Two hours is just about the perfect duration for a bike ride. You don't really need to worry about on-the-bike nutrition. And it's short enough that you can often squeeze in a two hour ride on a work day or between soccer games on Saturday without jeopardizing the to-do list. Just fill a couple of bottles and go.
My favorite two hour road ride in Boise has got to be the Cartwright Loop. It's been out of commission most of the season as the road between Hidden Springs and Pierce Park Rd was widened and regraded. I was worried that the regrading would make it too easy. It's still steep, but not as steep, but the elevation gain is the same, so it's still a challenge. And the new tarmac is lovely.
On the mountain bike, my favorite two hour loop is Rocky Canyon Road to Orchard Gulch, down Five Mile, up Three Bears and down to Shane's, and back to Ft. Boise. Challenging climbs, wicked fun descents, and buff, swooping single track.
Both rides have about 2,000 feet of climbing but not all at once, so the climb never goes on so long that you're looking forward to the end of it, and you can push it pretty hard without blowing up.
The crazy thing is that I had never ridden the Orchard Gulch or Five Mile Gulch trails until this year. Which makes me wonder what else I am missing out on. Plus, now that I'm in Utah five days a week, I need to figure out what to ride here. I'm getting to know the Bonneville Shoreline Trail and its spurs pretty well, because it's close to the office and the ideal destination for lunch rides. But I still really have no idea where I'm going in Corner Canyon and only find my way around there by dumb luck or The Force, not sure which. Other than Millcreek Canyon, I really haven't ridden anywhere else on the Wasatch Front.
Leave a comment and let me know what I'm missing out on. If you don't live in Idaho or Utah, tell me what I should ride if I'm ever visiting your town. As UTRider mentioned, we've got a lovely Indian Summer that's lasting way longer than any of us expected, so may as well take advantage of it.
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USER NOTE RELEASE 3.42: The Force is being replaced with Garmin GPS units effective 11/01/08. ;^)
ReplyDeleteMid-Mountain trail in Park City and the Wasatch Crest between Big Cottonwood and Millcreek Canyons. Better yet, combine the two in the same ride.
ReplyDeleteAmerican Fork Canyon is also prime.
As a roadie exclusive (for now, anyway) I have to agree with the 2-hour rule. though I really do like the days I can pop out a four hour ride.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite 'standard' rides are from my place and take my on a couple of different loops (Murray to Bluffdale) or out-and-backs (Murray to Wasatch to Parleys and Back via Cottonbottom) and I often find myself doing those whenever I get the kitchen pass to ride for two hours.