This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Your bike is comfy ride, fits you well and is dependable on the ups and downs. Overall, you don't have much to complain about it.

Still, you can't help but check out the magazines to see what is new or steal a glance at a passing rider, wondering if they know something you don't when it came to picking their ride.

If this is you, wonder no more and get thee to Moab this weekend for the annual fall festival known as Outerbike.

Organized by Ashley Korenblat, the owner of Western Spirit Cycling, Outerbike has grown into one of the most-do festivals for mountain bikers all over the world.

For good reason too. The event is like a demo day on steroids as bikers can choose to ride all the top bikes from 2016 as well as see what 2017 options have to offer.

This year, size continues to matter, at least when it comes to wheels. In the past, the move to 29-inch wheels, then 27.5-inch wheels then fat bikes were the big trend.

Now keep an eye out for the 29+ and 27.5+ options. These are perfect for those who gravitate to the fatter tires, but aren't ready to delve into them.

If you are interested in one of these, Cannonade, with its Bad Habit, would be worth checking out.

The fatter tires are leading to some tweaks in the frame work as well, but in general, there aren't many major innovations like we have seen in the past when more bikes abandoned the traditional triple front train ring for a one or two ring setup.

Instead, comfort seems to be the emphasis as more race bikes add more travel, allowing riders to challenge more technically demanding trails.

Pivot has long been a leader in this area and its Mach 429 would be a sure giggle-fest.

Purchasing a high end mountain bike can hit riders for $5,000 and up, so trying out a ride on real dirt is key, especially when bike shops might have limited inventory, Korenblat said.

"If consumers wan to see and test the product on real trails, Outerbike is the best place," she said.

While enjoying new bikes and trends is the goal of riders, for Korenblat the event has other purposes as well.

A longtime advocate for Moab's trails, Korenblat believes exposing some of Moab's sweet areas, whether it is the base location for the event at the Bar M trails or the shuttle rides, is invaluable for promoting tourism, although exposure comes with a cost.

Korenblat noted the legislature voted to set aside $1 million for Utah's trail programs (HB 52), but more dollars are needed to keep up with the demands of growth.

There is hope that events such as Outerbike will encourage more investment in the area.

"Rural Utah is poised to see continued steady growth in communities who make the commitment to public land access, from attracting entrepreneurs to hosting annual events like high school mountain bike races and Outerbike," Korenblat said. —

Outerbike Festival

At Moab, Friday-Sunday

Details: Full Demo pass is $175, registration covers the bikes, lunches, shuttled rides and more. The $135 pass allows you to bring your own bike but participate in the shuttles and other events while a $60 pass gets you into all the non-bike events.