Ever dreamt of flying Superman-style, or pedaling through a banana split? In Kane County, the terrain comes close. Picture muddled strawberry, chocolate, vanilla, and butterscotch earth, dotted with pineapple-and-strawberry-chunk rock. Long, creamy swirls of trail are drizzled with slickrock and wooden features. If your appetite for riding is officially whetted, the Kanab Cycling Club has your fall fix.
The second annual Thrills and Skills Bike Festival returns October 23–26, showcasing more than 100 miles of freshly built single-track plus miles of scenic gravel. Each day spotlights a different trail network, so riders can sample a variety of routes set amid geological and archaeological wonders. Expect the kind of flow, views, and grin-per-mile ratio that make “just one more lap” hard to resist.
Festival headquarters, the Kanab Convention Center, will buzz with the Chill Fest, a free showcase of top local bands. Vendor and exhibitor booths will highlight new bikes, outdoor gear, apparel, and health-related products and services. Food trucks and a beverage garden turn the plaza into an easy place to unwind between rides, with cool temps and classic Kanab scenery doing the rest. Not a rider? Come chill.
To amp up the fun, the local high school NICA mountain bike team will host a Crazy Bike Contests fundraiser. Festivalgoers can also catch mountain bike movies, jump into a trivia contest, play lawn games, enter prize drawings, and join social rides throughout the weekend.
No bike, no problem. Rental and demo bikes will be available, shuttles will run to the trailheads, and rides will be guided and divided by skill level. The event, and Kane County in general, is e-bike friendly. For details or to register, visit ThrillsAndSkills.com.
Bring your friends, your sense of adventure, and maybe a cape. Some trail features might have you feeling that Superman dream for real.
