Five Reasons I Chose Mad Dog Cycles and Trek for My New Bike

Orem Location

When I made the decision that it was time to get a new bike, I was shopping online then it hit me, I should just start with Mad Dog Cycles.  They have always been helpful and friendly with minor upgrades, repairs and accessories that my wife and I have needed on our bikes.  It didn't take long after going into Mad Dog Cycles before I knew I was in the right bike shop.  We talked options, price, warranties and the latest technology.  This was only about ten days before the Fall Tour de St. George.  The employees at Mad Dog Cycles explained their demo bike program to me; for a fee, I could take one of their bicycles for the weekend to ride in the Fall Tour and have a portion of that fee go towards the purchase price if I bought a bike.  So I road the Trek Domane 4 Series in St. George and loved it!  This is the bike I'm going to get.  There are five main points that sold me on Mad Dog Cycles and Trek bikes.

1. Mad Dog Cycles' excellent service and knowledgeable staff.
2. The Trek Care Plus contract (3 years) - extended component warranty, wear and tear coverage on anything that's not rubber, accidental damage coverage and MDC basic tune-up.
3. Mad Dog Cycles offers a Pro-Fit service where a specialist spends approximately 3 hours with you measuring, inseam, shoulder width, torso length (just to name a few) to insure a perfect fit.  If you're like me you have probably given very little, if any, thought to how wide your handle bars should be, what arm length your crank-set should be or the height of your stem; however these are just a few of the very important adjustments that can be made to optimize your overall comfort and performance while cycling.
4. The vibration control technology Trek is building into their bikes is something you need to see and then experience.  On my 80 mile ride in St. George, I was impressed with the smoothness of the ride.  Rough roads and small pot-holes were absorbed by the bike and not by me as the rider.  I could try to explain that technology here, but I won't.  Don't take my word for it, go in and take one for a ride and experience it for yourself.
5. Trek's Project One allows you to build your own bike online.  You choose the frame, its custom paint job, drive train, wheels, tires, stem, headset, handle bars, bar tape, saddle, bottle cages and computer.  With most of your options you are able to select both the quality and color that fit your budget and style.

I can hardly wait until my new Trek Domane arrives!

Memorial Weekend at Bear Lake

If you're planning a trip to Bear Lake, the first phone call ought to be to Bear Lake Lodging.  Whether you're a party of two or a group of 30+; they have the perfect accommodations.  They put us up in the Burgon Cabin with 6 bedrooms, 2 family rooms and 3 bathrooms on 3 levels with breathtaking view in all directions.  Our 6-year old grandson put it best when he excitedly said to his buddies out on a hike "guys, you gotta get used to this view - it's spe-tacular!"

Another great resource is Melinda at Bear Lake Valley CVB.  She is a great resource for pretty much everything Bear Lake has to offer, from special events, to lodging, to activities to places to eat, etc. etc.

The Yazzie Family-Burgon Cabin-upper balcony

Alyssa basking in the amazing view and sunshine!
It's easy to see why Bear Lake is commonly called "The Caribbean of the Rockies".

View from the front door.  This was a wonderful place to spend time discussing the latest adventures with a kitchen, dining area and family room big enough for all 29 of us.

 After spending time in an RZR last weekend in Moab, I was really looking forward to the contrast of the sand and slickrock to the forest of the mountains surrounding Bear Lake.

RZR 800 we rented from Bear Lake Fun.  They are a great place to rent all kinds of water toys as well as  all types of 4-wheelers - right in Garden City.  Bear Lake is 20 miles long and 8 miles wide with 48 miles of shoreline so they have 3 other locations around the lake.  Two other families in our group also rented from them and were impressed with their customer service.

Four very dusty, dirty but pleased friends after several hours of jeeping and 4 wheeling.
(There's that gorgeous lake again!)

In all of our trips to Bear Lake, we had never made time to visit the famous Minnetonka Cave. In fact, it was thanks to the suggestion of Melinda with Bear Lake Travel Council, that we visited there. The above picture is the walkway to the entrance of the cave; very cool, especially for the kids and much less work to get to than Timpanogos Cave.

The majority of us had never seen Minnetonka Cave before so we really had a great time.

Monday morning before we left, several of us biked the perimeter of the Bear Lake - 50 miles.  This gave us some different perspectives of the lake.  Can I just say WOW!!

Thanks to some of our wonderful friends for sharing a fun, exciting, memorable weekend with us at Bear Lake!!

Skinny Tire Events, High Point Hummer and Aarchway Inn combine for an adventure-filled Moab weekend.

Moonshadows Ride - Skinny Tire Events

Moonshadows bike ride - Open Air Cafe at Dead Horse Point State Park - May 18, 2013
We've become big fans of The Skinny Tire Events.  The two we have attended were very well orchestrated with incredibly friendly staff and indescribable views.

Anna & Roy at one of the overlooks from Dead Horse Point.  (Moonshadows Bike Ride) 

Sunset over Dead Horse Point State Park with Canyonlands National Park on the distant horizon.
(Moonshadows Bike Ride)

High Point Hummer

High Point Hummer proved to be the perfect place to rent our RZR 900 from.  They provided us with a detailed map allowing us to find all of these stunning vistas as well as many more - too many to post.  May 19, 2013

Roy and Anna at the far end of Tusher Tunnel - short hike just off the trail.  May 19, 2013

Delicate Arch - Arches National Park

Phil overlooking the famous Delicate Arch at sunset. - May 19, 2013

Turret Arch, Windows Section, Arches National Park.   Just after sundown May 19, 2013

Aarchway Inn.  Late night BBQ in the courtyard.  They were so friendly and accommodating; providing us with everything (except the food!) we needed to finally get a good meal after a very busy, exciting day.  They are a great place to stay, especially when you participate in a Skinny Tire Event.  Aarchway Inn is the hub of the ride's activities and events.

Back to High Point Hummer for Canyoneering

165 foot rappel - Kane Springs.  Check out Anna starting to descend from the top!

Above:  The position we amateurs take.
Below:  The position our High Point Hummer professional guides take.

Our canyoneering group - Phil, Ronelle, Anna, Nick (guide), Roy and Andy (guide).  Thanks to Skinny Tire Events, High Point Hummer and Aarchway Inn for an awe-inspiring weekend that pushed us to new limits -physically and mentally.

Presidents' Weekend Get-away - 2013

Kodachrome Basin State Park on Friday was almost entirely snowless with a gorgeous clear blue sky.  It was so fun scrambling around with our good friend Anna and her 9 year-old son.  I'd forgotten what a great place this is for families.  

Kodachrome Basin State Park - Ronelle and Phil

Kodachrome - notice the famous "pipes"

Bryce Canyon on Saturday; we'd planned to snowshoe but decided we could hike it.  There were places snowshoes would have been good but mostly they would have been in the way - it was 4 hours and 5.5 miles of red rock hoodoos, archways, narrow paths (no path in many places) in snow and ice surrounded by the most breathtaking blue skies you've ever laid eyes on. 

Bryce Canyon - Brooke and Jayson

Bryce Canyon-almost to the Peekaboo loop

Randy - literally in snow up to his knees

Yours truly sliding from an upper path to a lower one-
no, I'm not carrying a purse; its a bag of snowshoes.

Heading up Navajo Loop trail to the rim trail

Bryce Canyon - Navajo Loop - headed up to the rim trail.
 Little did we know we still had a looong way to go!

Bryce Canyon - look close . . .
Randy had switched to shorts!

Looking back down at the switchbacks coming
up from Navajo Loop - Bryce Canyon

On to St. George for 50-60 degree bike riding!  Can I just say biking in Winter, Spring and Fall in Southern Utah feeds my soul!!

Anna, Ben, Kim, Brooke, Jayson, Todd, Ronelle, Phil
Entrance to Tuacahn Amphitheatre

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2013 Road Bike Rides We Recommend

#1 - March 9-12 - Skinny Tire Festival - Moab, Utah - will be our first time at this event.  We are really looking forward to it.  Hope to see everyone there!!  If you haven't already, you need to reserve your lodging very very soon (today).  I'm especially looking forward to the yoga classes being offered the morning after the ride - designed specifically for cyclists.

#2 - April 20 - Spring Tour de St. George - St. George, Utah - Our 3rd year at this one.  Absolutely wonderful!!  The views will blow you away.  The terrain is so varied, the ride so well supported - this is a ride for all levels and ages.

#3 - May 18 - MoonShadows - Moab, Utah - Ride starts on the north end of Moab at 5pm; goes to Deadhorse Point where dinner is provided as the sun sets over Canyonlands National Park.  After dinner, the bike lights come on and we ride by moonlight back to Moab!

Antelope Island by Moonlight 2012 - KarinMarie and
Brayden about to start.

#4 - June 1 - Ride The Gap - Parowan, Utah - Another ride sponsored by Spin Geeks; the flattest ride in their series and great for first time riders.

#5 - July 19 - Antelope Island by Moonlight - Great Salt Lake, Utah  - This popular ride will celebrate its 20th year this summer.  Always held on a midsummer Friday night with a full moon, Antelope Island by Moonlight is a WONDERFUL event for the whole family.  Road is closed to cars and bikes must be fully lit with tail and headlights.

#6 - July 20 - Desperado Dual - Panguitch, Utah - This is Utah’s only fully supported one-day, 200-mile cycling adventure.  There are also 50 and 100 mile options.  I always thought these Jerseys are the coolest of any race.

Finished!  Fall Tour de St. George 2012 - Phil and Ronelle

#7 - Sept. 20-21 - Salt to Saint - Starts at Utah's State Capitol and ends in St. George.  This race can be set up with relay teams of 8 or 4 or even just the brave solo rider.  Don't be intimidated by the distance, this is a great ride for cyclists of all abilities.  An eight man team averages 3 legs totaling about 50 miles a person.  We've done it the past two years and had more fun than you can imagine.

#8 - October 26 - Fall Tour de St. George - St. George, Utah - This is the Fall version of April's race.  The routes are changed and so is the scenery.  Nothing matches the temperatures and colors of Utah's Dixie in October.

Bike Season Is Here!

After months of spin classes, Ronelle and I were ready for some time in the sun on our bikes. We looked to see what rides Spin Geeks had on the horizon and found the Mesquite Madness 83-mile ride on March 24th. Having done other Spin Geeks rides we jumped on this one. This was the first year they have done the Mesquite Madness ride. It proved to be a great addition to their line - making 8 rides/races they sponsor each year.

There are a number of reasons we keep going back to Spin Geeks rides/races.

1. A lot of their rides are in the warm sun of the St. George area when the weather in Utah Co. is; should we say, "less desirable" for biking. Who doesn't like to take a road trip to find some fun in the sun.
2. They do an incredible job in both the organization in the months before the event, as well as the day of. The course is very well marked with both- standing signs on the sides of the road as well as arrows on the road pointing the way. You are given a map with turn by turn directions. Their staff at all the aid stations are all up beat, friendly and extremely helpful. Their website answers most of the riders questions, gives a good description of the event and has registration info.and forms. I love looking at the street map and the elevation map because of how they work together - hold your cursor over the starting point on the elevation map drag it to the right and simultaneously watch the street map.
3. Safety is a top priority with Spin Geeks! They have police blocking intersections as well a escorts to
   start each race.
4. The feed stops are well stocked and well placed a long the course.
5. All of the rides we have done have had a nice meal at the finish line.
6. They have sag wagons all over the course to assist you with anything you might need help with.

The Mesquite Madness was everything we had hoped for in our first long ride of the season. With plenty of sunshine, the temps started out in the mid 60s and climbed into low 80s by the end of the dayIt came as no surprise that thiscourse was challenging physically and mentally, just like the other Spin Geeks rides we have done. They always have plenty of hills to climb to wear down the legs, then they seem to find a way tease you a little with some mind games. The course leads close to the finish line, building up your hope that you are about done, then it takes a turn and you realize you still have miles to go before you find that elusive finish line. This is one of the the biggest reasons I love their rides. My wife and I are looking forward to both the Spring (April 14) and Fall (October 20) Tour de St. George rides.

Of their 8 rides, most are set up to challenge riders of every level, including shorter distances for the newer rider. Go to spingeeks.com to check out their season, find one that will work for you and sign up. You won't be sorry.

We Found the Cure!

Tuacahn Ampitheatre

Each year by the first week of March, my cabin fever is off the charts. The cure, a trip to St. George, Utah to enjoy some of my favorite outdoor activities in the sun.

Snow Canyon State Park (Utah)

This year we chose to road bike and rock climb. We started out on the bikes. It was almost a 30 mile ride from the Courtyard Marriott where we were staying; out to the Tuacahn and then up through Snow Canyon to Highway 18 and back to our hotel. The flowers are up and the trees are starting to blossom. Spring has arrived in Utah's Dixie.

Trevor

This loop is now my favorite short ride in St. George; just enough climbing to get a good workout, with one of the best downhill rewards I have ridden.

We took the bike path that runs along the west side of Highway 18. It has steeper drops than the road does; seven miles of a rollercoaster-style descent with no cars to dodge and no sharp corners; just tuck and go. This was just what my wife and I needed to help prepare us for the 80 mile Mesquite Madness bike ride on March 24th.

Todd

This was my first time climbing up Snow Canyon on my bike. It gave me the opportunity to look around and enjoy its beauty. The red rock and black lava are stunning. This canyon has something for almost anyone who loves the outdoors; sand dunes for the young and the young at heart, a walking/bike path for those looking for a quiet stroll, mountains and slot canyons to conquer for hikers as well as multi-pitch climbs for the ones who like hanging from a rope. I look forward to spending more time in here with my grandkids.

Ronelle

Phil

After our ride we headed to the cliffs on the north side of St. George above the painted "DIXIE" to try our hand at rock climbing. My 16-year old son is avid in this sport, and is hoping to get my wife and I to follow. We found about a 35 foot rock wall that didn't look too challenging, so we pulled out the climbing harness and rope. This proved to be not much of a problem for my son, he went right up like he had been doing it his whole life and not just a couple of years. The same cannot be said for Todd (a friend), my wife and I. We all had a hard time making it to the top, and we would not have made it without a little "hang dogging". This is a term I just learned the meaning of. Its when the one on the the bottom of the rope (the belayer) uses all his weight and strength to pull the climber up when they just can't get any higher without help. The 4 of us all had fun laughing and taking pics.

I'm sure we'll find ourselves wearing climbing gear, staring up at many more rock walls as the weather warms up.