Salt Lake Randonneurs

Volodymyr & Dan at the finish (yes, the sun finally came out…towards the end of the day).

The start line: Kim, Dan, Ray, Solomon, Volodymyr, Conor & Jim H. (where was Jimmy Z?).

This year’s opening brevet started as many of the spring brevets go…rainy and cold weather! The temperature was in the mid 40s with steady drizzle that morning. Oddly enough, everyone that registered came, despite the lousy weather. True randonneurs! This year, we offered two distances…a 106km populaire or a 200km brevet. There were nine starters and all finished (although some finished outside the allotted time).

Everyone but Ray & Solomon left at 9:00 a.m. (they had a mechanical issue to deal with). Conor also had a minor mechanical problem on his newly rebuilt bike, but he quickly overcame that and caught up to the front group.

The majority of the cyclists stayed together as a group, keeping their distance between each other because of the tire spray from the wet roads. Most of riders arrived at the first checkpoint at 11:05 a.m., some 33 miles in. The Populaire riders turned around at that point, while Dan, Volodymyr and Richard continued on. Kim would arrive later at that checkpoint. Just after leaving the checkpoint the rain and head wind picked up and then later subsided, as it did for most of the afternoon. The three got to the turnaround point at 1:30 in the afternoon and took some time off the bike before returning. Those three finished at about 5:40 in the afternoon. Volodymyr was most grateful that Dan and Richard hung with him as his bike computer was in kilometers (he is from the Ukraine) and he was not keen on following a cue sheet and the many turns found on this route.

Ray & Solomon were on their flat bar “bad weather rough and tough” bikes and because they started late, they were not able to finish within the given time frame.

Meanwhile, Kim was moving along and made it to the turnaround checkpoint. He then made the return trip, but due to a typo on the cue sheet (which I take full responsibility), he was not able to find a critical turn and after much backtracking, just gave up, taking the “known” inbound route home. That cost him a bunch of time and he did finally get back to start point, but it was well after dark. His knee was also bothering him, causing him to spin at a high RPM, but moving slowly. But he did not give up and did finally finish…my hat’s off to him for hanging tough through route problems, crappy weather and physical issues.

There were three flats and a broken chain that were reported.

Dan on Backroads of the Great Basin 300K, earlier this summer.

As we close out another year, I wanted to recognize Dan Tuchyner of South Weber. He achieved two notable awards this past randonneuring season—

In August, he finished his first R-12. He completed at least one 200km brevet or permanent each month of the preceding year. I wonder how many cases of frostbite it “got” doing this.

And then this past month (December) he also completed the 5000km RUSA distance award. That was no easy feat, considering his longest ride was a 300k. In December he had some catching up to do, and ending up doing several 100k populaires to get his final mileage in. I rode a 200k with him on December 1 and was unable to match his strong pace as he hammered the rollers on the west side of Utah Lake that day. What a great season he had!

Cheers to Dan and we look forward to seeing him more this upcoming year.

On October the 13th we had the Moab brevet. This year, we offered two distances…the standard 200km and a shorter 109km Populaire. Both distances shared the same route, but the Populaire simply turned around earlier, before going into Canyonlands National Park. The temperatures were rather cool, starting out at about 47F, raising to only 65F in the afternoon. It was cloudy in the morning, but later gave way to a sunny, but cool day.

Five riders accepted the challenge and all finished. The prior day had some major storm activity including flash flooding. Consequently part of the bike trail was awash with large amounts of sand and debris, causing Patrick to get a puncture within the first five miles! (He later flatted again on the same tire, which caused him to fall behind the rest of the group).

Christopher, having just finished his first Ironman earlier in the season, was anxious to keep his fitness level up and set a fast pace for the others. Erika and David tried to keep him in sight and usually caught up with him at the checkpoints, only to see him leave, just as they arrived. Matt had perhaps the most comfortable ride of all with his fatty 33c tires and steel bike. All had ridden brevets before (David was a former RBA of the Boston region) except for Christopher, and this was his longest distance to date on a bicycle.

This brevet concludes our 2012 season with some 34 different riders participating this season. Aside from myself, no one else completed our complete series. Hopefully we’ll have more success in that regard next season.

On August 11th, three of us rode the inaugural brevet of a a new route called Gnarly Nebo. Although a shorter “populaire” version was offered, all of us choose to ride the full 200km brevet.
The three riders included myself (Richard Stum), Anthony Blauer and Richard Randall (Grizz). The weather forecast had the temps going into the mid 90s, but since the big climb of the day is at the very beginning, the temperatures at 8:00 were just about right. All of stayed together throughout the day, with Grizz only a mere two to three minutes behind Anthony and I on the climb up Nebo.

After the Nebo climb, we dropped down into the first convenience store checkpoint in Nephi. At the c-store we met two other roadies who were just behind us on the climb. We left slightly before them but they soon caught us on the route to Mona. We worked together for a while, but they were moving at a much faster pace and we had them let me go (they were training for LOTOJA). Throughout the balance of the day, we worked as a small group, sometimes soloing parts of the ride and regrouping at checkpoints.

All in all, the 200km, 7500-foot day went very well, with no big wind issues or adverse mechanical problems. Next year, I may offer this as a September “fall leaves” route, pushing it back a month into September.

On June the 15th, four cyclists set out to finish the first-ever 600km brevet offered in the state of Utah. The fifth cyclist, Nick, had signed up for the 400km brevet and was thus committed to doing the first two-thirds of this inaugural 600km brevet.

The forecast held true with lows around 50F and highs in the high 80s. The three cyclists on upright bikes set out together and stuck as a group until about mile 89 where Nick flatted. Catherine and Jackie continued on a few miles to the first checkpoint. Meanwhile, a few minutes after those three left the Sigurd checkpoint, the pair on recumbents (Gerry & David) rolled in to this same checkpoint. All were looking good as the route thus far had little climbing.

Later on, Jackie’s rear derailleur cable snapped. After having it duck-taping it to her frame, she was able to continue on as 3-speed, by only adjusting her front derailleur. (She rode this way for a total of 82 miles before finding a cable to replace her worn out part.) The recumbents made their way up the 2,000-foot climb above Sigurd, without incident, but not without a lot of lost calories. This was the longest single climb of the brevet.

I provided roving neutral support along the way, pausing in between services to provide cold drinks, watermelon and other food stuffs. Because of Jackie’s broken cable, she traveled alone from mile 92 to mile 174 in Richfield where I was able to find a cable for her. Catherine and Nick worked together the rest of the day, battling the “circular” winds and long open roads.

The climb up and down US-50 proved to be challenge for some (the section betweeen Richfield and Scipio). During the pre-ride, when I rode it, it was very late in the evening (10 to 11 p.m.) and the truck traffic was minimal. When Catherine and Nick rolled over this area, it was much earlier in the day and on a weekend, so they encountered a lot of truck traffic which was not able to swing wide, due to oncoming cars heading out for the weekend. I have ridden that highway several times as a 200k Permanent, but it was usually mid-day and frequently during the week, when traffic was minimal. (Because of the traffic Catherince and Nick encountered on US-50, I most likely will make a drastic route change to the 400km and 600km brevets for the 2013 season. ) Nick was struggling with saddle comfort, fatigue, some GI problems, but was emotionally helped with the companionship of Catherine, a seasoned rando rider from Colorado, who stuck with him until the end of his ride in Nephi. The two of them rolled into Nephi at about midnight. This was Nick’s longest ride to date…a 400km (253-mile) brevet.

In the early evening, the recumbents caught up to Jackie in Richfield. Fortunately, the three made the decision to ride together, as night riding in unfamiliar territory is not always the easiest chore. Jackie was experiencing some GI (gastrointestinal) problems and was having a rough time from about mile 195 to Nephi at mile 253. After arriving at the motel in Nephi, with her stomach doing flip flops, she had to call it quits, finishing up 400km of her intended 600km brevet. Gerry and David slept in their motel in Nephi, anxious to finish up their 600km the following morning.

Catherine left the overnight stop alone at about at about 5:30 a.m. and started the ride around Utah Lake, to finish up the last 200km of this 600km brevet. The recumbents left at about 7:30 a.m. staying together the rest of the day. Catherine encountered many other roadies on this route, but they were regretfully going the opposite direction on another organized ride, so she was not able to draft off of them. She rolled into the finish at about 2:50 p.m. Gerry and David arrived a little after 7 p.m., with about two hours to spare before the 40 hour cut off. This was their first completion of a 600km which will qualify them for their anticipated “long ride of the season” — Colorado Last Chance, a 1200km grand randonnee held in September.

Congratulations to all for participating in our first full series (200km, 300km, 400km and 600km) of the Salt Lake Randonneurs.

On June 6th, a week and half before the actual running of the Double-loop Four and Triple-loop Six brevets, I put together a small group of friends for the “pre-ride” of the 400km and 600km brevets. The first 400km of the 600km IS the 400km brevet, so despite riding on a different events, we could ride much of it together. Lawrence, who did not finish the Raspberry Ramble 400km held in Brigham City a few weeks prior, was anxious to finish a 400km soon. For him, it was a qualifier for Furnace Creek 508. His hope is to be the oldest person (at age 70) to finish this grueling ride. I also contacted a local friend, Brian, who has done a lot of century and double-centuries, but has not done any brevets. I was surprised that he accepted my offer….a 600km for his first brevet! That is pretty daring!

A dry, but very cold front moved into the area on Tuesday, making our 5:00 a.m. start very cold. Temps were showing on our bike computers as low as 28F. The three of us set off, with no support or SAG, moving south toward Gunnison. By the time we arrived in Gunnsion, some 39 miles into the ride, the sun was up and we were warming slightly. Our first checkpoint, in Sigurd, at mile 63 is at the base of a 2,000-foot climb. We stayed together as a group up to that point, but as is common with most hill climbs, some separation developed. I barely managed to hang on to Brian’s lead as he made the climb to the summit. Both of us waited a brief few minutes as Lawrence soon joined us.

The rest of the day went OK, with temperatures rising to about 75F. The forecasted 10-15 MPH SW winds were a constant 15-20 MPH wind from the west. That translated into a head and cross winds, depending on where we were on the route. At mile 155, while on the bike path, I could see Lawrence was slowing down quit a bit. Brian, who had little sleep the previous two nights, was anxious to get back to Nephi and catch some z’s. I suggested he push on ahead alone and I would work with Lawrence, bringing him to the 400km finish in Nephi.

After Brian surged ahead, Lawrence and I rolled into Richfield, which had many services, and had a nice sit-down supper at JBs restaurant. Afterwards, he had much more energy and we eventually finished at about 4:00 a.m. in very cold temperatures…once again near freezing. Brian had one flat in Richfield and I had a flat about 15 miles from the finish. Lawrence, who was using sew-ups, flew along with no mechanical issues.

I joined up with Brian, who has an extension office in Nephi. I got two hours of sleep on the floor of his office conference room, before heading back out onto the road to finish up this brevet. Brian arrived some 2.5 hours earlier and was able to get a little more shut-eye than I. He and I worked together, along with other cyclists we found along the way, making our way around Utah Lake in a very fatigued state. This was Brian’s long single ride to date and his saddle was not treating him well. We stopped in Lehi, at the north end of the route, for a sit-down breakfast and then later stopped at a bike shop in Springville, taking much needed breaks off the bike. We finally arrived back in Nephi, some 36 hours after our start, at 5:20 p.m.

Many thanks so Brian and Lawrence for their companionship, as I had originally planned on doing this pre-ride alone, so I could provide support to the actual ride the following week.

The route I had designed for the Raspberry Ramble 400K (250 miles) was one that started at about 4,000 feet in Brigham City and eventually climbed up Logan Canyon to 8,000 feet before dropping back down to Bear Lake. Several days before the scheduled date, the forecast for that Saturday was 80% chance of 1-2″ of snow at 8,000 feet. Concerned for the safety of the cyclists making the fast and steep descent into Bear Lake, the decision was made to overhaul the route, keeping it at more moderate elevations. In addition to the snow and precipitation, the forecast also called for winds picking up to 20-25 MPH mid-day, carrying on all day long and into the evening. Despite revising the route, I was ready to cancel the whole brevet, due to the severe winds. Because of those that had traveled out of state to make this ride, I didn’t feel I good, so we proceeded as planned with a 4:30 a.m. start from Brigham City.

Four of us made our way up Sardine Canyon in moderate temperatures of about 45F. Lawrence, as the elder of the group, was bringing up the rear. Eventually he was joined by Dan, as Jeff and I made the ascent and descent into Logan. An interesting note about this brevet is that both Jeff and Lawrence were using this brevet as a qualifier for Furnace Creek 508. Lawrence had determined the night before that he only wanted to finish the first 2/3s of the route, due to the inclement weather and tricky routefinding on the last third. He would qualify later for FC508. Jeff arrived at the first checkpoint in Preston Idaho, some 50 miles into the ride. I was a few minutes behind him. Conor Carroll, a seasoned randonneur was providing support and was there with refreshments. Later in the morning Jeff and I separated (yes I manged to miss a turn, requiring a few extra bonus miles) and at about 11:30 a.m., as forecasted, the winds and rain started to pick up. Dan and Lawrence keep together throughout the day however.

When I arrived at the Golden Spike National Monument visitor center I found that Jeff, who had no rain gear, had arrived previously but was very cold and wet with a mild case of hypothermia. The staff at the visitor’s center, assisted by Conor Caroll, took him in, providing him with some warm wool clothing that is used by the volunteers and staff at the visitor’s center. They had a washer and dryer on premises, so he put his cycling apparel inside to dry out and providing him with hot cocoa also! Finally after his clothes were dried out, he and I proceeded on our way, passing Lawrence and Dan as they were approaching this checkpoint.

As the day finally turned out….the rain quit for several hours in the early evening, but later picked up again at about 11:00 p.m. (the wind never abated all day). Dan and Lawrence got back to the motel after finishing 160 miles and were done. Dan, having been in Europe for the past two weeks, had not had much of a chance to train before this event. Jeff finished, just as the rain started to pick up again. I was about 30 minutes behind him and got hit by a lot of blowing rain while traveling north on US-89. The puddles were deep at times, but due to the late hour, I was able to take up a whole lane of traffic weaving in and out of pools of rain.

Many thanks to Conor for driving SAG and providing encouragement on this wet and windy day.

~ Richard

Although not sponsored by the SLR, this activity takes place in my backyard….FYI.

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The Bicycle Barnstorming Tour is coming your way!

Join us in the evening for dinner and entertainment

Be on the lookout for cyclists admiring historic barns as they pedal the highways, back roads and byways of Sevier and Sanpete counties June 11-13, 2012.  The public is invited to join the cyclists and their invited guests for dinner, entertainment and prize drawings each evening of the three-day tour.  Come for an evening or tag along to all three events and become Bicycle Barnstorming groupies.

Monday, June 11, 6 p.m.  Dutch oven dinner, Richfield City Park, 300 North Main.  Cowboy poet C.R. Wood will emcee and entertain.  Cost:  $15

Tuesday, June 12, 6 p.m.  Dinner, art exhibition and barn dance, Anderson Barn, 390 South 100 West, Spring City.  Music and entertainment by Clive Romney and friends.  Cost: $20

Wednesday, June 13, 6:30 pm.  Dinner and horse-drawn hay ride, Ephraim Co-op Building, 96 North Main.  Tour guide Roger Baker.  Cost:  $25

Payment for evening events must be received by Thursday, June 7^th in order to have counts for catering and the hay ride.  Pay online at the Utah Heritage Foundation website www.utahheritagefoundation.org  by clicking on the Bicycle Barnstorming Tour link and going to the registration page.

The 2012 Bicycle Barnstorming Tour kicks off the updating and expansion of a guide to historic barns throughout the Mormon Pioneer National Heritage Area (MPNHA).  The guide will be available as a smartphone app and a printable PDF.  The 2013 Bicycle Barnstorming Tour will showcase barns and other historic places in the Boulder Loop section of the MPNHA.

Registration for the bike tour has also been extended to June 7^th.  For more information about signing up for the bike tour or the evening events contact Susan Crook, 435-773-5336, susan@utahheritagefoundation.org

About Utah Heritage Foundation

Utah Heritage Foundation is a non-profit, statewide, membership-based organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting Utah’s historic built environment through public awareness, advocacy, and active preservation.  Founded in 1966, the foundation fulfills its mission through a wide range of programs and activities, including: a low-interest loan program, school tours of local landmark buildings, and a historic homes tour.

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Due to the weather forecast, we are going to the “low elevation” Plan B. Route is here. Same place, same start time…04:30. Less climbing, same mileage.
Bring your fenders and neoprene booties and gloves.
See you all then,
Richard

May the 5th was the first running of a new brevet called Backroads of the Great Basin. This 300km brevet started in Saratoga Springs and heading west into the desert before circling back around past the west side of Utah Lake. The local forecast for the day was kinda grim—continuous 15-20 MPH winds from the NW all day long (with stronger occasional gusts). The expected high was in the high 60s with a low in the mid 40s. The precipitation forecast was 20-30% as I recall.

I was glad to see seven cyclists checking in at our dawn start of 6:30 a.m. The forecast proved to be correct as bikes were getting blown over in the parking lots as we prepared to head out into the “wilderness” of the west desert of Utah. The temperature was a cool 45F. At the beginning, as we traveled west, we had a combination head and cross wind. The route starts with a gentle climb, immediately splitting apart the various riders. After about mile 10, we turn slightly to the south and southwest, which proved to be nice for a few miles as we were able to cook along at 25-30MPH with this tail wind. But as with nearly all rides, we changed direction again heading west, catching the wind to our right sides. The first checkpoint, near the route of the original Pony Express trail, brought nearly all the riders together. Some stayed longer to enjoy their snacks or stretch out, while others wanted to keep moving, lest their legs would seize up from inactivity. By now things were warming up a little and some shed a layer or two.

Our route turned south and southwest for the next 60 miles, so the wind was generally not a big factor until we rolled into Nephi, the southern most point of the brevet. From there on in, we pretty much had a head or cross wind for the balance of the day. Four cyclists were in one lead group, with two others in the middle and one solo rider bringing up the rear. As it turns out, Stephen, the solo rider, decided not to finish the entire route and took the most direct route home from Nephi, putting in about 140 miles for the day. As the balance of us rolled into the Salem checkpoint, the west-facing store front made the temperatures feel like 75 or 80F, though they were perhaps in the low 70s.

At the end of the day, three finished just before dark, with the three others using lights and reflective clothing to finish up this brevet. The continuous winds made for a rather chilly finish as fatigue and exhaustion take over the body. Despite the extra effort expended due to the wind, I commented to another rider, it could have been worse…“we could have had wind AND rain all day!”

> RWS