Big Rides

[BrutusBuckeye]

The Alpine Loop seems big to me. My next door neighbor wants to do this in about 11 weeks. I better get riding! I haven't touched my bike all winter, and I'm up a few pounds I need to drop.

Alpine Loop is a beautiful ride. If I remember correctly, riding from the Provo Canyon side over to American Fork Canyon gives you a steeper climb, but either way you'll be doing some good climbing.

[Bo Diddley]

Alpine Loop is a beautiful ride. If I remember correctly, riding from the Provo Canyon side over to American Fork Canyon gives you a steeper climb, but either way you'll be doing some good climbing.

Yeah, right now I'm picturing myself stopping to rest a few times. We are taking it from the AF side, so there's that.

[BigPiney]

Yeah, right now I'm picturing myself stopping to rest a few times. We are taking it from the AF side, so there's that.

How long is it?

[Bo Diddley]

Looks like it's 3000 feet of climb in 11 miles from the AF side.

[BigPiney]

Looks like it's 3000 feet of climb in 11 miles from the AF side.

Granny gear!!

How long in the total loop from the car?

[Bo Diddley]

Granny gear!!

How long in the total loop from the car?

It's about 20 miles end to end. To complete the loop it's something like 34-38 miles. I think my neighbor wants to start at the mouth of AF Canyon. It's an easy ride from the top back down to our home.

[BigPiney]

It's about 20 miles end to end. To complete the loop it's something like 34-38 miles. I think my neighbor wants to start at the mouth of AF Canyon. It's an easy ride from the top back down to our home.

Sounds fun.

I think I have gone up the provo canyon side and back

[Moliere]

Sounds fun.

I think I have gone up the provo canyon side and back

I did it once on a borrowed bike. Went up the AF side and down Provo canyon. I had to stop 2-3 times on the way up as I wans't mentally ready for the constant uphill (I'm from Houston after all) and turning every corner and seeing the road keep going up was tough at first. The ride down was too quick and going down the canyon at times felt like I was going uphill. If I did it again, I'd start at the mouth of Provo canyon.

it's a great ride though.

[Jeff Lebowski]

I used to do that ride solo every now and then. Leave from my house, up Provo Canyon, down the AF side, and back home.

[clackamascoug]

I've done it a bunch on a Honda CB 900 - but would never attempt on a bicycle. At mile marker 18 - 3 trees in - you can see some love initials carved into an aspen circ 1982.

[Copelius]

I've done it a bunch on a Honda CB 900 - but would never attempt on a bicycle. At mile marker 18 - 3 trees in - you can see some love initials carved into an aspen circ 1982.

That I can relate with. I think I'll take my R1200 on it today after choir.

[BrutusBuckeye]

For the past few years, my brother and I have taken a weekend near the end of the summer and ridden in a mountain bike event. In 2019 we rode the Cascade Creampuff in Oregon. In 2020, we were signed up for Pierre's Hole at Targhee before Covid canceled it (we kept the room reservation and rode the trail anyway). In 2021 we rode the Butte 50 in Montana. Last year we were signed up for the Big Sky Biggie in Montana, but my 10-year old son was diagnosed with cancer, so my time, energy and focus shifted to him, and my brother and I withdrew from the event. So it seems our events only work out about 50% of the time.

The good people at the Big Sky Biggie allowed us to defer our entries, so that will be my big ride for this year. It'll be a 30-miler or so, but the climbing is around 4,000 feet. I don't think I've ever been this far away from decent riding shape, so I've got my work cut out for me. I've been hitting the stationary bike pretty hard for the last couple of months, but I still worry I won't be able to cut enough weight to where I feel like I'm ready when the event arrives. I was not in great shape for the Butte 50 and barely had enough in me to finish. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again.

[chrisrenrut]

For the past few years, my brother and I have taken a weekend near the end of the summer and ridden in a mountain bike event. In 2019 we rode the Cascade Creampuff in Oregon. In 2020, we were signed up for Pierre's Hole at Targhee before Covid canceled it (we kept the room reservation and rode the trail anyway). In 2021 we rode the Butte 50 in Montana. Last year we were signed up for the Big Sky Biggie in Montana, but my 10-year old son was diagnosed with cancer, so my time, energy and focus shifted to him, and my brother and I withdrew from the event. So it seems our events only work out about 50% of the time.

The good people at the Big Sky Biggie allowed us to defer our entries, so that will be my big ride for this year. It'll be a 30-miler or so, but the climbing is around 4,000 feet. I don't think I've ever been this far away from decent riding shape, so I've got my work cut out for me. I've been hitting the stationary bike pretty hard for the last couple of months, but I still worry I won't be able to cut enough weight to where I feel like I'm ready when the event arrives. I was not in great shape for the Butte 50 and barely had enough in me to finish. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again.

I’m jealous. I took my bike up to Big Sky a couple of summers ago, hoping to get in some good rides. But it was the summer when there was so much smoke in the air from wildfires, so I only did one ride. But it was magical. It was the Beehive Ridge/North Fork loop.

Only 4000 vertical feet over 30 miles seems tame for Big Sky. There aren’t many flat or slightly graded trails there. I did 1700 over 8 miles on this one trail.

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[BrutusBuckeye]

Only 4000 vertical feet over 30 miles seems tame for Big Sky. There aren’t many flat or slightly graded trails there. I did 1700 over 8 miles on this one trail.

Looks beautiful. The Butte 50 was that same year with the forest fires. We went up there not being completely certain they would hold the event because of how bad the smoke was.

I double checked the route we're doing and it appears Trailforks has calculated 5,300 feet for the route. Looks like I have more work to do than I thought.