MARCH 2001 Cycling Utah
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VOLUME 9 NUMBER 1 FREE MARCH 2001 cycling utah Season Preview Issue •Bicycle Advocate •Women’s ‘Cross •Training for a Century •Calendar •Results •Trail of the Month MOUNTAIN WEST CYCLING JOURNAL 2 cycling utah.com MARCH 2001 IMBA/Mountain Bikers Win! BLM Reverses Plan January 19, 2001 - After receiv- Strategy was released Dec. 4 would have led to unwarranted ing more than 10,000 comment for public comment. The plan access restrictions and served as letters from mountain bikers in surprisingly included mountain a negative precedent. 30 days, the Bureau of Land biking. The BLM and IMBA will Management has decided not to IMBA mobilized an effective continue to work together to pro- group mountain bikes with mountain biker response by mote responsible mountain bik- motorized vehicles in a contro- alerting its membership through ing through education, volunteer versial new management plan. broadcast emails and website trailwork and other joint pro- The BLM's OHV Strategy, made updates, hand-delivering an offi- jects. official January 19th (the final cial comment letter to senior The BLM, which manages day of the Clinton BLM officials in Washington 264-million acres of U.S. public Administration), calls for a sepa- D.C., and focusing media atten- land, is the world's largest land rate plan to manage mountain tion on this important issue. management agency. bikes. "The success of our effort IMBA is an international non- "This change is exactly what proves that mountain bikers are profit mountain biking group we want," said International a powerful group whose opin- with 32,000 individual members Mountain Bicycling Association ions can shape national policy," and more than 400 affiliated executive director Tim said Blumenthal. "This is a mile- clubs dedicated to bringing out Blumenthal. "Mountain bikers stone for mountain biking." the best in mountain biking. spoke and the BLM listened." IMBA was concerned that the The final version of the A draft of the National Off- BLM's plan to link mountain BLM's strategy is available at Highway Vehicle Management biking and motorized policies www.blm.gov Jemison to Lead Noble House Two-time Tour de France fin- isher and former USPRO Champion Marty Jemison, Park City, will lead the Noble House Professional Cycling Team for National Champion (cruiser class and 20”) Arielle Martin of Cedar 2001. The fifteen rider team is Hills, UT will wear the Number 1 plate this season in the 15 year-old based out of Lancaster, Pa and girl’s class in the National Bicycle League photo by Tony Malone also includes Utah's Chris McGovern. The team will race domestically and is vying to be the number one tier three team in the world as well as shooting www. .com Tallerico for a repeat of Jemison’s Hand Made Bicycles USPRO victory. 750 Main St. Moab, Utah 84532 High Quality Cover Photo: Custom and small production framesand complete bikes All made by cyclists who are proud to be bike geeky. Keeping it real with lightweight Columbus and Deda Steel Gooseberry Mesa in St. George Road Frames are beautiful Road race, Crit, or Touring Mt. Hard Tails, Singles, and Full Squish Photo by Gregg Bromka Track special Event or Mass Start Cyclo-cross struttin’ the stuff Read Gregg’s Trail of the Month on page 5 © 2001 cycling utah cycling utah P.O. Box 57980 Murray, UT 84157-0980 www.cyclingutah.com You can reach us by phone: (801) 268-2652 Our Fax number: (801) 263-1010 David R. Ward, Publisher Robert L. Truelsen, Executive Editor Email: [email protected] Email: [email protected] Dsve Iltis, Editor & Advertising (801) 268-2652 Email: [email protected] Contributors: Greg Overton, Chris Quann, Neal Skorpen, Gregg Bromka, JR Smith, Christine Iltis, John Iltis, Ben Simonson. cycling utah is published eight times a year beginning in March and continuing monthly through October. Annual Subscription rate: $6 Postage paid in Murray, UT Editorial contributions are welcome. Please included a stamped, self- addressed envelope to return unused material. Submission of articles and accompanying artwork to cycling utah is the author’s warranty that the material is in no way an infringement upon the rights of others and that the material may be published without additional approval. Permission is required to reprint any of the contents of this publication. MARCH 2001 cycling utah.com 3 BIKE ADVOCATE UDOT Names New Bike/Ped Coordinator The Utah Department of R-E-S-P-E-C-T Spells Advocacy Transportation, Statewide Planning Section, is pleased to announce that Sandy Weinrauch By Chris Quann part of a better has been appointed as Utah's society. Bicycle Bicycle and Pedestrian Planner. An underlying goal of all advocacy strives Ms. Weinrauch is replacing bicycle advocacy is to promote to train society to Debbie Hall, who is leaving the respect for bicycling as a means be better for Department. of vehicular transportation. To cyclists. Just a few of the many duties promote the idea that a person Ms. Weinrauch will be perform- riding along the road on a bicy- For me, a better ing include serving as cle has as much right to be there society is one Enhancements Coordinator, act- as the driver of an automobile. where I can ride ing as a liaison for UDOT with To celebrate the most mechani- on any road I the various pedestrian, trail, bike, cally efficient system of trans- want and every- and disabled advocacy groups in portation ever devised by man. one is happy to the state, serving on the State Bicycle advocacy takes many see me there. A Traffic & Pedestrian Coordinating forms. The simplest form is to better society has Council and the Enhancements communicate with other users of well-designed Advisory Committee, raising the the road. When I am riding and bike racks every- awareness within UDOT of wave to a semi driver, and they where, smooooth pedestrian and bicycle issues and wave back, I feel I have prac- roads without solutions, and advising local gov- ticed bicycle advocacy. I have holes, wide shoul- ernments on pedestrian and bicy- made a connection with another ders, and ramps cle programs. Ms. Weinrauch can driver. I have added to a bank where they be reached at (801) 965-3897. account of good will between a should be. A bet- driver and their idea of bicy- ter society has clists. My own bank account of employers that good experiences with motorists provide showers goes up. at the workplace. Occasionally, we experience A better society is withdrawals from this account. one where Bad experiences with drivers. So cyclists get more respect. far, my account has never been Not all cyclists are created cles, they assume that we do not An easy way to create a bet- in the red. equal, though. An eight-year-old pay our fair share of road costs ter society is to wave to people. When cyclists are struck by child on a bicycle cannot be and are thus not entitled to share When a driver returns my wave, motorists, sometimes a funny expected to understand all the the road. Whatever the reason, it means three things: 1) they see thing happens. Though a driver rules of the road, and probably bicycle advocacy is concerned me, 2) they know I see them, may be flagrantly negligent, the should not ride unescorted on a with getting bicyclists the and 3) they know I expect them accident is treated differently. busy road. This fact should not respect we deserve. to see me. (Not to mention the People will, for some reason, automatically excuse the person And, boy, do we deserve sheer existential affirmation) A sometimes make the assumption that runs her over. That person respect. We are smart enough to germ of respect is created and that the cyclist must somehow has, at a minimum, a responsi- have discovered the dual bene- the world is better for it. Perhaps be at fault. Perhaps the cyclist bility to keep their eyes open fits of exercise and transporta- that driver will now look out for was somehow invisible. Why is and their vehicle under control. tion that cycling provides. We bicyclists a little more, and per- this? Should a 4,000 pound vehi- Perhaps there is a different level move fast enough to cover vast haps down the road an accident cle lend someone more credibili- of accountability expected, and distances at a pace slow enough may be prevented. Making the ty than a 25 pound vehicle? The respect given, to bicyclists to see some of the details of our world safer and better for operators of both vehicles are because no license is required to surroundings. We can eat what- cyclists is what bicycle advocacy people. Motorists must be held drive a bicycle. ever we want and not gain is all about. accountable in accidents where Perhaps bicycling is under- weight. Our vehicle generates no And, of course, always wave they are clearly at fault. Part of respected because people feel it's pollution, inflicts very little wear to policemen. And, hey, let's be the solution is to educate police a means of transportation they and tear on our road system and careful out there. officers that bicyclists are vehi- outgrow upon being promoted to requires very little space to park cle drivers with the same rights Chris Quann is the chair of the driving cars. Perhaps it's because compared to a car. I could go on Salt Lake City Bicycle Advisory and responsibilities as motorists. when a motorist sees us on bicy- an on about how bicycles are Committee and a Cat.