Moab Bike Trip

[misskitty100]

Anyone here ever do a bike trip in the Moab area or something similar? DH is going in October and I am just wondering what we need to do on our end to prepare? He will be renting a bike there so he doesn't have to deal with bringing his on the plane. Besides a Cambelbak, bike shorts/shoes, sunscreen and a helmut what else would he need to take?

Thanks!

[varybarry]

That's pretty much all I took. Some tours recommend trail mix, so that maybe a possibility.

[misskitty100]

Trail mix is a great idea. I know he will bring Cliff bars or something similar too.

What time of year were you there? Was it really hot?

[Robyn1007]

Keep in mind that in October it is going to be cooler at night and early mornings so he'll want to have layers available. If he doesn't normally bike with gloves I would highly recommend them, a fall on those rocks without protection could be nasty.

[misskitty100]

Keep in mind that in October it is going to be cooler at night and early mornings so he'll want to have layers available. If he doesn't normally bike with gloves I would highly recommend them, a fall on those rocks without protection could be nasty.

Good point about the cooler weather. He should plan on that for sure!

I know he has some sort of gloves now but his finger are exposed -- we will look into full coverage gloves.

Thanks!!

[Valerie226]

We passed thru Arches & Canyonlands NP in October 2 years ago. Not far from Moab. It rained and very cold at night. Freezing cold. yes, it snowed and water froze. we were camping so we had cold weather gear but were surprized after the daytime heat. there were late day thunderstorms too. This was early october and it surprised us. I don't know if that's unusual.
Anyway, when we ride we carry small packs. I would pack (in my suitcase, anyway) a rain shell jacket, a polypro or fleece top, a hat that fits under a helmet, half finger gloves and full finger gloves. sunglasses with retainers, small first aid kit with sunscreen, lip balm with sunscreen, bandaids. I recently checked bike rentals in colorado & a helmet was included in the rental charge so he may not need to pack one.
Warm clothes may not be necessary but if there's room in the suitcase I'd take them to avoid last minute expensive shopping expeditions. We're "morning" people and it was frosty in the morning although afternoons warmed up nicely. When he sees what the forecast is he can decide whether packing those extras on the ride is a good idea or not.

[misskitty100]

We passed thru Arches & Canyonlands NP in October 2 years ago. Not far from Moab. It rained and very cold at night. Freezing cold. yes, it snowed and water froze. we were camping so we had cold weather gear but were surprized after the daytime heat. there were late day thunderstorms too. This was early october and it surprised us. I don't know if that's unusual.
Anyway, when we ride we carry small packs. I would pack (in my suitcase, anyway) a rain shell jacket, a polypro or fleece top, a hat that fits under a helmet, half finger gloves and full finger gloves. sunglasses with retainers, small first aid kit with sunscreen, lip balm with sunscreen, bandaids. I recently checked bike rentals in colorado & a helmet was included in the rental charge so he may not need to pack one.
Warm clothes may not be necessary but if there's room in the suitcase I'd take them to avoid last minute expensive shopping expeditions. We're "morning" people and it was frosty in the morning although afternoons warmed up nicely. When he sees what the forecast is he can decide whether packing those extras on the ride is a good idea or not.

Valerie,

This is excellent information. I wouldn't have thought about a first aid kit......

I will have him check on the helmut rental too. Also, where can we find a hat that fits under a helmut? Are there special ones sold for this purpose? DH has a problem with the holes in the helmut and getting sunburned (he doesn't have a lot of hair) even when he uses sunscreen.

[Valerie226]

we're not huge bike riders but I carry an earband, even if I only need it for a half hour, windproof is best, or a stocking or watch cap. they're soft and fit snugly. (my ears get cold) A hiking place like REI ( www.rei.com) would have simple caps. these are maybe $10-12 and I use the same one for hiking or bike riding. REI has a pretty decent bike department. I don't know what men wear to cut down sunburn thru helmets but someone will have thought of something. It's probably a common issue in Moab, cause that's about as dry and sunny as you can get...... except when we were near there and it rained & snowed. If he gets burned in the northwest he will need something in the desert southwest! there are these very thin stretchy fabric bands that you can wear on head and neck called Buff. about $20. they would go under a helmet. they're coolmax material so work well in either hot or cold conditions. I got one at REI and use it as a headband to keep my hair out of my face or as a neck gaiter wrap. men use them too. you can wrap or twist them in lots of ways & they're unisex. I think if you looked up "buff" on the rei website you could see what they are. they don't look like much but they are pretty comfy. I think a bike shop may have all this stuff too but I don't know offhand any bike shop that has an extensive web site.
We don't carry much of a first aid kit but most of our rides are close to civilization. the further out you go the better your kit should be. If this is an organized ride they might have a group leader who carries stuff like that? along with tools/patches for fixing flats etc? we usually have a couple band aids, lip balm( chapstick is fine), advil, sunscreen, and maybe some body glide (antifriction lube material) if you're prone to blisters or irritation. some tissue, a bandana. nothing that extensive.

We carry extra stuff with us so if the weather changes we don't have to quit or drive back to town to shop for what we don't have.