Summer Guide '10 -- A Few Favorite Road Rides & Lingo
Photography: Mark Maziarz
Royal Street Daily Grind
25 miles
Head north out of town along the Rail Trail past The Canyons and turn right on Old Ranch Road. About five miles later, take a right on Trailside Drive, which turns into Silver Summit Drive. Turn right onto the frontage road (Old Highway 40) behind Home Depot, and follow it to Quinn’s Junction. Go under Highway 40 toward Park City along SR 248. Take a left onto Bonanza Drive. Ride the bike path along Poison Creek and City Park, reentering the road at the roundabout heading toward Deer Valley Resort. Just before you get to the resort, take a right onto Royal Street. The difficult part of the ride begins here. When you reach the top, veer onto the Guardsman Connection. Enjoy the descent back into town along Guardsman Pass Road.
Peoa to Francis
46 miles
Pedal east out of Park City along the Rail Trail or SR 248. Follow the road under Highway 40 to a left onto Browns Canyon Road. Enjoy the scenery along the wide shoulder to SR 32. Follow SR 32 through Peoa and Kamas to Francis. Take a left onto SR 35 in Francis and ride out to Woodland. Take your next right onto Lower River Road back toward Francis, which eventually feeds back onto SR 248. Stay on SR 248, enjoying views of the Jordanelle Reservoir on your left, all the way back to Park City.
Training Ride to Wolf Creek Summit
88 miles
Follow the route outlined above from Park City through Browns Canyon, Peoa and Kamas to Francis. Avoid getting cooked on the climb ahead with a stop in Francis at Joe’s Country Store for energy bars and water. Continue along SR 35 through Woodland to Wolf Creek Pass. The serious climb begins here, with several 8 and 9 percent grades. At the 9,458-foot summit, enjoy both the views and the endorphins. Backtrack along the path from which you came toward Park City.
Roadie Lingo
Even if you’re no Lance Armstrong, you can at least talk like you’ve been on the Tour. Here are a few words and phrases you may hear while out riding the road.
Billy Goat: A skilled climber.
Bowling for Dollars: A rider crashes and takes down most or all of the peloton.
Bubba: A rude driver, usually in a pickup truck. Can also be used to describe probability of an encounter, e.g., “That loop is about a two-bubba ride.”
Road Pizza: Term used for someone or something hit by a car. Not to be confused with a burger.
Burger, Tar Surfing: To crash; crashing.
Gravity Tattoo: A permanent scar from a serious crash.
Bus Stop Flop: That embarrassing moment when you fail to click out of your pedals at a stop sign or intersection and flop over on your side.
Cooked, Bonk, Hit the Wall, Knackered: Out of energy.
Diesel: Someone who can pedal along at a steady pace for a long time.
Dinner Plate, Big Meat: The large chain ring, as opposed to the salad plate or granny gear.
February Legs: That heavy feeling in your thighs, typical at the beginning of the riding season.
Hammerhead: Someone who refuses to ride easy, ever.
Invisible Hill: A strong headwind.
Organ Donor: A rider without a helmet.
Shat Out: Being dropped from a group ride or race.
Vulture: To circle at the top of a hill waiting for slower friends.
Your comments may be edited for brevity and foul language.