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If you think you’ve ridden a dirtbike in every conceivable terrain, but have never turned a wheel on slickrock, you’re missing a seriously amazing experience. The Slickrock Trail just outside of Moab, Utah is a mecca for mountain bikers from all over the world. But what most folks don’t know about the trail is that it was originally established by dirtbikers. And to this day, remains unrestricted to motorized two-wheeled vehicles, much to the dismay of some of the pedal-pushing enthusiasts. We were here first bros!

The Slickrock Trail is a 12 mile loop composed of mostly petrified sand dunes. Don’t let the term “slick” fool you, the traction is amazing! 99% of the trail is on rock with the consistency of concrete. I was able to negotiate some of the steepest terrain I’ve ever encountered with nary a slip. In fact, unintentional wheelies were commonplace on most climbs. And traditional knobbies have less traction here than something of a more dual-sport nature. But it’s the totally undulating nature of the terrain itself that makes the riding so challenging … and subsequently rewarding.

My favorite ridding buddy and I tackled the Slickrock Trail’s Practice Loop as our first challenge of the day. And by the end of the day, it seemed to us at least as enjoyable as the main trail, so we did it one more time in the reverse direction just to put the icing on the cake. By reversing the direction, it seemed like a completely different trail.

If you get tired of all the rock, the surrounding area also provides miles and miles of more traditional terrain to allow for a complete dirtbike experience. You’ll have to be comfortable with riding in sand also. This used to give me quite a bit of pause in previous years, but The Jimmy Lewis Off-Road Riding School, 

 http://motorcyclebloggers.com/2007/12/11/jimmy-lewis-off-road-riding -schoolreview/

that I took a little over a year ago, boosted my confidence immeasurably in this material. So much so, that I actually looked forward to encountering that slipping, sliding, out-of-control feeling. On one long uphill section of deep sand, I just pinned it, hollerin’ the whole way.

My biggest struggles were the many steep ledges, especially when transitioning from sand to rock or vice versa. Early on during the ride, my buddy tried a little jump from the rocks down into sand and made the mistake of landing the front wheel first, which dug-in and tossed him off. Of course, I also managed to tip-over several times during the day; they were all pride falls, mostly caused by hesitating when the moment called for commitment.

We did encounter a few bicyclists during the course of our day, but all were friendly and willingly stopped and engaged in conversation of their own accord. There didn’t seem to be any animosity, but we also gave them lots of room, kept our throttles in check and when in doubt gave them the right of way.

If you ask me, this is the best time of year to be engaging in this activity. The high temp was in the low 50s with abundant sunshine. I only got a little chilled when the clouds came over a few times, but after several strenuous sections, I’d worked up a good sweat. I can only imagine how uncomfortable it would be in the summer with temps near 100 and virtually no shade.

We camped in a primitive campsite near the trailhead for $10 (this included the trail fee). If you are just coming for the day and prefer to stay in town at a hotel, it’s only $5 (what can you get for that little money these days?) The only requirement on your equipment is that it be properly registered, either as a street vehicle or an off-road vehicle. Oh, and NO four-wheelers!

My friend decided to sample the latest craze in off-road rubber; he tried trials tires on his Husky. They have a lot more tread than traditional off-road tires and provided unbelievable grip on the super-hard slickrock surface. But he even seemed genuinely pleased in the more typical off-road conditions too. I’m thinking I may need a second set of rims and similar rubber if I start frequenting this place (likely).

As you might guess, the surface is quite hard on traditional knobbies (of course, if they are worn near the end of their useful life, they work even better). 

Over the course of the day, we did several other trails: Porcupine Rim, Fins and Things and the intimidatingly monikered Hell’s Revenge. The later possessing breathtaking scenery combined with a broad variety of challenges (my personal favorite). All of these other trails were just as much fun as the Slickrock Trail. 

A word of warning: this area is for expert riders. If you have any doubts about your skills, this is not the place to sharpen them. The unforgiving rock surface doesn’t suffer fools kindly, especially with many cliffs and ledges thrown in for good measure. One bicyclists we passed barely made it 100 yards down the trail before taking a tumble  (cause unknown) and needing help.

But if you’re like me, always looking for something a little different, a loop around the Slickrock Trail will open your eyes to a completely different concept of off-road riding. And the vast trail network in and around Moab will keep me entertained for days or years to come. I’ll be headed back sooner, rather than later.

Rhino