Advance Auto Zone

Every sport has its “ultimate” challenge. Golf has the Augusta National - host of the Masters tournament, Tennis has the grass courts of Wimbledon, car racing has the Daytona International Speedway, home of the Daytona 500.

Mountain Biking has the Slickrock Bike Trail in Moab, Utah.

The Slickrock Bike Trail is a 9.6 mile trail which most experts consider to be “the ultimate mountain biking experience.” There’s plenty of “easy and scenic” bike trails as well, but for the ultimate ride, Slickrock is it.

Moab is located in eastern Utah, about 230 miles east of Salt Lake City, or 350 miles west of Denver, Colorado. The origin of the name of Moab for this once small town (incorporated in 1902) are unclear, but now the name is iconic for great mountain biking.

Moab isn’t a big city - only about 5,000 people live there, but they get plenty of tourist traffic - so much so that you’ll find over thirty hotels and motels, ten bed and breakfasts, two resorts, 26 guest houses, and fifteen privately owned campgrounds. There are also over a dozen public campgrounds in the national parks nearby.

Tourists don’t just come for the mountain biking, of course. There’s off-road jeep trails, hiking, camping, and motorcycling…there’s even the Mill Canyon Dinosaur Trail, on which you can walk and see traces of dinosaur bones of a variety of species.

The first thing any visitor to Moab should do is visit their Visitor’s Center, which will have brochures for every activity under the sun, trail maps and more. If you’re new to Moab you do not want to go anywhere without a selection of trailmaps, and you should never go anywhere without letting someone know where you’re going and when you plan to be back. Better still, always hike or bike with a buddy who can help you out in case of trouble.

If you’re a beginner, there are plenty of tour operators - mountain biking, white river rafting, skydiving - who can take you to the right places and ensure you have a good time.

As you ride along on your bike you may see others littering or misbehaving, and wonder why you are supposed to have the “least possible impact” on their environment…but that’s just the way things are. Be responsible for your own personal “footprint”, even if you can’t control what other people do.

Moab biking trails consist of what’s called “Slick Rock.” I’ll get to that in a little bit. For now, here’s the list of good practices.

1) Ride only on open roads and trails
2) Learn to recognize and preserve cryptobiotic soil crusts. Okay - that’s going to be tough. Wait until you get to Moab and then have someone point them out to you.
3) Avoid skidding your tires
4) When it’s wet, avoid clay- like surfaces. Stay on the rocky, slickrock or sandy areas
5) Don’t ride along the sides of streams
6) Don’t pollute the water resources

Mountain Bike Trails
1) Over 100,000 people a year ride on the Slick Rock Trail - so named because its a trail of “naked” sandstone - stone that can hold onto your bike’s tires at “gravity defying angles.” The trail is rated a “Class 4″ - 4 being the hardest class.

The trail is twelve miles long, and if you weren’t concentrating on the ground in front of you you’d see that it crosses an elevated platform of sandstone surrounded by cliffs – cut by the Colorado River over millions of years. You’ll be able to view canyons, see Arches National Park across the river, and the La Sal Mountains on the eastern skyline.

The trail is a 12-mile long loop (if you don’t take any side trips) and will take at least four hours. Make sure you bring a lot of extra water with you. You can bike on the trail from mid-February through November, but of course is most popular through spring and fall.

The trail is in the Sand Flats Recreation Area, and there is a small fee enter. The fee pays for the maintenance of the entire area.

2) The Porcupine Rim Trail, also located in the Sand Flats Recreation Area, is also rated a Category 4. This is a one way trail and takes about half-a-day to ride.

However, if your family is full of both skilled mountain bikers and beginners, don’t despair. There’s plenty of other easy mountain biking trails in this beautiful area.- such as the Bar M Loop.

Alastair Hamilton contributes adding long articles on mountain biking for bikecyclingreviews.com bikecyclingreviews.com A website with tips on bikecyclingreviews.com/mountainbikes.html mountain bike reviews.

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Detroit auto executives went to Capitol Hill Wednesday to urge undecided lawmakers to support Sen. Carl Levin’s compromise fuel economy proposal that would raise fuel economy standards but not as drastically as a bill on the Senate floor.

Troy Clarke, the president of General Motors Corp.’s North America unit, and Beth Lowery, the company’s vice president for energy policy, are seeing more than a dozen senators and representatives in meetings.

Meanwhile, Sue Cischke, the Ford Motor Co. senior vice president of sustainability, environment and safety engineering, was to meet with about a half-dozen legislators. The meetings include some with key lawmakers who could be significant to Ford’s effort to beat back a Senate energy bill that includes a Commerce Committee proposal. It would increase the average fuel economy mandates 40 percent to 35 miles per gallon for cars and trucks combined by 2020, with four percent annual increases through 2030. The automakers said that such a dramatic increase would cost them billions.

Alan Reuther, the United Auto Workers’ chief lobbyist, was earlier quoted saying: “I believe the Big Three will endorse the Levin bill because it has CAFE increases that are economically feasible.” The UAW is backing Levin’s proposal.

The domestic auto executives, along with some from foreign automakers who have also been in the previous meetings, were sending the message that a compromise proposal authored by Michigan Democrat Levin and Sen. Christopher Bond, R-Mo., is achievable. While the language is still being finalized, the compromise bill is expected to call for raising standards to 36 mpg for cars by 2022 and 30 mpg for trucks by 2025.

The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, which represents domestic automakers and the Toyota Motor Corp. among others, intends to endorse the compromise bill as soon as it is released. “We are going to come out in support of the Levin bill,” Toyota spokeswoman Martha Voss said last Wednesday. “It’s not that one bill is easy and a slam dunk. They are both challenging. The Levin bill is a more reasonable approach.”

The alliance has spent $1 million over ad campaigns in May. The ads, aimed at opposing the Senate proposal bill, were disseminated in eleven states. The alliance is also considering another campaign to back the Levin compromise bill. Cischke said that all automakers in the alliance back the Levin bill and no automaker supported the Senate energy bill. “Nobody can meet those targets right now,” she said. “We all have the same technology tool kit.”

The head of the Senate Commerce Committee, Sen. Daniel Inouye, said that he was open to an alternative. “I have told Sen. Levin that we urgently need to see the language of his alternative,” Inouye said.

On Wednesday, nearly a dozen senators held a press conference to condemn the domestic automakers. Detroit automakers are “the ostrich with their heads in the sand,” said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the lead sponsor of the Senate fuel economy increase. “The fact of the matter is that Detroit has done nothing about mileage efficiency for the past 20 years and the time has come.”

Levin’s proposal was derailed by at least a day as he hammered out language. He said that the automakers were supportive. “They think they can do it and survive with it.” One U.S. auto official said that automakers cannot stop an increase in fuel economy standards and had supported Levin’s bill. He added some in Congress “think we’re either incompetent, dishonest or lazy and I’m not sure which of those I want to be.”

Next week, the mounting heat of fuel mandates will intensify. Take a grip on the Honda door handle to manage a bumpy and heated journey.

Katie Jones writes for a local newspaper and her beat involves the latest updates in the automotive industry. She is also working on her book on cars during her spare time.You can also visit car-stuff.com/hondadoorhandle.htm” title=”Honda door handle Honda door handle for more information.

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If you want to ruin your day, never take the time to property maintain your car’s engine. This is a sure fire way to have your car breakdown in the most remote of areas. Instead of tempting fate, why not learn how to keep your car well maintained and working properly.

Check your oil levels every week. Engines run at extremely high temperatures and some models will burn through oil at an alarming rate. You do not want to run dry on oil. This will damage the engine to cease. Once this has happened, you either need a new engine or a new car. Both of these issues are extremely costly. Can you afford to be without your car for a lengthy amount of time?

Change your oil every 3,000 miles. After driving for a certain amount of time, oil becomes dirty and sluggish. Keeping the oil changed regularly reduces dirt circulating in the engine.

Another troublesome issue is the belts. With every oil change, you should have the fan belts and air hoses checked for wear and tear.

Antifreeze should be changed every year. Have a professional flush out the cooling system and replace the tanks with new coolant. This can keep a radiator from developing leaks.

Transmission fluid should be checked regularly. The fluid should be changed every 36,000 miles. If the head gasket leaks, your coolant will leak into the oil system. This is an extremely costly repair, so have them checked regularly to prevent this issue. Always stop first before shifting into drive.

Look regularly in your driveway for leaks. If you spot any, take not of the color of the fluid and then take the car in for servicing. Transmission fluid is pinkish, antifreeze is green, oil is golden brown, and brake fluid is reddish. Knowing which fluid is leaking can help a garage determine the severity of your problem. They can fit you into a busy schedule if the leak is potentially hazardous.

To keep your air conditioning system working properly, run the system every month, even in the winter. The same is true with the heating system. It should be run in the summer to prevent any seizing.

Try to brake in advance. Sudden stops wear down brake pads far more quickly. Have your brakes checked regularly for wear and tear.

Tires should be rotated every 7,000 miles. Inspect them visually every month for tire wear, punctures, and bulges.

Pay attention to your battery. If you see white deposits forming on the terminals, clean them with a wire brush and then clean the battery with a mixture of baking soda and water.

Keep your car rust free by keeping it waxed once per season. Have the undercarriage washed at least twice a year.

Use WD40 to keep door hinges well lubricated. This keeps doors opening and closing properly.

Follow your car manual’s recommended maintenance schedule. This guarantees the warranty will cover costly repairs, but also prevents unexpected breakdowns.

All it takes is a few simple checks every month, and you can protect yourself from breaking down in an unfamiliar or remote area. Your safety is that important isn’t it?

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Beach, Florida. Find more about this as well as a carcarewizards.com car care at carcarewizards.com carcarewizards.com.

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