VOLUME 9 NUMBER 6 FREE SEPTEMBER 2001 cycling utah •Snowbird Hillclimb •Watch out for Goatheads! •Utah and Idaho Events Calendar •Results •The Full Monty? •Evanston and ICS Finals •Bike Cops on Patrol MOUNTAIN WEST CYCLING JOURNAL 2 cycling utah.com SEPTEMBER 2001 SPEAKING OF SPOKES Kindling Racing Fever - Circa 1984 By Dave Ward Publisher I was looking through an issue of “Cycle Sport”, the British professional cycling magazine, and happened across a short piece on the way things were in 1978, the year Eddy Merckx retired. It made me reflect back to 1984, the year I so snappy and responsive that it became interested in competitive took several miles before I felt cycling. stable on the bike. That year, Laurent Fignon Of course, the gruppo came was winning his second Tour de complete with toe-clip pedals France, with Bernard Hinault and friction shifting. It was not taking second and American until two years later that I pur- sensation Greg LeMond taking chased the second generation of Action in the Threes Look clipless pedals, a welcome third. I can remember scouring at the Utah State Crit the results pages of VeloNews to change from the moment I first find how LeMond was doing in clipped in. Index shifting was a Championship. See all the races. At that time, Velo- couple more years down the the Results section. road. I finally bought the News was printed in black and Photo by Dave Iltis white and had a tabloid format Shimano Dura Ace shifters and derailleurs, another great leap much like cycling utah except like crazy for several years, forward. that it reported national and became competitive with the Helmets were being worn, international cycling news. younger set, but could never but only by a few. Some racers In that year, American reach Johnson’s level, or even were wearing the mostly worth- cycling really broke out when come close. In my age group less “hairnet” helmets, while Alexi Grewal won the men’s (everyone 35 and older), we had some recreational cyclists sport- Olympic road race and Connie Fran Wikstrom, Rod Golson and ed the cumbersome Bell hard Carpenter and Rebecca Twigg George Veasy to contend with. If shells. Within a year, Giro had scored first and second in the they and Johnson were in my come out with the white styro- women’s road race. race, the rest of us were racing foam (not the technical term) In 1985, I bought my first for what was left. helmets with colorful stretch racing bike from Fishers A person’s first few years covers. I credit one of these with Cyclery, a maroon-colored Trek with any new interest are always Cover Photo: Race Winner Steve Tibbits saving me from, at a minimum, 760 with a Campagnolo Victory the most exciting, and for me some serious headaches. (center), Burke Swindlehurst (left) and gruppo. I had previously 1984-1987 were great years in On the local scene, Steve stripped down an older which cycling technology was John Osguthorpe with 1 mile to go in the Johnson was the main man. He Motobecane Mirage as a quickly changing and racing was an older guy like me, and he Snowbird Hillclimb. See the story on page wannabe racer. Still, the first fever was growing. They were was kicking the stuffing out of time I mounted my Trek, it felt good years. 10 and results on page 17. all the younger guys. I trained Photo by Bob Truelsen It’s all about the ride... NOW IS THE TIME..... © 2001 cycling utah cycling utah P.O. Box 57980 Murray, UT 84157-0980 www.cyclingutah.com 20% off You can reach us by phone: (801) 268-2652 Our Fax number: (801) 263-1010 David R. Ward, Publisher Robert L. Truelsen, Executive Editor Kona’s attention to detail and RETAIL, Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] unique frame geometry make a dif- Dave Iltis, Editor & Advertising WITH THIS AD (801) 268-2652 ference you can feel. Stop by...test Email: [email protected] ride...and see for yourself! Contributors: Greg Overton, Charles Pekow, Neal Skorpen, Gregg Bromka, Bill Harris, Ben Simonson, Tom Jow, John Foster, Home of the $19.99 Tune-Up Special Lou Melini, Nichole Wangsgaard, Brian Price, Ron Wheeler, Chris Quann, JR Smit, Camilla Taylor cycling utah is published eight times a year beginning in March and continuing monthly through October. Sales Service Rentals Annual Subscription rate: $6 Postage paid in Murray, UT Cottonwood 1844 E. Ft. Union Blvd. (7000 S.) Editorial contributions are welcome. Please included a stamped, self- 942-3100 addressed envelope to return unused material. Submission of articles and accompanying artwork to cycling utah is the author’s warranty Sandy Ogden that the material is in no way an infringement upon the rights of others 45 W. 10600 S. 705 W. Riverdale and that the material may be published without additional approval. 501-9713 621-4662 Permission is required to reprint any of the contents of this publication. SEPTEMBER 2001 cycling utah.com 3 TRAIL OF THE MONTH A Sneak Peek at the American Fork "Full Monty" By Gregg Bromka yards, fork left and cross the highway at the junction with Secrets are hard to keep and paved Cascade Springs Road to enemies are quick to be made continue on singletrack. Cross a when you're a mountain biking doubletrack shortly and glide guidebook author who also hap- down the grassy hollow through pens to be a singletrack purist. stands of quakies for over a There will always be a few mile. Find the continued trail choice trails I keep out of print, (maybe unsigned) across the and there are many more stashes Cascade Springs Road and drop that other riders are tight-lipped to the bridged crossing of South about whenever my ears are pre- Fork. The breeze in your face sent. Take American Fork will now be replaced by sweat Canyon, for example. Ridge dripping from your brow Trail 157 has become well because now you climb. The known over the years, but what path rises quickly from the about all those nebulous trails meadow into the timber and branching from it? Many of angles up a couple of steep those trails have not graced the pitches that may require dis- pages of my past guidebooks for mounting and walking. The one reason or another. That will grade steadies where the thick- soon change. With the spring ening fir trees cast commingling 2002 release of my forthcoming shadows before the path nips a Mountain Biking Utah's Wasatch small open ridge and rises more Front (a revised spin-off of the gently up to Ridge Trail 157. Go now-out-of-print . Wasatch & left on 157 where Tibble Fork Uinta Mountains guide), you'll Mt. Timpanogos guides Brad along Ridge Trail 157. Photo by Gregg Bromka Trail drops westward. Past the get the "Full Monty" on Mud Spring Trail junction, the American Fork Canyon, includ- and the surrounding Wasatch to go this way. You round out ridge-top path rolls playfully ing details on all the once-secret Range are not to be missed. And Season: May through October. the loop with a steady, moderate- through timber and across mead- stashes. I can see and hear many in true American Fork Canyon The area is popular with big- ly strenuous climb back to the ows, passes the turnoff for Pine of you right now shaking your form, you'll pass other trails game hunters during fall. summit. Counterclockwise: You Hollow Trail, and rises steadily fists overhead and cursing my while driving to and riding along exit the starting gate with a dive- to a viewpoint that beckons your name, but let's face the naked South Fork Deer Creek Trail. Notes on the trail: bomber descent down South camera. You did pack your cam- facts. The Pleasant Grove Where do they lead? You'll have Which direction you ride is a Fork Deer Creek then have to era? An eroded, rock-pocked Ranger District's "Mineral Basin to explore them on your own for matter of personal taste, since chug up to the ridge. The climb climb followed by more man- Trail System" is no secret any- now or wait for the season pre- difficulty changes little. You'll is hardest at the bottom and ageable hills and fun dips take more, for you'll find large mier next spring to find out. just have to ride it twice to find eases as you gain elevation. you back to the summit parking detailed maps posted at all its out what works best for you, but You'll have Timp square in your area, but not without passing major trailheads. I'm simply Location: 25 miles northeast of here are some tips. Clockwise: sights the whole time on Ridge another trail that drops to doing my "job" so the rest of Provo at the summit of the You roll out Ridge Trail 157 Trail 157 but will have to strug- Salamander Flats. And what you can share in the experience Alpine Scenic Highway in with short ups and downs and gle up a couple short protracted about that enticing path taking and not get suckered into taking American Fork Canyon. battle a tough little climb past climbs along the way. Sounds off from the summit to the west? the wrong trail or the right trail Mud Springs. Mount good to me, so let's go. It, too, plays a supporting role to in the wrong direction because Distance: 6.4-mile loop (either Timpanogos is behind you, so At the east edge of the sum- Ridge Trail 157 by providing all trails are not created equally direction works well).