WHAT IS YOUR SKILL LEVEL? | MOAB MTB SAFETY TIPS | VACATIONS AND DAY RIDES
BIKES BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR MOAB | MOAB'S FIRST BIKE SKILLS CAMP PROVIDER
HOW TO GET TO MOAB | FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY | MOAB GUIDEBOOK
Watch this video. This turd has been polished to a soft sheen.
We don't live in the place the video describes and frankly, it doesn't exist. The place we live is more beautiful than the mini-copter shots on this plastic promo video, a perfect sample of the dishonesty of local tourist agencies. We prefer the REAL Moab! The video, when describing Moab, the town, is so far off the mark that it is quite hilarious. Not only does the video demonstrate amazing arrogance in the face of powerful natural forces (nature out here IS majestic and awe-inspiring), it paints Moab, a former outlaw mining town with the highest domestic violence in a state with the highest domestic violence in the country, as a resort town on a par with Telluride and Vail, two of the saddest, raped and sterile towns imaginable. The shot of the gazebo with the musicians makes a longterm local laugh so hard he must sit down. Plastic people walk the earth, and they come to Moab and are shocked! Watch the video. Laugh, if you have been here long enough to love this stupid town, but, if you have never been here before, know that Moab is not Taos or Aspen. This place is still weird, still funky and still dangerous in ways you cannot foresee. You won't see the hundreds of old trailers in the video, or the raw rusty folk art, dirty restaurant kitchens, overpriced funky motels or the alcoholics roaming through the wetlands. Moab is a tourist trap in a mine field. Someday Moab may be another Santa Fe or Sedona, or any one of those over-ripe, sterile, false attractions full of walking zombies in expensive clothes driving around in German cars or black Hummers, brainless new agers and phony snot-nosed pseudo environmentalists. But right now, Moab has grit and we LIKE IT THAT WAY! For us the truth in all its dirty glory is much more beautiful than the lie with the died-red cherry on top. We actually live in Moab, an interesting and unique town where diverse inhabitants are hidden on the side streets in trailer parks with washing machines, farm implements and old cars in the yard. All our good bars smell bad and many of our restaurants are downright dangerous. We love this place, but, most importantly, we know and understand it. We can keep you out of the mine field.
Our home town of Moab, Utah is ringed by majestic sandstone cliffs. Beyond our valley are an amazing number of challenging, solitary, and scenic mountain bike rides many hold as the absolute cream of the sport. Our methods are designed to maximize thrills and safety and minimize impact. Our open groups are never more than five riders including guide(s). We do not mix skills within a group, unless you reserve a private ride series or your trip is reserved at the skill level of the least skilled in your group. Each series of rides begins with instruction in riding techniques unique to Canyonlands' rocky high desert environment. Very small groups guarantee a suitable pace on a suitable trail, more flexibility, personal service, solitude, low environmental impact, the best interpretive guiding you will find in this area, and nearly unlimited trail choices.
MOAB MOUNTAIN BIKE VACATION GIFT CERTIFICATES
Moab done right:
Help with logistics
When you reserve a Dreamride vacation, we help with travel info and logistics before and during your stay. We share our secrets with you to thrill, and save you money and grief. If you are driving in from a other states, we will turn you on to special treats along the way.
Equipment
We are well known for the bikes we build. Our rentals are designed and handbuilt in Moab for Moab. We are authorized dealers of Moots, Pegoretti, Ventana, Land Shark, Pinarello, Merckx and Lynskey bicycles and carry our own line of Dreamride bikes inspired by Moab's rough terrain. CUSTOM BUILT BIKES and DREAMRIDE RENTALS, necessities and accessories are available in our small SHOP, open only to vacation guests or by appointment.
Guiding and Services
Real attention is paid to the skills and fitness of each and every client. Trails are tuned to the skill level of the first party to reserve dates. Comfortable roomy transport to and from the trail, tech support and skills tips are provided by very experienced and mature guides. Careful ride planning that builds and flexes with difficulty over the series allows quality rest to eliminate stress and to invigorate. Daily rides last from four to eight hours, chosen for your interests and skills. GUIDING AND SERVICE UPGRADES are available to private parties. Click on GUIDES for brief backgrounds of our staff.
Lodgings
Dreamride's accommodations have been chosen for best location, most comfort, cleanliness, a level of luxury and distinct charm.
*SAFETY contains comprehensive and highly recommended information on desert survival and mountain bike etiquette.
*BIKE SKILLS takes you to tips on riding slickrock and sand, technical information on mountain bike designs and environmental concerns relating to mountain biking in Moab, Utah.
"I have learned that there are 3 things of essence in order to
achieve a dream ride:
For a special space to enjoy the after-ride glow ELITE LEVEL SERVICE UPGRADES are available for Moab packages. Supervised and/or guided by company owners, Lee and Miki Bridgers, elite upgrades offer a more luxury where it counts, a wider selection of trails and shuttle options, more challenge and a lot more personal attention.
Service upgrades carry the option for full moon rides or all day epics, private skills clinics, hiking/canyoneering, mountain singletrack, clear waterfall swims, road riding, or extended forays to outstanding slickrock freeride areas. This is the way to gain access to untra-high-end Elite-only rentals, an expanded range up to 60 miles from Moab, a Toyota Sequoia shuttle vehicle, after ride hospitality in our home-style hangout, and options such as DVD rentals and photography services. Sit down with us for a beer. For more information click on the Elite banner.
"Thank you for a great time in Moab! Wendy and I
were nervous that we could go out and ride together with
enough stuff to keep me happy technically and keep her from suffering.
You were able to keep both of us very happy and overwhelmingly satisfied
with our Dreamride vacation." ~ Gordon Stevens and Wendy Howard
A dream trail
A dream guide
A dream bike
Thanks for providing the 3 elements in a superior way. Wendi and I
were delighted with our dream vacation." ~Javier Perez, executive head of MasterCard Europe
MTB SALES | BIOGRAPHY | TESTIMONIALS | RESERVATIONS | FILM SERVICES
MOAB NEWS & WEATHER | STORIES | SAFETY INFO | MOUNTAIN BIKE SKILLS INFO
Sample the Trails
Click on MOAB TRAILS for a list of mountain bike rides arranged by skill level. This sample is here to give you an idea of the type of riding suitable for a rider's skills category. Our trail selection as of 2009 has greatly expanded, so remember, this is only a sample to help with understanding our skill level ratings. There are well over one hundred routes in the Moab area alone, some exclusive to Dreamride, and there are many more outside the immediate Moab area that can be accessed with a ELITE SERVICE UPGRADE and remote lodgings for a night during your stay. Vacation ride series are skills-specific and flexible. Routes are decided upon daily based on the skills and interests of each group, safety issues, weather concerns and human contact.
NOTE: Skills and environmental awareness evaluation guarantees more safety, enjoyment and continued access to the special areas we utilize. You will be provided with a questionnaire to assist with skills placement before you arrive. The first ride in any series is an environmental awareness and skills evaluation that helps decide trails as the series progresses. There is information in the TRAILS SECTION to help with evaluation of skills before booking. Our SKILLS INDEX will further assist with understanding environmental and skills concerns unique to mountain biking in Moab.
Clients who book a private "Elite" package can mix mountain biking with other sports such as road cycling and HIKING/CANYONEERING/SWIMMING. Private parties can request a focus on spectacular rock formations, archeological sites, dinosaur hunts and/or photography. In the heat of summer Elite clients are invited to join us for clear water canyon swim with mellow cliff diving and a natural jacuzzi. During clear weather for one week each month, depending on the phase of the moon, from April through September, NIGHT RIDES can be part of any private Elite package.
During Moab's off-season, from roughly December 15h thru February 15th, mountain bike and custom bike/hike/ski packages feature cut rates on the best lodgings in town.
Dreamride's low key shop, office and staging home is open by appointment only to guarantee personal attention during your time with us. We are located at 124 West 200 South, two doors down from the Gonzo Inn. The Mill Creek Parkway passes just behind our shop and the Bullock Creek Singletrack trailhead is just out our door. Our location offers easy access to downtown restaurants and shops while maintaining a quiet, restful, atmosphere away from traffic. Our guide quarters are available for free to folks who buy a DREAMRIDE-BUILT MOOTS BIKE.
Click on MOAB NEWS AND WEATHER for forecasts and seasonal statistics on Moab's local climate, as well as company developments, environmental news and Moab events.
Dreamride's mountain bike skills clinics have been featured in Max, Sunset and Australian Way Magazines, as well as ABC's Good Morning America.
"Had a super time in Moab. You folks are the greatest! You show great consideration for the environment and your guests, both on the trail and off. The scenery, the ride, the geology, botany and paleontology lessons were awesome and will be remembered for the rest of my life." ~ C. Wayne Terry, Ontario, Canada
"There are trail guides; and then there's the real deal." ~ Bike Magazine
"This Moab guide is setting a new standard for guidebooks. Lee Bridgers' first-hand accounts give the reader a sense that they have some behind-the-scenes information about Moab." ~ Brian Fiske, Senior Editor of Mountain Bike Magazine
Get a signed copy for $25 including shipping and handling call 1-888-MOABUTAH.
If you are interested in understanding the damage that huge race events inflict on the environment, click on MOAB AND 24 HOUR RACE EVENTS.
Necessities of survival and all tools of joy are made possible by the planet we ride, so all true thanks to Mother Earth and the Great Mystery. Best trails in the West thanks to whomever or whatever combined to create them. Much gratitude to those who care for them. For the ability to offer these great trails commercially we thank the Utah State Educational Trust and Sovereign Lands offices, United States Bureau of Land Management, National Forest Service, the Navajo Nation, and chosen private land holders in Utah, Colorado, Arizona and Hawaii.
Dreamride LLC
Choose a Tour Package
Select your mountain bike tour package from our VACATION CATALOG. For a list of pre-scheduled open packages for upcoming months, click on SCHEDULES. Most of our packages are reserved for private parties and anyone can start up a group ride, so do not be discouraged if you cannot find the dates at the skill level you want. Dreamride's Moab three to five day packages can come with suitable accommodations at several levels of luxury. For experienced and fit riders, any package can be booked with an ELITE SERVICE UPGRADE, allowing longer rides and other cycling activities like night riding. If you want to expand or modify your package as private party, you may request additional days of lodgings, rest days, etc. Call or email for information on combination trips based from Moab, traveling into Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico.
Only Dreamride offers vacations dedicated to MOAB SLICKROCK. Jaded bikers will love the MOAB ULTIMATE for five days on every imaginable slickrock surface, featuring custom routes through exotic sandstone formations in the Moab area. Dreamride was the original commercial outfitter to offer day ride series, utilizing the best trails anywhere. We maintain access to all legal roads and trails in Southeastern Utah and feature slickrock areas we alone are permitted for.
Choose a Bike
Dreamride offers a notoriously dreamy upscale RENTAL FLEET and CUSTOM DREAMBIKE SERVICE whereby you can order a handbuilt Ventana, Moots, Pegoretti, Land Shark, Pinarello, Merckz, or Dreamride brand bicycle prior to, during or after your visit. We are distributors of Magura, Marzocchi and FSA components. We carry a range of colors and models of Chris King hubs and headests, a scattered selection of necessary clothing, armor and packs. Go to DREAMBIKE.COM for custom Dreamride Edition bikes.
Join a Skills Camp
Dreamride's legendary SKILLS CLINICS have been featured on ABC's Good Morning America, and in Sunset Magazine, Mountain Bike Action and many other sports magazines world wide. We were the first Moab bike company to offer them and we are still the very best. We have our own skills course on-site and utilize select trails nearby as training progresses. We can custom schedule a one to three day clinic as part of your private package.
Get Yourself and Your Bike to Moab
Click on MOAB TRAVEL LOGISTICS for information and helpful advise on how to get to and from Moab with your equipment.
Take Some Pictures
Dreamride is a MOUNTAIN BIKE FILM and ACTION PHOTO service, specializing in stunts, locations, and pictures of your vacation. Lee Bridgers has worked as stunt coordinator and location manager for many photo, film and video projects from magazines to Hollywood productions to independent features.
Dreamride provided locations, stunt doubles, and production co-ordination for the Moab mountain bike segment of the IMAX movie, Everest and is environmental adviser to National Geographic, Mountain Bike Action and many other publications and production companies.
Get the 2nd Edition of Lee Bridgers' Moab Guide
This book was written with our guests in mind. A signed copy of MOUNTAIN BIKING MOAB comes free with all Elite Level packages. Purchase one prior to any vacation in Moab and use its environmental, safety and local history information to enrich your experience.
From outside of the United States, call 435-259-6419.
P.O. Box 1137
Moab, UT 84532
For email contact information click on:
CURRENT DREAMRIDE EMAIL ADDRESS
It's a place, not a race.
Moab, Utah is a very special place. We live in a long valley below tall solid rock canyon rims. The Colorado River crosses our valley, cutting through the massive sandstone walls like a knife. Above and beyond are expanses of solid rock and countless canyons. Certainly Moab is the most famous desination for mountain biking around the world, but mountain biking is a small part of the human story of this town and the unique lands that surround it. Moab is much deeper than mountain biking and Dreamride is much deeper than mountain bike touring. We ride the best that Moab has to offer, but we also cherish it.
How Moab got its name.
When the original Mormon invaders entered this Valley a Ute Indian was asked what the place was called. Since these white guys had parked their wagons in the wetlands, it is safe to say that this Ute was trying to be helpful when he answered, "moapa," which literally means "mosquito water." The intruders, being obsessive religious Book-of-Mormon-Bible-thumpers on a mission from God to gain allies in a war against the United States, not only ignored the warning and built a fort on the spot, they went Biblical, twisting the word moapa into "Moab" and offering it as proof that the Ute were decendants of the Lamanites, a tribe of Israel whose skin was darkened by God for their abominable religious practices and unsanctioned fornications. The Mormons had found their long lost brethren, the sons and daughters of Moab, after all these years. Moab, if you remember from Bible Study, was the insane, murderous son of drunken gay-hater Lot of Sodom and his hot young daughter. Mosquitos and incest. Perfect!
Ride hard. Rest easy.
Exercise respect for Mother Nature.
It's what we do.
We've perfected the art of Moab day rides series with environmental methods and education, very small groups with matched skills and interests, and trails selected for appropriate challenge, pacing, logistics and impact. Our high-end rental bikes are custom-built right here in Moab for the job at hand. And, we know you need luxury where it counts, so we are located right next to the finest lodgings in town.
Butch Cassidy slept here.
Moab wears a bandana over its nose. Butch Cassidy used to hide out here, living comfortably with families he supported by having the fastest horses in the west. His partner, the man who made Butch famous through his courage and daring, Harvey Logan, alias Kid Curry, avenged the death of his mentor, Flat Nose George Curry, just thirty miles north of town. Bill McCarty's Blue Mountain Gang were the first outlaws in Utah territories, hiding out just thirty miles south. Cyd Swasey escaped a posse just west of here by jumping over 20 feet across a 300 foot drop into a slot canyon. Moab was a rough town. As the "law" moved in, the riff raff and gun fighters were run out, usually ending up in nearby Cisco. Now a ghost town, Cisco was the roughest, sleaziest, most dangerous place in the west for quite some time. We can actually put you in a hotel that was originally a brothel removed from its foundation and floated down the Colorado river from Cisco. This hotel now sits about 75 yards our shop. We can take you to old log hideouts and legendary lookouts. We love western history and share it freely. Lee Bridgers, Dreamride owner, specializes in Indian culture, western history and movie making. Elite clients can check out books from our library and rent our collection of movies on DVD.
It's like a good restaurant:
If you see the owners in the kitchen, you are in for a good meal.
There are massive tour operations lining Moab's Main Street willing to take anyone with a pulse out into the desert by any means necessary. These tourist-trappers are for inexperienced families and budget hounds, or those who simply don't plan their vacations, "who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing." "MacTours" charges your card at the window, puts you in a bus with the transient guide-without-a-clue, and sends you with a group of up to thirty on a well-worn, crowded trail that happens to be a dirt road. Some sell "classic mountain bike camping trips" like the Kokopelli and White Rim Trails, so they can put you on a safe and easy dirt road with an underpaid guide and cook. They have you captive for days on end, and charge you for everything. Among the Lokota there are people called "contraries," teachers who defy expectations and convention through unexpected deeds, actions and words. We don't know what you expect, but if it is a cookie-cutter, camping trip or a singles-club approach to mountain biking, then Dreamride is something completely different. We are mountain bikers. Our guides actually live here and are over 40. While others put you in a tent, we put you in a very nice Inn nearby our shop and shuttle you out each and every day to the VERY BEST TRAILS, not a single trail with a famous name that is simply a packed dirt or gravel road.
The Moab Entrada Slickrock Tongue
In the canyon country surrounding Moab are a variety of exposed geological layers and erosion effects that profound and vast. Our favorite unique-to-Moab formation is the Moab Entrada Slickrock Tongue, a massive, cracked and eroded sandstone slab extending for well over fifty miles. Created by the layering of sea sediments and all forms of erosion over millions of years, it offers a wide variety of surfaces on which to surf a bike, and see forever. Understanding ecosystems that inhabit this rock surface help us ride much of this formation without leaving a trace of our passing. We will teach you how to dance on the rock, not simply roll over it. There is life everywhere. We show you how to show respect for fragile organisms that make up the sea of life on the rock.
If you haven't noticed,
Dreamride is different.
"Screw the money. Let's just do it right." Because our business is a passion, a lifestyle, the only bling bling we own are ghost beads and nice bikes. We could be fatter. We could have an RV or a boat or a vacation home in Europe. We could be sitting on Maui while others do our job, but we sacrificed the chance to have movie star teeth and ivy league educations for our kids to run the best mountain bike tour company on Earth. Dreamride remains a mom and pop business specializing in mountain bike environmental education and personal cycling vacation services for individuals, couples and the smallest of groups. Our guides wouldn't work for another tour company because our methods guarantee smiles and safety. Our guides tell us that they work for us because of you! We attract a certain spirit and it shows.
