Tour of Southern Utah
August 24-31, 2013
(Limited to 30 riders. 10 riders minimum.*)
*In order to make this Tour happen, we need 10 riders pre-registered 6 weeks in advance. Please don’t wait until the last minute if you want to join us!
Join us for this incredible seven day adventure! We’ll ride 60 to 100 miles per day, from point to point in breathtaking Southern Utah. Starting in St. George, we ride to Carmel Junction (via Zion National Park), Bryce National Park, Escalante, Torrey, Panguitch, Cedar City and back to St. George. Cycling doesn’t get any better than this! Each route is a challenging adventure with awe-inspiring scenery. We’ve got all day – so stop and take some photos! Over 500 miles with about 30,000 feet of climbing! Yes, it sounds hard – but it’s a ton of fun! The goal is NOT to hammer, but to ride socially, taking in the sights and sounds of Color Country!
For a preview of the incredible scenery you’ll enjoy, check out our Utah Tour Blog – with photos from each day!
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Entry fee of $1,199 includes: Seven unforgettable days of cycling, eight nights hotel accommodations (double occupancy, breakfast sometimes included), support vehicle providing snacks and lunch along the route, a roomy gear bag (30 lb. limit) to pack all your stuff in and a great goodie bag. Riders preferring a single room may pay an additional $350. Sign up before June 1st and save $50!
Breakfast and dinner are not included. We know some tours include all meals; but we don’t, and here’s why: Our experience is that after a hard-day’s-ride, most folks have a hankering for something specific to eat and would rather not be stuck with the single option given by the Tour. Some folks eat dinner early, some folks eat late. Some folks skip breakfast altogether. Our method lets you decide. Most tours charge at least $1,000 more than we do, with the only difference being the inclusion of meals. We promise you, you will not spend even half that much buying your own breakfast and dinner.
Registration is now open! Gear bag only available to riders who sign up before July 15th.
Click here for the cancellation policy. Planet Ultra reserves the right to cancel the Tour is the rider minimum of 10 is not met by July 15th.
We have several positions available to work half, ride half and pay half. If you’re interested in this option, please contact the embassy for details.
Is this Tour for You?
This Tour is not a training camp — it’s a vacation for cycling enthusiasts. Many of the routes, while not long in mileage, are fairly strenuous, with long climbs routinely crossing passes over 8,000ft. To enjoy this Tour, your training in the previous six months should include at least a couple of centuries (or doubles), and several 200+ mile training weeks. You should be able to complete a moderately difficult century in under 8 hours, including stops.
Many riders will find that a low gear of 39 x 27 is sufficient on most routes; but a 39 x 29 or 32, or better yet, a triple crank, will be much appreciated on some of the climbs. Please note: What you’d use for a single day event is probably not enough for a week long tour. You will fatigue from the accumulated miles. Also, please bring a good, sturdy set of wheels. Light-weight, fancy wheels are really not appropriate for this type of Tour. If you break one, you’ll wind up in the SAG vehicle all week, as we can’t fix ‘em, and bike shops are non-existent in the latter part of this Tour. Please note, we cannot accept riders with recumbents or trikes, as we simply cannot transport them.
Rider Check-In
We’ll meet in St. George on Saturday evening at the Marriott. Check in will be from 8pm to 9pm. We’ll have a short meeting at 9pm just to go over details and answer any questions. Breakfast starts at 7am. Plan to be ready to ride by 8:30am. Generally speaking, rides start between 8am and 9am, depending on the length and difficulty of the route. On Day Three to Escalante, we’ll start at noon to allow riders to enjoy the bonus miles to Rainbow Point in Bryce Canyon.
Starting Hotel
Fairfield Inn by Marriott, located at 1660 South Convention Center Drive in St. George, off the Bluff Street exit. The Saturday nights both before and after the Tour are included, so no need to make a reservation. If you’re flying to St. George, we have a brand new airport, or Las Vegas International Airport is just 90 minutes south. Shuttle service is available from Las Vegas to St. George with the St. George Shuttle for about $35 one-way or $60 round trip.
Our Vision For The Tour
Our hopes for this Tour is to maintain a club-like, social atmosphere, where we make new friends, ride together, enjoy the scenery and create great memories from an awesome vacation.
Itinerary:
Day One – St. George to Mt. Carmel Junction, via Zion National Park:
About 80 miles with over 5300′ of elevation gain.
In Zion, we’ll take a break and dip our toes into the Virgin River. Anyone wishing to do bonus miles can ride from Mt. Carmel Junction to the Coral Pink Sand Dunes. The extra bit is about 28 miles.
Day Two – Mt. Carmel Junction to Bryce National Park:
About 60 miles with over 3700′ of gain.
In the afternoon we’ll hop on a shuttle bus and go into the park for a hike. There are a ton of hiking options – long or short, easy or hard. All are gorgeous.
Day Three – Bryce National Park to Escalante:
Before we leave for Escalante, we’ll ride into Bryce and climb to Rainbow Point at 9100′. This is 38 miles with about 2,900′ of climbing. Those wanting to sleep in can have a leisurely breakfast before the group gets back together and heads out to Escalante. The ride to Escalante is short – so we’ll leave Bryce just before noon. It’s about 48 miles with 1,800′ of gain.
Day Four – Escalante to Torrey:
About 66 miles with over 6,100′ of gain.
Everyone is encouraged to ride the bonus miles on the incredible Capital Reef Scenic Drive. The extra bit is about 36 miles with 2,500′ of gain.
Day Five – Torrey to Panguitch:
About 106 miles with about 3,400′ of gain. As far as centuries go, it’s fairly flat – with most of the climbing in the first 27 miles. But it can be super windy, so riding with at least one other person is recommended.
Day Six – Panguitch to Cedar City, via Brian Head and Cedar Breaks National Monument:
About 57 miles with about 5,300′ of gain.
We’ll reach our highest point on this ride, at 10,500′. Be prepared to be a bit short of breath on this ride! And not just from the awesome scenery!
Day Seven – Cedar City to St. George:
About 83 miles with just over 2,500′ of gain.
Alas, the last day… Take your time and savor the final hours of riding. The bike path is a roller-coaster! Over too quickly!!!
Click here to see a ton of photos from the 2008 Tour.
Rider Feedback about the Tour of Southern Utah:
“I enjoyed every mile on the road and every new scene that developed around each corner and appeared at the top of each climb. You guys did a fantastic job in developing a wonderful route and supporting such a mixed bag of riders… You provided an opportunity to all of us to do what we love to do (cycle) in one of the most unique places on the planet. Thanks again for a most amazing week!” – Bob Paxson, Sacramento, California
“Just a note to say thank you for taking me along on a wonderful adventure. I enjoyed every minute of it. Hope to try it again in the future.”
-Terri Boykins, Los Angeles, California
“Thank you so much for putting on a great tour! Amazing riding & and company to match! I’m still on a high from the tour.”
-Janak Parekh, San Francisco, California
“Thanks for a wonderful vacation! We enjoyed every bloody inch of the Southern Utah chip seal. If I had to sum up your Tour in one word: AWESOME!!!
We’d been to all the those scenic Utah spots several times, but the bike gave us a whole new perspective on and appreciation for that stunning landscape.” -Guntram Jordan, Mammoth Lakes, California
“The Utah trip was BITCHIN’. We enjoyed every minute. The route was unbelievable–how do you find these roads? –and the scenery simply defies description. We had so many special experiences–like cresting the 9000 foot summit on the road to Torrey and meeting another tandem team struggling up the other side–on their 75th day of a cross country tour. Or getting to Cedar Breaks after being rained on, snowed on, hailed on and blown around and going to the vista point to look over the side –WOW.
Your description of the ride accurately warned us of the challenge the course presented. I can assure you that for a tandem team of our (my) size and experience it was hard work every day. What we appreciated most was that neither the course nor the group offered to cut us any slack. It was always just assumed that we were equal to it and we took the opportunity to rise to the occasion. We are proud of our accomplishment and are grateful to have been a part of the ride.
Here is what we liked: everything.
Here is what we want you to change: nothing.” -Peter Giannini, Anchorage, Alaska
“Thank you for staging The Tour of Southern Utah. You really know how to run an excellent cycling event! Wayne and I enjoyed every day of cycling- not only because the route had little traffic, but also because we saw a landscape we had not previously experienced. The cheery support you, Brian, Emmy and Mike provided was over the top and most appreciated. The accommodations you chose were great, as were ALL the food choices both on the road and at dinner. I have nothing but good things to tell cyclists at home about Planet Ultra events, and hope others here plan to attend in the future. I definitely will.” -Melanie Ashby, Miami, Florida
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