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A Report from the 2011 Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships (SSXCWC)

Cycling West
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A Report from the 2011 Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships (SSXCWC)

 

Ali K gets set to navigate the water hazard.

By Ped AlDamnit

To me, few things are more satisfying than a post-race shower. Sparing you the details of my shower though, I will share with you the details of the events and the race that caused me to need one tonight, Sunday, November 20th.

 

6:00am is an awful early time to hit the road when you’ve been working swing-shift for over four years. Despite this fact, it was early morning on Friday, November 18th, and I had barely slept a wink. Rolling out of bed (without alarm clock anxiety surprisingly), I asked myself exactly what I was doing up at such an hour. Oh yeah, a ‘cross race…and not just any ‘cross race, but the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships (aka SSCXWC). Facing a 12+ hour drive to San Francisco though, I knew trying to delay our start was not such a good idea and, of course, right on time, my teammates Steve and Amy were out front of my place, waiting to pick me up.

 

The drive out I-80 was remarkably bland. I’ve never driven it as an adult and despite some smattering of excitement near Reno (there’s fire in them thar hills!), things were quite unremarkable until Donner Pass. “If it keeps snowing like this, we may be having a Donner Party of our own” read my online status update. No one ever said I lacked a sense of drama.

 

Many more miles and lots of good conversation brought some welcome sights: this little thing called the Bay Bridge and the tops of tall buildings peeking through the famous fog of the San Francisco Bay. After being pointed in the right direction by Lord Google, my teammates and I found ourselves at the warehouse of one Sheila Moon; cycling fashion designer extraordinaire. It was a welcome rest and a welcome reception. New Belgium Brewing supplied the beverages with local talent supplying the food and the break beat soundtrack. Mingling ensued and before we knew it, we’d picked up our packets, and were headed into the city.

 

I don’t know about you, but I think San Francisco looks good from any angle. Having only flown in before, the whole Bay Bridge view was a new angle for me. Shortly after entering the city, we’d checked into the Hotel Carlton and were cycling our way through the City of Seven Hills, en route to the Mojo Bicycle Cafe. I won’t get into the details of the evening here, but I think it goes without saying that much fun was had and it was certainly good to see familiar faces from SSCXWC races past. Qualifiers started early the next day and so my friends and I headed home for some much-needed rest.

 

Five Feats of Strength

 

As qualifiers are one of the secrets of SSCXWC, we had no idea what we were in for on the day of Saturday the 19th. Coffee, Huevos Rancheros and a very drunk (yes, in the morning) waitress comprised the start to our day. After some quick prep, I headed out to the qualifiers solo style. Had I known I’d be touring San Francisco as part of the qualifier, I’d have not taken my own tour (okay, I sort of got turned around), but it turns out, that’s exactly what was in store. SSCXWC qualifiers have transformed over the years and often aren’t exactly cyclocross races by themselves; this year was no exception.

 

“Five Feats of Strength” might sound old-school, but trust me when I say, these feats certainly were not. Along our 35 kilometer guided bicycle tour of the city were planned five events (each scored) which would help determined who qualified for the championship race. Having had a relatively active cycling season in 2011, I figured I was in good shape for the qualifier…San Francisco proved me wrong. It was a nice game of bait and switch, stopping for a photo-op atop Alamo Square (think Full House) as well as a stop at Huckleberry Bike Shop; as a collective of hopeful qualifiers, we would soon have our chamois handed to us.

Gary Fisher gets a kiss from Ali. Photo: Ped AlDamnit.

Feat 1: California St. Hill Climb / Barf Fest. Okay, I didn’t barf, but had someone told me NOT to pack my post-qualifier apparel in my messenger bag, I’d have probably felt much less like doing so. A four block sprint with grades approaching 40% was on tap. Sound nice? Yeah, I carried my butt, my 20lb bag, and a volunteer’s lunch up that hill on a single gear and low-pressure tires. Apparently, I missed the memo about not bringing a bunch of stuff (something that could have been brought to my attention YESTERDAY!). It hurt.

 

Feat 2: Fort Mason Wheel Change. Rolling back down through Chinatown, the financial district and along the Embarcadero brought us to the Fort Mason Wheel Change. Bike down and front wheel off. Line up far away, sprint to bike, put front wheel on, attach brake, and ride/run to finish through several piles of mulch. Not nearly as bad as Feat 1, but a challenge nonetheless.

 

Feat 3: Lyon Street Stairs. After cruising alongside the beach and posing Heisman-style in front of the Palace of Fine Arts, my group approached the Lyon Street Stairs. Did I mention that San Francisco has hills? After sprinting UPHILL (again) for 100+ meters, bikes were portaged ‘cross style up more than 200 stairs. Stick that in your stair master and eat it. Again…it hurt.

 

Feat 4: The Roaring Mouse Field of Dollars. Of course, what comes up must come down and down we went, back to the shoreline where we cruised gently along the beach until…was that a megaphone? Before we knew it, a woman with a serious pair of lungs was yelling at us to get off our bikes and line up. In the field some ways away were dozens of beer bottles, each stuffed with a single dollar bill. The point? Run, grab $4, run back. Stiff competition (I won this one, after yet another Heisman-style move). Mounted up for our penultimate ride, we took our sweet time getting up to the Golden Gate Bridge, through the neighborhood of Sea Cliff, and then back down to the now very-windy beach; our final feat of strength.

 

Feat 5: Ocean Beach Barrier Run. Shoes off, bikes on shoulders, in the water. Go! Run 50+ yards through sand and up a dune to the finish. Oh yeah…I forgot to mention, it hurt too. After sauntering slowly back through Golden Gate Park, my qualifying group ended back up at the Mojo Cafe. I collapsed in my chair. “That. Hurt.” A status update the seemed to capture the very essence of pain.

 

Why do I do this again? Oh yeah, because it’s fun (after the fact). Chatting with my teammates in the bike shop/bar that hosted the qualifying events, I noticed a familiar face in the corner of the shop. Mr. Gary Fisher has the kind of face you know anywhere and after introducing myself and having him welcome me to “our fun little town,” I began to feel much better about my situation. Did I qualify? Do I really care? Moments like this are what racing travels are all about. Being the friendly guy he is, Gary was also easily persuaded into allowing my teammate to kiss him on the cheek (yes…I have pics…it happened). This experience served to exhilarate me that much more and though there was STILL a lot on the agenda, I began to immediately feel better. After a quick ride home, a shower, and a not-so-quick rainy ride to the Sports Basement for the pre-race party, we found ourselves in an underground garage in the midst of something called Pixie Cross.

 

The good news was that all four of my teammates and myself qualified for the main event. The bad news is that, uh…there was no bad news; just lots of food, beer, and people riding 16”-wheeled bicycles through an urban ‘cross course fueled by a need not to race in the “everybody’s a winner class.” More alcohol and moderate doses of stupidity also added to the event. I was glad I didn’t need to participate in the second-chance qualifier because I was still hurting and likely would have done damage riding a kids bike while grinning like an idiot. Words cannot explain the ludicrous nature of what I witnessed, but my videos can. The rest of the night was a bit of a blur, but I know it involved a wet ride home, lots of sodium, potassium, and water.

 

The Main Event:

 

Unlike most ‘cross races in Utah, Sunday was main event day. Fortunately, the championship race didn’t start until well past midday. A Belgian waffle for breakfast, a walk to City Hall and stumbling upon a bike shop where one can make their own bamboo/carbon frame burned up the morning. Too quickly though, it was time to gear up and head out. This time, we didn’t take the scenic route.

 

The women’s race was composed of a history-making 100 women racers (my teammate Steve told Sheila Moon to call Guinness, but it was too late). Speaking of Sheila Moon, she made some promises about this event and, cosmically, they all came to fruition. In addition to 100 lady ‘crossers, Sheila also stated it was going to rain like mad all Saturday night and Sunday morning only to have the sun come out in time for the championship race. The Chinese took a lot of heat during the 2008 Olympics for the kind of weather manipulation she and the other organizers pulled off for this race and wouldn’t you know it? No sooner than the final field began lining up, the sun came out. Perfect.

 

Like the qualifying events, race starts at SSCXWC are closely guarded secrets. This year, racers dropped their bikes, headed down a GNARLY run-up, and into a field where a Le Mans start was to be the order of the day. Before long, someone jumped the gun and the race was under way. Watching 150 guys go up a 40 foot-tall, extremely muddy hill must have been quite the sight. Race. On.

 

How would I describe the course? Well, it was the World Championships for Single Speed Cyclocross and it was being held in San Francisco. In a word? Dastardly. There wasn’t a dry patch on the course and even the pavement was covered in water; there were not one, not two, not three, but FOUR HUGE log barriers; there was more mud; there was a low-hanging pass which rung several riders’ bells; there was the knee deep “lake of filth;” there were sustained climbs and descents; there were short, grunty climbs and descents; there was quicksand (formerly mud); and, of course, there was the aforementioned HUGE run-up. Oh, did I mention there was mud? All in all, it was 4 kilometer hell-fest.

Ped AlDamnit on course with Rob providing race support. Photo: Anna Day

If you’ve only raced ‘cross in Utah, I’d wager a large bet that you’ve never been heckled properly. Hell, if you’ve only raced in Utah, I’d wager a large bet that you wouldn’t wager a large bet, but that’s beside the point. Really though, ‘cross fans outside the Zion-Curtain really know how to dish it out. My female teammates reported not much heckling at all, but that was not the case for the men. Wearing a “pirate shirt” garnered me such comments as “Captain Morgan,” “pilgrim,” “Mormon” (how’d they know I was from Utah?), and a few other choice goodies I will not repeat in print. We need some good hecklers on the Utah ‘cross scene; honestly, we do.

 

As with many ‘cross races, things often become a blur (even before the beer). I remember dreading the logs, dreading the deep mud, and yearning for more oxygen. After three grueling laps, I gave in to a few hand-ups (one gone horribly wrong) and decided to have some fun. This lightened things up quite a bit. I didn’t travel to San Francisco because I thought I was going to win; I went to have fun and so I cut loose. I took those hand-ups happily. I danced in that filthy man-made lake, I jostled with a few Seattleites on that killer run-up, and even still, I was challenged to a sprint finish (which I was glad to have won). As happened last year in Seattle, after crossing the finish line, my pain abated and jubilation set in. “Where’s my team?”

 

Post-race, my teammates and I wandered around half-dazed, deciding what to do. Soaked and cold, we rode to the Buckshot Bar where celebratory beers, fries, and burgers were consumed. We left the after-party early for a difficult, hill-laden, ride back to the hotel. There was packing to do; preparation for the back-to-life drive that lay ahead of us on Monday. The race was in the books.

 

 

Pipe Dreams:

 

Throughout the event and during the drive home, conversations about future SSCXWC venues seemed to be the talk of not only my teammates, but most everyone who attended the race as well. Twitter was abuzz with speculation and ultimately, we thought the race was going back East; that is not to be the case for 2012 as the race will be held in Santa Cruz, California.

 

We met a few other Utahns at the race, but it seemed Cutthroat Racing was the largest group of Utah riders. Over the past few years, we’ve talked about the possibility of bringing SSCXWC to Salt Lake as it begins its eventual Eastward migration, but despite our desires, the questions that loom are quite serious. Can SLC handle the single speed ‘cross crowd? Where would we hold it? Can we gather the necessary sponsor support? How do we handle the incessant need for beer? As I said, all serious questions. Despite the possible difficulties, the conclusion has been, with the right support and the right people, we believe we could put on a cyclocross event, the likes of which SLC has never seen. If you want to help us put in a serious bid for 2013, contact us at http://cutthroatracing.com/join/ We’d love to hear what you have say and talk about the possibility of brining SSCXWC to SLC.

 

At the end of it all, strong new memories were forged and once again, I find myself planning to get it all together for next year’s race. I’m not a “racer” at heart; I compete mostly with myself and no one else. Despite this fact, SSCXWC is one of those events I plan on making a part of my yearly race schedule. As my teammate Steve and I discussed, the drive-time/race ratio on this event is quite low; however, the drive-time/fun ratio is astronomical. If you love ‘cross and aren’t afraid of a good time, perhaps you should join us for the 2012 race in Santa Cruz because, let me tell you, few showers are as well-deserved as the one I needed tonight; perhaps next year, you may find the same to be true.

For more on the race: http://www.sscxwc2011.com/

See Results

For more photos by Anna Day, click here.

A video:

 

2011 Singlespeed Cyclocross World Championships from Hans Kellner on Vimeo.

Racing the Downieville Classic – A Report from Alex Grant.

Alex Grant
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July 2011 –

I finally got to race the Downieville Classic.  That one has been on my bucket list for years and this July I had the fortune of checking it out.   I’d heard the rumors of awesomeness and have been intrigued by the format: a two day stage race, one day more of a cross-country focus and the next an all mountain downhill.  The catch is that you have to ride the same bike with the same tires for both, and they weigh your bike and check your tires both days.

 

That leads to quite a bit of bike-tech geek-out potential: what bike should I run, what tires, etc.  Traditionally the tradeoff has been between a burly 5 to 6 inch travel bike that will handle the downhill well, or a light racy cross-country rig that will get you up the 3,000 vertical foot dirt road climb quickly on day one.

 

I didn’t have to make that choice since Cannondale just launched their new Jekyll this year.  With the flick of a lever it switches between 90 and 150mm of rear travel.  The geometry changes with the adjustment and it climbs like a cross-country bike but feels like a slacked out six-inch bike on the downhill.   Paired with a dropper post it was the perfect Downieville rig.  The only thing I would have done differently would have been run full UST tires.  I went with a reinforced sidewall tubeless ready tire but it wasn’t enough to fend off the razor sharp rocks on course.  I cut my sidewall while running 3rd in the cross country, a good solid two inch cut, and had to ride the flat in to the finish.

 

I lost a few places and ended up 7th, but since the all mountain was calculated on points instead of time this year I thought there was still a chance for a good overall placing.  The downhill course was a total blast and included everything from fast open roads with water bar jumps to slow, rough, rocky trail to fast, flowy singletrack.

 

I tried to keep it smooth and safe, and ended up 7th in the downhill.  That was enough for 5th overall in the All Mountain, which I believe is an automatic invite to come back next year.  I’ll be back with the Jekyll for sure!

 

The next weekend was the US National Championships in Sun Valley, ID.  I’ve done a lot of riding in Sun Valley and the trails are amazing.  Unfortunately we didn’t race on any of them since the cross-country course was limited to a 5k loop and it is hard to access the good stuff in such a short distance.  The track left a little to be desired as it was straight up a steep service road and down countless loose switchbacks.   It was a little hard to swallow knowing how much world class riding is in the area.  A bike race is a bike race though, and once the gun goes off everyone races to the finish line.  Steep climbs tend to play to my strengths as a rider and I managed to work my way up from a back row start, which involved walking up the first climb behind a pileup, all the way to 8th by the finish.  That was my best nationals finish ever after a 13th place at Mt. Snow a few years ago.

 

Last but not least I had the fortune of stumbling upon the Steamboat Stinger last weekend.  I was heading over to Steamboat to visit my sister, who lives there, and my parents who were out visiting.   I found out about this new 50-mile race that was 90% singletrack that happened to be going on the same weekend.  I had taken the week off after nationals to get in a little break before building up to Leadville and figured this would be a good way to open the legs back up.  The race was awesome- well run, sweet course, and best of all I won a cowboy hat and $200 in Colorado beef!  I diced with Bryan Alders and Kalan Beisel on the men’s side.  Katie Compton ran away with the women’s race.

 

Lot’s on tap for August, I’m just hoping I can keep up with it all.

 

Thanks for reading.

[This post also appeared on cyclingnews.com]

Race 3 of the Clammy Cross Cyclocross Series

Cycling West
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Race 3 of the Clammy Cross Cyclocross Series
Bob Saffell in the A race. Photo: Steven Sheffield. For more photos, see the link below.

By Josh McCarrel

Race number 3 of the Clammy Cross Cyclocross series went down on November 26 at Art Dye Park in American Fork, Utah.

Team Revolution/Peak Fasteners signed on as a sponsor of the race bringing a little cash to the podiums and on this occasion, pie.

That’s right, this year after Black Friday came Brown Saturday and the First Annual Clammy Cross Pie Derby. The Derby is a barrier jumping contest. The rules are simple: in each flight, the person that hops the most barriers wins a pie. The course included five barriers, one regulation set and four 12 inchers.

In the C flight Brad Thurgood had it dialed. He jumped four barriers on each of the four laps completed by the C’s, in addition to taking sixth overall. The B flight proved to be a little more timid and the only racer to attempt the jumps was John James who cleared three before taking a trip over the bars on the fourth. The rest of the field presented no challenge and so John James laid claim to the Derby victory and snagged a 5th place finish in the B’s. You might expect the deep talent pool in the Men’s A’s to bring some high flying action but you’d be wrong. Taking a cue from the B’s, only one racer even attempted to jump the barriers. That racer however was Mark Albrecht, and he jumped 4 out of 5 barriers on every one of the nine laps completed by the A’s. On the first lap he even attempted the 40cm final barrier. That didn’t work out so well. The ensuing tumble cost him the lead in the race and a trip to the Urgent Care facility afterwards. But his signature tenacity helped him battle his way back to a respectable 5th place. Mark reports that nothing is broken, although he was cautioned against using beer as a pain medication.

Of course beyond the battle for pie, there was also a Cyclocross race going on. A beautiful sunny day greeted racers who have been slogging through the mud and snow for most of Utah’s CX season. The weather made for a fast firm course. With a couple passes through the clandestine dirt jumps in the woods, Art Dye Park upheld its reputation for gnarly technical sections. These features contrasted the rest of the course which included a long paved climb, a fast singletrack downhill to test each racers brake setup, and a labyrinth of grass turns.

The Men’s C race offered up the most spectator friendly race with many CX “virgins” taking a stab at hopping the barriers without success. Chris Dechet topped the podium by a commanding 90 seconds. For his efforts he won $25, a $20 Cafe Rio gift card and an automatic upgrade. Joe Sepulveda and Jim Wedge rounded out the podium.

The Men’s B’s were combined with all Women’s categories to fill out smaller fields. This pitted super fast Sarah Kaufman against the men. Many of whom she caught and passed despite a minute headstart. At the end for the Men racing B’s it was Dave Benson taking the $35 purse, followed by Alex Kim and Lou Melini. The Women’s A’s went Sarah Kaufman, Erika Powers then Jeanni Wheeler. Women’s B’s Podium was Erin Davis, Jennie Wade, Gigi Austria. And the lone Women’s C racer was Kristin Peterson (she won).

The Men’s A race was a tossup from the time Mark Albrecht went over the bars until the final laps. Chris Cole, Stewart Goodwin, Bob Saffell and Rich Caramadre stayed out in front for most of the race. Stewart Goodwin had a rear flat midway through the race that required two pits. After that it was all Chris Cole. Gaining about 10 seconds on his pursuers each of the last four laps. When the dust settled it was Chris Cole, Bob Saffell and Rich Caramadre. Cole received a $50 purse for his efforts.

The final race in the series is Saturday, December 10. This will be your last chance to check out a fantastic venue for Cyclocross. Come and join us. Find out more at clammycross.blogspot.com.

For more photos: http://www.flickr.com/#/photos/veloworks/sets/72157628169530439/

Results:

     
Men’s A   Series Points As Of 11/26/11
1-Chris Cole 1144 16
2- Bob Saffell 852 24
3- Rich Caramadre 887 14
4- John Woodruff 853 24
5-Mark Albrecht 851 32
6- Stewart Goodwin 794 23
7-Ben Brutsch 848 33
8- Scoott Hoggan 886 11
@1- Matt Bronco Bradley 889 11
     
Women’s A   Series Points As Of 11/26/11
1- Sarah Kaufman 890 10
2- Erika Powers 103 16
3-Jeanni Wheeler 896 8
4- Alison Malouf 895 7
5- Anne Perry 230 6
     
Men’s B   Series Points As Of 11/26/11
1-Dave Benson 941 16
2-Alex Kim 857 26
3-Louis Melini 816 14
4-Jamie Kent 891 13
5-John James 898 12
6-Karsten Shumway 949 11
7-John Karren 892 11
8-Patrick McKnight 862 11
@1 Drew Doll 1556 11
DNF Joe Johnson 666 11
     
Women’s B   Series Points As Of 11/26/11
1-Erin Davis 894 11
2-Jennie Wade 223 10
3- Gigi Austria 222 9
4-Sally Fairbairn 897 8
5-Theresa Carr 804 7
6-Lyna Saffell 893 6
     
Men’s C   Series Points As Of 11/26/11
1-Chris Dechet 814 Upgraded
2-Joe Sepulveda 878 43
3-Jim Wedge 820 23
4-Jim Noble 880 22
5-Scott LaRouche 879 21
6-Brad Thurgood 811 51
7-Ethan Nelson 882 20
8-Chad Bradford 877 50
9-Tim Conklin 884 20
10-Curtis Ellis 817 20
11-Jim Speer 813 39
12-Mike Rossberg 883 20
13-Ron Brown 815 20
14-Dennis Stafford 799 47
15-Nate Carter 808 28
@1-Wes Rasmussen 797 47
@1-Gianni Kennard 885 39
@1-Kevin Cowley 881 20
@1-Ty Nelson 818 20
???Pete O’Brien 819 Where’d you go?
     
Women’s C   Series Points As Of 11/26/11
     
Kristen Peterson 1510 6

 

Crusher in the Tushars Returns for Second Year

Cycling West
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Crusher in the Tushars Returns for Second Year
Tyler Wren of Boo Bicycles crossed the finish line on a cyclocross bike to win the men's pro division of the Crusher in the Tushar. Photo: Chris See.

Salt Lake City – One of the year’s most unique on- and off-road cycling events – the “Crusher in the Tushars” – will return in 2012 with the Beaver County Travel Council as a new title sponsor.
Recently-retired road and mountain bike professional and race promoter Burke Swindlehurst also announced the point-to-point race from Beaver, Utah, across one of Utah’s highest roads to the ski resort at Eagle Point, will keep its mid-July date. The 69-mile race is scheduled for Saturday, July 14.
Last year’s inaugural edition attracted nearly 200 road, mountain and cyclocross riders of all abilities from 17 states and Canada. An impressive line-up of professional riders included Olympian Clara Hughes – who won the pro/open women’s division – along with pro mountain bike legend David “Tinker” Juarez, three-time U.S. national cyclocross champion Tim Johnson, and pro roadies Jeff Louder, Paul Mach and men’s division winner Tyler Wren.
“It was hugely satisfying to see the race come off the way it did and particularly how much the local community embraced the event,” Swindlehurst said. “The Beaver County Travel Council came to me afterwards and said they wanted to play an even larger role for 2012. As a result, the event now has a title sponsor and I couldn’t be more thrilled.”
As a special thank you to first-year participants, Swindlehurst said riders who registered for the 2011 edition will be given an special early registration opportunity the day before it opens to the general public on Wednesday, Jan. 11th at 7 p.m. MST.
“In anticipation of a quick sell-out of the limited number of spots (350) available for the 2012 Crusher, I want to show my gratitude to those who supported the event in its first year by giving them a jump on registration,” Swindlehurst said. “I like to take care of those who take care of me.”
Registered “Crusher” riders from 2011 will receive an email explaining how they can take advantage of the early registration opportunity, Swindlehurst said.
Event details, including the available categories, how to register, a detailed course description, and tips on choosing the right bike for the race, can be found at the race’s official website, www.tusharcrusher.com.

American Cycling Association Representing Colorado and E. Wyoming Votes to Rejoin USA Cycling

Cycling West
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Golden, Colorado.  The Club Council, Board of Directors, and staff of the American Cycling Association (ACA) is announced on November 19th that the ACA will serve as the Local Association in 2012 for USACycling (USAC) for the state of Colorado and eastern Wyoming.  This decision was reached at a special Club Council Meeting on November 18, 2011, and ends thirteen years of division for amateur road, track and cyclocross racing in Colorado.

 

“We are incredibly pleased to be a part of USAC for the first time in over a decade,” said Clint Bickmore, Vice President of the ACA Board of Directors.  “We see great opportunity for growth as the Local Association of USAC.  With a coordinated race calendar, one set of rider rankings, the increased potential to bring national-level events to Colorado, the integration with collegiate racing, the ability to create exciting ancillary events with the 2012 USA Pro Cycling Challenge, and the shared power of two great organizations, this decision will immediately improve the competitive cycling community in Colorado.”

 

The ACA, which is governed by a dedicated board of directors and employs five part-time employees, will continue to support Colorado cycling with the great programs and exceptional customer service that its members, clubs, officials, race promoters, and other stakeholders expect and deserve.  “The fundamental principle guiding this decision is that we must remain an exceptional organization for our sporting community.  With this agreement in place, we can continue to deliver our programs and services while being part of the national organization,” said Chris McGee, ACA Executive Director.

 

Established in 1976 as the Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado (BRAC), the American Cycling Association (ACA) is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization that supports, promotes and sanctions competitive bicycle events in Colorado and southeast Wyoming.  The ACA provides an array of programs, including an extensive junior development program, to both attract new members and teach existing racers how to enjoy the sport of bicycle racing.  The ACA has more than 3,000 members and features 120 events annually.  Please see www.AmericanCycling.org for more information.

 

UDOT Continues to Have Dangerous Roads Policy

Chad Mullins
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Guest Editorial by Chad Mullins

Dangerous conditions persist on state roads because the Utah Department of Transportation has chosen not to incorporate safety improvements in repaving projects under their “Orange Book Policy” for preventive maintenance. Under the “no changes” Orange Book Policy, the department ignores opportunities to make existing streets safer and more efficient.

While UDOT is spending an unprecedented amount of money building new state-of-the-art intersections, expressways and expanded freeways, the “no changes” policy for resurfacing roads condemns urban users of state roads to inadequate, obsolete and often dangerous streets that were designed for conditions that existed decades ago.

This was not the intent according to the 2008 “Orange Book Safety Improvement Guidelines” posted on the UDOT website, “All preventive maintenance projects should consider appropriate ways to maintain or enhance the current level of safety and accessibility. . . Obvious deficiencies should always be addressed . . . Safety enhancements . . . should be included in projects where they are determined to be a cost effective way to improve safety.”

UDOT’s “no changes” practice perpetuates road configurations that may have been appropriate for less developed areas decades ago, but are woefully inadequate for today’s more urbanized neighborhoods with different land uses, many more residents and new road users such as pedestrians, bicyclists and transit riders.  These neighborhood changes demand newer safety enhancements that meet current population needs and protect the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.  Many of these roads were built when there were so few residents that bus stops and sidewalks were deemed unnecessary.

Minor modifications, such as repairing and widening the road shoulders, re-striping the lanes, removing obstacles, adding “share the road” signage and pavement markings, make streets safer and more efficient for everyone.

Such changes may require additional time and effort in surveying and engineering; however, the long term safety benefits associated with the prevention of costly accidents and potential deaths for our most vulnerable citizens far out-weigh the short-term expediency of the “no changes” policy.

Furthermore, once a road has been repaved another decade may pass before there is another opportunity to improve safety conditions.

900 East in Murray is a prime example of a roadway with obsolete segments crying out for improvements to enhance safety and make the roadway more efficient.  Newer improved sections of 900 East provide wide sidewalks and ample road shoulders, which have made 900 East a popular and heavily used north-south corridor for bicycle commuters.  But, older sections of 900 East reflect a time when bus stops and sidewalks were not needed. In the older sections the narrow street shoulders frequently disappear, forcing pedestrians and bicyclists to suddenly merge with automobiles in the traffic lane.

Such conditions are dangerous for pedestrians and bicyclists and impede efficient traffic movement.

Repaving 900 East from Van Winkle to I-215 is scheduled for 2012, creating a golden opportunity to correct the obvious deficiencies.  However, because of UDOT’s “Orange Book” policy those obsolete sections of 900 East will remain frozen in time.

It is time to stop perpetuating the deplorable conditions that currently exist for non-motorists on State roads in urban areas.  UDOT’s “no changes” practice negatively impacts every community, as well as UTA’s efforts to improve pedestrian/bicyclist access to public transit.  Community efforts to encourage healthy, active, alternative modes of travel in the Wasatch Front are often thwarted by our State road system.  The time has come for Utah’s Department of Transportation to demonstrate that it is prepared to serve all urban roadway users in a manner appropriate for the 21st century.

UDOT needs to revise their “no changes” practice and use re-surfacing projects as an opportunity to improve safety conditions and make our streets more efficient for everyone.

[Note: This editorial also appeared in the Salt Lake Tribune]

Chad Mullins is Chair of the Salt Lake County Bicycle Advisory Committee.

Report Shows Increased use of bikes for commuting offers economic, health benefits

Cycling West
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By David Tenenbaum

Cutting out short auto trips and replacing them with mass transit and active transport would yield major health benefits, according to a study just published in the scientific journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

The biggest health benefit was due to replacing half of the short trips with bicycle trips during the warmest six months of the year, saving about $3.8 billion per year from avoided mortality and reduced health care costs for conditions like obesity and heart disease.

The report calculated that these measures would save an estimated $7 billion, including 1,100 lives each year from improved air quality and increased physical fitness.

Moving five-mile round trips from cars to bikes is a win-win situation that is often ignored in discussions of transportation alternatives, says Jonathan Patz, director of the Global Health Institute at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. “We talk about the cost of changing energy systems, the cost of alternative fuels, but we seldom talk about this kind of benefit,” he says.

The study of the largest 11 metropolitan statistical areas in the upper Midwest began by identifying the air pollution reductions that would result from eliminating the short auto trips.

A small average reduction in very fine particles, which lodge deep in the lung and have repeatedly been tied to asthma, which affects 8.2 percent of U.S. citizens, and deaths due to cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases, was a major source of health benefits, says co-author Scott Spak, who worked on the study at UW–Madison and is now at the University of Iowa.

“The reductions tend to be much larger during high pollution episodes, and even small changes reduce a chronic exposure that affects the 31.3 million people living throughout the region — not just in these metropolitan areas, but even hundreds of miles downwind,” Spak says.

The study projected that 433 lives would be saved due to the reduction in fine particles.

The second step was to look at the health benefits of using a bicycle on those short trips during the six months with optimum weather, when cycling is quite feasible in the region.

“Obesity has become a national epidemic, and not getting exercise has lot to do with that,” says first author Maggie Grabow, a Ph.D. candidate at UW–Madison’s Nelson Institute, who will present the study today (Wednesday, Nov. 2) to the American Public Health Association in Washington, D.C.

“The majority of Americans do not get the recommended minimum level of exercise,” says Grabow. “In a busy daily schedule, if that exercise can automatically occur while commuting to work, we anticipate a major benefit in stemming the obesity epidemic, and consequently a significant reduction in type II diabetes, which is a deadly epidemic in its own right.”

Overall, the study may underestimate the benefits of eliminating short auto trips, says Patz, an environmental health specialist in the Department of Population Health Sciences, because it did not measure the financial savings due to reduced auto usage. Furthermore, the study did not try to account for the health benefits of the foregone auto trips, which would be performed on foot or via mass transit, both of which provide an additional amount of exercise.

Patz acknowledges that it’s unrealistic to expect to eliminate all short auto trips, but notes that biking as transportation is gaining popularity in the United States, and that in some cities in Northern Europe, approximately 50 percent of short trips are done by bike. “If they have achieved this, why should we not think we can achieve it too?” he asks.

Chicago and New York, among other cities, have devoted significant resources to bike infrastructure in recent years, Patz notes.

The new study, he says, should provide another motivation for making cities more bike friendly, with better parking, bike racks on buses and trains, and more bike lanes and especially separate bike paths.

“Part of this is a call for making our biking infrastructure safer. If there are so many health benefits out there, we ought to try to redesign our cities to achieve them without putting new riders at risk,” Patz says.

By lessening the use of fossil fuels, a reduction in auto usage also benefits the climate, Patz adds. “Transportation accounts for one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, so if we can swap bikes for cars, we gain in fitness, local air quality, a reduction in greenhouse gases, and the personal economic benefits of biking rather than driving. It’s a four-way win,” he adds.

Courtesy: University of Wisconsin

Report Reference:

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES

National Institutes of HealthU.S. Department of Health and Human Services Air Quality and Exercise-Related Health Benefits fro Reduced Car Travel in the Midwestern United States Maggie L. Grabow, Scott N. Spak, Tracey Holloway, Brian Stone Jr., Adam C. Mednick, Jonathan A. Patz

Published online: November 2, 2011

http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1103440

Utah Health Department Releases Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Guide

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Utah Health Department Releases Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Guide

Salt Lake City, UT – Does your city or county have a bike master plan? The new Utah Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan Design Guide is a tool that planners, advocates, and governments can use to make their community bike friendly. Representatives from the Utah Department of Health (UDOH), Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT), Wasatch Front Regional Council (WFRC), and Utah Transit Authority (UTA), among other partners, worked together to create the guide.

“This tool will help city planners and engineers design healthy transportation choices based on community-identified needs and goals,” said Brett McIff, UDOH Physical Activity Coordinator. “The bottom line is, everyone is a pedestrian at some point in their day, and we believe these plans will improve their quality of life by building environments that facilitate walking and biking,” said McIff.

Some cities around the state have already implemented or are developing similar plans. Orem and Salt Lake City have comprehensive plans focusing on bicycle and pedestrian transportation. Salt Lake City has received national attention because of its efforts, which include Complete Streets ordinances that encourage consideration of all modes of transportation for users of all ages and abilities.

“Active transportation like walking and cycling provides many benefits, including less traffic congestion, fewer road repair needs, an increase in community economic development, and a cleaner environment,” said McIff. “But the real benefit is that people who are active tend to be healthier than people who are inactive.”

The Utah Bicycle & Pedestrian Master Plan Design Guide was made possible by funding from the Department of Health and Human Services and the Utah Department of Health.

To access the Guide on-line visit:

http://health.utah.gov/obesity/documents/Utah%20Bike%20Ped%20Guide.pdf

 

Salt Lake City Installs Copenhagen Left Bike Turn Box

Cycling West
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Salt Lake City Installs Copenhagen Left Bike Turn Box
Salt Lake's first Copenhagen Left bike box on 200 S. and Main St.

November 15, 2011 – This week Salt Lake City installed its first ‘Copenhagen left’  bike turn box for cyclists turning left from Main St. to 200 S. eastbound.

Cyclists wanting to turn left from southbound Main Street to eastbound 200 S. proceed through the intersection with the Main St. green signal, then wait in the bike turn box until the 200 E. light changes. They can then proceed eastbound on 200 S.

The design, known as a “bike turn box” for short, allows bicyclists to make left turns across the TRAX light rail tracks in two traffic signal phases. Bicyclists riding south on Main St. use the 7′ x 10′ box to turn left by riding toward the south side of the intersection, waiting in the green box, and then proceeding on the green light with the traffic on 200 South.

The bike turn box is the City’s first implementation of a design taken from the new Urban Bikeway Design guide put together by U.S. cities interested in promoting innovation in bikeway designs. Salt Lake City  Mayor Ralph Becker and the City’s Transportation Division Director Tim Harpst have endorsed the guide, published by the National Association of City Transportation Officials.

“The endorsement represents the City’s intention to continue to consider ‘progressive’ bikeway designs in addition to the more standard engineering manuals,” said Salt Lake City Bicycle/Pedestrian  Coordinator Becka Roolf.

The new design provides bicyclists with a safe and legal left turn across the tracks where it is currently prohibited to automobiles due to the light rail right of way.

The bike turn box was proposed for this location by Tom Millar, an undergraduate student in Urban Planning at the University of Utah and intern with the City’s Bicycle/Pedestrian Program.

“The bike turn box simply makes what is already legal much safer and more visual for bicyclists, motorists and pedestrians,” Millar said.  “The design also discourages bicyclists from illegally crossing the tracks.”

Roolf said the bike turn box complements the “green shared lanes” already installed by the City on both Main St. and 200 South.

“The green shared lanes remind everyone that bicyclists have the right to use a full travel lane under Utah state law,” Roolf said. “Bicyclists may use the full lane any time a lane is too narrow for motorists to pass safely.”

Roolf noted that the shared lane design is compatible with downtown streets, particularly on low-volume, low-speed, or multi-lane roads where motorists may use another lane to pass.

The green bike turn box is not delineated with paint, but with a new epoxy product called CycleGrip which is being tested by the City for its durability under winter snow plow conditions.  CycleGrip is also being tested on 1700 South and 500 East, where green rectangles highlight shared lanes.

For more information on bicycle programs in Salt Lake City, and to see a newly updated map showing citywide bike routes, go here: www.slcgov.com/bike.

 

2011 6 Hours in Frog Hollow Race Report

Cycling West
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2011 6 Hours in Frog Hollow Race Report

For complete photos, visit: Crawling Spider Photography.

10-11-2011

The 2nd Annual 6 Hours in Frog Hollow took place on October 1st this year. The small regional event is just as much about having a really fun time riding your bike as it is about racing. The costume theme this year was animals and on course was a fly, a skunk, a butterfly, several bunnies, and a few others. Beer drinking was also a big theme, with more than a few on course PBR’s spotted to help quench the thirst.

The race uses the same route as the iconic 25 Hours in Frog Hollow: a 13 mile loop in the desert east of Hurricane which includes portions of the IMBA EPIC Jem and Hurricane Cliffs trails. The race goes from 9 am to 3 pm, with last lap called at 2 pm. The course was packed and fairly fast race day, but the temperatures of the day proved to be challenging for those trying to achieve a lap goal or vie for a podium spot. At the time last lap was called the mercury was registering 92 out on course.

Despite that fact that the race was well supported with hydration and nutritional products and supplements (and even Swedish fish and gummy worms) only three teams achieved 6 laps compared to 10 teams in 2010 – Solo winner Theron Jeppson, Co-ed Duo team winner Chanda and Brian Jeppson, and Duo Male team winners Bob Saffeil and Shannon Boffeli of MTBRacenews.com/Revolution. But that does not mean that competition in some categories was not fierce. Earning a podium spot in the Solo male category meant staying on course and on pace to pass 25 other guys. Competition was really tight in the male solo single speed category too, with the top 4 finishers all having 4 laps. Paul Pillitteri of Cedar City, a Frog Hollow race veteran, took 1st in that category, followed by Tom Jones in 2nd and Team Ramrod.Say it! just 11 min behind for 3rd place.

There was a lot of excitement in the women’s races this year as well. With a record female turnout of 27%, these ladies meant business. Cait Dwitriew of Glenwood Springs Colorado took 1st for the solo female category with 5 laps in 5:27:30, followed by Janelle Stewart, who pulled off 5 laps in 6:12:14 for second despite riding most of the day dressed as a skunk. Also of note is the fact that we had two ladies in the Female Masters 50+ category. Both of these ladies put in an incredible effort, with RavenRider taking 1st place with 4 laps, and Lightning sticking it out to the end to finish her 3. Another exciting outcome in the women’s category was the 1st place Duo Female team MTBRaceNEws.com/HoneySTinger who were racing as two breast cancer survivors.

There were also 4 first time racers on course that day.

All-in-all everyone had a wonderful experience and then finished the day with a meal at one of two local sponsor restaurants in the town of Hurricane.

For a complete list of finishers and standing see http://www.gropromotions.com/RESULTS.html

Category Place Laps Time TeamName
3 Person Male
1 5 06:02:03 Fueled by Alcohol
Duo Co-ed
1 6 05:41:27 Team Jeppson
2 5 05:39:24 Adamaxine
3 4 04:46:49 Matthew Lydens
Duo Female
1 5 05:27:16 MTBRaceNews/HoneyStinger
2 4 05:30:29 Las Chikas Rapidos
3 4 05:57:45 Over the Edge Bunnies
Duo Male
1 6 05:24:36 MTBRaceNews.com/Revolution
2 5 05:36:55 Rock Star Las Vegas
3 5 05:56:44 TeamLAX
4 4 18:14:36 Scattered
Solo Female
1 5 05:27:30 Cait
2 5 06:12:14 J-bird
3 4 04:54:28 Over the Edge Shellwin
4 4 05:26:49 Julia Hilton
5 4 05:34:47 Cutthroat Race Team
6 4 05:48:22 2dognight
7 3 04:39:13 Team Kera
Solo Male
1 6 05:48:15 Solo Jeppson
2 5 05:02:22 Athlete360
3 5 05:09:44 Las Vegas Cyclery
4 5 05:11:14 Cory Hatch
5 5 05:16:19 Red Rock Bicycle Co.
6 5 05:43:56 bretdo
7 5 05:45:00 Skyline Cycle / Underground Her
8 5 05:58:13 ProForma
9 4 05:00:31 GARRETT
10 4 05:02:49 Bicycles Unlimited
11 4 05:25:37 That One Guy
12 4 05:38:04 Cutthroat Racing
13 4 05:44:18 Brizzo
14 4 05:52:02 suLLy
15 4 06:04:18 Mortensen
16 3 04:10:52 Red Rock-Team Mustache
17 3 04:16:00 Trey O’Neal
18 3 04:41:22 Team Trent
19 3 04:51:31 Troy’s Adventure Sports
20 3 04:55:48 2dognight-1st
21 3 05:02:42 Team Reid
22 3 06:43:36 Bogley Boys
23 2 02:24:09 Team ALS
24 2 03:02:09 Jimmy johns
25 1 01:28:19 Hunt Storage
Solo Masters 50+ Female
1 4 06:07:15 RavenRider
2 3 03:34:04 Lightning
Solo Masters 50+ Open
1 4 05:27:45 These Old Bones
2 4 05:40:36 Canyon Cycles Draper
Solo Singlespeed Male
1 4 04:20:04 Paul Pillitteri
2 4 05:03:53 TOM JONES
3 4 05:14:28 Team Ramrod….Say it!
4 4 05:51:12 nite owl
5 3 04:16:35 A Six Pack in Five Laps

 

Erika Powers and Keegan Swenson Win 2011 Clammy Cross #1

Cycling West
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Erika Powers and Keegan Swenson Win 2011 Clammy Cross #1

September 24, 2011 – American Fork, Utah – This is the second time we have put on a race at Art Dye Park in American Fork, Utah. We did one last year, and this year we have extended it into a three race series, with another date in the works for a night race under the lights.

Team Clammy Chamois has been putting the “C’s” in Cyclocross for three years now. No sponsorships, no paid entry fees, just a lot of “Mud and Guts on 3” type of support, and the occasional Bratwurst fry at the races. That being said we have tried to create a race that is fun to ride for those of us who don’t quite make it to the podium every week.

The venue is a city sports venue with three baseball diamonds and several soccer fields. Several acres of flat, fast, grass, an asphalt jogging path, gravel, sand, and stream crossings. There is a wooded area that the city doesn’t maintain where the local BMX groms have built a maze of trails and dirt jumps. An 18-hole disc golf course also winds through the trees creating several natural run-ups and barriers.

American Fork City has been fantastic to work with. We have basically been given free reign in the park. In regards to the wooded area, I was told, “You can do whatever you want in there.” by the Parks and Rec director. This has opened up a world of options.

This year, construction on a local canal has redirected a lot of ground water into the wooded area creating a muddy swamp. Giving us a rare opportunity for some early season mud in Utah.

The C flight was off at 9:30am – cool morning had the grass wet and soft. Team Clammy Chamois racer Ryan Cobourn got the holeshot and held the lead through the technical tree section but faded in the later laps to a mid-pack finish. Michael Moody a local Expert MTB racer decided to try his hand at CX for the first time ever. He has since been asked to upgrade. Racing on his 26″ hardtail MTB he soon had a minute gap on the closest contender and would hold onto it for the rest of the race. The high pace put a good share of the pack down a lap at the finish.

Despite discounted entry fees, only four women showed up to race, so all categories were combined and the ladies had the course to themselves. Erika Powers and Alison Vrem raced A’s. Theresa Carr and Rachel Clayson raced B’s. The technical course strung the girls out quite a bit over the course and the final results had Erika Powers winning the A’s and Theresa Carr taking the B’s.

After a shortened, free race for the kids 12 and under, the Men’s A’s were up. Last years Clammy Cross Champion Eric Rasmussen of KUHL racing showed up as well as local wunderkind Keegan Swenson racing for Whole Athlete Cycling.

At the gun, the pack soon filed into a line with Swenson out front. This is how it would go for the next 60 minutes. Cody Haroldsen of Ski Utah was the closest competitor for most of the race, but Swenson would eventually extend his lead to over two minutes per lap. At one point Swenson even lost a pedal, was able to pit with no “B” bike, get the pedal repaired, and still maintain better than one minute on the Haroldsen. For his part Eric Rasmussen paced himself throughout the race and lap by lap started picking off racers one by one. At the finish, it would be Swenson, Haroldsen, and Rasmussen on the podium.

As the day wore on, the grass dried out and the B’s had the best conditions for the final race. Ben Cline who had signed up to race A’s took a look at the technical course and asked to race with the B’s. It worked out for him. Taking a commanding lead in the second lap and holding it until the end. Andrew Love was next on the podium followed by Jeff Austin who finally pulled a podium spot from his nemesis at the local crit series, Alex Kim.

Clammy Cross has two more confirmed races this season. November 26, and December 10. We are also firming up the details for our “Friday Night Lights” race on October 21. Stay tuned to www.clammycross.blogspot.com for details.

Men’s A A Series Points
1- Keegan Swenson 17
2- Justin Doll 16
3- Eric Rasmussen 15
4- Cody Haroldsen 14
5- Darren Cottle 13
6- Rick Sunderlage 12
7- Bo Pitkin 12
@1 Ben Brutsch 12
@1 Seth Bradley 12
@1 Adam Lisonbee 12
@1 Mark Albrecht 12
@1 Joe Johnson 12
DNF Peter Archambault
DNF Mark Flis
Women’s A A Series Points
1- Erika Powers 7
2- Alison Vrem 6
Men’s B B Series Points
1- Ben Cline 13
2- Andrew Love 12
3- Jeff Austin 11
4- Alex Kim 10
5- Chris Jones 9
6- Patrick McKnight 8
@1 John Thomas 8
@1Jonathan Lozon 8
DNF Eric Gardiner
Women’s B B Series Points
1-Theresa Carr 7
2- Rachel Clayson 6
Men’s C
C Series Points
1- Michael Moody 24
2- Stewart Goodwin 23
3- Jared Cassiano 22
4- Justin Thomas 21
5- Dallin Cotterell 20
6- Brent Rawlings 19
7- Ryan Cobourn 19
8- Parrish Pontious 19
9- Brad Thurgood 19
10- Travis Buzzard 19
11- Sam Wolfe 19
12- Chad Bradford 19
13- Jared Eborn 19
@1 Derron Tanner 19
@1 Gianni Kennard 19
@1 Jim Speer 19
@1 Brad Rowberry 19
@1 Wes Rasmussen 19
@1 Nathan Clark 19
@1 Dennis Stafford 19
@1 Joe Sepulveda 19
DNF Chris Dechet
Women’s C
No Racers

 

Evans and Wilcox Top Harvest Moon Criterium

Cycling West
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Evans and Wilcox Top Harvest Moon Criterium
Ben Towery winning the Masters B category. Photo: Natalie Steed.

September 24, 2011 – Ogden, UT –
The 2011 edition of the Harvest Moon Criterium saw great weather, big prizes, exciting racing and the biggest turnout in 3 years.
The day started early in the crisp hours of the morning with the largest junior field we’ve seen in a long time. 12 juniors made it look easy with many of them taking part in the adult categories later in the day. One of those was 12-year-old rider Katie Clouse. She won her age group then went on to finish in the Women’s Cat 4 race which was won by Megan Burger.
Competitive racing was seen all across the spectrum of categories on the tight, 4 corner crit. Only one crash occurred during the day. On the last lap of the Men’s Cat 4 race, 6 riders were taken out in turn 2. While there was some road rash, the worst damage was contained to mostly equipment as Ryan Pace saw his bike break in 4 places! His consolation was winning the big prime of the day, a flat screen TV from Sun Valley Mortgage. Mike Underhill stayed clear of the carnage and followed up his Sanpete Classic win with a big sprint to take first.

Masters B category. Photo: Natalie Steed.

With $2000 in prize money at stake, the Women Pro/Cat 1/2/3 race was set to be a great race. This was the largest cash purse the women have seen at a UCA race in a good while and the ladies present were well aware of the cash waiting for the winners. With LOTOJA winner Keri Gibson, Simply Mac Crit Series winner Kaytie Scott, Primal Utah standout Chantel Olsen and pro rider Nicole Evens, there was plenty of talent on display. The group stayed tight with a series of attacks during prime laps. Each lady seemed to be waiting for Nicole Evans to make a move. With 5 laps to go, Evans indeed put the hammer down and won the race by 38 seconds. She claimed the $600 winners loot in the process. The rest of the field finished in a fast and close sprint with Laura Howat and Kaytie Scott rounding out the cash heavy podium.
The largest field of the day was the 29 strong Men Pro/Cat 1/2. This group had hundreds of dollars in primes and prizes on the line and the race was fast from lap one. The two $100 primes came back to back with Chase Pinkham taking the first prime and TJ Eisenhart pipping Pinkham for the second $100 prime by just centimeters. The battle for elite category supremacy continued for the duration of the 60 minute race with Michael Wilcox finally taking the win. Todd Hageman and O-town local Bryce Young took the next two spots in what capped off an excellent day of racing.

Masters B category. Photo: Natalie Steed.

 

 

Female Cat 4 1 Megan BURGER 29:28.2
2 Amber WOODBURY Dottie Becks Cycling 29:28.4
3 Callie SPOTTED ELK 29:29.4
4 Heather SMITH The Bike Shoppe/Chick-fil-A 29:29.8
5 Colleen NEIDER 29:30.0
6 Katie CLOUSE Cole Sport 30:16.1
Cat1/2/3 1 Nicole EVANS Team VBF 47:38.7
2 Laura HOWAT Ski Utah Cycling Team 48:16.5
3 Kaytie SCOTT Simply Mac Racing 48:16.5
4 Chantel OLSEN PCIM 48:17.2
5 Keri GIBSON 48:17.3
6 Toby NISHIKAWA SimplyMac Racing p/b Bingham’s 48:17.7
7 Margaret DOUGLASS Ski Utah Cycling Team 48:18.5
8 Joan MEINERS Rocky Mounts ~ Izze 48:18.9
9 Kemille GARVIN Dottie Becks 48:19.1
10 Bev RONNOW FFKR Architects/SportsBaseOnli 48:44.5
11 Beth KOBZA 49:03.7
Cat1/2/3/4 12-Oct 1 Katie CLOUSE Cole Sport 19:09.7
35-99 1 Margaret DOUGLASS Primal Utah 29:22.7
7 Jo GARUCCIO Canyon Bicycles 29:30.8
8 Diane EVANS Dottie Becks Cylcing 29:44.7
Male Cat 3 1 Mike PRATT Canyon Bicycles Draper 50:58.0
2 Casey NIELSEN Simply Mac Racing 50:58.7
3 Teal BUCHI FFKR/SportsBaseOnline p/b Tour 50:58.8
4 Chad VANSOLKEMA Bicycle Center 50:59.1
5 Chris PUTT Canyon Bicycles 50:59.2
6 Kent CARLSEN Wimmer’s Ultimate – LRC 50:59.3
7 Bill GOWSKI Sonora Grill/Bicycle Center 50:59.8
8 Colton HLAVINKA BYRDS (Boise Young Rider Dev S 51:00.0
9 Tyler MATSON Simply Mac-Bingham’s Cyclery 51:00.0
10 Joshua HICKMAN Sonora Grill/Bicycle Center 51:00.2
11 Tyler SOUTHARD Sonora Grill/Bicycle Center 51:01.2
12 Weston WOODWARD Roosters/Bikers Edge 51:01.4
13 Courtney LARSEN Sonora Grill/Bicycle Center 51:01.7
14 Richard DRESSEN The Bike Shoppe/Chick-fil-a 51:01.8
15 Brian RANDALL Sonora Grill/Bicycle Center 51:02.6
16 Zach TERRY Sonora Grill/Bicycle Center 51:05.1
17 Josh CARTER Sonora Grill/Bicycle Center 51:06.8
18 Al MICHINI Ski Utah Cycling Team 51:08.5
19 Christian RONNOW FFKR/SportsBaseOnline 51:12.7
20 Alex LIZARAZO Roosters/Biker’s Edge 51:19.7
21 Mark MILLER Canyon Bicycles-Draper 52:06.5
22 Lorin RONNOW FFKR Architects/SportsBaseOnli 52:07.3
Cat 4 1 Mike UNDERHILL Revolution Cafe Rio 40:38.0
2 Preston NIEDERHAUSER Needle Peak Ski & Bike 40:38.6
3 Ira SORENSEN Revolution Cafe Rio 40:39.4
4 Paul BAKER Simply mac 40:40.0
5 Justin GIBSON The Bike Shoppe/Chick-fil-a 40:40.1
6 Shelby BURTON Ritte Racing 40:40.3
7 Dave SWENSEN Revolution Cafe Rio 40:40.5
8 Isaac KUNZ 40:41.0
9 Brandon BLACKWELL Simply Mac Racing p/b Bingham 40:42.2
10 Nathan BARNES Revolution Racing Cafe Rio 40:58.2
11 Jeffrey LEEMAN RMCC Cyclesmith 41:00.6
12 Mitchell YOUNG Simply Mac Racing p/b Binghams 42:03.3
Cat 5 1 Taylor FELT Bountiful Bicycle Center 00:00.0
2 Tony PETERSON 00:00.0
3 Patrick MCGINNIS 00:00.0
4 Douglas SLIGTING The Fan Cycling 00:00.0
5 Ed CLOUSE Cole Sport 00:00.0
6 Jon MCBRIDE 00:00.0
7 David BENSON 00:00.0
8 Keaton RICH Utah University 00:00.0
9 Jim JI 00:00.0
10 Jeff GODDARD 00:00.0
11 Jedd COX 00:00.0
12 Jeff BRUCE Joy Ride Bike 00:00.0
13 Mitcheu BRUCE Joyride 00:00.0
14 Aaron SHULTZ 00:00.0
15 Evan CLOUSE Cole Sport 00:00.0
16 Paul (chris) WARD Ski Utah-MarketStar 00:00.0
17 Zachary PETERSON Bike Fix 00:00.0
18 Dustin BASHAW infinite cycles 00:00.0
19 Brian BARLOW 00:00.0
20 Matthew KNIGHT 00:00.0
21 Harrison SLIGTING Hakenya
22 Cole FESSLER Weber State 00:00.0
23 Samuel WILCOX Joyride Bikes 00:00.0
Cat1/2/3 35-99 1 Jason SAGER Team Jamis 40:09.0
2 Michael PRATT Canyon Bicycles-Draper 40:12.0
3 Dennis PORTER Bike Shoppe/ Chic-Fil-a 40:12.1
4 Trent OLSEN The Bike Shoppe Chick-Fil-A 40:12.5
5 Casey NIELSEN Simply Mac Racing 40:12.6
6 Kevin VORE The Bike Shoppe/Chick-fil-A 40:12.8
7 Cam CANDELARIA Ski Utah-Marketstar 40:12.8
8 Kyle BROWN Bikers Edge/Destination Homes 40:14.3
9 Jody HARRIS The Bike Shoppe/Chick fil a 40:17.9
10 Richard DRESSEN The Bike Shoppe/Chick-fil-a 40:28.1
Cat1/2/3/4 12-Oct 1 Evan CLOUSE Cole Sport 18:32.6
2 Van HIGLEY BIKERS EDGE 19:51.0
13-14 1 Zachary PETERSON Bike Fix 18:31.0
2 Tyler SHELLEY 18:31.3
3 Noah PUTT Contender 18:31.4
4 Harrison SLIGTING Hakenya 18:32.6
5 Tyler ASHTON 19:09.7
6 Landon TRUSTY 19:14.7
7 Cy OTT 19:21.8
8 Max HIGLEY X-Men 19:51.1
17-18 1 Christian JOHANSEN 18:32.1
45-99 1 Mike COOPER canyon bicycles – draper 38:36.1
2 John MCKONE 38:36.2
3 Brian BOUDREAU DARE 38:36.4
4 Todd TAFT Ski Utah Cycling Team 38:37.6
5 Shane DUNLEAVY Ski Utah – Marketstar 38:37.9
6 Steve FERGUSON morganstanley smith barney 38:38.0
7 Eric MARTIN skullcandy/jsa architects 38:39.9
8 Scott MATHEWSON ThinkCash Racing 38:40.6
9 Jeff CLAWSON Canyon Bicycles – Draper 38:57.4
10 Darrell DAVIS CONTENDER BICYCLES 39:19.6
11 Guy ROUNDY CA Pools/Dewalt 39:42.8
12 Mark MILLER Canyon Bicycles-Draper 00:00.0
55-99 1 Lorin RONNOW FFKR Architects/SportsBaseOnli 38:39.0
2 Ken LOUDER FFKR/SportsBaseOnline P/B Tour 38:40.6
3 Dirk COWLEY FFKR/SportsBaseOnline p/b Tour 38:45.4
4 Gary SIMMONS Bountiful Mazda 38:55.9
5 Henry EBELL Porcupine Racing 40:01.1
6 Rod GOLSAN Golsan Cycles 00:00.0
Cat4/5 35-99 1 Ben TOWERY The Bike Shoppe/Chick-fil-a 37:43.5
2 Dave SWENSEN Revolution Cafe Rio 37:43.8
3 Greg PETERSEN Sonora Grill/Bicycle Center 37:44.0
4 Jeffery SHEPHERD Logan Race Club 37:44.1
5 Nathan BARNES Revolution Racing Cafe Rio 37:45.2
6 Ira SORENSEN Revolution Cafe Rio 37:46.8
7 Michael ADAMS Logan Race Club 37:47.1
8 Mike UNDERHILL Revolution Cafe Rio 37:47.2
9 Ronnie BOUTTE Team Big Ring-Real Cyclist.com 37:49.1
10 Patrick PUTT cole sport 37:51.3
11 Kevan STEED The Bike Shoppe/Chick-fil-a 37:52.2
12 Josh FOUKAS Sonora Grill/Bicycle Center 37:52.9
13 Aaron BAILEY Canyon Bicycles Draper 37:54.8
14 Brad BECK Bountiful Mazda Cycling 37:55.5
Pro/1/2 1 Michael WILCOX1 FFKR/SportsBaseOnline p/b Tour 58:37.6
2 Todd HAGEMAN Cole Sport 58:38.4
3 Bryce YOUNG 58:38.4
4 Eric FLYNN FFKR Architects/SportsBaseOnli 58:38.5
5 Taylor (t.j.) EISENHART FFKR Architects/SportsBaseOnli 58:38.6
6 Brian BOUDREAU DARE 58:38.6
7 Chase PINKHAM BISSELL Pro Cycling 58:38.9
8 Manuel Le B.a. CYPERS The Bike Shoppe/Chick Fil A 58:39.1
9 Cortlan BROWN BIKEFIX 58:39.2
10 Troy HEITHECKER 58:39.4
11 Todd NEUMARKER Bikers Edge/Destination Homes 00:00.0
12 David HARWARD Canyon Bicycles-Draper 58:39.7
13 Andre GONZALEZ VeloCity Cyclists/Canyon Bicyc 58:41.5
14 Aaron OLSEN FFKR/SBO P/B Tour of Utah 58:42.4
15 Joseph WATERS Canyon Bicycles Draper 58:43.9
16 Brian PARKER Bobs-Bicycles.com 58:44.0
17 Darren GOFF The Bike Shoppe/Chick Fil A 58:45.1
18 Rodney MENA Contender 58:45.8
19 Jason SAGER Team Jamis 58:46.5
20 Darrell DAVIS Unattached 58:46.9
21 Kevin VAN LOON Unattached 58:47.6
22 Nate ARNIM FFKR Architects/SportsBaseOnli 58:50.0
23 Jesse GORDON Canyon Bicycles-Draper 59:03.0
24 Steve FERGUSON morganstanley smith barney 00:37.1

 

9 Line Bicycle Trail Grand Opening Nov 5 in Salt Lake City

Cycling West
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Residents Invited to Celebrate New Trail and Neighborhood Business District
Mayor, Councilman to help unveil new bicycle/pedestrian trail and revitalized River District Gardens

SALT LAKE CITY –Mayor Ralph Becker, Councilman Van Turner, NeighborWorks Salt Lake, Union Pacific and other community partners will celebrate the opening of the “9 Line” trail project this Saturday, Nov. 5 at noon on the southeast corner of 900 South and 900 West. The event will also introduce the “River District Gardens” neighborhood business node being revitalized along 900 West.

The “9 Line” trail is located along the former Union Pacific railroad right-of-way adjacent to 900 South from Redwood Road to 700 West. The “9 Line Corridor” continues via designated bike lanes on the roadway from 600 West to 200 West. Future development of the corridor will extend farther east and west.
The $700,000 trail project sets the foundation for a major pedestrian and bicycle route with various amenities to the public. The city is currently seeking public input for the  corridor master plan to determine the most desirable enhancements and adjacent land uses.
“The 9 Line is about making connections” said Mayor Becker. “The trail provides an important new connection between east and west side communities for recreating and gathering in ways that strengthen community relationships.”
The community event will also include the unveiling of “River District Gardens,” a neighborhood business district located on 900 West from 700 South to Jordan Park. Salt Lake City and NeighborWorks Salt Lake, a non-profit neighborhood revitalization agency, have partnered in an effort to help revitalize the business node through community-based economic development. Partners plan to combine business, recreation and other amenities in the area to create the west side’s own “9th and 9th” neighborhood business district.
Residents are invited to participate in the communitywide celebration which offers activities, information booths, free food and more. Community partners include NeighborWorks Salt Lake, Salt Lake City Department of Community and Economic Development, Anderson Senior Center, University of Utah Planning Department, the People’s Market, University Neighborhood Partners, Jordan River Commission, Smith’s Food & Drug Stores and others.

For more information regarding project history and trail facts visit www.the9line.com.
WHO:  Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker
Salt Lake City Councilman Van Turner
Salt Lake City Redevelopment Agency Director DJ Baxter
NeighborWorks Salt Lake Director Maria Garciaz
Community Member and Former State Senator Fred Fife
Union Pacific Railroad Public Projects Manager Bill Ince

WHAT: 9 Line Trail and River District Gardens Community Celebration

WHEN: Saturday, Nov.5, 12-3 p.m.

WHERE:   On the newly paved trail at the southeast corner of 900 South and 900 West

Cycling Utah’s Fall Winter 2011 Issue is Now Available!

Cycling West
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Cycling Utah’s Fall Winter 2011 Issue is Now Available!

Riders came from across the country to demo bikes and ride Moab's trails and roads during Outerbike 2011. Photo: Beth Runkle

Our Fall Winter 2011 Issue is now available as a PDF (7.8 mb download), Pick up a copy at your favorite Intermountain bike shop or other location!

 

Featuring:

Cycling in Turkey and Lebanon page – 2

Matt Bradley and Jen Hanks are our Riders of the Year page – 3

Outerbike Has Successful Second Year page – 4

A Conversation with Cycling Icon Richard Schwinn of Waterford Bicycles page – 5

News from Bike Utah page – 5

Stephen James is Planning Daybreak to Make Cycling Easier  page – 6

2011 Sees 27% Increase in Cyclists in Salt Lake City page – 6

Gear For Your Winter Bike Commute page – 10

“The Sufferfest – A Very Dark Place” Will Keep You Fit Over the Winter page – 11

Clinton Mortley, Keri Gibson turn “Dreams” into Big Wins at LoToJa –
Hard training. Hard racing. And willingness to “suffer” pays off for both.  page – 12

DZNuts InHeat Keeps Your Legs Warm on Cold Rides page – 13

New Therapy Room at Huntsman Cancer Institute Named After LoToJa  page – 16

Fall is Time for Cyclocross page – 17

Chip Seals and Bicycles in Salt Lake City – Final Call for Public Input Through November 18. page – 20

Bicycle Collective News page – 21

New Methods Sought for Bike Counts page – 21

Mountain Trails Foundation News page – 21

How Utah’s Congressional Delegation Stands on Cycling page – 23

WickWërks Chainrings Provide a Faster Shifting Experience page – 24

Physiological Testing & Endurance Training page – 24

Beaver Dam Mountains Classic page – 25

A Jekyll and Hyde Solo 1,000-Mile Bike Ride page – 26

Winter  Riding Conditions Requires Winter Clothing page – 27




 

Lake Mead Triathlon to be held on November 12 in Las Vegas

Cycling West
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LAS VEGAS– Imagine serving your country, not only having sacrificed your energy, sweat and time away from your loved ones, but having also sacrificed something physically irreplaceable – an arm, leg, your sight. Now imagine competing in a swim at Boulder Beach, a bike ride through the rolling hills of Lakeshore Drive and a run on the scenic River Mountain Trail, and overcoming the stigma placed on those physical disabilities to become a world-renowned athlete. The Challenged Athletes Foundation’s Operation Rebound program makes this a reality…

 

In recognition of Veterans Day, the inaugural Lake Mead Triathlon will take place on Saturday, November 12th, at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Boulder City, Nev. The race will benefit CAF’s Operation Rebound by funding grants for adaptive sporting equipment and competition expenses. Through these grants, Military Medical Center Physical Training (MMCPT) and sports clinics, Operation Rebound provides unparalleled sports opportunities and support to active American military service members, veterans of any branch and first responders who have suffered permanent physical injuries.

 

“We are excited and honored that Life Time Fitness chose us as their event’s designated charity,” says Nico Marcolongo, CAF Operation Rebound Program Manager. “Our veterans are always looking for a new athletic challenge and I think the Lake Mead Triathlon will provide them with an unforgettable experience.”

 

The Lake Mead Triathlon promises an adventure for competitors of all levels. The event, which is owned and produced by Life Time Fitness (NYSE:LTM), The Healthy Way of Life Company, consists of three different courses including a sprint distance (750-meter swim, 20-km bike, 5K run), international distance (1500-meter swim, 40-km bike, 10K run) and long course (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run). A relay for the international distance and long course, as well as a single-participant half marathon is also open for registration.

 

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Life Time Fitness will donate a portion of each individual athlete’s registration and 100 percent of the registration fee for the two relays directly to Operation Rebound. Participants and non-participants can make donations to support the mission by visiting www.lakemeadtri.com.

 

Early registration ends September 30th with fees currently ranging from $65 to $150 for individual participants and $250 to $500 for relay participation. For more information, please visit www.lakemeadtri.com.

 

About Lake Mead Triathlon

Part of the Life Time Athletic and Endurance Events portfolio, the Lake Mead Triathlon takes place at the Lake Mead National Recreation Area in Boulder City, Nev. The multi-sport race offers three levels of competition: sprint, international and long course, all consisting of a swim at Boulder Beach, a bike ride through the rolling hills of Lakeshore Drive and a run on the River Mountain Trail. A relay for the international distance and long course, as well as a single-participant half marathon is also open for registration. For more race information, including registration, please visit www.lakemeadtri.com.

 

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About Cycling West: Cycling West is a print publication and website that works to grow, connect, and inform the cycling community in Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nevada, N. Arizona, N. California, and Western Colorado. We have a complete calendar of events in the region, and strive to reach cyclists of all types. We distribute approximately 13000-15000 copies each month throughout the region. We also post the issue for digital download. Our mission is to make the world a better place through bicycling. Please join us! Contact us: [email protected]

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