Biking Cottonwood Canyon

prk166 · 03-18-2006, 04:33 PM

I'm just curious for someone on a road bike, how crazy would it be to bike up little cottonwood rd to alta and back in the summertime? How about big cottonwood up to Park City and back? I'm pretty used to being out on the road nad comfortable in traffic. But I don't want to be on a windy mountain road going uphill at 3.7 mph if there isn't at least a bit of a shoulder for me to ride on or at least the road not be too busy.

Just curious since I'm looking at a place here :
http://static.flickr.com/43/114341493_daf0a17a5c_o.jpg

prk166 · 03-18-2006, 04:47 PM

Also, do people really bike down I-80??!?!?? This part of the states tourism office throws me for a loop. I didn't think non-motorized vehicles were legal let alone why I'd want to be breathing in those fumes (I don't mean that in a hippy way but the smell is noticable) while traffic goes 65-80 MPH just a couple feet from me.

http://www.utah.com/bike/trails/emigration.htm

The road tops out at Little Mountain Pass, from where you can view the Mill Creek Ridge to the south, Lookout Peak to the north, and Upper Mountain Dell Reservoir below. Turn around here to enjoy the fast descent back to the city, or continue east and extend your ride by heading up state highway 65 to Big Mountain Pass or descending to Salt Lake City through Parleys Canyon on interstate 80.

Jose Luis Luviano · 03-18-2006, 10:48 PM

I've seen people riding up Parley's Summit, but I don't know if they were supposed to be.

If you want to ride from Big Cottonwood to Park City; you need at least a Cyclocross bike. And some pretty massive thighs.

In that area, you should be able to find all kinds of people to ride with. There are lots of cycling clubs in the area, and they have rides for all levels.

Watch out, people have been hit going up the Canyons; there's not much of a shoulder.

My riding these days consists of pulling a trailer with my kids; and riding to work and back.

dysko · 03-20-2006, 10:24 AM

Big Cottonwood is riden quite often by roadies... I have riden it on my bike several times... Not much shoulder, but cars are good about giving people space. On the way down is when cars tend to get careless. But on any given day you can find probably 30-50 people riding the Canyon.

I-80 I have only riden once and it was comeing down. I rode up Provo Canyon and dropped down Parleys to visit a friend who lives in the Foothill Apts at the mouth of the canyon. Technically it is illegal, but UHP doesn't enforce the rule prohibiting riding. when you ride down you are 55-60 your self so the speed of traffic doesn't seem so bad. From what I hear the shoulder is good for the ride up as well.

neophyte · 03-20-2006, 10:30 AM

Millcreek and City Creek Canyons are more popular for road bikes (as well as mountain bikes) but the Cottonwoods are definitely doable. My next door neighbor (a competitive nordic skier from Germany) rides up to Brighton and back after work for a "relaxing" workout in the off-season.

dysko · 03-20-2006, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by neophyte

Millcreek and City Creek Canyons are more popular for road bikes (as well as mountain bikes) but the Cottonwoods are definitely doable. My next door neighbor (a competitive nordic skier from Germany) rides up to Brighton and back after work for a "relaxing" workout in the off-season.

The popularity of which Canyon you ride has a lot to do with where you live. Notie Neophyte lives near the Canyons he refers to as popular. South end of the valley Cottonwood (either one) is more popluar. In Happy Valley, Provo Canyon and American Fork Canyon are the most popular.

If you wanted my personal recomendation, I would send you to ride City Creek... I love that ride.

prk166 · 03-21-2006, 08:27 PM

Thanks. I appreciate the feedback. I wasn't sure how common it was for folks to bike some of the places.

So is part of the biking down I-80 because the route going up is one-way? Or is some sort of subsconcious desire to breath car exhaust? 😉

RSL Punk · 03-22-2006, 08:29 AM

There are a couple of places in Utah where riding on the interstate is in fact legal. One is I-80 below Mountain Dell, and the only other one I know is I-84 (Weber Canyon) between US89 and Mountain Green. The reasons are fairly simple: There isn't a frontage road or alternate route you can take. The Emigration Canyon ride only makes sense if you've gone all that way, went over the summit and down to the freeway and then looked back up the hill and thought "Should I ride back up and then down Emigration, or should I ride hell-bent-for-leather down the interstate."

And while we're on the subject of mountain road cycling, there's always I-84 to Trapper's Loop, around Pineview Reservoir, and over the North Ogden Divide. You have to have some pretty massive climbing chops to do that, though. It's been years since I had the lung capacity.

prk166 · 03-23-2006, 10:41 AM

Thanks. Geeze, I didn't realize so many RSL fans kept up on biking stuff. Does this mean some folks may be game for some rides after the world cup?

Jose Luis Luviano · 03-23-2006, 10:53 AM

Go ahead & laugh, but you know where a good place for road rides is?

Tooele County.

There's not much traffic out there and the last time I was there, they have a Brew Pub.

I could probably go riding some time this summer; but you probably would get frustrated waiting around or Spinning while I tried to catch up to you.