Where: Between Hayward and Cable, WI, near the state's remote northern border with Lake Superior
The Route: Most do the 32-mile Hayward-to-Cable Birkebeiner Trail. It's open and well maintained, good for scoping wildlife but not a technical challenge. Advanced trails fan out from the "Birkie," the spine of a 300-mile network.
Character: Rolling hills with glacial features like eskers and kettle moraines. Bald eagles, black bears, and timber wolves outnumber humans. Area motto: "No thousand-foot climbs, but a thousand 50-foot climbs."
Highlight: Being at the start line for the Chequamegon 40 with 2,500 other yahoos, including three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond, who lives nearby.
Lowlight: Learning that all 2,500 available slots were reserved by March 26.
Advisory: It's pronounced "She-wa-me-gon."
Outfitter: None.
Do-It-Yourself Info: Chequamegon Area Mountain Bike Association, 800-533-7454. Guides introduce riders to the area.
Native Know-How: New Moon Bike & Ski, Hayward, 715-634-8685.
When To Go: Chequamegon Fat Tire Festival, Sept. 13-15.
Where: Randolph, VT
The Route: The 45-mile, singletrack loop crosses three passes -- including the 2,500-foot Randolph Gap over Rochester Mountain -- on the same trail that was used to bring the circus into Randolph during the late 1800s.
Character: We've never met a cow we didn't like.
Highlight: Cruising the largest collection of unmaintained, go-nowhere dirt roads in the state -- you won't run into any foliage buses.
Lowlight: Wet leaves, wet leaves, wet leaves.
Advisory: Pack a fly rod. The White River is top notch.
Outfitter: None. The route was pioneered in 1993 by the folks at Randolph's Slab City Bike & Sport, 802-728-5747. Rentals $20 per day; they offer tours on request.
Do-It-Yourself Info: The campground at Allis State Park, off Vermont 12 in Brookfield, ten miles north of Randolph, has 28 sites with potable water, flush toilets, and coin-operated showers. $10 per night; 802-276-3175. The Three Stallion Inn is another popular base camp for swapping trail news and tips. Doubles $103; 800-424-5575.
Native Know-How: Paul Rey at Slab City Bike & Sport.
When To Go: The New England Mountain Bike Festival, September 27-30. Includes instructional clinics, group rides, and off-road races.
Where: Grand Junction, CO to Moab, UT
The Route: An epic 4-to-5-day, 140-mile ride through desert sandstone, shale canyons, and the banks of the Colorado River en route to Moab's lunarlike, slickrock playground.
Character: Ever see a John Ford movie?
Highlight: Taking in the majestic, snow-capped La Sal Mountains as you climb out of Rabbit Valley.
Lowlight: Realizing that between you and the La Sals are three hard-riding days, tractionless sand, several thousand feet of altitude gain, and not a drop of potable natural water.
Advisory: Wading Salt Creek at mile ten is usually a cinch (it often runs three-to-six-feet deep). But even if you have to carry the bike on your back with water rising to your earlobes, do so. The alternative is a thorny bushwhack through the long (and frequently used) Denver & Rio Grande railroad tunnel.
Outfitters: Kaibab Mountain/Desert Bike Tours in Moab, 800-451-1133; Rim Tours in Moab, 800-626-7335; Backroads in Berkeley, CA, 800-462-2848.
Do-It-Yourself Info: Colorado Plateau Mountain Bike Trail Association has maps and guides, P.O. Box 4602, Grand Junction, CO 81502.
Native Know-How: The Bike Peddler in Grand Junction, 970-243-5602; Rim Cyclery in Moab, 801-259-5333.
When To Go: Spring and fall only. The Mardi Gras-like Moab Fat Tire Festival is October 22-26.
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