In commemoration of Memorial Day this month we are hosting a ride to remember and honor cyclists killed while riding bikes, as well as any loved ones you have. You are welcome to pin the name of a loved one you want to honor on the back of your jersey. Our most recent local tragedy was when Stacey Bown was hit by a car in Orem, an accident that reminds us that we need to all do our part to make bicycling more safe in Utah County.
Registration is at 8:30 am at the
Trail Head of the Provo River Trail near 4200 W Center St at the parking lot on
Skipper Bay Pkwy (just 50 M from the intersection). The Toddler Half Mile ride
will be at 8:55 am and will include a loop around the frog pond. All toddlers
will get a prize and this is not a competitive ride.
At 9:00 am the other distances will
start together:
Ultra: 30 miles (15 miles up to
Vivian Park up Provo Canyon timed, 15 miles down not timed)
Endurance: 23.4 miles (11.7 miles up to
Wills Canyon Stop at the mouth of Provo Canyon timed, 11.7 miles down not timed)
Intermediate: 8.8 miles (4.4 miles up
to Exchange Park timed, 4.4 miles down not timed)
Sprint: 5 miles (2.5 miles up to
Geneva trail head timed, 2.5 miles down not timed)
Special awards to anyone who reaches
these times to the half way point, the top (4 minutes per mile):
Ultra: 1 hour 10 minutes
Endurance: 58 minutes
Intermediate: 23 minutes
Sprint: 15 minutes
It only has a 1% grade, so it will
give you a gentle challenge during the timed portion, and an easy cool down on
your way back.
The trail is not closed for the
ride, so a ride leader will lead the group at the trail speed limit of 15 mph
except where it is hazardous to maintain that speed which will be marked with a cone, at which times they will
slow the group down to a safe speed of 5mph to pass any pedestrians, animals, or go
through any intersections where cars may cross, narrow or steep underpasses or
around sharp turns, or go over bumps. There are 8 stop lights towards the end
of the Endurance and Ultra distance, which we have timed. If you happen to hit
all 8 of these lights for their maxium time, it totals 5 minutes, but it is
unlikely, since most of them are at rarely used intersections. This 5 minutes
as well as 5 minutes for potential pedestrian interference will be subtracted
from your total time. If you fall behind the ride leader, you will be
responsible to slow down or stop for all hazards on your own since we can not
be there to ensure your safety. You must ride single file and stay to the right
side of the trail except to pass quickly. Always call out to let pedestrians
know you are passing from behind so they aren't startled and jump into your
path. If a pedestrian is on the wrong side of the trail, politely call out to
them so they can get on the right side so that other riders don't run into the
same problem.
There will be prizes for all who
finish, as well as extra prizes for those who either keep up with the ride
leader for their distance, but don't let the competitive element tempt you to
compromise safety by going too fast in dangerous situations. The ride is
foremost for fun and a workout, and the competitive element is just to push you
a little. We will start our real races again next month. There will be a
special award for the top 5 mountain bikes and other types of bikes besides
road bikes as well as electric bike division unless there is a tie with the 6th
rider, as 15 mph on an incline for other types of bikes is considerably harder
than on a road bike. If there are less than 5 road bikes in a particular
distance, the top 5 will receive a special award as well. The trail has a few
bumps in some sections, so a mountain or other bike would be the most
comfortable, but a road bike would be fastest. For more of an aerobic
challenge, pick a heavier bike with large tires. Trikes, recumbents, kid
trailers, and anything resembling a bike is welcome!
There will be drink stations at each
finish line, where you will write down the time you finish in a binder and take
a tag back to the start to get a prize based on the tag you get out of the
binder. At the finish of the Ultra there will be a timer to record your time,
but depending on the amount of participants we may or may not have a timer for
the other finishes.
Refreshments and goodie bags with
coupons to many Utah County bike shops will be available immediately when you
return to the starting area, so you can get back home when you desire.
We realize that the paved trails are
limited as far as racing opportunities, so next year this ride will likely be
at a location with no speed limit. For this year, just come have fun with us
and enjoy this beautiful trail lined with trees, parks, and following a
peaceful river!
