The Moab Century Tour is just two short months away, and our team and staff are gearing up for another amazing event! As we let you know earlier this year, due to UDOT construction on the La Sal Loop road, we are unable to offer the La Sal Loop route on day two of our Moab Century Tour in 2024. While this was a hiccup, in the end it worked our great because our seasoned staff was able to put together a new and exciting route - The Bull Canyon Overlook Route - and we can’t wait to share it with you!

A Local Gem

We know information and first-hand experience are everything! That’s part of what has always made the Skinny Tire Events so great, a grassroots organization run by cyclists first, and business owners second! STE founder, Mark Griffith, rode this route many times while living in Moab, to beat the heat, beat the crowds, and see some wildly under-publicized (🤫) scenic vistas. So we’ve always known it’s a local gem, but never really had an opportunity to add it to one of our two cycling events, until now.

Skinny Tire Events Director, Austin Sellers, was pumped to finally click in and head out on the route earlier last month. While on the route he kept detailed notes, took lots of photos, enjoyed the climb(s), and was shocked at how awesome the views at the top truly are.

From Our Tires to Your Inbox

View from standing atop Bull Canyon Overlook — *Photo snapped standing atop the Bull Canyon Overlook. Looking out over Bull Canyon & Fisher Mesa.*

Below will be some detailed accounts from Austin’s ride, but here is the boilerplate if you’re the skimming type:

Cycling upriver offers such unique and different views than down.
Riding through Castle Valley has more climb than meets the route eye.
This route is quiet, with few cars passing.
The final climb is a true challenge.
The scenery both at the top, and cruising down, are top notch.

A Fresh Perspective

*Cyclist heads east on the bike path, along the Colorado River and Highway 128.*

If you’re a Skinny Tire Events and Moab Century Tour vet, you may be familiar with our traditional fall route, the La Sal Loop Road Route. This route headed south through Moab, along Spanish Valley Drive, climbed up into the La Sal Mountains, down through Castle Valley, and then along the famed Highway 128, or locally known as “River Road.”

For this year’s Bull Canyon Overlook Route, a portion of that will be the same, but in reverse. This means we will leave our event host - The Aarchway Inn and head towards the Colorado River, cycling upriver on the paved bike path, cycling into the Canyon. You’ll bike along the Colorado River, riverside campgrounds, popular trailheads, the popular Red Cliffs Lodge and tons of red rock formations, before turning right and heading towards the town of Castle Valley.

Because we ride up through Castle Valley, and not down as done in previous years, you will feel that false flat begin just as you pass Parriott Mesa on your left. This will be around mile 17.

We ride another 8.5 miles which again, will feel familiar to those who attended Moab Century Tour in the past, but from the opposite direction. More of that slow and steady climb. However! Instead of turning onto La Sal Loop Road, we will stay straight and continue climbing further west into the Manti-LaSal National Forest.

New Terrain, Dino-Mite Findings

*Photo Austin took of a dinosaur track.*

After pedaling 26.6 miles we head further up Castleton Road, where the real climb begins. There is a cattle guard on this section that cyclists will need to be aware of (*We plan to communicate in more detail with registered cyclists as the event gets closer.), but other than that the road is in pretty decent condition, and even less vehicle traffic to contend with once we’ve passed La Sal Loop Road.

This last section to the top of the route has low-lying brush on either side of the road, which means limited spots of shade. Cyclists will want to make sure they are fueled and hydrated heading up to the top.

At the top of the route is where all that hard work pays off! We will have an immensely well-stocked aid station at the peak of the climb as well as some much-earned shade. In addition, you’ll be able to explore the Therapod Dinosaur tracks, date back to the Jurassic period about 200 million years ago when the area was a shallow sea. 200! It’s a short gravel-pathed walk to the tracks, very doable with your cycling shoes.

You can learn more about the Theropod here, or we recommend a stop-in at Moab Giants before or after the event to further your knowledge on these amazing creatures.

Views For Days

Once you’ve refueled, checked out the informational dinosaur kiosk and soaked in the Fisher Mesa views, its time to get back on the saddle and head back to town where a hot lunch, music, cold drinks and a festival like atmosphere await!

Fear not, though, this out-and-back route isn’t like most routes, where the ride back to town is repetitive and dull. What you DIDN’T SEE while working on those long climbs and controlling your breath, was some epic scenery. Both from the top of the route, and as you approach back down to Castle Valley, you will see some amazing geological marvels! Below are some of Austin’s favorite photos from the route.

We hope you enjoyed this electronic preview of our new route for the Moab Century Tour, Bull Canyon Overlook! Of course, we hope to have some amazing merch to match the essence of our new route as well. Stay Tuned!

You can learn more about this two-day September event by clicking here.