We had a fantastic Afterbike, last month. The crew was fun, the food was tasty and the riding, as always, was outstanding. Afterbike is our annual fall mtb get-together and this was the third year since we decided to bring it back. For more info on the history of the event, read our 2021 Afterbike story. Scroll down to go straight to our 2023 Afterbike MTB gathering party and ride photos.
Historically, late September weather in Southern Utah is perfect. That’s part of the reason we have Afterbike when we do. This year, the weather was unseasonably cool – perfect riding weather, actually. For Saturday’s Little Creek ride, it was overcast in Hurricane with temps in the low 70’s and even cooler up on the mesas. We even got a little rain towards the end of our ride.
We’ve always gone to Little Creek Mesa for the Saturday Afterbike ride. It’s Quentin’s favorite and best ridden with locals so you don’t get lost. Riding the mesas with locals also means you get to see some of the many hard to find extra credit bits. For our 2023 Afterbike MTB gathering, we hit a lot of the bonus lines on our Little Creek ride and everyone had a great time playing follow-the-leader on the slickrock.
After the ride, we headed back to the shop for cold beverages and BBQ. This year’s grill master was OTE HU mechanic, Gabe Pendley. He cooked for Afterbike last year and it was a no-brainer putting him in charge of the food again. He grilled up marinated skirt steak and chicken for fajitas, as well as a super-tasty portobello mushroom and squash, vegan fajita option. Gabe also made elote (Mexican corn on the cob), homemade salsa and his special charro beans. After the fajitas, everyone enjoyed some tasty Oreo tres leches cake from local bakery, Muddy Bees. Check them out for great sandwiches, fresh bread, local honey and pastries.
Fall in the desert is wonderful and Afterbike is a perfect excuse for a Southern Utah mountain bike roadtrip. We have some fresh ideas for next year’s Afterbike and you won’t want to miss it. Make sure to put a Hurricane trip on your calendar for next September.
2023 Afterbike Photo Gallery
