With any luck, the following four trails will inspire your abandonment of inversions, frozen trails and slush-covered streets. St. George, as recently discovered by outsiders, is not only a great place to golf and sightsee, but to mountain bike as well, with many new trails having been created in just the last few years. More than a dozen quality routes exist less than 30 miles from the city, varying in length from daylong benders to two-hour pedalfests through desert singletrack. Whichever suits your fancy, it's time to dust off the seat, lube up the chain and find out what Utah's Dixie has to offer the gearhead community. Don't forget, though, that you're still in the desert.
Nights can be brutally cold, and water is hard to find.
Come prepared for the possibility of any kind of weather. And as the season progresses, be sure to ride early and late in the day to avoid the energy-sapping heat that St. George is famous for. A mere six miles from town, the Green Valley, a.k.a. Bloomington, Loop features a quartet of classic obstacles ideal for testing your skill and courage. With names like Three Fingers of Death, Acid Drops, Clavicle Hill and Roller Coaster, bringing your A-Game with you is a good idea.