If you ride a little or ride a lot or have just been walking and ‘in the way’ of an impatient driver, I bet at some point in a ride, someone has yelled at you from a car or truck window to “Get off the road!” The really clever ones add “I pay taxes for it and you don’t!”
Ever thought about this suggestion? That we, as cyclists, are getting a free ride because we don’t pay gas taxes for the miles we do on two wheels under our own power? Well, forget this idea because it is as wrong as wearing your bike shorts backwards and about as helpful as a stick between the spokes.
There are two reasons why cyclists have every right to be on the road. The first comes from the economic facts. As cyclists we don’t pay less in taxes than a motorist to use the road, we pay more. The details are available in some reports from Todd Litman of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute that are available via the website www.vtpi.org. But the summary goes something like this.
Most cycling happens on local roads (versus state and federal highways) and there were $26 billion dollars (1995 dollars) spent on local roads in the U.S. in 1994, only $2 billion of which came from motor vehicle user charges. The rest of local road funding comes from general funds and special assessments, taxes we pay whether we drive an automobile or ride a bicycle. But it gets better.
The cost of building and maintaining roads, on average, works out to 3.9 cents per mile driven for vehicles, but the cost of actually driving those miles in gas taxes and vehicles fees is, on average, only 2.5 cents per mile. In fact for the local roads, the cost to drivers is only .2 cents per mile. This means that drivers are actually subsidized by 1-2 cents per mile to use cars. But these are only the direct costs of road repair and maintenance.
If we add in the cost of tax funded parking subsidies, and the cost of acquiring roadway land, we get a number more like 12 cents per mile in true costs of having roads, so the subsidy now climbs to 13-14 cents per mile. And things get really out of hand when we begin to include some of the more indirect impacts of driving, such as lost productivity due to time spent in traffic congestion, off-street parking facilities, uncompensated accident damages and environmental impacts. The estimates for these components add a further 10-40 cents per mile to the real cost of having our road system. This still doesn’t include the health costs of vehicular air pollution, which are estimated to be as high as 21 cents per mile nor the indirect health costs of inactivity. Neither does it include the societal and economic costs of obtaining and defending oil supplies or the long-term, yet to be determined effects of driving on global warming.
For the cyclist, who creates much less impact, typically rides many fewer miles, and yet still pays just as much in income, sales, property, etc. taxes as the typical driver, the deal is not nearly as good. One comparison in Litman’s report shows that while an average household’s general taxes are several hundred dollars per year, the typical bike commuter can actually end up over-paying $252 per year for the privilege while his neighbor the motorist enjoys a subsidy of $176 for the year.
So in reality, on average, it is the cyclist subsidizing the motorist instead of the reverse. But don’t let this moral superiority go to your head and start yelling for drivers to get off the road, for there are better reasons for us all to share the road.
There is at least one good reason why the argument that motorists own the roads is ridiculous. I learned this one from Bob Bayn, a leading bike advocate and Effective Cycling instructor in Logan, Utah.
Bob points out that roads are a part of the public right-of-way. This means that roads are there for the public and the last time I checked, we belonged to the public, even when we ride our bikes, look geeky, and smell nice and “fresh” when we commute to work/school. Using the public right-of-way does not depend on what we pay–there are no tollbooths on sidewalks.
If use of public facilities actually depended on how much each of us paid in taxes, then rich folks would have even more rights to the road than the rest of us, whether they drove, rode or walked down the middle of the street. All of us with lower salaries would have to move to the side and let the rich folks pass. I bet the drivers trying to evict us from the public right-of-way would be real happy to learn that someone else was yelling the same thing at some of them!
The laws of every state and municipality support our right, the right of everyone, to use public spaces, including the roads. The privilege of access depends on our willingness and ability to obey the rules of that public space, not on our income or how much we contribute to the national debt.
June 10, 2010
Vision of national network and grassroots approach inspired businesses, members, and others to give and get involved during National Bike Month
Missoula, Montana — Adventure Cycling Association announced today that it raised more than $24,000 during its National Bike Month fundraising effort for the emerging U.S. Bicycle Route System (USBRS) — a system that could become the largest official cycling network on the planet.
The Build it. Bike it. Be a Part of it. campaign rallied a diverse group of business and organizational donors, “core supporters,” Adventure Cycling members, and other supporters to donate online and by paper check.
“This was an experimental fundraising campaign for us,” said Julie Emnett, Adventure Cycling’s associate development director. “We wanted to reach out to new donors through our large social media communities — something we had never done before — but also create an exciting campaign that business supporters and existing members could get behind and enjoy.”
Approximately 56% of the total funds raised from individual donors were generated through the campaign’s “core supporters” — strong supporters of Adventure Cycling who committed to a specific fundraising goal — while around 46% were raised through the organization’s outreach efforts online.
Contributions from businesses and organizations accounted for over half of the total funds raised.
During the campaign’s first week, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Center for Environmental Excellence provided Adventure Cycling with $5,000 to assist states with route selection, mapping, and technical aspects associated with development of the U.S. Bicycle Route System.
In the campaign’s next weeks, $1,000 challenge grants from BOB, Salsa Cycles, and TeamEstrogen.com were met in a few days’ time. Other business supporters included BikeFlights.com, Klean Kanteen, Red Arrow Group, and Renaissance Bicycles. Woman Tours came on as a business supporter near the end of the campaign, making a surprise contribution of $1,000 to the project.
“The fundraiser captured the imaginations of these companies who are all committed to improving cycling in America, either because it is their business, or their passion,” said Amy Corbin, membership and marketing assistant.
To publicize the campaign, Adventure Cycling did extensive outreach online through its business supporters, media partners, bloggers, well as cycling organizations and clubs. As a result, in addition to surpassing its fundraising goal, Adventure Cycling’s U.S. Bicycle Route System Facebook page gained more than 3,500 fans, and traffic to its USBRS landing page at www.adventurecycling.org/usbrs increased nearly 50% over the first four months of the year. Media partners included Bicycle Radio, Momentum, New Belgium Brewing, NewWest.net, Pedal Pushers, Wend, and USA Cycling.
The goal of the U.S. Bicycle Route System is to connect the nation’s urban, suburban, and rural areas. In the last year, the project has gained momentum at the state and federal levels. U.S. Bicycle Routes will be designated and recognized by State Departments of Transportation and more than 28 states are interested in or actively working on implementation. The USBRS is also currently part of the proposed Federal Transportation Bill now pending in the U.S. House of Representatives to be considered later in 2010.
“The U.S. Bicycle Route System is progressing at a much faster clip than we expected,” said Jim Sayer, Adventure Cycling’s executive director. “This campaign has shown us that support for the project crosses over from government to advocates to businesses. They all see the value of building a network that makes America more bike-friendly.”
Since 2006, Adventure Cycling’s work on the U.S. Bicycle Route System has also been supported by grants from Bikes Belong ($40,000), Education Foundation of America ($70,000), Lazar Foundation ($40,000), New Belgium Brewing ($30,000), SRAM Cycling Fund ($30,000), and the Surdna Foundation ($15,000).
Cyclists and other supporters can follow the development of this national network through “Building the U.S. Bicycle Route System,” a weekly blog column about the project posted by Ginny Sullivan, Adventure Cycling’s special projects director and a coordinator of the national network.
Background on the U.S. Bicycle Route System, resources, and implementation information can be found on Adventure Cycling’s website: http://www.adventurecycling.org/usbrs.
Interested in getting involved? Learn how: http://www.adventurecycling.org/routes/nbrn/getinvolved.cfm
There are those unforgettable moments in life when idealistic imaginings collide with reality and experience to create iconic and lasting, even transcendent days. For me, those days come in the form of airy, creamy powder in the winter, and flowy, extraordinary singletrack in the summer. And living along the Wasatch Front provides absurdly easy access to both. Indeed, as I ride my bike I can see ridges and meadows that I skied months ago, creating a sense of familiarity and friendship with the very terrain itself. There are times when those moments are anticipated, expected and unsurprising—though still just as fantastic. But there are other days, or more often than not, minutes or perhaps hours that come out of oblivion, unforeseen and improbable that catch you so off guard as to be altogether alarming.
Keith Payne and Paul Moote on the Wasatch Crest Trail.
Such was the case on Friday, July 3rd, 2009, while riding the Crest and Mid-mountain trails.
And yet, it seems utterly absurd to think that a loop on the Wasatch Crest and the Mid-mountain trails should be anything less than superlative. But even so, I found myself grinning stupidly from ear to ear, whooping, hollering and altogether having the time of my life on trails that were so perfect, and so immaculate as to conjure up wonderment as to whether or not I’d somehow perished and was now riding through the eternities in some sort of singletrack paradise.
It really was that good.
From the active and threatening clouds, to the rich and deep green of the pines and aspens, to the popping intensity of the wild flowers and the serenity of high altitude, snow fed lakes, the day was simply perfect. Somehow the predicted storm swirled around us, seemingly conscience of our whereabouts as we traversed and climbed and sped along what was shaping up to be the year’s best day on the bike. The Crest itself was empty, void of any other bikes, and nearly human-free entirely. I find myself at a loss to truly describe the childlike joy we experienced. Alas, instead I am being overly hyperbolic, exaggerated, and sensational.
But what other way is there to describe one of those rare and fleeting moments?
That combination of freedom and fitness and the melding of man and machine all meshed together to create that day, and that moment. An effusive day that will always be remembered when there is doubt, when there is pain, fear and that disturbingly insistent voice of reason trying heroically to cast one off the bike and into the flow of mainstream life, sedentary and flabby.
Well, perhaps I have gone to far. But then, perhaps not. Regardless, the ride, left me wondering, and struggling to think of a legitimate answer whether or not it gets any better? And of course it does. And that is why we return, again and again to the rugged mountains and the vast deserts. That is why we crawl out of bed at those forsaken hours before the sun has even thought of rising and brave the elements and the unknown and the thumping heart of hard earned, leg scorching and lung burning efforts. The rewards of which are impeccable sunrises, breathtaking sunsets, and a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction that can only come after a day of fighting off the nagging and persistent law of gravity.
It might be summed up rather succinctly that we do it, simply for the view. And it might also be said that the process to obtain those views plays a part as well. Ultimately the sums of those various parts—the effort and the reward—are those days. Unforgettable, unexpected, incredible and unfettered in their joy and experience that bring us back over and over again.
How to get there:
Start and finish at Park City Mountain Resort, in the lower most parking lot. 1310 Lowell Avenue, Park City, Utah. www.parkcitymountain.com
Basic Statistics: 30 Miles. 4,500 vertical gain. Plan to be in the saddle for 3-6 hours, depending on your physical ability and technical skills. Plan for various weather and riding conditions. Some areas, specifically on the Crest Trail can be quite remote. June-September, depending on the snow pack.
Basic Trail Route:
Climb up the Spiro Trail into Thayne’s Canyon.
Continue up the Crescent Mine Grade to Scott’s Pass.
At Scott’s Pass follow the signage to the Wasatch Crest Trail.
Stay on the Crest Trail until it intersects the Mid-mountain Trail.
Continue across the Mid-mountain Trail back to Thayne’s Canyon.
Descend the Crescent Mine Grade and Spiro Trail, back to the parking lot.
Note: One can descend all the way into the Canyons Resort at the Wasatch Crest/Mid-mountain intersection, in order to ride back to Park City Mountain resort on the paved bike path. This will eliminate the Mid-mountain Trail, and shorten the ride.
Resupply: Food and water are available at Red Pine Lodge. Contact The Canyons Resort for hours of operation. www.thecanyons.com
Achtune: Do you listen to head phones when you ride?
Ryan Dallon the creator of the Achtune system was tired of hearing stories about cyclists being hit by cars, including his own personal experiences, being injured in vehicle related crashes twice in the last few years. By now we have all heard the safety advice that we should not ride with headphones. And while we acknowledge the risk, the vast majority continues to do so. Enter Achtune. Achtune is a product that is designed to attach to your helmet and hold your earphones close enough to your ears that you can enjoy your music, but far enough away to be safely hear traffic noise around you.
Installing the Achtune clips on my helmet was simple. The adhesive plastic clips use special glue that will not adversely affect the materials of a helmet and are easy to install. Clips are also provided to keep you cords organized at the back of your helmet and keep the lines clean. The clips were a little tight for my earphone cords. I had to gently press the cords in to the clip with a flat screw driver.
I found in testing the product that the sound quality and sensation take a little getting used to. The sound is clearly not as good as if the earphone where directly in your ear, but as I rode with them I found that I became more accustom to the audio quality and was pleased. The music is loud enough to hear and the ambient and background noise of a car overtaking me is much easier to hear than otherwise.
If you like to listen to music as you ride, and would like to be safer, Achtune may be your answer. They are available in a variety of colors. The M.S.R.P is $11.95 and can be purchased at your local bike shop or at www.rememberdelaware.com
Why be involved? Every cyclist who rides in Utah has had an experience or comes to appreciate the need to improve facilities, laws, and policies that impact human powered locomotion. As members of the Utah Bicycle Coalition have worked with legislators on various initiatives, one question frequently comes up: How many cyclists do you represent? How many are dues paying members? When it comes to developing laws and policy that influence cycling in Utah, the larger our voice is, the more impact we have. These numbers count! The Utah Bicycle Coalition is seeking members from individual cyclists, cycling industry (both manufacturing and retail), and cycling clubs and teams. With the growing number of cyclists throughout Utah, we should be able to put together a formidable coalition. See utahbikes.org to join. Many thanks to those who have joined.
In addition to its membership drive, the Utah Bicycle Coalition is recruiting an Executive Director to serve as an effective leader, entrepreneurial fundraiser, visionary manager and knowledgeable advocate. The Executive Director will be tasked with preserving the safety, opportunities, and responsibilities of cyclists and pedestrians through legislation, education, and facilities development. A complete job description, required qualifications, and application deadline are available at utahbikes.org.
If tire construction and inflation pressure important for road bike tires, then for mountain and cyclocross bike tires it is even more so. The reason is because mountain and cyclocross bike tires are used in a much wider variety of surface conditions. Ever wonder why those mountain bike race trucks have stacks of tires? Selecting the correct tire for the local conditions can have a significant effect on how you and your bike perform. This month in mechanic’s corner we’ll look at how the elements of tire casing construction, tread compound and pattern, and inflation pressure work together to provide durability, traction, and performance.
The beginning of all tire construction is the casing. This casing consists of a bead, thread layers or plies, and sometimes other materials added for puncture protection. The tire bead is the wire that physically locks the tire to the rim. These can be made of a lightweight, folding material such as Kevlar or a heavier duty material like steel. Kevlar beads can save up to 100 grams (4 ounces) per tire, which doesn’t sound like much but reduction of rotating mass becomes a significant energy savings. Because the steel beads stretch less they are well suited for heavy-duty use. The main tire casing is made up of nylon or cotton threads woven together and measured in threads per inch (tpi). The higher the thread count, the more supple and lighter the tire. A tire with a more supple casing conforms to the trail surface for more comfort and greater traction. The smaller threads can be more fragile and therefore are often used in layers to provide better durability. The thicker threads of lower thread count tires make a stronger, more rigid casing which is ideal for the rugged terrain and higher speeds of downhill use.
The most obvious feature of mountain bike and cyclocross tires is the tread. There are two design characteristics of tire tread, the rubber compound and tread pattern. Measured on a scale of durometer hardness, a tire compound with a lower durometer rating will provide better traction. While not the most important factor, a dual compound tire, with a softer compound on the edges, can be advantageous in some conditions. More important is the actual tread pattern. Tread patterns have as much variation as there are soil types. Tires for dry, packed conditions might be semi-slick, with little or no tread in the center and short, firm knobs on the sides for cornering traction. More often a tire with short small knobs and a tight pattern is better because it offers more traction when the trail has a little loose dirt and small rocks on top. As trail conditions become looser, a more aggressive tread is required. For this or all-around use, a tire with thick, medium depth knobs in a widely spaced pattern is a good selection. The open pattern and deeper knob provide traction in the gravelly or softer soil while the larger knobs will resist deflection under power or braking forces on the harder surfaces. The softest soils or wet and muddy trails demand a more specialized tread. This is where a low durometer compound and mud specific tread is important. The tread for these conditions will be in a wide-open pattern and the knobs will be fewer, taller and with simple square shape. The tall knobs provide deep digging traction and the simply shaped (no nooks and crannies) knobs will shed dirt and mud while riding.
Once a tire is chosen, how much should it be inflated? As discussed in earlier articles, a low tire pressure provides the best traction and rolls over rough terrain easier. There is no magic number, however, because ideal tire pressure will vary with rider size, tire size, riding style and terrain. Some riders use the same tire pressure for all conditions. Others adjust it up or down for “the ride of the day”. Therefore, finding the correct tire pressure requires some experimentation. To find your own best tire pressure, begin with a tire that is pretty firm, approximately 30, 38, or 45 psi for the small, medium and large rider respectively. At this point, the tires should feel a little rough on the trail, like they bounce off of every pebble. Stop every once in a while to let a little air out. Not too much at one time, just a couple quick “psssts” is all it takes. Keep in mind that a tire pressure that is too low will pinch flat too easily. Also, while pedaling fast it may seem bouncy and during hard cornering it may feel unstable and “squirmy”. The ideal pressure feels smooth on rough single track and on rare occasion you can feel the rim hit rocks (without pinch flatting) on very rocky descents.
As with all equipment choices, selection is dependant upon the rider and how it will be used. Will these tires be used for racing? Is the rider lightweight? Are the trails hard packed? Under these circumstances consider a narrow dry condition tire with a tight tread in a width of 1.9 or 2.0 inches. Going on 2-3 hour fun rides? Just purchased a medium travel suspension bike? A wider 2.2 or 2.3 inch with a more aggressive tread will be more appropriate. Suffering on the uphill with that long travel freeride bike just to go down the other side? Going lift served once in a while? Choosing a low thread count heavy duty 2.3 or 2.4 (or even 2.5) inch tire with an aggressive tread will extend the miles of downhill smiles. Taking a 2-week long mountain biking vacation? Bring a truckload.
Did you miss “Bike to Work Day/Month”? Whether you did or not, now is the perfect time to commit to a bike-commute. The logistics of bike commuting include things such as what to do with your bike clothes, bike parking, how much stuff (clothes, computer, food, etc) you can bring, how to carry your stuff, hygiene, tools, etc. This article will evaluate how you carry your stuff to work. We will review the most popular methods (backpack, shoulder bag, and pannier). The load you chose to carry can have a significant impact on the body. Your choice of how much stuff you will carry and how you carry it will be affected by your musculoskeletal tolerance of load.
Weight: Limiting the amount you carry can make your commute more enjoyable as well as easier on your body. While you will want to make sure you have the essentials for work and biking, do you really need to carry it all every commute? Look for ways to lighten your load by leaving a ration of clothes and food at work, try transporting digital data on a portable drive rather than transporting a laptop. Research that studied children and backpacks found that pressures on the shoulder as a result of carrying 10% of their body weight through a backpack or shoulder bag was more than the minimum amount to occlude skin blood flow.1 Basic point is that it doesn’t take much extra weight to add unnecessary strain to your body while bike commuting.
Anatomical Considerations: The main regions of concern with backpacks and shoulder bags are the shoulders, neck, and upper/lower back. Backpack and shoulder bag straps can compress sensitive nerves, arteries and muscles in the shoulder and armpit regions. A nerve which runs on the top of the shoulders and provides upper shoulder sensation (supraclavicular cutaneous nerve) can become injured as a result of carrying a heavy load on the shoulders. Excessive exposure to load at the neck, upper back, shoulder blade, and shoulder musculature can create strain injuries. This is a result of carrying bags that are just too heavy or create asymmetrical/irregular loading to the body.
The Backpack: A backpack balances the load on both shoulders in a symmetric fashion. Backpacks have the potential to create muscle strain, nerve irritation and limit blood circulation. The use of chest and hip straps can help offset some of the direct weight bearing to the shoulder region as improve the stability of your load. The position of your backpack on your back can contribute to commuting discomfort. Scientific research of backpacks and children is so far inconclusive with regards to ideal pack position on the back (high vs. low) and its association with pack-related symptoms in standing. Bicycling requires a forward bent position. A lower position of the backpack may be more ideal in regards to preventing low back strain as it is closer to your center of gravity. There is a lack of research in backpacks and adults and none that we know of with adults wearing backpacks in the bicycling position.
The Shoulder / Messenger Bag: This style of bag is generally worn over one shoulder through a single strap. The asymmetric nature of a shoulder/messenger bag places unequal strain on the shoulders, neck and back. It also results in altered cycling biomechanics as the body tries to compensate for the uneven weight distribution. It has also been found that perceived pain was significantly greater in children that used a single shoulder strap bag (compared to a backpack).1
There are some extra features that you may want to look for in a shoulder bag to improve cycling ergonomics and comfort. Extra padding on the shoulder strap may help improve comfort and alleviate centralized pressure on the shoulder. An additional lower strap that crosses the abdomen will also help relieve pressure and better secure the bag – an important safety factor while cycling!
A general safety consideration with shoulder bags is to ensure that your visibility is not obscured by the bag. If you have to turn your shoulders and trunk significantly to see over/past your bag, consider modifying the position of the bag on your back, carrying less stuff, a smaller bag, and/or an alternative carrying method.
Panniers and Rack System: Panniers are bags that attach to front and/or rear mounted bicycle racks. Panniers place the burden of load on your bike rather than your body. Imagine less weight/load at your saddle and handlebars. Imagine improved trunk and neck motion. Not all bicycles can take racks. Racing-style bicycles do not typically have mounting brackets incorporated to their frame. Have your local bicycle shop help you assess your bicycle’s rack-compatibility.
Any pre-existing chronic neck and back issues can be further exacerbated by bicycling with backpacks and messenger-style bags. Heavily loaded bikes will create extra stress and strain to legs and back. You may need to adjust your gearing to best tackle your commute route. Bike commuting should be an enjoyable extra dimension of bicycling and health promotion. Do not hesitate to consult a qualified health practitioner, such as a Physical Therapist, to further assess your cycling biomechanics and ensure your commute stays pain free and safe!
References: 1. Macias B, Murthy G, Chambers H, Hargens A. Asymmetric loads and pain associated with backpack carrying by children. Journal Of Pediatric Orthopedics [serial online]. July 2008;28(5):512-517. Available from: MEDLINE, Ipswich, MA. Accessed May 8, 2010.
Kari Studley PT, DPT has been a Physical Therapist since 2006. She races mountain bike and cyclocross professionally and has been bike commuting for over 10 years. Kari is working at Corpore Sano Physical Therapy in Kenmore as a treating physical therapist and bicycle biomechanist. Contact Kari by visiting www.CorporeSanoPT.com.
InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) received a Bronze award from the League of American Bicyclists as a bicycle friendly business. IHG will be our featured commuter profile for this Month. Steve Gerber took the lead in facilitating this interview for the group of riders at IHG. He is the 57-year-old Manager of Business Performance and Quality at IHG. Also contributing to this month’s commuter profile are Nate Briggs, Tom Taylor, Robby Morehead, Chuck Krivanek and Brett Cushing.
Cycling Utah: First of all, Congratulations on the award. Charles Pekow discussed how IHG received the award in the April issue of Cycling Utah, so I’m going to move on and talk to the individuals that made it happen. How did you guys decide to bike commute? Tell the readers a little about your commuting.
Steve Gerber: I was inspired by my co-worker, Nate Briggs, to start commuting by bike 5 or 6 years ago. I ride every day, year round except when the roads are too icy. I use my bike for shopping, errands, going to the gym, and almost anything I have to do within 5 or 10 miles of home.
Nate Briggs: When I was diagnosed with late onset diabetes in 1996, I found it hard to imagine any kind of exercise that I could do every day. Since I had bicycled some back in college, I turned to bicycling to try to extend my life and keep various body parts that are typically sliced off diabetics who are not exercising. It was only after riding for some time that I became interested in various alternative transportation issues.
I ride roughly 5 miles each way, 4 times a week. I like to add an additional 20 miles on Sundays. This usually takes the form of longer trips (Ogden, Provo) from time to time. The last 2 years have averaged 1,600 miles per year. This year I would like to push it up to 3,000.
I ride 12 months a year. We have 2 drivers in the house, but only one car. The bicycle is my primary mode of transport. I borrow my wife’s car when I need to carry something heavy – or I am under time constraints. Over the 13 years I have been commuting, eight years included riding part of my journey at night (after 9PM). I have a lot of nostalgia for that time, since I consider riding at night to be much simpler and safer.
Tom Taylor: I’ve always been a bike rider. I had a paper route from 12 – 16 years old (BMX-bike powered). I used to take long distance road-bike rides with friends in the neighborhood growing up. I went to Dixie State University in St. George UT, where I participated heavily in off-road and mountain biking. As far as commuting to work via bike is concerned, as a one-car-family, I found that on occasion, it could be difficult to get everyone where they needed to be when they need to be, etc. I brought this up during some conversations with a few co-workers who bike commuted, and was challenged to start biking to work. They talked of the benefits and I, thinking back on my bike riding past, thought it would be a good idea to at least try it once. It would be nice to let my wife have the car, and the exercise couldn’t hurt either. That was in May of 2008. I’ve been riding to work ever since.
My ride is approximately 6 miles to work (12-ish round trip). I live in Rose Park and my office is around 21st South and Redwood Road. It is flat the entire way (thank goodness). I ride south on 1000 west to 800 south, then ride west about a block and catch the Jordan River Parkway Trail south almost to the front door of my office! It is very convenient. I try to ride as frequently as possible. I ride year-round, unless there’s a lot of snow on the ground. I ride at night as well and employ front headlight and rear taillights, as well as reflectors.
Robby Morehead: I was cajoled into biking to work by some of my co-workers in May 2009, and I’ve been riding regularly since June 2009. I needed the exercise and it turned out to be fun, too. I bike 5.5 – 6 miles each way, and my goal is to ride to and from work at least three of the five workdays each week. My commute is almost exclusively North-South. I take 1000 West from 800 North to 800 South; then the Jordan River Parkway from 800 South to about 2200 South where my office is located. It’s a great commute because the river is so pleasant and 1000 West is a pretty quiet street with a bike lane for much of the way. The only busy intersection is 1000 West and North Temple, but it’s not a big deal. It would be perfect if the city would complete the Jordan River trail from 200 South at the old Fisher Mansion to the Liquor Store on North Temple, then I could ride the trail for probably 90% of my commute! I have had no problem riding year round after investing in some cold-weather gear; I’ve found I’m fine to ride in temps as low as 15 or 20 degrees, but lower than that and I’ll be driving. We have two cars in our family so we are definitely not “car-free”, but probably “car-lite” as one of the cars (the one that gets poorer gas mileage) sits in our driveway on the days I ride to work. I also ride to the store, library, post office, etc. in my neighborhood in the evenings and on weekends as opposed to driving. My kids like to ride with me around the neighborhood streets and run errands with me.
Chuck Krivanek: I started two summers ago, just a few times that summer at the insistence of a co-worker. Then last summer I rode as much as I could…typically 3-4 times a week. I almost never use my car on the weekends in summer because I live a short distance to almost everything I need in Sugarhouse, so I either walk or ride. My work commute is about 6 miles roundtrip and takes me down 17th south and along the Jordan River Parkway. My only barrier to riding year round is that I still have to make sure my boys get to school on time and it’s a little too far and in the opposite directions for walking/biking…but summer break takes care of that barrier. I actually considered buying a new car however I decided to buy a new bike instead since I hope to continue to bike more than drive. I take 17th South from about 840 East to the Jordan River Parkway…one tricky area is at 17th South and 7th East mostly on the way home (headed east) as traffic backs us there and the rode narrows a bit. Oh, and at 5th East and 17th, the side of the rode is really rough and again narrow…it’s a kidney shaker. The rest of my ride is smooth unless I get a flat.
Brett Cushing: I got started in bike commuting at the insistence of my good friend, Steve Gerber. I was looking for a good way to exercise and he was looking to get more miles in his commute. Our agreement began with a “Manager’s Bike To Work” event sponsored by the management team here at IHG in early 2009 and continued through the summer. The door-to-door distance from home to office is approximately 7.5 miles and the route is almost exclusively along our local Jordan River Parkway, which winds through the heart of the Salt Lake Valley along the riverside. I don’t ride year-round currently due to my distaste for freezing weather and exposure to ice/snow (much to Steve’s disappointment). My riding hasn’t been enough to warrant going car-free or car-lite, but I definitely notice the reduced impact on my gas expenses. I have commuted home at night and although it isn’t my preference due to reduced visibility, necessity will dictate this type of travel 8-10 times a year.
C.U.: Steve, tell me about your bike and how do you guys deal with the thorns on the Jordan River Trail (JRT)?
S.G: I started commuting with an old mountain bike while I proved to myself that I would stick with it. After a couple of years I decided I could justify a new bike and purchased a Novara Randonee touring bike. I planned to take some loaded road tours, and thought the bike would be a good dual-purpose ride. I have rear panniers and a trunk bag, allowing me to carry a change of clothes for work, a laptop, and have plenty of room to carry groceries or whatever. I have a Planet Bike Super-Flash on the back and a Planet Bike 2W headlight. I also have a helmet cam mounted to my handlebars that makes for some interesting video! Most of us here in the office use panniers, although a couple use backpacks. I leave shoes at the office and bring fresh clothes every day. Through the years I figured out exactly what works and what I am likely to need. We all use what we call the “Parkway Package”, consisting of puncture resistant tires and tubes, slime, and tire liners, to minimize the puncture vine effect of the JRP. Our office is one block off the Parkway so most of us use it for at least a portion of our commute. Nate is the only one in the group to use an electric assist on his bike.
C.U.: The “No Stop” bicycle bill received quite a lot of email traffic among cyclists. What did you guys think of it?
Steve.: I am opposed to the bill. Every year we widen the divide between motorists and cyclists. As cyclists we keep demanding respect but we often behave in arrogant and disrespectful ways. I don’t think the average motorist would be aware of the law and seeing us cruise through signs and lights would just aggravate an already tense relationship.
Nate.: This bill just places a big, red target on the backs of bicycle riders – and could probably lead to another bill removing the designation of “vehicle” from bicycles entirely. The whole “momentum” argument is ridiculous. What we need is a street situation where laws are enforced – and observed – so everyone knows what to expect. Riders need to stop asking for special favors – and they need to stop behaving as though traffic laws are for everyone else. This is the only way that we can be taken seriously.
Chuck.: After considering all that this entails, I believe the safest way for cyclists to ride is to follow the rules of the road identical to autos. Since this is what most Motorists are used to, there should be no surprises when a cyclist acts the same way. Most times I see a bicycle/car accident, it’s when a bicyclist did something a motorist wasn’t expecting…like flying off a curb or running a light.
Brett: I am not in favor of the proposed legislation to allow cyclists to pass through stop lights/signs without stopping. This conflicts with the instincts of motorists and could cause potentially dangerous situations for all both motorists and cyclists. The only advantage I can see is convenience for cyclists, but legislation for the sake of convenience seems like a poor position.
C.U.: Steve, any comments on the Bronze award from the League of American Bicyclists?
S.G.: Bicycle commuting has become very popular in our office, with approximately 20 regular commuters. We were awarded a Bronze designation by the League of American Bicyclists as a Bicycle Friendly Business. We have set a goal to double the number of riders this year and have undertaken a number of initiatives to aid in the effort. We have a covered parking area now, but will be building a more substantial structure this spring. We are adding locker facilities for riders, a resource center with bike and commuting information, an emergency repair toolkit, a loaner bike, guaranteed rides home for bike commuters, mentoring for new riders, route mapping services, and organized ride-to-work days. We are aware of the Bicycle Commuter Act, but have been unable to take advantage of it yet.
C.U.: Nate, what thoughts do you have on Salt Lake City becoming a Silver City?
Nate: Positives: the completion of the Jordan River trail has made this commute much more enjoyable – and will probably be a big factor in our efforts to recruit more riders in the future (every public survey confirms that new riders are very fearful about mixing with traffic on public streets). As far as street infrastructure, Salt Lake has everything needed to become a Platinum city: exceptionally wide streets and a population interested in outdoor activities.
Here are my top five for improvements: 1) make it a priority that cops actually enforce traffic laws; 2) sweep streets with marked bicycle lanes more than once a month; 3) finish the Jordan River trail – link it all up; 4) design and build a viable east-west route – 8th South isn’t it – 17th South isn’t it; 5) do some pilot programs with physical barriers (rumble strips, concrete dividers, etc.) between automobile lanes and bicycle lanes. Extra bonus effort: close Main Street to motorized traffic – the current configuration doesn’t benefit anybody.
C.U.: Brett- riding the Jordan River Trail has its pro and cons. Talk about the trail.
Brett: The best part of my commute is the health benefit. Although I enjoy biking in a relative sense, the issue that keeps me motivated is the exercise itself. Outside of this primary advantage, another great aspect of my particular commute is the scenery. There are many portions where the landscape is quite nice, taking an almost rural perspective. Not having to take surface roads allows me to avoid the hustle & bustle of car traffic and promotes a feeling of relative safety. These benefits can come at a cost. The first is in the ever-present thorns that are scattered along the pathway and have caused more than a few flat tires. The second is from the river itself, which can sometimes flood the pathway and make passing quite difficult. A third disadvantage is from the presence of large swarms of insects, which can make for a rather nasty mess along the way.
C.U.: Steve, with the improvements that you described, the enthusiast core of bike commuters, and the support of upper management, you should be on the way for a gold designation.
Steve: That’s our hope, but in the meantime we will just enjoy our commutes to work. Lou, thanks for featuring us in your column. If you peddling in the area feel free to stop in, there is no shortage of bike nuts here!
Correction: In the April column there were 2 remarks made by the April bike commuter that Salt Lake City was not doing an adequate job of maintaining the trail. Mr. William Johnson pointed out to me that the section of the trail mentioned in the column was not in the jurisdiction of Salt Lake City. Mr. Johnson rides the Salt Lake City section of the Jordan River Parkway and had very positive remarks about Salt Lake City’s section of the JRT and the maintenance performed on the trail. Thanks to Mr. Johnson for his comments and correction.
This month’s commuter will receive a Blaze light set courtesy of Planet Bike. See PlanetBike.com for more info on their products. Many local dealers also carry their products.
This month’s commuter will also receive a $25 gift certificate courtesy of Saturday Cycles. Find out more at saturdaycycles.com.
If you have a suggestion for a commuter profile, have a commuter question you wish me to address, or other comments, please send them to [email protected].
With views that would make the Alps jealous, and miles of bermed, wooded single track, Sundance is one of the premier venues of the Intermountain Cup Mountain Bike Race Series. For these reasons 19 pro men, ten pro women and a host of other locals numbering in the hundreds came out to race on May 15, 2010.
The brisk morning temps had most donning warmers and jackets, but as the start approached the anticipation as well as the temperature started to rise. First to set off on the paved service road were the Pro Men. About twenty feet into the nearly 4000’of climbing on order for the day, Mitchell Peterson (Giant) got the party started and made like a red headed Schleck brother and attacked the field. Alex Grant (Cannondale Factory) took to that like a greyhound to a rabbit and was off the front in short order. Jason Sager (Team Jamis,) who would later boast of the Sundance couse: “There aren’t many race courses I would ride for fun, but this is one;” followed in hot pursuit. The rest of the field strung out as they each found their rhythm on the predominantly single track loop. There wasn’t a lot of mixing going on at the front as Grant continued to push a punishing pace on the climbs, Sager and Mitchell chased all day a minute or so off the pace, holding off Bart Gillespie (Revolution)—who was seen throughout the day staring longingly at the back of Timp, probably looking for a new ski route– to finish second, and third respectively.
The Pro Women had a show down between a seasoned Xterra pro in Renata Bucher (Stockli/Craft), and local neo-pro Kelsey Bingham (Rooster’s). The two would battle it out for almost a full two hours on the mountain with the veteran Bucher taking the win and adding another stellar result to her season. Not far back was K.C. Holley (Mad Dog/29er Crew), fresh off a win in 12 Hours of Mesa Verde just one week previous.
Every pro started as a beginner at some time. Great job to the beginner category winners: Ian Beaty (19-29), Kyle Polzella (30-39), Steven Barlow (40+), Corbin Coombs (13-15), Kyle Jackson (16-18), Tiffany Martin (Beg Women).
The Bear Lake Classic has grown to one of the premier races in Utah. With three separate events— a Friday night hillclimb time trial, a long and flat road race on Saturday, and a 50-mile TTT on Sunday, the event truly provides something for everyone.
“Stormin’ Norman” Bryner won the Men’s Pro 1-2 event on Friday night- a 3 mile hillclimb time trial, crushing 2nd place with a 12:01 time. Disappointingly, no Pro 1-3 women chose to take part in the hillclimb time trial.
Saturday’s 106 mile Pro 1-2 men’s road race got off to a quick start with attacks running from the gun. After only about 4 miles, the early break got away consisting of Ryan Barrett and Garrett Burbidge (Barbacoa-Mi Duole), Billy Allen (FFKR-Sportsbaseonline), and Joe Waters (Canyon Bicycles-Draper). These four worked well together, building a five-minute advantage. However, back in the field the Cole Sport team, having missed the move, went to work and brought the breakaway group back into the fold approximately 70 miles in the race.
Once again, the fireworks started. After an aggressive few miles, Tyler Riedesel (Canyon Bicycles-Draper) and Alec Sim (FFKR-Sportsbaseonline) got a gap. With the wind out of the fields’ sales, the two built up a sizeable gap before sprinting to the line. In the end, Riedesel got the better of Sim and UCA points leader Dave Harward (Canyon Bicycles-Draper) took out the field sprint for 3rd.
The women’s Pro and Category 1-3 event ran a single lap around the lake for 53 miles. Despite an aggressive race, the women came together for a field sprint finish, which was marred by mixing with a men’s field inside the last kilometer. Nicole Evans (Millcreek Bicycles) took the win in front of Kirsten Kotval (PCIM) and Laura Howat (Ski Utah). However, later Evans and Howat were both relegated for centerline violations, with Kotval being declared the winner in front of PCIM teammates Stephanie Skoreyko and Chantel Thackeray.
Sunday provided a unique 50-mile team time trial event for all categories. The Pro 1-2 men’s event was topped by Barbacoa-Mi Duole in a time of 1:41:12, nearly four minutes in front of 2nd place team ICE-Rob’s Ride on Bike and Ski and a further five minutes in front of third place team FFKR-Sportsbaseonline. After a solid field in the road race, only one women’s team took part in the event; the mixed team Wives on Wheels finished in a time of 2:17:31. C’mon ladies, get out and race!
If a cyclist gets hurt riding on a public path, is the government legally responsible for the injury? Not often, but the fear of it may be unreasonably scaring some governments from building bike facilities, says a new legal report. But they probably needn’t worry much if they’re keeping facilities in shape, it adds.
“Public entities concerns about tort liability for bicycle-related accidents may discourage projects to accommodate more bicyclists on streets or highways or to designate more bicycle lanes and paths,” says Liability Aspects of Bikeways.
But though public entities have been sued many times by bicyclists injured on public paths, the agencies have very rarely lost cases. That’s because many sovereign and recreational immunity clauses in laws protect governments from all but the most negligent actions. Still, the liability of state and local officials varies by state.
The National Cooperative Highway Research Program commissioned the legal report. In addition to examining legal precedents, the study surveyed a handful of state and local transportation departments, but none in Utah or Idaho.
Courts in different states have interpreted the extent of government liability differently. Unless courts or state legislatures have deemed otherwise, an injured bicyclist can sue a public entity for negligence. But in most states plaintiffs will have to prove “the public entity willfully and maliciously failed to warn or guard against a known dangerous condition” or was “willful, wanton, or reckless” in its neglect. The burden of proof tends to be higher on recreational bikeways than on commuter routes, as discussed below.
But governments can be considered liable for accidents occurring on any roadway where bicycles are allowed – not just specific bikeways.
The plaintiff, of course, bears the burden of proof that the harm was caused by a dangerous condition on the bikeway and that the government knew of the danger for a “reasonable period” and could have corrected the problem or “given adequate warning.”
Rulings have defined the extent of risks. A 1993 Tennessee appellate court ruling said that “the state’s duty to keep its highways in a reasonably safe condition extends to the…shoulders and the adjacent parts….”
And a 2004 New York state case found that a cyclist could sue a county where there were no warnings of a deteriorated pothole-filled asphalt surface and no barriers kept riders away. The county had abandoned the bikeway but didn’t take any action to warn cyclists not to use it.
In general, it seems a government can get successfully sued for not keeping park facilities in shape, but not necessarily for exercising discretion, such as not actively enforcing a bicycle speed limit or not putting up a traffic signal. In 1991, for instance, a Florida court said that the City of Tampa wasn’t obligated to enforce the posted bicycle speed limit after a pedestrian sued for being hit by a speeding rider.
In general, courts have ruled that governments aren’t liable for failing to install signs, lights or markings unless a statute requires them. Exception: if the government knows of a dangerous condition.
If, however, a state puts traffic control signals up, it must “maintain them with reasonable care” and meet applicable standards, says the report.
But if a government doesn’t follow a “nonmandatory standard or guideline,” such failure could be introduced as evidence.
Courts in most states will exempt governments from liability for “discretionary” government action. But many legal disputes have focused on defining “discretionary.” The definition may vary by whether the government exercised discretion at the “planning” v. “operational” level. In general, day to day decisions of staff are generally considered discretionary in Utah courts. But in 1999, the Utah Court of Appeals ruled that while the state was immune for general discretionary policy decisions, the Utah Department of Transportation could not claim discretionary immunity for every on-the-spot decision made by staff (Trujillo v. UDOT).
(The Utah Governmental Immunity Act immunizes state and local agencies from claims based on “any injury which results from the exercise of a governmental function.” But the law allows exceptions, including harm caused by “a dangerous or defective condition of any public building or structure” or “a negligent act or omission of an employee” on the job. But the immunity covers discretionary functions.)
Several U.S. Supreme Court decisions have stated that discretionary immunity applies at the planning/policy level of top officials and to actions taken by an inspector on the street. In 2004, the Utah Supreme Court, however, ruled that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling didn’t give immunity to a UDOT inspector’s decision to use barrels rather than barriers for traffic control.
And in another case decided back in 1977, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that designing a bridge and roads leading to it was a “discretionary function,” and so the federal government was not liable for negligence for helping Utah design an allegedly faulty structure.
Most states have enacted some sort of recreational use statute that limits liability of property owners for injuries caused in sports. But the laws vary on whether they apply to public entities or to bicycling. Even if the laws don’t specifically mention bicycling, courts may interpret them as covering it. The Utah statute clearly includes bicycling as a recreational use, making it harder for a plaintiff to win a claim if injured on a recreational bike path.
Most successful claims against governments by bicyclists involved maintenance issues, such as failing to fix a hazard or placing a warning of it, not replacing or repairing broken signs or signals, or leaving obstructions on a path; according to the study.
And no state reported being successfully sued for not including bicycle facilities in a highway project, even if a law requires them.
The best way to prevent lawsuits? Simple. “Several agencies responding to the survey stressed that a proactive maintenance program for bikeways is important to reduce the incidence of bikeway-related tort claims,” the document says.
UDOT Bike/Ped Coordinator Evelyn Tuddenham said she didn’t know of any cases in Utah. She stressed that the department policy is to build safe facilities that can be well maintained in the first place rather than worry about not building for fear of getting sued.
“We don’t look at it from the viewpoint of ‘are we going to get sued if we do this.’ We look at it from the aspect of ‘are we going to keep people safe,’” she said.
David Harward and Nicole Evans have been crowned men’s and women’s (respectively!!) Utah State Criterium Champions. The men’s Pro 1-2 90 minute event was very aggressive from the gun with the field strung out for much of the race. However, it took nearly the entire first hour for an attack to gain any serious ground on the field.
Reigning state time trial champion, Norm Bryner (Barbacoa-Mi Duole) and Harward finally forged a gap, each fully dedicated to the cause and taking huge full laps turns on the front. Cole Sport and Contender Bicycles each tried to organize a chase to bring these two back, but ultimately their efforts were fruitless and Harward and Bryner continued to pour on the gas.
In the end, Harward’s renowned sprinting prowess prevailed and he took home the title, stating “I’ve been in the winning move for several years, so it is great to finally secure the win!”
Harward’s teammate David Brockbank found his way into a 3-man chase in the final laps and secured the final spot on the podium.
The women’s 1-3 event was similarly aggressive. However, the winning break was not formed until 3 laps to go when Nicole Evans (Millcreek Cycles) went to work. She relayed the finish, “I took advantage of a lull and attacked after the start finish line. I got a good sized gap and held off the field for those three laps to solo in for the finish.”
Laura Howat (Ski Utah) jumped away late in the race to secure 2nd and Kirsten Kotval (PCIM) took the bunch sprint to fill the remaining podium spots.
In the Cat 3 men’s race, the winning break formed as Nick Ekdahl (RMCC) got things rolling out of the field and Collins bridged up to him. After Ekdahl faded, Collins kept going while Sam Todd (Contender) and Peter Archambault (RMCC/Cyclesmith bridged up. A soloing John Iltis (Mi Duole/Barbacoa) rode in no man’s land for half the race, but was unable to make it to the break. The trio lapped the field and Collins won the sprint (twice! – after sprinting a lap early).
In our May 2010 issue, our story on relay races left out the Hoodoo 500. Info on the Hoodoo is below.
HOODOO 500: August 28-30, 2010
Route: A loop course that starts in St. George and travels through Hurricane, Kanab, Tropic, Escalante, Torrey, Panguitch, Cedar Breaks, Cedar City, New Castle, Enterprise and back to St. George. Every mile is beautiful and unique.
Distance: 519 miles
Leg Lengths: Race strategy is 100% decided by the team. Generally speaking, however, the fastest teams take 20-30 minute pulls per rider. Two racers rotate pulls for 2-3 hours then rest while the other two racers rotate. Racers and/or their crew must check in at each of 5 time stations along the route.
Number of legs per rider: Unlimited. Decided by the team.
Exchanges: Other than in designated no-support zones, racers may exchange anywhere on the route where there is a large enough pullout to park the support vehicle.
Team Composition: 2-person and 4-person teams may be men, women, or any combination of men and women. However, note that a 4-person team with 3 men and 1 woman is considered a men’s team and not a mixed team.
Support: Racers provide their own race food and hydration.
Website: www.hoodoo500.com
Race founders Deborah and Brian Bowling had this to say about the event. “Now in our fourth year, the Hoodoo 500 is the premier ultramarathon event, drawing racers from all over the world. We provide a first-class, unforgettable experience to the racers, from check-in through the post-race celebration banquet! While the Hoodoo 500 has the reputation of being the toughest 500-mile solo race in the world, our goal is to reach out to the broader cycling community and let everyone know that the Hoodoo 500 is an awesome relay team race which is not only a ton of fun, but provides an epic challenge and a great opportunity for friends to share a rewarding, one-of-a-kind team-building experience. The Hoodoo 500, and all Planet Ultra events, benefits the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
The Tour Divide is often referred to as “the most challenging mountain bike race on the planet.” Few would argue it’s a beast. The self-supported race covers 2,745 miles of the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, which traverses the mountain-rippled spine of the continent from Banff, Alberta, to Antelope Wells, New Mexico. There is a reported 200,000 feet of elevation gain over the distance, through remote and often relentlessly harsh terrain dominated by cows, mosquitoes and bears.
The Pie-O-Neer Cafe in Pie Town, New Mexico. Photo courtesy Jill Homer
“Tour Divide has no designated rest periods or set distances a racer must travel daily,“ the Web site reports. “The clock runs non-stop. She or he who can ride the fastest while making fewer, shorter stops usually wins.”
And while this is true, just finishing the Tour Divide takes much more than speed and determination – it takes a fair share of grit and tenacity, and appreciation of the stops and starts that are inevitable when spending two or three weeks racing a bicycle.
Jill Homer, a Utah native who currently lives in Anchorage, Alaska, set the women’s record on the race in 2009, arriving in Antelope Wells in 24 days, 7 hours and 24 minutes. Of 42 starters, she was one of 16 to officially finish last year‘s race. The following is her account of a day on the Tour Divide – Independence Day – and why sometimes it’s the stops that make all of the difference.
…..
On July 4, I woke up to brilliant sunlight and crisp air. It tasted like morning in the early fall, with hints of seltzer and wood smoke. I stocked up at the last gas station in town and checked my maps for the phone number to the Pie-O-Neer café in Pie Town. I had already accepted that clinging to the hope it would be open on a national holiday was futile at best, but I had heard entire legends formed around the pie in Pie Town. That one stop was likely my only shot at human interaction in the next 300 miles, so even a futile chance was worth a try.
Shadows on the Tour Divide. Photo by Jill Homer
At 8:30 a.m., an answering machine informed me that the café was open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. They said nothing about July 4 specifically, but at least there was a chance they were open that day. Still, even my best-case scenarios made reaching it seem impossible. Pie Town was 80 miles away. Even if there was no mud on the road, an impossible-sounding prospect in itself, my chances of pedaling that far in just over seven hours were unlikely at best. The answering machine beeped, and without planning to, I suddenly launched into a pleading message:
“Hi, my name is Jill. I’m traveling through town on a bicycle with the Tour Divide. Perhaps you’ve seen other bikers come through. Anyway, I’m calling from Grants. It’s 8:30 a.m. Saturday. I’m going to try to make it there by 4, but it’s 80 miles and with the mud, well, it’s not very likely I’ll be there before you close. I was wondering if you could leave out some kind of lunch, maybe a sandwich or something, and a piece of pie, and a gallon of water, along with a check, and I’ll leave cash. I don’t even care what it is. I pretty much just need calories at this point, calories and water. Please. I’m good for it. I have a lot of cash. My name is Jill Homer.”
I set out with determination to make the 4 p.m. deadline, come what may. As the derelict highway buildings of Grants faded behind me, a bubble of emotion expanded inside my gut. I felt a strong mixture of gratitude and love, as well as loneliness, fear and despair. I couldn’t discern where all of it was coming from. I was rested, well fed and riding on pavement within sight of a town full of people. Despite these comforts, tears started to trickle down my cheeks, which erupted into streams, which erupted into open sobbing, complete with flowing snot and gulps of air.
Whenever endurance cyclists embark on long races, people often ask us afterward about the specific point when we realized we could finish what we had set out to do. I always dismissed this question as unanswerable and misleading. To some, I would say that I knew I would eventually finish the Tour Divide when I was all the way back in Montana. To others, I admitted that I wasn’t even sure when I made the final right turn 65 miles from the border. But if I am truly honest with myself, those minutes I spent sobbing on my way out of Grants stand apart as a defining moment of clarity.
As my tears began to slow and my gasps became softer, I pleaded an open prayer to entities I also felt were indefinable – to God, to my inner strength, to the powers that be. “Please be with me. Please stay with me. Please help me get through this.” Something about leaving Grants told me that, barring breakdown or disaster, I was going to finish the Tour Divide. Since I had no control over breakdown or disaster, I pleaded for help from the one thing that might.
The powers that be nodded benevolently and swept me along the smooth corridor of Highway 117. The rugged but sheer cliffs of El Malpais National Monument cast the pavement in cool shadow. After 38 miles, the route joined the washboard ruts of a wide county road. The jittery corduroy soon faded into smooth but soft clay. The area had indeed been pummeled by thunderstorms the night before; blood-colored puddles glistened in the road‘s many dips and potholes. As I rode, my wheels kicked up large clumps of red mud. Still, beneath the late morning sunlight, the mud had hardened just enough to roll into balls and fling away rather than stick to my bike.
“Think light, be light,” I chanted, as though sheer force of will could reduce my weight and keep my wheels floating over the jelly-like layers of mud. Atop a paper-thin veneer of clay, I pedaled apprehensively but quickly, coming close to sinking into the soft mud that undulated beneath my tires, but never quite breaking through the dry layer. I smiled at the knowledge that if I had passed through the same area just a few hours earlier, I would have been mired in wet sludge. Every once in a while, the universe rewards late risers.
Just after 2 p.m., after covering nearly 80 miles in five and a half hours, I strode triumphantly into the open doors of the Pie-O-Neer café. The single-room restaurant was set up modestly with modern tables and old Western art. A guitarist and bassist strummed acoustic country ballads as couples chatted softly over heaping plates of pie. A woman wearing a ruffled apron rushed out from behind the counter and threw her arms around me in an enthusiastic hug. “You made it!” she exclaimed. “I can’t believe you made it!”
“I made it,” I said, smiling widely.
The guitarist had just finished a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Long Black Veil.” “So you’re Jill?” he asked. I nodded. “We did not think you’d make it here until late tonight,” he continued. “It rained all through the night last night, just poured. I knew that road was gone. I sometimes take my horses out there and I know how bad it can get. Even they can‘t get through the mud sometimes. We thought you’d be stuck in it.”
Sunset on the Fourth of July in Gila National Forest, New Mexico. Photo by Jill Homer
“I thought so, too,” I said. “But it had hardened up in the sun. I got really lucky.”
“Well, anyway, congratulations on getting here from Grants in just a few hours. That’s some incredible riding.”
The woman in the apron nodded. “You should have seen Matt Lee when he came through. It was late but I let him in the door. It had been raining. He was covered in mud. He had this crazy look in his eyes and he just fell in the door mumbling, ‘I need food.’ I said, ‘I know you need food but you’re not coming in here until you clean off that mud.’ I practically had to push him back out the door. I thought, ‘This can’t be healthy.’”
I laughed. I was about to launch into my “Here in mid-pack, we have more fun” speech when she grabbed my shoulders and rushed me to a nearby table. “But you must be starving, riding all the way from Grants,” she said. “What do you want to eat?”
Before I even looked at the menu on the wall, I asked, “Do you have salad?”
“I don’t have salad, but I have some spinach and tomatoes and other veggies in the fridge. Tell you what, I’ll make you one.”
“That would be awesome,” I said.
“And our special today is spinach quesadilla with fresh salsa. We also have a tomato vegetable soup.”
“Those sound amazing, too,” I interrupted. “I’ll have them both. And salad.”
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Um …” I wavered. I had already ordered a lot.
“Common, the other Tour Divide guys were just knocking back pops faster than I could replenish them. What do you want?”
“Do you have Pepsi?” I asked.
“Of course,” she said.
“And you can’t leave here without trying a slice of pie,” she said.
“Of course I can’t.” I took a lingering look at the back wall, lined from end to end with towering desserts. “Um, I’ll try the coconut cream,” I finally said.
“Good choice,” she said. “That one won an award last month from a big-time food magazine.”
As promised, the woman served up cans of Pepsi faster than I could knock them back, and brought me plate after plate of food, hot and fresh and brimming with all the real nutrition I had scarcely known in three weeks of a diet heavy on junk food from gas stations and greasy spoon diners. The woman asked me how my lunch was. “You have no idea how replenishing it is to eat healthy for a change,” I said. “If all Americans could feel this way after eating a spinach salad, McDonalds would go out of business. Which would be awesome, because then people like me could actually find healthy food to eat on the Great Divide.”
The woman laughed. She asked me about the trail prior to Grants and I told her about the shocking remoteness of New Mexico. A man eating pie at the table turned and launched into a stern warning about the dangers of New Mexico‘s backcountry. “There are cougars out there that hunt people,” he said ominously. “I hope you have protection.”
I pointed to the can of bear spray I had been carrying since Canada and had never even come close to discharging, unless I counted the time I pointed it at the vicious dogs of Vallecitos. “I’m from Alaska,” I said. “So I’m well-versed in the defense against predators thing.” I wanted to tell him that I was far more afraid of mud and lightning, of fatigue and bad judgment, of loneliness and fear itself, but it seemed pointless to argue about the most pressing dangers of the Divide.
In the late afternoon, the woman in the apron and guys in the band walked outside to see me off. “It’s just about closing time and we’re all headed to the lake,” she said. “But you have a great ride, and don’t hesitate to come back when you’re through these parts again. Happy Independence Day!”
“You too,” I said, shaking all of their hands. “Thanks for making the best lunch in the entire span of the Rocky Mountains.”
I left Pie Town at 4 p.m. into a brand new day. I felt like I was just waking up from a restful sleep, even though I had 80 miles behind me. “Someday,” I thought, “I’m going to be a veteran of this race and people will ask me the secret to success. I’m going to answer, ‘human kindness.’”
The roller coaster terrain made two nondescript crossings of the Continental Divide. I pedaled past ranches and cut into a canyon, surrounded again by large, triangle-shaped mountains. The remote road intersected with an abandoned town site, an old Spanish mission. I got off my bike and explored the eerie remnants of a slab and mortar church, peering into the cracks of boarded windows and gazing up at a hollow bell tower.
Just beyond the town site, I entered Gila National Forest. My maps informed me: “Camping OK next 14 miles.” I pedaled beneath gnarled and grand juniper trees, rising back into the ponderosa forest, and cresting the Continental Divide once again at a spectacular overlook of the San Agustin plains. I could see thunderstorms building over the distant mountains beyond the valley. It was still early in the evening. “If I don’t stop near here,” I thought, “I’ll have to pedal all the way through that valley before I‘m back in a spot where I can camp.” But I was feeling too incredible to stop. I launched into a gleeful descent toward the darkening sky.
The route crossed onto a country road sparsely lined with private ranches. An occasional ranch house broke the monotony of the sagebrush plains, but for the most part I was alone in vastly open space. The wind blew briskly at my side, whipping around and changing directions intermittently as booms of thunder clattered across the desert.
The thunderstorm I had seen hanging over the horizon began to close in. The bulk of the storm seemed to be moving the same direction I was, but I was approaching it faster than it was streaming away. I glanced over my shoulder and noticed another storm approaching from behind. Sheets of pouring rain hung like curtains beneath black clouds, and frequent flashes of lightning broke through the darkness.
A primal sense of fear gripped my core. My heart pounded. I was pedaling in a tiny window of calm, chasing one violent storm even as another chased me. If I pedaled too fast, I would catch the first storm. If I pedaled too slow, I would be caught by the second storm. I shivered at the prospect of both scenarios, and vowed to do everything in my cycling power to hover in the eye between two hurricanes.
It was shortly after I made this decision that I heard a sickeningly loud zipping sound. My bike’s rear tire became more and more bouncy and sluggish until I had no choice but to stop and deal with the flat. I had been using “Slime” inner tubes, which were filled with green sealant intended to coat and block any holes that happened to be punctured in the tube. They had worked beautifully for the duration of the Divide, and I had yet to spring a leak that wasn‘t quickly blocked, requiring only a few refresher hits from my air pump. This was the first time a tire had gone completely flat. It was my rear tire, which required the loosening of the brake caliper before I could remove the wheel. A rear flat change usually took me at least 10 minutes when I was fresh, and as many as 20 when I was hurried and frustrated. I knew I did not have 20 minutes to spare before I would be caught directly beneath a barrage of lightning and rain. I did not even have 5 minutes.
“Be brave,” I chanted through gulping breaths as I hopped off the bike. “Be strong.”
Unrideable mud in New Mexico. Photo by Jill Homer
A thick streak of green slime coated the down tube of the frame. I was sure all the sealant had leaked out and there was nothing left to fill the hole. But it was possible that I had just sprung a larger leak that took a while to clog. It seemed worth a try to pump up the tire rather than change the tube right away. The extra time it would take if it didn’t work wasn’t going to save me from the storm either way, but if that’s all it took, there was still a chance I could outrun the air strike.
I breathed in and out with every stroke of the air pump, continuing to chant, “Be brave. Be strong.” As I pumped, the sun slipped beneath the nearest mountains. The sky, already under siege, burst open in an explosion of crimson and gold light. The sudden blast of color reflected off the dark clouds in a contrast so bright that the entire sky shimmered. Where sunset’s saturated light met the sheets of rain, broad rainbows swept over the desert. I counted five rainbows at one point, arched in wide spans that framed the phosphorescent clouds. And beneath the rainbow stage, steaks of lightning performed a violent ballet.
The scene did nothing to reduce the panic gurgling in my gut. Still, from where I sat in my shrinking window of peace, trying my best to breathe to the rhythm of my air pump, I knew that I was witnessing a moment of powerful beauty – beauty that was more powerful even than fear. I briefly closed my eyes and tried to absorb the awe, the sheer terror and wonder that nature was unleashing before me. I felt like I was clinging to the precipice between heaven and hell, and if I happened to fall, no matter which direction I went, I would be wholly absorbed forever.
I injected a few last shots of air into the tire. It was still fairly soft, about 20 psi, but I didn’t hear any more of that terrible zipping sound, and I thought there was a better than even chance that it would hold the air. I hopped back on the saddle and pedaled wildly; trying to regain the distance I had lost on the second storm. I pedaled right into the heart of the largest, brightest rainbow and its undulating electric daggers. I was still fully aware that I was the tallest object for miles, on an open plain without even a sagebrush bush large enough to huddle behind. I briefly thought about veering off on a ranch road and sprinting one or two miles to the nearest structure in search of shelter, but I fought the urge. “Be brave,” I chanted. “Be strong.”
The spectacular light of the sunset lingered much longer than I even thought possible, as though it, like me, was afraid to fade into the darker regions of eternity. It didn’t take long to catch the aftermath of the first storm. The road was coated in wet mud and two-inch-deep puddles, but rain had moved on. The second storm slowed its advance and started to move mercifully to the east. My own route veered west and began climbing back into the mountains.
When I reached the mouth of a canyon, I stopped one last time to look out over the plains of San Agustin. Sunset’s crimson and orange flames were almost snuffed out, except for thin, blood-colored streaks that bordered the horizon. Lightning continued to pierce the purple twilight, followed closely by booms of thunder. As I watched the storm march east, I noticed tiny blue flashes of light erupting from the northern horizon. They confused me at first – they were too low to be lightning, but too large and sporadic to be light from a ranch house. I squinted and realized they were fireworks, set off over a ranch at least 20 miles in the distance.
“Oh yeah,” I said out loud. “It’s the Fourth of July.” I watched the tiny streams of blue light sparkle and then fade, over and over, as flashes and booms of lightning and thunder nearly overwhelmed the tiny celebration.
“Why don’t they just look up and realize that the most spectacular show is going on in nature?” I wondered. Their efforts seemed so small and pathetic in a world that was so vast and so powerful. Humans were nothing out here, nothing at all.
Darkness encompassed me with the rising canyon. For a while I could still hear the thunder, and then only the wind and stillness. Rainwater coated the road and the air was moist and cool. The sky had broken into a patchwork quilt of starlight and clouds. A nearly full moon rose overhead, casting a ghostly glow on an assemblage of sandstone hoodoos. I rolled out my sleeping bag on the bare dirt beneath a cluster of ponderosa pines. I breathed in my rich satisfaction. With a little sprinkling of effort and a heavy dollop of grace, I had knocked out 140 miles in the 14 hours behind me, with only 250 more to go.
“Thank you,” I said in continuation of my morning prayer. “That was a good day.”
Standing at the Mexican border in Antelope Wells, New Mexico, after finishing the Tour Divide in 24 days, 7 hours and 24 minutes. Photo courtesy Jill Homer
Jill is a journalist and cyclist living in Anchorage, Alaska. You can follow her adventures at http://www.jilloutside.com/
How do you go from riding a bike around town, to venturing off on a bike packed with all of your necessities, for periods of time ranging from 3-weeks to 3-months. The following women have each done multiple tours in various parts of the United States and abroad. For obvious reasons, most women long-distance bike tourers are either before or after child rearing. These women range from the mid 40’s to mid 60’s. A high degree of athleticism isn’t needed, as they will all tell you it is about desire, attitude and learning a few basics from easily obtainable sources.
Cheryl Soshnik, who I consider the true Queen of bike touring, completed her first major tour (Minnesota to Newfoundland) in 1975, the same year I rode across the U.S. Barb Hanson and Angie Vincent ventured into bike touring in the past few years. Both completed cross-country tours in 2009. Lucy Ormond joined Barb in her cross-country trek after taking a 20-year break from her last bike tour. Julie Melini has three 1500-mile bike tours to her credit over the past 5 years.
Cycling Utah: One of the first questions one gets asked to bicycle tourists is what bike do you ride; so what brand of bike do you each ride?
Cheryl Soshnik: I ride a Co-Motion Americano with S & S couplers for traveling.
Barb Hansen: I also have a Co-Motion but the Nor’wester model also with S & S couplers. It is the smallest stock size they make.
Julie Melini: I use a Waterford custom, the T-14 touring model. It has an identical paint job to your Waterford Adventure Bike.
Lucy Ormond: I have a Bike Friday
Angie Vincent: I have a Jamis Aurora and my husband uses an REI Randonee.
Cycling Utah: What was your first bike tour like? How did it happen?
Cheryl Soshnik: A lot of my friends did bike touring through the Minnesota Rovers Outing Club. So the Minnesota to Newfoundland trip seemed natural given the environment of friends. I bicycled 6-weeks and 2500-miles for my honeymoon. We averaged 70-miles/day. I made my own panniers, cooked on a sterno stove and used a tube tent. It rained for 5 of the 6 weeks, but we were in love so it didn’t matter.
Lucy Ormond: I did a week-long 300-mile bike tour in Southern Utah when I was 45. Elliot Mott put together a bike tour and invited me along. What could go wrong on the first day did go wrong. I tipped over after putting my panniers on backwards, I pedaled 50 miles uphill into a wind blowing sand into my teeth, got a flat, and had my brakes rubbing for the last 25 miles. Fortunately there were 8 others to help out and kept me going.
Barb Hanson: Cheryl took me on my first self-supported bike tour in 2007. It was 150-miles over 4 days plus a day for hiking in the Grand Canyon.
Angie Vincent: I did an overnight bike tour to Rockcliff State Recreation campground in 2007. You (Lou), Cheryl, and Ron Wheeler put this together to introduce others to bike touring. It was a lot of fun.
Julie Melini: I (well we) went on a bike tour in 1983. The weather suddenly became extremely hot so we only did 2 of the 5 days we had planned. My being 5 months pregnant also didn’t help. That was your fault.:)
C.U. What have you accomplished since that first tour? Which was the most memorable?
Cheryl: I did a 6 week tour of Tasmania early in 2009 with my travel companion Randy. I’ve done 2-months in New Zealand (twice), 6-weeks in Ireland, twice to France, Italy once, plus a bunch of 1-2 week tours in the U.S. over the years. The Ireland trip was the best.
Lucy: Barb and I did 3,725-mile tour across the northern U.S. in 2009. This is the most memorable ride.
Barb.: I’ve done a total of 4 tours. I went with Zig Sondelski from San Diego to Phoenix in 2008 (Zig then rode solo to Jacksonville, Florida). [Editor’s Note: see our August 2009 issue online for a story of that tour] I also did the 3-month trip with Lucy. The 3-month trip is my favorite, with more trips to come!
Angie: My husband and I rode to Savannah, Georgia from Salt Lake City in 2009, our longest and best tour.
Julie: After our youngest boy graduated High School in 2004, I’ve done three 3-week trips, plus several shorter trips 2-9 days in length. The first 3-week trips took me up to Montana and back to SLC. I circled the state of Wisconsin on my 2nd tour and last year did 1600 miles around the state of Washington. They were all great trips. The Montana trip was my first long tour so there was the excitement of that and Wisconsin gave me a perspective of my home state that I hadn’t seen before.
C.U.: Was there anything that helped you go from short tours to extended tours? What were some of the sources for your best advice?
Lucy and Barb: Your seminar at REI on self-contained bike touring really helped. You gave a lot of things to think about regarding clothing and equipment (everything should have 2 purposes), travel companions, tire selection, etc. Also using Crazyguyonabike.com for travel advice and opinions helped with route planning and other details of our trip.
Angie: The overnight trip to Rockcliff really helped. I got to see what others did, and I got a feel for traveling on my bike. There are numerous books and websites as well that helped with our planning of the longer tour.
Cheryl: Most helpful tips came from other cyclists. I used WarmShowers (warmshowers.org) to ask about local riding advice that was very helpful for my Tasmania trip. Adventure Cycling (Adventurecycling.org) has a really good advice section for touring.
Julie: With each tour, I learn more and more. Nothing beats just going out and doing it. Of course it helps to have someone close that loves to bike tour and does a lot of the initial planning. But I feel more comfortable doing my share now.
C.U.: Do you have any advice for other women who wish to bike tour?
Julie: If you wish to bike tour, Just Do It! Do an overnight ride or several. Get a bike that fits and is comfortable including a women’s specific saddle. Go with someone who has similar expectations during the tour. Plan a few less miles than you can actually do just in case you have to go further than planned. You don’t need to be in super athletic shape, just be fit enough to get through the first week then increase your mileage. Be comfortable with your tour. For some camping doesn’t work, for me hotel rooms are claustrophobic. Also if you travel as a couple, use a 3-person tent. The extra weight is insignificant on a bike, and you will appreciate the extra room.
Barb: The Schwalbe Marathon Plus tire recommendation was the best advice I received. I had no flats due to the tires, though I had a couple due to my carelessness. Try to keep the weight of your equipment down and try to have items that serve more than one purpose. Talk to people who have done tours, read crazyguyonabike.com, and check out gear lists.
Angie: Think of a long bike tour as a series of back-to-back 4-day tours. We carry basically the same things for 4 days as we do for 3 weeks. We may tweak the equipment a little depending on the time of the year or the potential need to filter water. Also be flexible with how far you travel each day, when and where to stop, whether you cook or eat out or camp or stay in a motel
As Barb mentioned earlier, good tires to reduce maintenance worries, but you should take a short course in basic bike mechanics
Lucy: Carry a compass and be able to read a map. Don’t be afraid to ask directions. Be sure you bike is not too big for you. The Bike Friday I have works great.
No offense Lou, but ask other women questions. Women bike tourists see things differently when on a tour. I focused on the flowers, birds, wildlife, scenery and the people to meet along the way. Most men were focused on the destination, how fast they could ride and the number of miles. Also I know you and Julie cook in camp mostly, but I sent my stove home. I carried food I could eat cold, ate at deli’s, grocery stores, McDonalds, the town diner or in the homes of people we met.
Cheryl: There are many resources to communicate with others in the area you are planning to tour. (Warmshowers.com, Crazyguyonabike.com, Adventurecycling.com blogs) Don’t be afraid to contact people in the area you are planning to tour to get up-to-date information. In addition you will receive a lot of invitations for places to stay. I highly recommend joining Warmshowers.
C.U.: What is the ideal group size for you?
Cheryl: If you do long tours that are spontaneous and without a lot of detailed planning, then 2 people max. With 2 people I have found that there is always room at backpacker hostels or pretty much anywhere. With every person you add, you are adding one more opinion and compromise and perhaps conflict. If you have places to stay arranged ahead of time, the size is not such an issue. I’ve done two southern Utah rides with 14 people on one of the trips without problems.
Angie: I have a “built-in group”- my husband. I do like to meet up with others at the end of the day to talk about the experiences of that day. In general, the ideal size would depend on the duration and schedule of the trip. I think the longer the trip you should think having fewer people. On our trip to Savannah, we tended to make decisions and changes almost daily. I’ve gone on awesome trips with about 20 others, but we had a schedule with all stops decided upon up front.
Julie: I like touring with one other person, and as Angie said, I have my touring partner. As Cheryl said, with each additional person you spend more time deciding about going sightseeing, where to eat out, or what to cook on the stove, how far to ride, etc.
C.U.: Have you ever done supported tours either commercial or with a group where the gear is carried? Do you prefer to be self-supported and why?
Cheryl: I have done several, but they weren’t very satisfying. These are not “bike tours” in my mind. With self-supported tours there is the adventure of new things and meeting lots of interesting people. It’s also an inexpensive holiday.
Angie: I enjoy both. On commercial trips I get to meet new people but you are not sure who the players are until the start. I love self-supported trips because I’m usually not on a time schedule and can go at my own pace. On our trip to Savannah we changed our schedule and route numerous times from advice we received from bike shops along the way.
Julie: I did the White Rim trail through the Bonneville Cycling Club. It was nice not to have to worry about finding water. I may want to do a European commercial tour to help with the language issues. But overall I prefer the flexibility of the self-supported tour. We are always changing our plans based on how we feel nearly every day.
Barb: I enjoyed the commercial tours, but I started thinking how much fun it would be to be able to stray from the route if you found something interesting you wanted to see or stay longer somewhere to explore. You can’t do that if you have an agenda to keep with a commercial group.
Lucy: I have done numerous commercial tours. I have even organized and lead numerous tours in the Southern National Parks. I do like the luxury of having my stuff carried but I don’t care for the herd mentality. Self-contained tours give me the total freedom of decision-making and the rush of not knowing where I’m going to sleep at night.
C.U.: What are the logistics of your tour? How much camping did you do? What are some of the costs?
Barb: We did our 3-month tour to be comfortable and not cheap. We did a month of motels, a month of camping and a month of staying in homes. I spent $3800-4000 including airfare to Seattle and home from Maine. So my expenses worked out to less than $40/day for the bike tour less airfare.
Julie: On our 3 week trips we do almost all camping in commercial campgrounds mainly for the showers. A few times we’ve been invited into homes, and occasionally we will stay in a motel due to heavy rain or if no campgrounds are available. We cook in camp mostly, but try for breakfast in diners once in a while. We like it simple, so for the 2 of us we have done trips from $33 to $47/day.
Angie: We were on vacation so we averaged $76 per day. We stayed in motels for 15 days (20% of the total trip) and 10 days in people’s home. Most of the cost is due to eating out in diners the whole time but it was a lot of fun to meet the locals.
C.U.: Has bike touring changed your life?
Cheryl: I think ANY potential vacation as a biking opportunity!
Barb: I’m hooked. I found out I could do some things I never thought I could do! It really helped my confidence level.
Lucy: Last summer’s tour across America was life changing. “Living a life of simplicity and peace within” is now my mantra.
Angie: Self-supported touring has definitely given me self-assurance that I can do anything. It’s a great sense of accomplishment when you plan and execute a trip. You can take the time to truly enjoy the beauty and vastness of the world around you. I met so many wonderful people. Having our bikes loaded up would be an open invitation for people to stop and talk to us.
Julie: It has given me a sense of accomplishment. It has also been very good for my (our) marriage, time alone without lots of interruptions; e-mail, phones or commitments.
C.U.: So what is next?
Cheryl: I’m mulling over a new week-long trip in Southern Utah for this Spring or Fall. I’d like to go back to Europe. I have some ideas for a Scotland-Wales-England tour as well as Eastern Europe. The dollar-euro exchange rate may have to be more favorable before I go to Europe however.
Angie: Vince and I will begin a trip in San Francisco and end in Salt Lake City that will “officially” complete our trans-continental ride.
Julie: For 2010, we will just do a very short tour, as we do backpacking trips on the even years. In 2011 we will do another 3-week bike tour, perhaps in Wyoming.
Barb: New Zealand from January 25th to March 20th. Short trips after that as my daughter has house sat and tended my cats for my tours is going back to Seattle.
Lucy: Watch for me coming through Salt Lake City in the spring from my home in Southern Utah. I will be doing the Little Red Riding Hood ride and the Diabetes Tour-de-Cure before heading further north.
Touring Note: The 4th annual overnight bike ride to Rock Cliff Recreation area will be held on June 12 & 13. For information contact Lou Melini [email protected]
Cycling Utah March 1999 and August 2003
