SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2024
7 riders minimum / 24 riders maximum.*
*To make this Tour happen, we need 7 riders pre-registered 8 weeks in advance. Each rider must commit to driving SAG one time. If we have more riders than days, we’ll split the longer/harder days into two shifts.
Please don’t wait until the last minute to join us!
An incredible seven day adventure!
60-100 miles per day, from point to point in breathtaking Southern Utah.
Take in the amazing sites of Zion, Bryce and Capitol Reef National Parks,
Grand-Staircase Escalante and Cedar Breaks National Monuments, and more!
Each route is a challenging adventure with awe-inspiring scenery.
2024 Approximate Cost**: Private Room – $1795; Shared Room – $995.
Cost covers eight nights hotel accommodations (breakfast sometimes included), support vehicle(s) to provide drinks and snacks along the route (which we’ll each take turns driving and serving), bike shuttle through Zion National Park, and a duffle bag to pack your stuff in. Registration closes August 11th.
While we will TRY to help partner up individuals who prefer to share but are coming alone, we can’t promise that. If you’re not bringing a cycling friend/family member to ride with, please plan to pay for a private room if we can’t match you up.
Commitment deposit of $250 shared/$500 single required to register. Deposit is refundable until June 30th. Balance is due August 25th; payable via check, Venmo or Zelle. No refunds after August 25th.
Meals are not included (but 4 of 7 hotels offer breakfast). We don’t arrange meals (other than lunch on route); and here’s why: 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 arranged by the tour/club. Some folks eat early, some late. Some skip breakfast. Our method lets you decide. Most similar tours charge over $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.
National Park entry also not included. Our routes don’t require that you ride in any of the Parks; but we certainly hope you will. Day passes are available at the Parks for $20 or purchase an annual pass for $80. (NPS annual passes allow 4 adults to enter together.)
** Cost listed is approximate. When we have a final count, we will determine the per-person cost for hotel rooms, and add in the cost to cover use of Planet Ultra support vehicle(s) and SAG supplies. Each rider must also commit to putting $250 cash into a kitty for fuel, lunches, drinks and snacks along the route, and other miscellaneous expenses. Any funds left over at the end of the week will be spent on a post-ride dinner and/or redistributed in equal shares to everyone who contributed.
REGISTRATION OPENS NEW YEAR’S DAY.
Use the SignUp button to make your commitment deposit, using a credit card. Your $250 or $500 deposit (not including transaction fees) will be refunded if we don’t meet our minimum of 7).
Click here for the cancellation policy.
IS THIS TOUR FOR YOU?
This Tour is a vacation for cycling enthusiasts. Most of the routes are fairly strenuous, with long climbs routinely crossing passes above 8,000ft. To enjoy the week, your training in the previous few months should include at least a couple of centuries, and several 200+ mile weeks. You should be able to complete a moderately difficult century in under 8 hours.
Please make sure you have appropriate gearing. A compact crankset with a 34-tooth chainring is fine. Most riders will prefer a 30 or bigger large cog. What you’d use and enjoy for a single day event is likely not enough for a 7-day tour with 35,000′ of climbing. Please bring a sturdy wheelset. Light-weight, fancy wheels can be a problem. If you break one, you’ll end up in the SAG vehicle all week. Other than days 1 and 6, there are no bike shops on course.
We’re unable to accommodate recumbents or trikes; as we simply can’t transport them. Pedal-assist e-bikes allowed with prior approval only.
Starting Hotel
Best Western Abbey Inn, located at 1129 S Bluff Street in St. George. The Saturday nights both before and after the Tour are included. Your duffle bag will be at the front desk when you arrive.
Which Day Will You Drive SAG?
Participants will pick their SAG date at check-in, in the order that they signed up for the Tour. Sign up early if your preference is important to you!
Our Vision For The Tour
Our goal is to maintain a club-like, social atmosphere, where we make new friends, enjoy the scenery and create great memories from an awesome vacation. That said, this is NOT a no-drop ride. All are free to ride at their own pace.
Saturday Check-In and Meeting
Saturday evening at 7:30pm at the Abbey Inn.
Sunday Start
Abbey Inn has breakfast starting at 7am. Please be ready to ride by 8am. Each day has a different start time depending on the length and difficulty of the route (and planned to get us to the next hotel when rooms are ready). Please see your ride letter for those details. Please plan to be flexible regarding start times as we’ll likely need to stagger groups to avoid a large spread by the end of the day.
Itinerary:
Click here for an overview map of the full course.
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. Click here for map and elevation profile to Zion and here for map from Zion to Mt. Carmel.
Day Two – Mt. Carmel Junction to Bryce National Park:
About 60 miles with over 3700′ of gain. Click here for map and elevation profile. In the afternoon you can ride to Rainbow Point in Bryce (at 9100′) or hop on a shuttle bus and go into the park for a hike. The ride to Rainbow Point is 38 miles with about 2,900′ of climbing. Click here for map and elevation profile of bonus ride. There are a ton of hiking options – long or short, easy or hard. All are gorgeous.
Day Three – Bryce to Escalante:
Before we leave for Escalante, either hike or ride into the park, whichever you didn’t do yesterday! 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. Click here for map and elevation profile.
Day Four – Escalante to Torrey:
About 66 miles with over 6,100′ of gain. Click here for map and elevation profile. 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. Click here for map and elevation profile. BEST day of the Tour! And also the hardest!
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. Click here for map and elevation profile.
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 of the Tour on this ride, at 10,500′. Click here for map and elevation profile. Be prepared to be a bit short of breath! 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. Over too quickly!!! Click here for map and elevation profile.
Click here to see a ton of photos from a prior 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