Cycling Plans For 2008

'Tis the season for making cycling plans for 2008. Here are mine:

Mountain Biking

• I'm going to try tubeless this year. I had a rash of flats at the end of 2007 and I'm ready to give tubeless a try. The new wheels I'm building will be tubeless.
• I resolve to mountain bike in Fruita this year. Fruita was on my list for 2007, but I didn't make it so for 2008 I'm moving it up to DefCon 5.
• I resolve to get UTRider Mark to Moab. He started mountain biking 2 years ago and it is my mission to introduce him to Slickrock this year (was supposed to be 2007).
• I plan to do a few ICup mountain bike races. Probably the St. George race because it gets me out riding early in the season, maybe Cholla (it chewed me up last year), and probably 1-3 more as I feel like it.
• I'd like to try a 10 or 12 hour race this year.
• Explore new trails. There's nothing like riding a trail for the first time. And even though I've been mountain biking in Utah for 15 years, there are still trails I haven't ridden. I'm sure I'll hit a few new (to me) trails this year. Gota hit Little Creek Mesas this year.
• Ride some favorites. Blackhawk, Slickrock, Wasatch Crest (in a loop ride), Timp Perimeter (uphill this year?), Ridge 157, Millcreek, Mid Mountain, Gooseberry Mesa, etc.

Road Cycling

• I plan to ride STP (Seattle To Portland) with a friend who moved out to Seattle and some other Utah riders. This would be my first double century. The ride looks fun, but the logistics are annoying (could be worse, could be LoToJa - zing!). I'd prefer to fly out to Seattle then fly back from Portland to save myself from the dreaded White Line Fever.
• Ride a few centuries. Salt Lake Century for sure (it's a tradition), hopefully Cache Valley and Heber too.
• More group rides. I've really enjoyed riding with the Utah Velo Club and plan to do more this year, starting with the February ride from Lehi out to Vernon and back - I hope the weather is good. I also want to try a ride or two with the BBTC.
• Try a road race. I wanted to do this last year, but it didn't happen. Mark wants me to do Hell of the North so maybe that'll be it. Maybe a time trial too.
  

Miscellaneous

• I've been out cross country skiing a few times this winter and was reminded how much I enjoy it. And with the good snow we've been getting, I plan to do more XC skiing and to do one race this year (I've been meaning to try a XC ski race for years).

So other than the above hit list, I plan to do about what I did in 2007 - ride mountain or road as the mood strikes me.