Springville to Mona Loop

This morning I rode a 70 mile loop with the Utah Velo Club. We started at the south Springville exit of I-15 and rode around West Mountain then south through Genola and Goshen to Mona then north through Santaquin, Payson and Spanish Fork back to the start (map). It's a good route with plenty of lonely roads.

The forecast last night mentioned wind and I feared the worst, but it turned out to be an excellent day - moderate temperatures, some cloud cover, and no wind while going out then a nice tailwind coming back. Yea, pretty sweet. We did have a good number of flats on the ride - I had one from a Goathead thorn in Genola. I tried to stay with the leaders at times and pushed into anaerobic on a few hills - it hurt but I didn't get any cramps. For a 70 mile ride the pace was pretty brisk.

A friend, DJ, showed up and we rode together at times and chatted. DJ took some backroads in Santaquin and missed the pack stopped at a gas station. Stan, the ride leader who was the sweeper, told me he didn't see DJ coming in. I got worried and stopped at my brother's house in Payson and we went back over the route to the last time I'd seen DJ, but we didn't find him. When I got back to my brother's house DJ called my cell and told me he was in Spanish Fork (I'd tried to call him, but he didn't have his phone on then). So I rode to Spanish Fork and met him and we rode together back to the start.

A few mishaps, but overall a really nice ride and a great 4 hours on the bike.

While I was out riding, my wife took some of the gals she raced with up American Fork Canyon to ride some of the sweet single-track up there. They all had a great time.