May Is Bike Month!
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MAY 2009 cycling utah.com 1 VOLUME 17 NUMBER 3 FREE MAY 2009 cycling utah MAY IS BIKE MONTH! •Utah, Idaho, and Regional Calendar of Events - p. 22 •Complete Triathlon Calendar - p. 28 •Speaking of Spokes - p. 2 •Major Taylor Review - p. 4 •Eagle Mountain Bike Park - p. 5 •Riding in Logan - p.7 • Shop Directory - p. 8 DIRT •Results - p. 9 •HR vs. Power - p. 10 PAVEMENT •Utah Bike Month - p. 12 •Commuter Column - p. 13 ADVOCACY •Tour of the Depot - p. 14 •Route 211 - p. 15 RACING •Goulds Trail - p. 16 •Cholla Challenge - p. 17 TOURING • New Triathlons - p. 18 • Mont Ventoux Update - p. 21 TRIATHLON •Prepping for Your Tour - p. 30 MOUNTAIN MOUNTAIN WEST CYCLING JOURNAL •TeamGive Profile - p. 31 2 cycling utah.com MAY 2009 SPEAKING OF SPOKES For Your Sake and Mine By David Ward alert to the traffic and other circum- Publisher stances around us as we ride. Not only must we be aware of the motor P.O. Box 57980 Sadly, I have seen news reports vehicles on the road with us, we Murray, UT 84157-0980 lately of several cyclists either injured must be on the lookout for those www.cyclingutah.com or killed in auto/bicycle accidents, entering the roadways. You cannot You can reach us by phone: including several hit and run acci- assume they will see you, even if it (801) 268-2652 dents. I have been distressed by appears they have. At a minimum, these incidents. I feel a fraternity eye contact is necessary. Beyond Our Fax number: with all cyclists. There is something that, a reasonable pause or slowing (801) 263-1010 intangible between those of us who is necessary till certain the driver is ride a bike, and it binds us together. not going to intrude into your path. Dave Iltis, Editor & Therefore, it pains me, and I hurt for Suddenly opened car doors must be Advertising you, when one of you is injured in or anticipated, with parked or stopped [email protected] dies from an accident. cars being given a wide enough berth to avoid the abrupt outward swing of While some accidents are the David R. Ward, Publisher fault of the cyclist, the majority, it a door. A description of all poten- [email protected] seems, are the result of the driver. I tial hazards would be lengthy, if not think this is because most cyclists impossible. The point is, a cyclist Contributors: ride with senses attuned to motor must have sharpened senses and be Ben Simonson, vehicles (although there is that small acutely aware of all that is going on Michael Gonzales, Lou Melini, minority which must have an injury/ around him or her. Joaquim Hailer, Andy Singer, death wish as they insist on riding on We also need to understand that, Erik Moen, Tom Jow, Lukas extremely busy streets with no shoul- even if in the right, we lose in a Brinkerhoff, Tyler Servoss, ders). Conversely, the majority of tangle with a motor vehicle, unless Jennifer Barth, Greg Overton, drivers seem to only watch for other you consider monetary compensation Scott Kelly, Charles Pekow, motor vehicles. for serious bodily injury or death a Marinda Ward, Laura Howat, The explanation for this, I believe, victory. Don’t expect anyone who Joss Dewaele, Bob Truelsen, is that cyclists are keenly aware of has been through that to support such Mike Newberry, Pat Dierks their exposure. That is, while the a point of view. Money, and the Distribution: Dave, Karma, likelihood of being in an accident on a satisfaction of being right, is a poor and Marinda Ward, Doug bicycle is no greater than if that cyclist substitute for prolonged and often Kartcher, David Montgomery were in a car, the risk of serious bodily lifelong impairment, pain and suffer- (To add your business to our injury is much greater. We do not ing. If we ride with this understand- free distribution list, give us have a metal cage surrounding us. ing firmly in place, we will be more a call) But though cyclists are more aware, alert and aware. Administrative Assistant: there is more we can do. Finally, we need to be smart about Lindsay Ross May has been designated as where we ride. My office is on 700 Editorial Assistant: National Bike Month. With many East in Salt Lake valley, a very busy Ashton Clawson events and advocacy efforts planned, it 6-lane thoroughfare with virtually no is an opportunity to celebrate our pas- shoulder. From my office window, cycling utah is published sion, to make our presence as cyclists and when driving on this street, it is eight times a year beginning not uncommon to see cyclists mixing known and felt, and to increase aware- in March and continuing ness among both drivers and cyclists it up with traffic. I fail to comprehend of the need to accommodate each this foolish behavior. I have a simple monthly through October. rule for the roads I ride: Either the other, to drive and ride reasonably and Annual Subscription rate: carefully. Continued on page 7 As cyclists, we need to be very $15 (Send in a check to our P.O. Box) Postage paid in Murray, UT Editorial and photographic con- tributions are welcome. Send via email to dave@cyclingutah. com. Or, send via mail and please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope to return unused mate- rial. 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 mate- rial may be published without additional approval. Permission is required to reprint any of the contents of this publication. cycling utah is printed on 40% post-consumer recycled paper with soy-based ink. cycling utah is free, limit one copy per person. © 2009 cycling utah Pick up a copy of cycling utah at your favorite bike shop! Cover: Danny Christensen and Rob Girouard on the J.E.M. Trail near Hurricane, Utah. Photo: Lukas Brinkerhoff MAY 2009 cycling utah.com 3 4 cycling utah.com MAY 2009 BOOK REVIEW him for the color of his skin was athletes. not enough, some sports writers The book also includes an inter- criticized him for not racing on esting discussion of the significant Major the Sabbath. Taylor’s bravery tran- role the bicycle played in the devel- scended the arena of his sport. opment of American society. The Taylor’s time on the race cir- author suggests that the bicycle ini- Reminds of cuit represented the pinnacle of tiated the population migration from bicycle racing in the United States. the inner city to outlying areas. Perserver- Taylor shared the spotlight with The bicycle provided a person the another racer, Floyd McFarland, a mobility needed to do so. Californian from a wealthy family. There are a couple of brief Utah ance and Their achievements beget a rivalry references in the book: Speed Week that fueled the sport’s popularity as at the Bonneville Salt Flats and a Bravery well as their own. And their rivalry reference made to stringing lights was the first black vs. white promo- over the track at Salt Lake City (and tion in modern sports. “Major” does other tracks) for night racing. an excellent job of educating the Author Todd Balf paints a vivid reader of what the racing climate picture of race and racing in early, was really like in those glory days. pre-auto America and serves as an Vintage photographs are sprinkled important history lesson for both. throughout the book and elaborate An accomplished sportswriter, Balf on the reading experience. is a former senior editor for Outside But Taylor was not alone in his magazine. His writing style quickly quest for greatness. “Major” intro- lures the reader in and keeps them duces us to the hardships endured there, sharing interesting facts by Taylor’s family in Indianapolis about family, friends, society and and to members of his team: Louis sport. Certainly a book worth hav- de Franklin “Birdie” Munger (for- ing on your bookshelf and a book mer racer and bicycle builder), certain to be read again and again to Daniel Southard (childhood friend) remind us of perseverance, dedica- and Billy Brady (race promoter). tion and bravery against all odds. And it reveals the real freedom that the bicycle provided a young, Major: A Black Athlete, A White in American sports. Jack Johnson into the sport of bicycle racing in poor black man in racially-biased Era, And The Fight To Be The in boxing, Jesse Owens in track and the 1890s. Consider for a moment America. World's Fastest Human Being, by field and Jackie Robinson in base- that in 1899 a total of 400 black “Major” is a reminder of some Todd Balf, Published by Crown ball being the most talked about. people were lynched in Georgia, important American history as Publishers, 2008. well. During this time segregation Review By Bob Truelsen But all were predated by Marshall Mississippi and a half dozen other “Major” Taylor who was quickly states, the most of any year in was law as well as being socially forgotten, as well as his sport, with American history. This is the time accepted. Taylor was prohibited So your first question is, why the advent of mass-produced auto- he began his assault on the record from racing at many venues because is "TrMuch has been witnessed, mobiles. books, a dangerous time to be of his race and the popular belief written and spoken about black This is a story based on his- standing atop the podium above that blacks were an inferior race, athletes breaking the color barrier torical fact about how Taylor broke white competitors.