Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #372266 in Books
• Published on: 2003-11-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

From Amazon.com
Moab is a mecca for mountain bikers, who come from around the world to ride its challenging trails. Whether you're a newcomer to the area or a frequent fat-tire flier, Mountain Bike America: Moab is a great addition to your fanny pack. Local cyclist Lee Bridgers blends his passion for mountain biking with his obvious love of Moab, describing 49 rides ranging from easy (Old Moab Highway, Dalton Wells) to "very difficult to abusive" (Porcupine Rim). Each starts with an overview--where to start, how far the ride is, how long you can expect it to take, warnings, environmental concerns, and how to get there--before launching into a detailed description of what you'll experience along the way, be it slick rock, deep sand, dinosaur tracks, or rusted mining equipment. Bridgers is careful to point out places where cyclists should use caution, encouraging less experienced riders to dismount--"if you are pushing a mountain bike, you are still mountain biking. Live to ride tomorrow." Detailed maps will help you plan your days--especially the cross-sections of each ride's ups and downs. Throughout the book, Bridgers emphasizes the need to protect the environment--"as mountain bikers we had better learn to co-exist with nature or else we'll lose the privileges to enjoy it from the saddle"--and offers up stories from his experiences as one of Moab's leading bike tour guides. Special sections on safety (carry more water than you think you'll need), bike selection and repair, Moab-necessary techniques (sand riding, dealing with flies), and area food, lodging, and services make this a useful all-around resource. --Sunny Delaney

From Library Journal
These two guidebooks are part of Globe Pequot's extensive new series on mountain bike trails throughout the United States, all written by local mountain bikers familiar with the turf. Of these two, D'Antonio's Philadelphia is perhaps more representative of the series as a whole, which also includes guides on Boston, Colorado, Washington, New Hampshire/Maine, Indiana, Ohio, Virginia, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, DC/Baltimore. D'Antonio is a knowledgeable guide and a skilled writer who provides the reader with a solid account of the 44 trails from Philadelphia and the surrounding states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and even Maryland. He gives basic specs on how to get to each trail, how long the ride is, how difficult it is, and who else uses the trail. Each description features a narrative overview of the trail, with backgroud information as well as a trail map, an elevation map, milepost-by-milepost directions, and ample black-and-white photographs. In addition, contacts are given for local information, organizations, events, accommodations, and food. The Moab guide includes the same features but takes a more gonzo, extreme tack that probably befits the exhilarating nature of what might be the ultimate challenge in bike trails. Bridgers, owner and operator of Dreamride Mountain Bike Tours in Moab, UT, includes a lot of local color beyond the trails, elaborating on the notable characters, history, and scenery of the canyon-lands area. He also injects more of his life and opinions into the work than the reader may want to know. Nevertheless, the guide as a whole is exceedingly thorough and its subject spectacular. All libraries will want to buy at least the trail guides local to their regions. Larger libraries may want to consider purchasing the entire series.DJohn Maxymuk, Rutgers Univ. Lib., Camden, NJ
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Customer Reviews

Shameless Self Promotion
I just finished a trip to Moab and used this guide in selecting a few mountain bike routes. While I found the route finding and descriptions helpful, i couldn't help feeling Mr. Bridgers real motive for writing the guide book was to scare people into hiring a guide instead. (perhaps even Mr. Bridgers own guide company?).

If I could afford to hire a guide I wouldn't need the book. Mr. Bridgers describes most of the Moab rides as extremely dangerous and requring expert skill level. While I agree the area needs to be ridden with respect, if I had taken his scare tactics seriously I would have backed away from some seriously great rides.

Use this book as a description of routes only and ignore all the garbage narrative.

Not what I thought!
I went looking for the well-known book that got a good review in Mountain Biking Magazine a while back.. it was called Mountain Biking Moab... but it was by David Crowell.. it has (I found it in Moab!) maps and profiles and such in a carry-along format..

This book is a good read.. but buy the other book if you go. It is now called Mountain Biking Moab 2nd Edition Pocket Edition or something like that...

I don't know what's going on with this publisher.. This book that I'm reviewing used to be called something else too.. but it looks like the publishers of the good book (the pocket edition) bought this one too... whatever.. but get the pocket edition if you're riding the trails!

Keep the Rubberside Down!

Even if you have other guidebooks, get this one.
I have gone to Moab a couple times with my hard core mountain bikers friends. They have several guidebooks, but always checked out this one before starting on a ride. It is a little big to tuck into a small camel-back, but is great fun to read. I read the entire thing and tabbed the rides I wanted to do before we left home. This guy is clearly a true mountain biker, not a writer. It was more like he was just talking to you, telling you humorous stories and about his favorite places. Very folksy.