's 2015 Road Rides Not to Miss!

Skinny Tire Festival - March 14-17
This ride is inspiring for a few reasons.  1) The views.  You'll see Deadhorse Point, Arches National Park, Wallstreet (world famous climbing), Colorado River - it's Moab - do we really need to say more? 2) Many of the riders are in their golden years.  As a rider in my mid 50's it's very inspiring to watch other riders 20 years my senior. 3) This is not only a great fundraiser to fight cancer, it goes to extra lengths to honor lost we've lost and those who are still fighting. 4) The guest speakers not only educate you on cycling but touch your spirit with humor and emotion from their cycling and life experiences.

Mesquite Madness - March 21

For most, this will be the first organized ride of the year.  With three distances to choose from, everyone should be able to find their comfort zone.  The temperatures in Mesquite are comfortable for early spring riding.  We love doing SpinGeeks' rides.  They are experts in organization and support.

Spring Tour de St. George - April 11
This is one of our favorite rides of the season.  2015 marks our fifth consecutive year.  We love being in St. George this time of year when everything is pretty much in full bloom and the intense heat hasn't hit.  The ride always provides a variety of scenery; reservoirs, red rock cliffs, desert flora and fauna. Another well-supported ride by SpinGeeks.

The Salt Lake City Bike Tour - April 18

 A friend talked Phil into doing this ride last year.  Even though it's only 26.2 miles, it's a ride he highly recommends because you get to ride the streets of Salt Lake City, which are all blocked off for the Salt Lake City Marathon.  When was the last time you were able to ride downtown SLC and not battle car traffic?  Bonus - this was Phil's favorite participation medal and shirt from last year!

Front Runner Century (metric) - April 25
This will be our first year for this one.  We are so excited!  We'll be riding from Salt Lake City to Ogden on a well organized and supported route and then catching Front Runner back to our cars!  If this is something you haven't done, come join us for our maiden voyage!

Goldilocks - May 9

Another first for me!  I love the idea of a women only ride and this one is close to home.  I've heard great things about it over the years and am really looking forward to getting some fun, adventurous girlfriends and doing this together!  It has filled up in previous years so the time to register is now!  For anyone who's thought about riding an organized ride but felt intimidated, the 30 mile course is for you!  Do it!

Ride the Gap - June 6
We've done this ride the past two years.  This is one of SpinGeeks' newer road bike races/rides.  It starts in Parowan which is great in June, avoiding the summer heat of St. George.  The first 30 miles of this course extremely fast.  Most of it is a false flat trending down.  The average cyclist will see beautiful parts of Utah they've never experienced before.

Antelope by Moonlight - July 3

I've lost track of how many years we've been doing this.  It's a night ride, in fact it's always held on the weekend closest to the full moon.  We always go with a large group and meet at the Syracuse Pizza Factory for dinner then caravan out to the Island so we can keep track of each other.  The Antelope ride is laid back and so much fun to see all of the theme costumes and creative lighting.  You'll always see a few people pulling baby trailers and even children riding the 24 mile round trip.  This is a great family event because the roads are closed to traffic and the pace is generally more relaxed especially if you hang a bit towards the back of the starting pack.

Desperado Dual - July 18
Last year was our first year for this ride out of Panguitch.  The sights were breathtaking; ever changing from desert to mountains to hoodoos, to forests and rivers; through small towns and more.  This year instead of laughing as I passed a dirt cemetery with with a garbage can full of shovels by the entrance, I plan to stop and take a picture.  Distances include 50, 109, 150 and 218 miles, all well supported by The SpinGeeks!

Moab Century Tour - September 19
I've wanted to do this race for the last few years but it's conflicted with S to S; so we are looking forward to finally getting to experience so much of the world famous Moab area all in one day! If you're a cyclist who also happens to have little exposure to the unsurpassed beauty of Moab, please come join us.  I can guarantee you will pat yourself on the back for it!

Salt to Saint Relay - September 25-26
425 mile relay from Salt Lake City to Saint George!!  RIU looks forward to this all year.  This will be our fourth consecutive year having an 8-man team with Salt to Saint.  This race is full of team spirit, laughter, challenges, sleep deprivation, friendship and pushing your limits.  If you've ever considered doing a cycling relay, this is it!!!

Fall Tour de St. George -October 24

Probably my favorite time to be in Southern Utah; St. George's heat has given way to comfortable Autumn warmth and a feast of colors and spectacular lighting. This is a soul-refueling ride! Another great road race by SpinGeeks.