Two ideas: 1) Fly to Las Vegas. Spend a day or two there then rent a bike and head east to St. George, UT. Take highway 9 to Zion National Park...travel up the road to Bryce National Park...east on Highway 12 through Grand Staircase..up to Boulder..and continue on to Moab and Arches, Dead Horse and Canyonlands. We did this trip the first week of October and the weather was perfect.

2). Fly to Denver..rent a bike there and head west into the Rockies. If you come to Colorado the first week of October you may luck out and still get to ride over Trail Ridge Road. Weather that time of year is pretty 'iffy' so I would think about trip #1 first.

I only suggest the fly/rent option here because driving from NY to CO or UT would eat up a lot of time for you two. Congratulations on your pending marriage.