Ride the West: Rest Day in Salt Lake City

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Salt Lake City
Four Points Sheraton
By the Airport
Very much south of the city

Cycle Talk---
Pause for the Judgment Zone:

This is a freakishly strong group of seasoned tour cyclists. These folks are good! Judgments are based on my own observations. Others may disagree. And I haven’t formed an opinion either way on some, but they’re all good.

The Italians or the A-Team

Ole, the Dane living in Silicon Valley,

Dan from California,

American Jerry from South Carolina

The Dynamic Duo

(Can certainly hold their own with Italians)

Doug from Maine

Joe from SF Bay Area CA

The A Minus crowd

Carl from Idaho – retired ER doc – phenomenal rider (70’s)

Marlon from DC area – Technology rider (radar, heads up display, all the toys)

Charlie from Singapore (via Midwest)

The next tier can’t think of a name for them yet

Penny and Jeff - Wisconsin transplants now from AZ

Good John, Scotsman from London

Diane the Mountain Biker gal from California,

Paul the Police Chief from Ohio

Aussie Jerry

St.Pete John

Maryland Matt

The other tier would include

Boston Matt,

Dimitry

and myself.

I include myself in the lower tier because if I drop off the back, I lose focus and tend to roll slowly. Luckily, by sheer determination and will power I can hold my own if I'm in with a pack. Luckily That's where I was able to keep the last two days.

Now my two traveling buddies Matt and John may disagree as they may both see themselves in the A- crowd but I stand by my assessments.

What's up today?

Couple significant things, actually.
This hotel was a Comfort Inn and is being rehabbed into a Sheraton branded property. Won't know when it'll be ready but from what we've seen not for a couple months yet.

We checked in at a makeshift desk consisting of two women behind a folding table in the hall by the elevator bank. The lobby is being remodeled and the grinding, pounding was pretty constant. And a teen girls soccer program is having a tournament nearby and staying here. It's been a shriek fest pajama party until midnight. But everyone's so tired, we kind of slept anyway. WiFi was spotty last night, too, so blog updates were challenging.

Breakfast was by the poolside. Cleaned my bike. For the first time this tour, the hotel put out some rags, a garden hose, and bucket of soapy water by the back door so we could clean our bikes. Boston Matt gave me a squirt of degreaser for my rear cassette. Made it easier to clean the grime from the past 11 days of travel.

Took my first Uber ride into town. I know everyone else does it but still I was impressed at how easy and fast it was to find someone and get in the car and just go. Got dropped off at a Trek bike shop where Matt picked up supplies. Shop owner super friendly, gave us some points to look for on our walking tour to the Temple Square.

It started baking in the full sun so after a mosey around, we looked for a Rite Aid for some other supplies and stumbled into City Creek. It's an indoor/outdoor pedestrian mall complex. Upscale as noted by the Nordstroms and Maceys anchors. Reminded me a bit of Blueback Square in West Hartford but larger. Picked up a snack at Chick Fillet, found a Rite Aid, then Ubered back to the Hotel.

Got a chance to catch up on three days of blogging, got my Garmin bike computer updated with the route directions for the next section of rides, and met Mike and Angie for dinner. John, Matt and I were on the Across America North tour with them in 2016. Good people from Louisville traveling by car through North Dakota, Montana (Glacier National Park, Yellowstone) hiking not biking and fishing this time. Had great time catching up on what we've been doing.

Now I'm all caught up.

We rise tomorrow for breakfast at 6:30, load luggage and ride starting at 8:00. Going south to Provo into expected headwinds and heat. A lot of turns and bike paths so we have to keep attention focused on our rout sheets.

Following shots are leftovers and some from hoofing around town today.