BYU Cycling Team Aspen Grove Ride

The once defunct BYU Cycling Team is rising from the ashes as activity on the Facebook page stirs and a new blog emerges. Many of us who ride our road bikes to school found flyers left on our bikes announcing a Saturday morning ride to Aspen Grove that started at J Dawgs at 8am. About 8 riders showed up this Saturday and we had a spectacular ride. The weather was fresh enough to keep you cool, but not so cold you froze. As we made the turn on to highway 92 the climb was definitely enough to keep a little sweat on your forehead while the air temperature dropped low enough to show your breath. We all made the 2,000 ft climb without a hitch. Two of us caught flats, but thanks to Justin Adam’s swift patching skills we were quickly on our way. And when I say quick I mean it. The nearly switchbackless decent got us down the mountain in a hurry at speeds as fast as 48 mph. That was the fastest I have ever gone on my road bike, and I couldn’t get over the fact that no matter how hard I pedaled I couldn’t get any pull out of my highest gear. It was quite the rush, and the Alpine Loop Highway goes on my list of top rides in Provo.

Bike To School Week

This week is BikeProvo.org’s official Bike to School Week. BYU students who fill up the bike racks at school already know how well education and biking go together. For those of you who don’t, as most students are trying to pinch their pennies, cycling serves as a way to save tons of cash by avoiding the high insurance and maintenance costs of an auto. The fresh air and exercise one gets from riding helps keep the mind quick in order to better absorb information and solve problems. The reasons go on and on, but I won’t. Here are the details for the week:

• Monday Sept. 19, Night Ride, 9 pm, Joaquin Park. Great for adult and high school riders.
• Wednesday Sept. 21, Free Tune-ups, 8-1, Brigham Square. Great for BYU students.
• Wednesday Sept. 21, “Livable Communities & Bicycles,” 7, Provo Library. Great for adults and high school students.
• Wednesday Sept. 21, Bike Polo, 7, Wells Fargo Bank Parking Lot. Great for adults / high schoolers to play, great for kids to watch.
• Thursday Sept. 22, Provo High School Students get Free Bike Tune-ups & Free Bike Licensing in the Courtyard during lunch. (Just for Provo High students)
• Friday Sept. 23, Provo Downtown Rock and Roll, 6:30 p.m. (Center Street will be closed to automobiles for this event). Great for the whole family.
• Sunday Sept 25, Ride to Church.

So there you have it. Free bike tune-ups, night rides, bike polo and interesting lectures. Not to mention a quick mind and a primo parking space on campus all week long. Bike to school!

BYU Bikes

BYU Bikes. Despite the fact that, come fall, every street around campus is lined with cars and the sidewalks are so packed with people you can’t move, many still ride their bikes. The bike racks are just as saturated with two-wheeled transports as the streets are full of autos and the sidewalks full of people. Each assemblage of tubing, cable, and chain belongs to an individual that decided to arrive by their own pedal power rather than simply pressing a car’s pedal. The reasoning behind each individual’s decision to ride to school could vary widely from saving money to saving their life to saving the environment. Whatever the reasoning, many BYU students ride bikes. For those of you at BYU (or just close to BYU) who choose to ride bikes to school, on mountains, on tracks, or on roads, this is the place for you. If you want to ride alone, that’s fine. But if you want to ride in a group and associate with other bike lovers who also go to BYU, then BYU Bikes will serve as a place to touch base, generate dialogue, and share the love. Please leave a comment, tell your friends, and most importantly, ride your bike.