DIRT PaVEMEnT aDVoCaCY RaCIng ToURIng ... - Cycling Utah

14 cycling utah.com MAY 2007Ride of the MonthCanyons of the Wasatch, Part IBy Gregg BromkaOnly a non-bicyclist would dareask the most foolish of questions:Why ride your bike up a canyonroad when you live in a flat city?The answer is painfully profound:Because it is there. Here are fourclassic canyons that are there foryou to ride, excerpted from my newbook, Bicycling Salt Lake City.City Creek Canyon RoadLocated only one mile from SaltLake City's central business district,City Creek Canyon is a treasuredamenity for the valley's residents.Within minutes, you can escape theconfines of urbanism and becomeimmersed in a tranquil natural sanctuary.Shady picnic areas dot thebanks of the bubbling creek and anarray of wildlife thrives within thebrushy canyon.The lower road to the water treatmentplant rises in stair-step fashionwith short moderately pitched hillssoftened by gentle respites. Pastthe plant, the road rises steadilyand more steeply and summonsyour lowest gears on a permanentbasis. It's all good. The return glide,although regulated by a 15 mphspeed limit, is worth the effort.At 11.2 miles, round trip, youcan knock off City Creek duringlunch time. With more time to spare,you can make it the target of a trekacross the foothills or as an add-onto the loop around 11th and 3rdAvenues.There is no shoulder on theroad but margin of comfort is goodbecause vehicles are prohibited onthe odd-numbered bike days. Still,you must use caution when descendingand stay to the road's far rightside because there are numerousblind turns, and pedestrians andascending cyclists invariably wanderinto your lane.To get there, take BonnevilleBoulevard one-half mile from theintersection of B Street and 11thAvenue to the entrance to CityCreek Canyon. Park at the gate orat the nearby Bonneville ShorelineTrail trailhead. By bicycle, pedalup the paved road through MemoryGrove Park.Emigration Canyon RoadAptly named, EmigrationCanyon was the final leg of theMormon Pioneer's historic trek tothe Salt Lake Valley in 1847, leadby Brigham Young. Today, thecanyon's paved road is one of themost popular rides in the WasatchRange. With ride-to access from thecity's east bench, gentle to moderategrades, and light to moderate traffic(not to mention two quaint cafes),Emigration beckons racers is fullregalia to rec riders in t-shirts.Averaging about three percentgrade and gaining only 1,270 feetover it's 15.6-mile round-trip course,Emigration is the easiest of theride for the fun of it. ride for the health of it.RIDE FOR THE CAUSE.Wasatch's canyons. It's the perfectfitness ride with consistently pitchedgentle grades broken by shortinclines that demand slightly moreeffort. The last 1.8 miles steepento near five percent. If you wear aheart rate monitor, then you'll findEmigration makes for an ideal 30-minute time trial.Margin of comfort varies fromfair to good overall. Recent roadreconstruction at the canyon's bottomand striping for a new bike lanewill make the first several milesrefreshingly comforting over thedownright dangerous conditions ofyears past.To get to Emigration Canyon,drive or ride one mile east of theintersection of Foothill Drive andSunnyside Avenue (800 South). Youcan park at the Bonneville ShorelineTrail trailhead across from HogleZoo or at nearby Rotary Glen Park.East Canyon Road/UT 65Whether ridden by itself ortacked onto either Parleys Canyonor Emigration Canyon, the EastCanyon Road to Big Mountain Passhas a "euro" feel, as the last severalmiles switchback steeply to the7,420-foot-high "col." It's hardly"hors de categorie," but it's a stiffclimb just the same. Racers mightdance on their pedals up the grade;mortals might wish for lower gears.Those not hellbent on droppingthe peloton will be interested toknow that the ride has historical significance,as it was the chosen routeof the Mormon Pioneers, CaliforniaTrail, Pony Express, OverlandStage, and original telegraph linebetween 1846 and 1861. At 16.2miles round trip and gaining nearly1,900 feet, East Canyon Road borderson strenuous. The ride beginswith a 1.5-mile warm-up at six percentgrade that will jump start yourheart faster than a double shot ofespresso. A long gradual mid-routeapproach precedes the final threemile,seven-percent grind to BigMountain Pass.The return flight is a hugereturn for your climbing investment,highlighted with steep hairpinturns up top, high cadence miles inthe middle, and a tuck-and-glidestraightaway to the finish. Margin ofcomfort varies from good initiallyto fair thereafter. The road is signed"Share the Road" throughout, andtraffic is generally light. But be alertto lumbering RVs and boat-towingtrucks on weekends.Save gas and supersize your rideby accessing East Canyon Roadfrom Emigration Canyon Road.Just descend 1.5 miles from LittleMountain Summit to UT 65 andgo left to head to Big MountainPass. You'll nearly double yourride in distance and in elevationgain. Alternatively, ride 5 miles upParley's Canyon/I-80 to the EastCanyon Road exit. If you reallywant to go the distance, first knockoff the Parley's Canyon/I-80 climbto Parley's Summit (see below),and upon descending make a "sidetrip" up East Canyon Road to BigMountain Pass. Whoa!From Salt Lake City, drive (orpedal) 5 miles up I-80 in ParleysCanyon and take Exit 134 for EastCanyon/UT 65. Park and embarkjust past the golf cart bridge forMountain Dell Golf Course.Parleys Canyon/I-80Despite I-80 being a major transportationcorridor between Salt LakeCity and all points east, ParleysCanyon is quite popular with bicyclists.Named after Parley Pratt, aMormon pioneer who first built atoll road up the canyon to Park Cityin the mid 1800s, Parleys Canyonmixes gentle and steep grades whereyou can perfect your high cadence"tempo" riding or build your rawclimbing power. Endurance junkiescan use Parleys as a stepping stonefor longer treks to Park City or upEast Canyon Road.Parleys gains 2,300 feet over the22-mile round trip, so it's nothing toscoff at. Riders with modest fitnessand reasonably low gearing willfind the climb to be a sit-and-spin"tempo" ride. If your bike lacks lowgears, then you'll be pumping hardat low cadence most of the way. Pastthe Lamb's Canyon exit the canyonroad locks into a six percent gradefor three tedious miles to the summit.Truckers are warned of thecanyon's three to six percent grades,but your brakes won't be smokingon the descent because there is a fairamount of pedaling, and a stiff upcanyonwind will likely be in yourface. Also in your face are inspiringviews of tall peaks, like Mount Aire,and neighboring canyons and ridges.Even though the interstate'sshoulder is often ten feet wide, marginof comfort is no more than fair.You'll brush elbows with vehicleswhile accessing the canyon via onramps, and once on the interstate arumble strip next to the white lineforces you to ride where graveland debris collect most. Of course,vehicles whizzing by at 70 mph isunnerving, but you'll get numb to it.Next Month: Canyons of theWasatch Part II (Mill Creek, BigCottonwood, and Little CottonwoodCanyons)..Get a copy of Gregg's Utahguidebooks: Bicycling Salt LakeCity, Mountain Biking Utah,Mountain Biking Utah’s WasatchFront, and Mountain Biking ParkCity & Beyond. at your favoritebike shop.the American Diabetes AssociationGolden Spike CenturyJune 9, 2007Brigham City, Utah100 mile, 60 mile, 25 mileCall 1-888-342-2383 to register oronline at tour.diabetes.orgFinancing Utah cyclists since 1991.See website for cyclist’s discount orcall me at (801) 580-6479.7651 S main st #108 ° Midvale, Ut 84047Cycling: October 9-12, 2007Triathlon: October 13, 2007Mtn Biking: October 15-16, 2007St. George, UTFor Ages 50+800-562-1268www.seniorgames.nethwsg@infowest.com