VOLUME 11 NUMBER 7 FREEFREE SEPTEMBER 2003 cyclincyclingg utahutah •Calendar of Events - p. 14 •Southern Skyline Trail - p. 3 •Results - p. 16 •Travel to the Tour - p. 2 •Women’s’s MountainMountain BikBike Racing - p. 5 •Mountain Biking and Wilderness - p. 4 •Reflections on a Racing Career - p. 18 •Evanston ICS Finals - p. 11 •Snowbird Hillclimb - p. 10 •Utah’s’s LizardLizard SkinsSkins - p. 7 MOUNTAIN WEST CYCLING JOURNAL MOUNTAIN WEST CYCLING JOURNAL •Coach’s’s CornerCorner -- p.p. 88 2 cycling utah.com SEPTEMBER 2003 SPEAKING OF SPOKES group is the experience of being Karma as I did not want to pack with others. Karma was able to it. My one regret from this trip enjoy her tour experience even is that I did not have a small TTravellingravelling toto thethe TTourour though half the time we were not camera to pack around and take experiencing it together. We had pictures with. I simply do not By Dave Ward nights was $600 per person and people from across the United have enough pictures, especially those great shots I could have Publisher included transportation, hotel, States in our group, and we had had. continental breakfast and dinner a great time with them all. I Last month I wrote about my Following the Tour is an each day. Needless to say, I was even became friends, and rode, Tour de France experience. That experience like no other. We skeptical. However, I finally with another David Ward who was written while I was still in were on the go from early morn- decided that, at that price, as was from Michigan. Having Europe and with little time to ing till late evening, and while long as we had enough shelter, others to share this experience exhilarating, it was also fatigu- digest the whole experience. food and transportation to sur- with made it even more fun. ing. It gave us a great apprecia- Now that I have been home a vive, I could not go wrong. A word of warning: do not tion for the grueling experience month, I have had time to reflect would travel in the coach each Doing it on my own, especially wait to plan your trip. We made this is, not just for the riders, but on what a grand experience this day. throwing in a car rental, would our decision in November of last for everyone else who works was, and what made it success- The traffic getting to the cost at least that much. So, we year, and by the time we booked with or follows the Tour for ful. venues, especially the mountain jumped. with Graham Baxter Sporting three weeks. Karma and I have traveled Experiencing the Tour stages, was horrendous. On the This may sound like a promo- Tours, we were almost too late. through a touring company was day of stage 13, from Toulouse The more reasonably priced quite a lot, and we agree that this tion for Graham Baxter Sporting was one of the best experiences key. I cannot emphasize enough to Ax-3 Domaines, because of tours will fill up fast. In fact, Tours, but I simply could not when we first decided to book we have had. If you are consid- what a difference this made for the distance, those of us on bikes have been more pleased. Our us, especially as first-timers. with them, their website said ering but undecided about going, took the bus part way. After tour guide and ride guide were my advice is: do it. You will The logistics of following the they were full. I sent our regis- dropping us off to ride the last great and a lot of fun. The tration in anyway, and managed never have another experience Tour, this moving behemoth of a 30 miles to Ax-Les-Thermes, the hotels were not five star, or even to get in. And that was in quite like it. And who knows? sporting event, are complicated bus went on ahead. However, close. But they were clean and January. Decide now whether If you go next year, you may be and time-consuming. It was so due to the traffic, we arrived at comfortable. We never lacked you are going to go, and start part of Lance’s “Win No. 6". nice to have someone else take Ax-Les-Thermes two hours for a good night’s sleep due to making your plans. Book as Bon voyage. care of all those arrangements. before the bus. Thankfully, accommodations, and these soon as next year’s Tour route is With this year’s experience, I because we were with a tour hotels and their locations most announced. Do not pack too much. Our Editor’s Note - See A Tour feel I could now do this without group, we did not have to worry certainly provided us a more tour operator instructed its Guide’s View on Page 8 for a touring company, but probably about those logistics. I was able European experience. The meals clients to bring only one medium more on travelling to the Tour de would not choose to do so. The to enjoy riding my bike, and were also very good. We had to time and effort in planning the size bag each. That was tough France. Karma was able to leave the dri- pack our own bags from the bus for us, but we managed, and trip and booking hotels would ving and traffic hassles to the to our rooms, and only had our were glad we did. All you need Cover Photo: Race Winner still be very time-consuming. bus driver. Had we been on our bicycle guide for two of our four are a couple of changes of Eric Jones in charge in the Then, getting to and from each own, the frustration and hassle days of cycling. But, I can han- clothes, biking clothes if you are Snowbird Hill Climb with a day’s venue would be a real has- would have seriously detracted dle baggage, and they provided cycling, and a camera and lots of little over a mile to go. sle, especially if one of your from this great experience. good maps. And I have already film (or card space if you are August 23, 2003 party was not riding a bicycle. Cost, of course, can be a real related how grateful we were for going digital). Make it a small Let me explain. deterrent. When I started look- the transportation. So, reason- camera if riding. I only had a bigger one, and left it with Photo by Dave Iltis My wife, Karma, and I debat- ing for a touring company, I was ably priced tours are out there, ed whether or not to take our really taken aback by the cost. though you may have to search a tandem. Karma did not want to The tours I was finding were little bit. cycling utah ride a single bike, but I wanted running $2500 - $3000 per per- Another advantage of a tour P.O. Box 57980 to ride some of the famous son. That was pretty pricey for Murray, UT 84157-0980 CANNONDALE TOURING BIKE www.cyclingutah.com climbs. Karma is not a fan of this tightwad. I had even (2001 Adventure) $850.00 climbing, and her asthma makes Size 58, CAAD3 Cyclocross frame, HeadShok You can reach us by phone: (801) 268-2652 reserved with one such company, Fatty Ultra X fork, Shimano XT/105 compo- this even more of a challenge. nents, Shimano Nexus Generator hub, Our Fax number: (801) 263-1010 but canceled because I just could Continental top touring tires, Mavic, 36 spoke In the end, because the touring not see myself paying that price. wheels, Hydraulic brakes, Rear rack/panniers, company offered the option of Front/rear lights, Front/rear fenders Dave Iltis, Editor & Advertising Later, though, I came across Contact Vince at 801-773-0503 [email protected] traveling in their coach to the Graham Baxter Sporting Tours, ling ut venues, we decided I would take Ltd. (out of England) whose c ah cy David R. Ward, Publisher my single bicycle and Karma price for our five days and 1188tthh AANNNNUUAALL [email protected] Letter to the Editor Robert L. Truelsen, Executive Editor [email protected] Little Cottonwood Graffiti Contributors: Greg Overton, Neal Skorpen, Gregg Bromka, Ben RRAACCEE Simonson, Tom Noaker, Brian Schiele, Cindi Hansen, Michael The unfortunate defacing of Little Cottonwood Canyon Gonzale, Pat Adams, Tom Jow, Dave Foreman, Amy Roither, Julie Highway on the 23rd of August, prior to the annual Snowbird Hill TTOO TTHHEE AANNGGEELL Willis, Art Myrshall, Kevin Day, Ed Chauner, Rod Boynton, Climb, was bad enough. Loss of the event altogether would be HALF MARATHON WELLS, NEVADA Jourdan Boynton, Charles Pekow, Graham Francis, Lisa Romney. even worse, should the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) decide not to renew the permit required. After watching Saturday, Distribution: Michael Gonzales, Rachel Gonzales, David UDOT personnel and at least one Salt Lake County Deputy spend September 13 Montgomery, Doug Kartcher their time cleaning up the mess later in the day, I would not blame UDOT for such a decision. Course climbs 3,000 feet Administrative Assistant: Lindsay Ross from Wells, NV to Angel Lake. We are fortunate to have a Hill Climb of this caliber in our own back yard. Many licensed and recreational cyclists value this Mountain Bikes cycling utah is published eight times a year beginning in annual test, through not long in duration in cycling terms, as a Road Bikes March and continuing monthly through October.