Just in time for the Tour de France, which starts Saturday. From the same (slightly unhinged?) mind that brought you "Performance", and "Get Dirty". Enjoy!
30 June 2011
29 June 2011
2011 Tour of Utah Route
Yesterday, the Tour of Utah held a press conference to reveal the route for the 2011 Tour of Utah. I unfortunately couldn't attend the press conference, but here is the press release that they posted on their website.
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (June 28, 2011) – All 409 miles of climbs, descents, twists, and turns of the six-day Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah were revealed today by event organizers. The sixth season for this prestigious professional cycling event will begin with a new uphill Prologue at Utah Olympic Park on Tuesday, August 9. There will be a combination of familiar terrain and fresh territory for the five stages, including a new circuit course in downtown Salt Lake City. The Tour of Utah culminates on Sunday, August 14, with its signature mountaintop stage finish at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort.I can't wait! I'll be at several of the stages - as work allows.
“The route this year will definitely challenge the best cyclists from around the globe. We expect each course to be packed with spectators, while enjoying the striking parts of the state of Utah and the local communities. Six days of challenging courses and terrain will not only test pro cyclists, but showcase Utah in a national and international spotlight,” said Steve Miller, president of the Utah Cycling Partnership which owns the Tour of Utah.
The six-day race and rolling festival was elevated this year by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) to a 2.1-rated stage race, which makes it one of the top three pro cycling events of its kind for North America. The Tour of Utah promises to uphold its distinction as “America’s Toughest Stage RaceTM” with close to 30,000 feet of climbing over the total route, as well as providing stunning scenery along the Wasatch Front in and around six unique Host Venues.
The Overall Start on August 9 debuts at legendary Utah Olympic Park (UOP) in Park City with an uphill Prologue, presented by KJZZ-TV and KFAN (Sports Radio-AM 1320). The Prologue, a short preliminary time trial to establish the race leader, will cover 1.25 miles (2 km). But it won’t be a full-throttle sprint, as the pro cyclists will have to climb the entire distance. The start will be located at the Joe Quinney Winter Sports Center, which houses the Alf Engen Ski Museum and 2002 Eccles Winter Olympic Museum. The finish will be located at the summit of UOP, near the start house of the sliding track used for bobsled, luge and skeleton. This acclaimed 389-acre facility has been recognized as having the fastest sliding track and highest-elevated ski jumps in the world. The stage will begin at 2 p.m. and end at approximately 4:30 p.m.
The Stage One Road Race, presented by Miller Lite, is the longest stage of the week at 116 miles (187 km). This start and finish line on Wednesday is located in downtown Ogden on Historic 25th Street near the Ogden Amphitheater. Pro cyclists will encounter 8,250 feet of climbing, navigating a 38.5-mile course three times. This includes multiple climbs over the challenging North Ogden Pass, traveling past Pineview Reservoir and returning to Ogden through Ogden Canyon. This makes it a great day for spectators to see the peloton pass numerous times. It is the first time Ogden will host a start and finish for the Tour of Utah. A climbing stage with a flat finish, it will begin at 11 a.m. in Ogden and is expected to finish between 3:45-4:30 p.m.
The Stage Two Road Race, presented by Adobe, provides a rolling, 100-mile (161 km) course that offers a new finish line area in Provo. For the second year in a row, the start line of this stage is located at the headquarters of XANGO (a leading global nutrition company) on the north side of Utah Lake, less than 20 miles away from Provo. The peloton will encounter 2,820 feet of rolling hills as they ride around the west side of Utah Lake, passing through Goshen, Mona, Santaquin, and Springville. After passing near Brigham Young University in Provo, cyclists will finish at Vivint headquarters (one of the largest home automation companies in North America) at The Shops at Riverwoods on N. University Avenue in Provo. This is the first time in four years that Provo is an official host city. The start will begin at 11 a.m. and the finish should be between 2:45-3:30 p.m.
Miller Motorsports Park will host the Stage Three Individual Time Trial, presented by UnitedHealthcare, on August 12. It is the fourth consecutive year this “race of truth” will be contested near Tooele, Utah at this state-of-the-art road racing facility completed in 2006 for automobiles, motorcycles and karts. This year’s route is very similar to previous years, with both the start and finish located in front of the facility’s pit row area. At 9.7 miles (14.5 km), the time trial course has 16 turns on the race track, including one out-and-back section and a turnaround area within walking distance of pit row. In this exciting event, cyclists take turns racing against the clock, going at intervals on the course rather than a large peloton, or pack. Because of high temperatures that occur on the race track in the middle of the day, the athletes will begin taking turns in the ITT at 5 p.m. The competition should conclude by 8 p.m.
A new course is expected to draw huge crowds on Saturday, with the Stage Four Circuit Race, presented by University of Utah Health Care, in downtown Salt Lake City. The Prologue has been hosted by Salt Lake City in past years, but this year the capital city has planned a high-intensity 81.4-mile (131-km) race with a total of 7,246 feet of climbing. The circuit is 7.4 miles in length, which will require cyclists to make 11 laps. The course begins on Capitol Hill and continues through City Creek Canyon. It continues along 11th Avenue through the Avenues neighborhood and south on Virginia Street into the Federal Heights neighborhood. The peloton should fly along tree-lined Presidents Circle on the University of Utah campus then sprint along South Temple Street, past the Governor’s Mansion and under Eagle Gate to Capitol Hill for the finish. The circuit race begins at 1 p.m. and is expected to finish at close to 4:30 p.m.
The Tour of Utah returns to Park City on Sunday for the start of the Stage Five Road Race, presented by Zions Bank. This is the showcase “Queen Stage” of the Tour with the epic mountaintop finish at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. It is the fourth consecutive year for this century (161-km) route, which features four significant mountain climbs and a total of 10,900 vertical feet of elevation gain. Going east from Newpark Town Center in Park City, one of the first climbs is along the Jordanelle Reservoir near Kamas. The next major climb is past Midway along the Alpine Loop Scenic Byway, an 8.7-mile climb that crosses Mt. Timpanogos near Sundance Resort. After a descent down American Fork Canyon (Hwy. 92) through Uinta National Forest, riders head over the Suncrest Drive climb and past Sandy City. The final climb up Little Cottonwood Canyon covers 3,000 vertical feet in six miles, with 8-12 percent gradients, to the finish at Snowbird Ski and Summer Resort. The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah began as the Thanksgiving Point Stage Race & Cycling Festival, a three-day event over Memorial Day weekend in 2004. The Utah Cycling Partnership, owned by family members from the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies, purchased the event in 2007 and re-launched the cycling event in 2008. The race had grown from 9,000 feet of climbing in the first years to nearly 30,000 feet of elevation gain, gaining reputation as “America’s Toughest Stage Race”. The Tour of Utah is now sanctioned by both USA Cycling, Inc. and the UCI.
The Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah continues to be free to all spectators, making professional cycling one of the most unique pro sports in the world today. Information about teams, VIP Packages, The Ultimate Challenge and additional event information can be found by visiting http://www.tourofutah.com/, with updates on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
About the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah
Deemed "America's Toughest Stage Race," the Larry H. Miller Tour of Utah is a six-day, six-stage, professional bicycle road race along the Rocky Mountain's Wasatch Range. It traditionally covers more than 400 total miles of racing through some of Utah's most beautiful and challenging terrain. Now in its seventh year, the 2011 Tour of Utah is scheduled to take place August 9-14 as a UCI 2.1 sanctioned road race for the best pro cyclists in the world. The event is owned and operated by the Utah Cycling Partnership. The 2011 Tour of Utah will be accompanied by a colorful, rolling festival celebration that will take place at each day’s finish line host venue. More information can be found by visiting http://www.tourofutah.com./
About the Larry H. Miller Group of Companies
The Larry H. Miller Group of Companies began with a single automotive dealership, Larry H. Miller Toyota, in Murray, Utah in 1979. Since that time, the Group has amassed more than 80 businesses and properties in the western United States. Most notable are the Utah Jazz NBA professional basketball franchise, EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City, the Salt Lake Bees Class-AAA professional baseball affiliate of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, state-of-the-art Miller Motorsports Park, Megaplex Theatres across Utah and 40 automobile dealerships representing 23 different automotive brands in seven Western states. The company website is http://www.lhm.com/.
About Medalist Sports
Medalist Sports, LLC is an international, full-service, sports management and production company. An industry leader, Medalist Sports specializes in the successful planning, promotion and management of special events, ranging from professional competitions to amateur experiences, to cause-related/fundraising events. Members of the Medalist team are proud to have been involved with and helped manage such events and properties as Tour DuPont, Tour of China, Amgen Tour of California, USA Pro Cycling Challenge, Tour de Georgia, Tour of Missouri, the Lance Armstrong Foundation (Livestrong Challenge), USA Cycling Professional Championships, the Tour of Hope, The Dempsey Challenge presented by Amgen and more. Medalist Sports’ headquarters are located south of metro Atlanta at P.O. Box 415, Tyrone, Ga. 30290. The company website is http://www.medalistsports.com/.
27 June 2011
Rant of the Day
I wasn’t planning on posting today, but a Facebook thread that was brought to my attention by my wife made me want to express my feelings on the subject in a venue where I wouldn’t be getting into a war.
The question was posted by one of our neighbors about why cyclists “insist on riding right on the white line… when you have plenty of room to your right?” I understand this is a perfectly valid question, especially for a “non-cyclist” Most of the responses were constructive and informative – especially from those who are cyclists. They explained that we actually have a legal right to ride in the lane (Utah Traffic Code 41-6a-1105), and that all of the road debris ends up on the right side of the white line, and much of that has the potential to cause flats for us cyclists.
Then you have those people who have to post comments which are neither helpful or constructive. Comments such as how cyclists give them a dirty look when they pass too close, or how they feel like “reaching out the window and getting there attention by smacking em on the but…”
Comments like that are what cause my blood pressure to spike, and foster the urge to write not nice things.
I know I’m preaching to the choir, but seriously?!? Are people that stupid? You wonder why we shoot you a dirty look when you pass us with mere inches between the mirror to your soccer-mom-mobile, or your oversized "I'm compesating for something" redneck truck and our shoulders? You do realize who will win in a confrontation between your mobile zoo and us on our bicycles? Is a scratch in your paint worth more than our lives?
And do I need to even say how extremely pissed I will be if I am *EVER* touched by someone in a passing car while I am out riding. If I don’t go down because of the ass-smacking – which is very possible and likely, you better hope I never, ever find you. Aside from being extremely dangerous, unless you have unnaturally long arms, you’re violating the 3-foot-law, and my personal space.
I spent the weekend up in Cache county riding 11+ hours over 175 miles between two states with approximately 2500 of my closest friends and I only heard a car horn once – and that wasn’t even in anger, it was more to say “hey, I’m here and you are about to do something potentially dumb” (towards another cyclist, not me). And, yes, I do admit that we as cyclists are not above doing stupid things.
I sincerely hope the originator of the Facebook post came away from the conversation with a better understanding, and I hope he, and everyone else realizes that the 30 seconds of delay that we may cause you isn’t worth our lives. We’re not obstacles between you and wherever you feel you need to be in such a hurry, and we’re not bicycles. We’re people.
The question was posted by one of our neighbors about why cyclists “insist on riding right on the white line… when you have plenty of room to your right?” I understand this is a perfectly valid question, especially for a “non-cyclist” Most of the responses were constructive and informative – especially from those who are cyclists. They explained that we actually have a legal right to ride in the lane (Utah Traffic Code 41-6a-1105), and that all of the road debris ends up on the right side of the white line, and much of that has the potential to cause flats for us cyclists.
Then you have those people who have to post comments which are neither helpful or constructive. Comments such as how cyclists give them a dirty look when they pass too close, or how they feel like “reaching out the window and getting there attention by smacking em on the but…”
Comments like that are what cause my blood pressure to spike, and foster the urge to write not nice things.
I know I’m preaching to the choir, but seriously?!? Are people that stupid? You wonder why we shoot you a dirty look when you pass us with mere inches between the mirror to your soccer-mom-mobile, or your oversized "I'm compesating for something" redneck truck and our shoulders? You do realize who will win in a confrontation between your mobile zoo and us on our bicycles? Is a scratch in your paint worth more than our lives?
And do I need to even say how extremely pissed I will be if I am *EVER* touched by someone in a passing car while I am out riding. If I don’t go down because of the ass-smacking – which is very possible and likely, you better hope I never, ever find you. Aside from being extremely dangerous, unless you have unnaturally long arms, you’re violating the 3-foot-law, and my personal space.
I spent the weekend up in Cache county riding 11+ hours over 175 miles between two states with approximately 2500 of my closest friends and I only heard a car horn once – and that wasn’t even in anger, it was more to say “hey, I’m here and you are about to do something potentially dumb” (towards another cyclist, not me). And, yes, I do admit that we as cyclists are not above doing stupid things.
I sincerely hope the originator of the Facebook post came away from the conversation with a better understanding, and I hope he, and everyone else realizes that the 30 seconds of delay that we may cause you isn’t worth our lives. We’re not obstacles between you and wherever you feel you need to be in such a hurry, and we’re not bicycles. We’re people.
26 June 2011
25 June 2011
24 June 2011
Food Friday: Post-Ride/Race Food?
We’re all familiar with the “pre-ride/race pasta dinner”. I think it has transcended any sort of “carbo-loading” benefit and is now firmly entrenched in the realm of ritual.
But what about post-ride/race? Is there anything that you simply crave once you have stopped turning the pedals?
Mine is Mexican food. More specifically, veggie fajitas.
After the Tour de Cure on the 11th, Greg, I and our wives were sitting around the lobby of the hotel, and I had a craving for Mexican food. We happened to find this really good (and I mean really, really good) Mexican place in Brigham City. It wasn’t even our first choice! The place we planned on going to closed 5 minutes before we got there, and we were told about this other place by someone coming out of the restaurant. He said that he actually had never been there, but “some people like it”. Well, “some people” were right!
So, what do you crave post-ride/race? Any traditions or rituals?
But what about post-ride/race? Is there anything that you simply crave once you have stopped turning the pedals?
Mine is Mexican food. More specifically, veggie fajitas.
Mmmm!
So, what do you crave post-ride/race? Any traditions or rituals?
23 June 2011
Android Apps: Cardio Trainer/Pro
There are a plethora of apps available for your smart-phone to track your workouts. All of them have the same basic features such as GPS mapping, speed, pace, the ability to share with (and potentially annoy) your friends on twitter and Facebook, etc…
Cardio Trainer for the Android adds a couple of features that I found to be worthwhile and entertaining.
To start out, there are two versions available. The free version, and the feature-packed pro version which will cost you $9.99*.
For standard workouts, you click on the “start workout” button and select the type of workout - out of a fairly extensive list - you will be participating in. One nice feature of Cardio Trainer is the fact it has an “auto start” countdown, so you have a user-programmable amount of time to stow your phone in a jersey pocket, or wherever you keep it, and mount your bicycle before the workout starts.
While in the workout mode, you can choose to have an audio notification tell you how far or how long you have gone, and how many calories you have burned. You can also enable it to randomize your audio tracks on your phone for some in-exercise entertainment.
One of my favorite features is the auto-pause. If the GPS notices that you haven’t moved your location in a certain period of time, it will automatically pause your workout, and restart once the GPS indicates movement. For those of us who forget to turn our wireless bike computers back on after a rest stop (who, me?) this is very handy.
After the workout is finished, you have the option of posting your workout to twitter and Facebook (bragging).
The history screen offers another one of my favorite features although this one is more of a “gee-whiz” instead of anything useful. At the top of the history screen, there is a globe that says “how far” under it. Clicking on it gives you a google map with a blue circle on it. The circle represents the total distance of all your workouts, and how far that distance is from your current location. Like I said, “gee-whiz”, but it’s still kind of fun to see a graphical representation of your distance, instead of just numbers.
Upgrading to the Pro version gives you access to specific workout routines, such as time, distance, and calorie goals as well as interval training and the ability to race against yourself. I haven’t used the interval training yet, but I really like the race against yourself feature. It works just how you would guess, it times you against a previous track from your history and gives you updates as to your position in relation to your previous time/speed.
It also has the ability to integrate with a Polar WearLink+ Bluetooth heart rate monitor if you have one (I don’t, but would be willing to review it if anyone from Polar is reading this).
There are other features, such as the ability to set up a workout program to help you achieve a weight loss goal, a widget to place on your home screen, and the ability to see what your friends are up to.
Is it worth it? I really like the auto-start/auto-pause feature that is available with the free basic version, but I don’t know if the “Race against yourself” and the other workouts are enough to justify the $9.99* price tag to me. You can find Cardio Trainer here, and the Pro version here.
*disclosure: I did not pay for the Cardio Trainer Pro. Each day, Amazon offers one paid-for app for free download, and I downloaded this app on the day that it was offered for free.
Cardio Trainer for the Android adds a couple of features that I found to be worthwhile and entertaining.
To start out, there are two versions available. The free version, and the feature-packed pro version which will cost you $9.99*.
For standard workouts, you click on the “start workout” button and select the type of workout - out of a fairly extensive list - you will be participating in. One nice feature of Cardio Trainer is the fact it has an “auto start” countdown, so you have a user-programmable amount of time to stow your phone in a jersey pocket, or wherever you keep it, and mount your bicycle before the workout starts.
While in the workout mode, you can choose to have an audio notification tell you how far or how long you have gone, and how many calories you have burned. You can also enable it to randomize your audio tracks on your phone for some in-exercise entertainment.
One of my favorite features is the auto-pause. If the GPS notices that you haven’t moved your location in a certain period of time, it will automatically pause your workout, and restart once the GPS indicates movement. For those of us who forget to turn our wireless bike computers back on after a rest stop (who, me?) this is very handy.
After the workout is finished, you have the option of posting your workout to twitter and Facebook (bragging).
The history screen offers another one of my favorite features although this one is more of a “gee-whiz” instead of anything useful. At the top of the history screen, there is a globe that says “how far” under it. Clicking on it gives you a google map with a blue circle on it. The circle represents the total distance of all your workouts, and how far that distance is from your current location. Like I said, “gee-whiz”, but it’s still kind of fun to see a graphical representation of your distance, instead of just numbers.
Upgrading to the Pro version gives you access to specific workout routines, such as time, distance, and calorie goals as well as interval training and the ability to race against yourself. I haven’t used the interval training yet, but I really like the race against yourself feature. It works just how you would guess, it times you against a previous track from your history and gives you updates as to your position in relation to your previous time/speed.
It also has the ability to integrate with a Polar WearLink+ Bluetooth heart rate monitor if you have one (I don’t, but would be willing to review it if anyone from Polar is reading this).
There are other features, such as the ability to set up a workout program to help you achieve a weight loss goal, a widget to place on your home screen, and the ability to see what your friends are up to.
Is it worth it? I really like the auto-start/auto-pause feature that is available with the free basic version, but I don’t know if the “Race against yourself” and the other workouts are enough to justify the $9.99* price tag to me. You can find Cardio Trainer here, and the Pro version here.
*disclosure: I did not pay for the Cardio Trainer Pro. Each day, Amazon offers one paid-for app for free download, and I downloaded this app on the day that it was offered for free.
22 June 2011
T-Shirt of the Day
This is a real shirt, from Nike. I have to wonder, WTH were they thinking when they came up with this design?!?
Seriously bad taste and timing, Nike.
21 June 2011
Plan C: It's Finished!
That’s right, my fixed gear is finally complete!
I picked up the last part I needed – the chain – last night, and assembled the last remaining pieces.
The crank is actually the triple crank from my Fuji that I replaced with a compact. The middle ring happened to be a 42 tooth – exactly what I wanted to put on the fixed, so I removed the inner and outer rings, and voila!
Finish it off with a pair of old pedals out of the junk parts bin, and it’s ready to ride. I haven’t taken it out for the maiden voyage yet, that will be tonight.
I still want to add a freewheel to the other side of the flip-flop hub, but that isn’t required for operation.
More posts to follow.
I picked up the last part I needed – the chain – last night, and assembled the last remaining pieces.
The crank is actually the triple crank from my Fuji that I replaced with a compact. The middle ring happened to be a 42 tooth – exactly what I wanted to put on the fixed, so I removed the inner and outer rings, and voila!
Finish it off with a pair of old pedals out of the junk parts bin, and it’s ready to ride. I haven’t taken it out for the maiden voyage yet, that will be tonight.
I still want to add a freewheel to the other side of the flip-flop hub, but that isn’t required for operation.
More posts to follow.
20 June 2011
A Happy Email
Last week I received an email that made me very happy.
The email was from the Tour of Utah, confirming my media credentials for this year’s race!
I have to admit, I was skeptical that I would get media credentials this year because of the fact that for its 7th running, it has reached “big time” status by becoming a UCI 2.1 classified race – which means that the Pro teams can enter the race if they choose.
So, during the week of August 9-14, I will be posting race results from each stage, and pictures from as many of the stages that I can break away from the “day job” to attend.
Thank you to all who made this possible for another year!
The email was from the Tour of Utah, confirming my media credentials for this year’s race!
I have to admit, I was skeptical that I would get media credentials this year because of the fact that for its 7th running, it has reached “big time” status by becoming a UCI 2.1 classified race – which means that the Pro teams can enter the race if they choose.
So, during the week of August 9-14, I will be posting race results from each stage, and pictures from as many of the stages that I can break away from the “day job” to attend.
Thank you to all who made this possible for another year!
One of my favorite shots from the 2010 Tour of Utah
19 June 2011
Happy Father's Day
I hope all of you dads have a Happy Father's Day today. Get out and go for a ride with your kids.
17 June 2011
16 June 2011
Photo of the Day
The photo doesn't do it justice.
For a few moments this morning, Mother Nature treated me to a little light show. By the time I got to the top of the pass, it was gone. If I was driving, I don't know if I would have even seen it.
I love my commute.
Published with Blogger-droid v1.7.0
15 June 2011
T-Shirt of the Day
Anothe shirt from the guys at Twin Six. This time they have partnered with http://www.doperssuck.com/ and came up with this great shirt.
Dopers Suck!
14 June 2011
2011 Tour de Cure - A Great Weekend!
Saturday was the Tour de Cure here in Utah.
The weather couldn’t have been better. Light breeze, fluffy clouds, no rain! As one person told me on the route. “whoever sold their soul for the good weather this year, it was well worth it!”
This was also my friend Greg’s first century.
I don’t want to bore anyone with a turn-by-turn recap of the ride. So I’ll just say that we both completed the century route. Had a great time, and will do it again.
I didn’t take many pictures on the route – since my phone was occupied running the Cardio Trainer app, mapping our progress, but Kelly did get some pictures as we came in.
After some time in the pool, we decided to go get some Mexican food. I think that this needs to be a new tradition. We found this really, really good Mexican restaurant (who knew that Brigham City would have such a good place to eat!)
The hotel has already been reserved for the 2012 Tour de Cure!
The weather couldn’t have been better. Light breeze, fluffy clouds, no rain! As one person told me on the route. “whoever sold their soul for the good weather this year, it was well worth it!”
This was also my friend Greg’s first century.
I don’t want to bore anyone with a turn-by-turn recap of the ride. So I’ll just say that we both completed the century route. Had a great time, and will do it again.
I didn’t take many pictures on the route – since my phone was occupied running the Cardio Trainer app, mapping our progress, but Kelly did get some pictures as we came in.
I love this rest stop. It appeals to my inner geek.
At the top of the big climb. I don't know how steep the final 1/4 mile was, I heard anywhere from 12 to 21%, but it was steep!
Our cheering section, waiting for us to arrive.
Here we come.
100 miles later, still smilin'
Me and my family
Greg and his clan
It feels good to just lay in the grass after a ride like that...
... but, that doesn't mean that you don't want to get up and dance!
yes, we are "dancing" to Poker Face by Lady GaGa. Sorry.
a little recuperation time in the hot tub.
After some time in the pool, we decided to go get some Mexican food. I think that this needs to be a new tradition. We found this really, really good Mexican restaurant (who knew that Brigham City would have such a good place to eat!)
The hotel has already been reserved for the 2012 Tour de Cure!
13 June 2011
Sign of the times?
This past weekend was the Tour de Cure century in Brigham City. It was a great ride, and the weather cooperated perfectly this year. My good friend, Greg rode with me - his first century - and we both had a great time.
On the way home from Brigham City, I saw this billboard no less than 6 times along the freeway
I also learned that to kick off this new promotion, the Utah Department of Transportation, Zero Fatalities and the Department of Public Safety will be sponsoring a "Road Respect Tour" in which a group of cyclists will be riding across the state - from Logan to Hurricane - between June 13th and 18th. They will be making rally stops for community events at various locations, and there will also be "transition zones" where you can join up for a portion of the ride.
The site also has links to safety resources, and suggestions on how to ride with respect and drive with respect.
On the way home from Brigham City, I saw this billboard no less than 6 times along the freeway
I always makes me happy to see bicycles in commercials, on billboards, and in outlets where you normally don't see them. But something like this, where they are not only promoting riding, but promoting the 3 foot law makes me especially happy.
I went to the website RoadRespect.Utah.gov, to check it out. The first paragraph on the site sums it up perfectly:
It's one of those lessons we all learned early on in life, like sharing is good. When you give respect, you get respect. And nowhere is that more true than on Utah's roads, where drivers and cyclists meet in potentially life-threatening situations thousands of times a day. The Road Respect program is dedicated to the idea of teaching both drivers and cyclists the rules of the road so that everyone respects everyone's space and everyone gets home safely.
I also learned that to kick off this new promotion, the Utah Department of Transportation, Zero Fatalities and the Department of Public Safety will be sponsoring a "Road Respect Tour" in which a group of cyclists will be riding across the state - from Logan to Hurricane - between June 13th and 18th. They will be making rally stops for community events at various locations, and there will also be "transition zones" where you can join up for a portion of the ride.
The site also has links to safety resources, and suggestions on how to ride with respect and drive with respect.
A sign of the times? I think so!
12 June 2011
10 June 2011
Bike Naked?
Tomorrow, I will be riding my bike. And, you can thank me later, I’ll be doing it fully clothed.
If that previous sentence confuses you, then obviously you are unaware that tomorrow is the World Naked Bike Ride (google it yourself, I am not putting up a link for it).
The big question I have is WHY? I think (again, I’m not going to do any “research” for this post) the reason people around the world are bearing all and taking to the streets on their bikes is to make a political statement protesting oil and gas usage (that’s what I heard), But that is not the why I’m wondering about. My “why” is, why would you subject yourself to the potential chafing, and other problems that could arise from riding without the proper clothing. Plus, it’s just plain nasty!
So, any pictures I post in reference to cycling tomorrow will be pictures of fully clothed cyclists. They will be wearing Lycra – nothing I can do about that.
You’re welcome.
If that previous sentence confuses you, then obviously you are unaware that tomorrow is the World Naked Bike Ride (google it yourself, I am not putting up a link for it).
The big question I have is WHY? I think (again, I’m not going to do any “research” for this post) the reason people around the world are bearing all and taking to the streets on their bikes is to make a political statement protesting oil and gas usage (that’s what I heard), But that is not the why I’m wondering about. My “why” is, why would you subject yourself to the potential chafing, and other problems that could arise from riding without the proper clothing. Plus, it’s just plain nasty!
So, any pictures I post in reference to cycling tomorrow will be pictures of fully clothed cyclists. They will be wearing Lycra – nothing I can do about that.
You’re welcome.
09 June 2011
Android Bicycle Apps: Fixed Gears
Here’s another cycling app for the Android that I have been using recently – especially since I’m (still) in the process of turning my old steel road bike into a fixed gear.
Fixed Gears is a very straight forward and useful app for calculating pretty much anything you would need to calculate in relation to building a fixed gear. Input your crank arm length, chainring and rear cog and it will tell you your Development (the distance your rear wheel advances for one revolution of the crank), Gear Ratio, Gain Ratio, Gear Inches, and Skid Patches.
Another tab lets you input your tire size, which will allow you to calculate your speed based on what cadence you select on a slider bar.
Probably the tab I found most useful is the Alternate Gearing tab. This will show you all of the possible chainring/cog combinations that will show you all possible chainring/cog combinations with (nearly) the same gearing.
For example: At the Outdoor Retailer Winter show, I was talking to Jordan from Timbuk2. While he was in town for the show, he borrowed a bike from a friend to ride around on. It was a carbon Scott TT bike that had a broken rear derailleur hanger, so the owner converted it to a fixed gear. Unfortunately, due to the shape of the chainstays, he was not able to run a traditional chainring/cog setup, such as 42/15.
Using the Alternate Gearing calculator, you can see that a setup of 60/21 will give similar gear inches of 75.1 (42/15 gives you 73.6 gear inches)
One glaring negative about the program, is that it will not save your settings, so each time you go back into it you have to re-enter your preferences.
For a free app, it’s well worth it.
Fixed Gears is a very straight forward and useful app for calculating pretty much anything you would need to calculate in relation to building a fixed gear. Input your crank arm length, chainring and rear cog and it will tell you your Development (the distance your rear wheel advances for one revolution of the crank), Gear Ratio, Gain Ratio, Gear Inches, and Skid Patches.
Another tab lets you input your tire size, which will allow you to calculate your speed based on what cadence you select on a slider bar.
Probably the tab I found most useful is the Alternate Gearing tab. This will show you all of the possible chainring/cog combinations that will show you all possible chainring/cog combinations with (nearly) the same gearing.
For example: At the Outdoor Retailer Winter show, I was talking to Jordan from Timbuk2. While he was in town for the show, he borrowed a bike from a friend to ride around on. It was a carbon Scott TT bike that had a broken rear derailleur hanger, so the owner converted it to a fixed gear. Unfortunately, due to the shape of the chainstays, he was not able to run a traditional chainring/cog setup, such as 42/15.
Using the Alternate Gearing calculator, you can see that a setup of 60/21 will give similar gear inches of 75.1 (42/15 gives you 73.6 gear inches)
One glaring negative about the program, is that it will not save your settings, so each time you go back into it you have to re-enter your preferences.
For a free app, it’s well worth it.
08 June 2011
How not to portage a small human
More Pony Express Days Parade bike-related stuff. Unfortunately, still not positive.
As we were watching the parade, I momentarily became excited to see a group of bicycles riding down the parade route. Unfortunately the moment of excitement was fleeting.
They are promoting a small human portaging device called the “Tyke Toter”.
You won’t see any review of this device on this site for a few reasons. First, I don’t have a human small enough to portage in such a manner, nor do I plan on creating any additional small humans for this, or any other reason. Second, I have issues with anything that has the potential to interfere with the safe operation of your bicycle; and having a small, potentially squirmy human between you and the handlebars reeks of that potential ( I won’t go into the fact that none of the small humans had a helmet on, and my feelings on that subject). And finally, if you are not portaging a small human, it just looks creepy and wrong.
As we were watching the parade, I momentarily became excited to see a group of bicycles riding down the parade route. Unfortunately the moment of excitement was fleeting.
They are promoting a small human portaging device called the “Tyke Toter”.
You won’t see any review of this device on this site for a few reasons. First, I don’t have a human small enough to portage in such a manner, nor do I plan on creating any additional small humans for this, or any other reason. Second, I have issues with anything that has the potential to interfere with the safe operation of your bicycle; and having a small, potentially squirmy human between you and the handlebars reeks of that potential ( I won’t go into the fact that none of the small humans had a helmet on, and my feelings on that subject). And finally, if you are not portaging a small human, it just looks creepy and wrong.
07 June 2011
A Little Bit of Excitement this Past Saturday Morning
Forgive me the proud parent moment, but my 13 year old marched in his first parade this weekend with the high school marching band.
Yeah, he had to pick the biggest freakin’ instrument to play. He enjoys it, and he’s good at it.
The proud parent moment also serves as a segue into today’s post, as the event I am talking about took place as we were heading to the parade to watch the marching band, and the other 108 entrants march down the road.
Eagle Mountain is divided into two distinct areas: Town Center and The Ranches. These areas are geographically separated by about 3 miles of nothing – what I have referred to in previous posts as “no man’s land”. The road that connects town center and the Ranches - Pony Express parkway (yes, it is actually on the original Pony Express trail) - is a bad road: single lane each direction, no shoulder, narrow lanes, and an island in the middle the entire way.
It is also, unfortunately, a popular cycling route.
Fortunately, the city has built a shared use path right next to the road.
I’m a big proponent of the whole “share the road” concept and taking the lane, but I am also a huge fan of not being hit by cars. This 3 mile stretch of road is the only place where I will actively use the shared use path instead of the road.
Okay, the scene is set. Now on with the story.
We were heading into the Ranches to watch the parade Saturday morning. We had the great misfortune of being behind a truck towing a horse trailer – more than likely an entrant in the parade. About a mile into “no man’s land” the truck came across a single cyclist riding on the road. The truck slowed down to the cyclist’s speed, and was trying to get over as far as he possibly could to pass. He was next to the cyclist for about a minute, when the cyclist looked over, then back, then wobbled and swerved off the road into the gravel, and immediately went down.
He quickly jumped to his feet after he fell and went up to the passenger side window of the truck and had words with the driver of the truck. As we got our opportunity to go past, my wife asked out her window if he was okay, he shot her a dirty look and then grunted that he was fine.
Just to be clear, the truck in no way touched or physically interfered with the cyclist. I have no way of knowing if the driver of the truck said anything to the cyclist. Also, except for the bruises to his ego and pride, he appeared to be unharmed.
I wish I knew more of what went on right before the cyclist hit the ground, but from what I saw, he panicked and overreacted.
I used to ride on the road in that location, defiantly asserting my right to the road, and dismissing the path as a location for joggers and families. Enough times of having big trucks go past with their mirrors missing my shoulder by mere inches has cured me of my arrogance.
I hope that the cyclist is really ok. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt out there, I wish the city would either widen the road, or at least put up signs: advising the cars to watch for cyclists, or for the cyclists advising that the road is narrow and encouraging them to use the path.
Yeah, he had to pick the biggest freakin’ instrument to play. He enjoys it, and he’s good at it.
The proud parent moment also serves as a segue into today’s post, as the event I am talking about took place as we were heading to the parade to watch the marching band, and the other 108 entrants march down the road.
Eagle Mountain is divided into two distinct areas: Town Center and The Ranches. These areas are geographically separated by about 3 miles of nothing – what I have referred to in previous posts as “no man’s land”. The road that connects town center and the Ranches - Pony Express parkway (yes, it is actually on the original Pony Express trail) - is a bad road: single lane each direction, no shoulder, narrow lanes, and an island in the middle the entire way.
photo taken later in the day to illustrate the narrowness of the road
It is also, unfortunately, a popular cycling route.
Fortunately, the city has built a shared use path right next to the road.
I’m a big proponent of the whole “share the road” concept and taking the lane, but I am also a huge fan of not being hit by cars. This 3 mile stretch of road is the only place where I will actively use the shared use path instead of the road.
Okay, the scene is set. Now on with the story.
We were heading into the Ranches to watch the parade Saturday morning. We had the great misfortune of being behind a truck towing a horse trailer – more than likely an entrant in the parade. About a mile into “no man’s land” the truck came across a single cyclist riding on the road. The truck slowed down to the cyclist’s speed, and was trying to get over as far as he possibly could to pass. He was next to the cyclist for about a minute, when the cyclist looked over, then back, then wobbled and swerved off the road into the gravel, and immediately went down.
He quickly jumped to his feet after he fell and went up to the passenger side window of the truck and had words with the driver of the truck. As we got our opportunity to go past, my wife asked out her window if he was okay, he shot her a dirty look and then grunted that he was fine.
Just to be clear, the truck in no way touched or physically interfered with the cyclist. I have no way of knowing if the driver of the truck said anything to the cyclist. Also, except for the bruises to his ego and pride, he appeared to be unharmed.
I wish I knew more of what went on right before the cyclist hit the ground, but from what I saw, he panicked and overreacted.
I used to ride on the road in that location, defiantly asserting my right to the road, and dismissing the path as a location for joggers and families. Enough times of having big trucks go past with their mirrors missing my shoulder by mere inches has cured me of my arrogance.
I hope that the cyclist is really ok. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt out there, I wish the city would either widen the road, or at least put up signs: advising the cars to watch for cyclists, or for the cyclists advising that the road is narrow and encouraging them to use the path.
06 June 2011
What's in Your Seat Bag?
What’s in your bag?
Depending on who you ask, you could get any number of answers. What people carry in their seat bags varies greatly. Some cyclists don’t use a seat bag - instead they stuff their jersey pockets, or rely on support vehicles. Others are the envy of the Boy Scouts - they are prepared for anything and everything. They carry so much, they would be better off pulling a trailer behind them.
Depending on who you ask, you could get any number of answers. What people carry in their seat bags varies greatly. Some cyclists don’t use a seat bag - instead they stuff their jersey pockets, or rely on support vehicles. Others are the envy of the Boy Scouts - they are prepared for anything and everything. They carry so much, they would be better off pulling a trailer behind them.
I tend toward the minimalist side of things when it comes to my seat bag, carrying only what I consider the bare necessities.
My bag contains :
- tube
- CO2 cartritge with a mini head
- 1 tire lever (in case I can't remove the tire with my hands)
- a Madsen Cycles mint tin that contains my patch kit (the following items)
- $1 bill - as an emergency tire boot, or emergency money
- patches (need to refill the kit, only 2 patches left)
- sandpaper
- patch glue
Where do you fall? Boy Scout, minimalist or somewhere in between?
05 June 2011
04 June 2011
03 June 2011
A Minor Rant and Bluster
Today’s post is somewhat of a rant. Apologies in advance.
Wednesday was the last planning meeting for the Tour de Cure committee before the ride on June 11th. We talked about the final preparations for the ride. The person who is over the food went over the final food arrangements: Pasta at the lunch stop and BBQ from a local restaurant at the finish.
I asked if there were going to be any vegan options available for dinner. A flat-out no was his reply, not a “not really”, but a no. He did say that there would be gluten-free options available.
I don’t expect the world to alter itself to me just because I have chosen to avoid animal products, and I’m not asking them to make the entire meal vegan friendly, but having a vegan or vegetarian friendly option would be nice. I can’t be the only vegan or vegetarian who is going to be riding his bicycle on the 11th, can I?
I think part of my questioning of their not offering any non-meat options came after I read about Steve-O of Jackass fame. He was slated to appear at an ADA charity event, but left in protest after he learned that meat was to be served.
I can understand Steve-O’s reasons, but I don’t think the better good was served by him storming out. I think he could have used it better as an opportunity to reinforce the benefits of a plant-based diet for diabetics.
I’m not planning on staging a protest of the ride, or storming out because they are serving meat, but I question their food choices somewhat, especially considering that this ride is in support of the ADA, and a large number of participants are diabetic.
So, I guess that I’ll be filling up at the lunch stop on pasta and marinara (I hope they have marinara), and going somewhere after to get some food.
The irony of this is that the committee meetings are catered, and the event manager always makes sure that I have something vegan-friendly to eat at the meetings.
Wednesday was the last planning meeting for the Tour de Cure committee before the ride on June 11th. We talked about the final preparations for the ride. The person who is over the food went over the final food arrangements: Pasta at the lunch stop and BBQ from a local restaurant at the finish.
I asked if there were going to be any vegan options available for dinner. A flat-out no was his reply, not a “not really”, but a no. He did say that there would be gluten-free options available.
I don’t expect the world to alter itself to me just because I have chosen to avoid animal products, and I’m not asking them to make the entire meal vegan friendly, but having a vegan or vegetarian friendly option would be nice. I can’t be the only vegan or vegetarian who is going to be riding his bicycle on the 11th, can I?
I think part of my questioning of their not offering any non-meat options came after I read about Steve-O of Jackass fame. He was slated to appear at an ADA charity event, but left in protest after he learned that meat was to be served.
I can understand Steve-O’s reasons, but I don’t think the better good was served by him storming out. I think he could have used it better as an opportunity to reinforce the benefits of a plant-based diet for diabetics.
I’m not planning on staging a protest of the ride, or storming out because they are serving meat, but I question their food choices somewhat, especially considering that this ride is in support of the ADA, and a large number of participants are diabetic.
So, I guess that I’ll be filling up at the lunch stop on pasta and marinara (I hope they have marinara), and going somewhere after to get some food.
The irony of this is that the committee meetings are catered, and the event manager always makes sure that I have something vegan-friendly to eat at the meetings.
02 June 2011
Ignorance is Bliss?
I rode the Fuji this morning. I’m alternating between bikes so one doesn’t feel left out and unloved. I don’t want it to give me a flat (disgruntled bikes are the 6th leading cause of flats, you know)
I have everything set up approximately the same between both bikes, except for one fairly significant detail, no computer on the Fuji.
Riding the Fuji this morning, it felt faster than those mornings when I am riding the Specialized (aka, Pepto). I don’t know if it is actually faster, or if it is a trick of the mind.
Does not being tied to the numbers free me to enjoy the pure simplicity of riding a bike? Am I limited by my concern of where the numbers are?
I will eventually put a computer on the Fuji (I need a nickname for it, if anyone has any suggestions, leave them in the comments), which will tell me if it is faster, but I still won’t know if I was faster without it.
I have everything set up approximately the same between both bikes, except for one fairly significant detail, no computer on the Fuji.
Riding the Fuji this morning, it felt faster than those mornings when I am riding the Specialized (aka, Pepto). I don’t know if it is actually faster, or if it is a trick of the mind.
Does not being tied to the numbers free me to enjoy the pure simplicity of riding a bike? Am I limited by my concern of where the numbers are?
I will eventually put a computer on the Fuji (I need a nickname for it, if anyone has any suggestions, leave them in the comments), which will tell me if it is faster, but I still won’t know if I was faster without it.
01 June 2011
Salt Lake City Bikeways Map
The 2011 edition of the Salt Lake City Bikeways map was released on May 20th.
The map shows preferred cycling routes, public transit, trailheads, and other places of interest to cyclists.
You can download a PDF version of the map here, or you can pick up a printed copy at your local bike shop. A waterproof edition - printed on plasticized paper is available for $4 at several of the downtown bike shops.
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