April 2008 Issue - Cycling Utah

16 cycling utah.com APRIL 2008CHECK OUT OUR NEWEST SPECIALIZED CONCEPT STORE IN OGDENFinancing available with RC Willey1761 Princeton Ave.Trenton, NJ 08648609-393-1199knappscyclery.comVISIT WEBSITE FOR DETAILSWWW.BINGHAMCYCLERY.COMOgden - New Location1895 Washington Blvd.801-583-1940Provo187 West Center374-9890Sandy1300 E. 10510 S. (106th S.)571-4480Sunset2317 No. Main825-8632Salt Lake1500 S. Foothill Blvd.583-1940Paolo Bettini / Christoph Sauser / Chris McCormackRide of the MonthA Trip to BountifulBy Gregg BromkaLast month, I took you to thesouth end of the Salt Lake Valleyon several road tours originatingout of Draper. This month, we’llmake a 180-degree turn and visit ourneighbors in North Salt Lake andBountiful on two rides that crossover to Davis County.North Salt Lake Loop (20.5mile-loop, 300-foot gain, moderatelyeasy, poor to fair margin ofcomfort)This north valley loop links SaltLake City with North Salt Lake on atour of striking “diversity.” The bulkof the loop follows busy city streetsand highways where shoulders areabsent and high-speed traffic isheavy. You’ll pedal past industrialcomplexes, gravel pits, airports, andoil refineries. And there is nary a hillto speak of. So why bother? Despitethese blights of civilization, the firstand last legs of the loop follow bikelanes through quaint ethnic neighborhoodsand across open spaceswhere cattle graze. The miles arerespectable, you can spin at tempopace the whole way, and the lastmile on the Jordan River Parkway isa pleasant way to wind down.“Back to that bit about oil refineries,gravel pits, and high-speedtraffic,” you say? There is onecaveat to this ride. You must pedal1.5 miles along busy US 89/ BeckStreet north out of Salt Lake City.This stretch of six lane highwayis unnerving, but it’s the only waybetween here and there. New bikelanes from 600 North on 300 West/Beck Street help calm the nerves.Even so, hold your line, stay singlefile, wear obnoxiously bright clothing,and count your blessings.The starting point for this loopis Constitution Park (300 North and1200 West) just northwest of theUtah State Fairpark. Head east on300 North (bike lane), cross 300West/US 89, and turn left onto 200West (bike lane). You’ll eke out anextra mile of safe riding before inevitablyjoining the bike lanes on 300West/US 89. After passing VictoryRoad, which enters from the right,you enter the danger zone of BeckStreet/US 89 where the shoulder allbut disappears. Fortunately thereare no scenic attractions along thisstretch, just industrial complexesand oil refineries, so keep one eyeglued to the road ahead and oneeye covering your butt to the rear.Four miles into the ride, turn rightat 1810 North, opposite SouthernExposure Show Club, and link to thebike lanes on the frontage road atthe entrance to the gravel pits. Highspeed traffic is traded for rumblingdump trucks accessing the gravelpits. Plus, the pockmarked road battersyou like the cobbled lanes ofParis-Roubaix.From the frontage road, take thenew Class I Bike Path for a shortdistance into North Salt Lake, turnleft onto Main Street, and breathe awelcomed sigh of relief. Althoughyou’ll pass more industrial centersand warehouses, traffic is light, andyou’ll pretty much have the roadto yourself for the next 3 miles.A left turn onto 500 North/UT 68begins the loop’s “back nine,” andin a mile, the road bends south asRedwood Road. Traffic picks upquickly, and at times the road is atight squeeze for cyclists.You’ll escape the snarling motoristsby turning right onto CenterStreet. The bucolic ranch lands andplacid Jordan River give the roada country lane feel; that is untila jumbo jet roars off the runwayfrom nearby Salt Lake InternationalAirport. Still, you’ll take comfort inthe roadside bike lane on 2200 Westand enjoy distant sights of OquirrhMountains’ 9,000-foot peaks.A left turn onto 700 Northreturns you to the hurried pace ofour petrol-based lifestyle. There isa designated bike lane along theroad’s edge, but it’s laughably narrowat times. Shortly after crossingRedwood Road, you can catch theJordan River Parkway and returnto Constitution Park via the cottonwood-lined,paved bike path.Bountiful Bench (29.2 milesout-and-back with loop 1,800-footgain, strenuous, poor to fair marginof comfort)Like the North Salt Lake Loop,this trip to Bountiful and backrequires doing battle with BeckStreet/US 89 north of Salt LakeCity. But there is good reason toendure the road’s high-speed trafficand industrial blights. First is thescenery. The loop portion of this ridetakes you high onto Bountiful’s eastbench, where views of the Great SaltLake and Wasatch Range are striking,and you’ll ride right past theL.D.S. Bountiful Temple. Second isthe ride’s elevation profile. Althoughthere are lots of easy, flat mileswhere you can spin at tempo pace,you better have ultra low gearing orlegs of steel for the sharp climb upEagleridge Drive–one of the steepestclimbs on the Wasatch Front. Thehill is only 1.8 miles, so it’s no Alpde Huez, but its 12-percent gradeis nothing to scoff at. If you can’thang, then you’ll suffer.Liberty Park makes for a dandystarting point because you canlink to bike lanes alongside 800South and 200 West for a safe routethrough the heart of Salt Lake City.Nearly 4 miles into the ride, a jog*TREK*LeMond*QuintanaRoo*DeRosa*Litespeed*many moreWetsuits*ShoesShorts*Glasseswww.golsancycles.com ROAD.MTN.TRICampagnolo Specialists* Professional FittingSHOP ONLINE 24*7 !! 801-446-8183www.golsancycles.com10445 So Redwood Rd; So Jordan