Biking Guidelines
Know your pace:
The Park City Mountain Sports Club offers 3 different levels of road bike rides categorized as A, B and C level rides.
- A level Ride: For accomplished and experienced cyclists. Average pace between 15.0 and 17.0+ MPH with a distance between 35 to 50 miles or more. Long climbs are routine. Generally, one rest stop. Leader rides at listed pace. Slower riders may be dropped.
- B level Ride: For accomplished cyclists. Average pace between 13.0 and 15.0 MPH with a distance between 20 to 35 miles. Some climbing depending on the route. Up to 15 miles between rest stops. Leader shall sweep at no slower than 13 MPH. No riders will be dropped.
- C level Ride: For experienced cyclists who want an easier pace. Average pace between 10.0 to 12.0 MPH with a distance between 15 to 25 miles. Some rolling hills with no steep climbs. Rest stops as needed. No riders will be dropped.
Your average pace is determined by your total ride distance divided by the number of hours or fraction of hours it took you to ride. The actual formula is distance / (total ride minutes / 60). If you stop for a rest break, the amount of time you stop should be deducted from the total ride time for purposes of this calculation.
Example: You ride 20 miles and it takes you 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete. You stop for a 10 minute rest along the ride. Your average pace would be calculated as such: Total ride time: 90 minutes minus 10 minute rest for a total ride time of 80 minutes. 20 miles / (80/60) = 15 MPH. Note: All bike computers (Wahoo, Garmin, etc) will give you your Average Pace for a ride.
We have mapped out a simple course to help you determine your average pace. (Time Your Ride)
Starting at Quinn’s Jct. at the parking lot near the bathrooms and the ball field, ride out to Kearns Blvd. and make a right on to Kearns. Proceed towards Park City and make a right turn on Monitor Dr. (into Park Meadow). Go to the end and make a left on Little Kate Rd. (in front of the Marc). Make another left on Holiday Ranch Rd. and follow that out to RT 224. Make a right on RT 224. Make a right on Old Ranch Rd and follow that around to Trailside and make a right on Trailside Dr. Continue on Trailside past the school and make a left at the stop sign (soccer field on right) on to Silver Summit Parkway. Take this road over US RT 40 and around the circle to frontage road alongside RT 40 (as you would go to Home Depot). Follow this road to the end where it meets back with RT 248 (Kearns Blvd.) and make a right and follow this back to your starting point at Quinn’s Jct.This ride is a total of 16.4 miles. If you take the total minutes of your ride and compare it to the chart below, it will provide you with your average pace for that ride. Remember, if you stop for a rest break during this ride, keep track of the total time you stopped and deduct that from your total ride time.
Factors that will affect your average pace times
- Wind: Try not to measure your pace on a very windy day as a strong wind will affect your times
- Hills: This course has some hills that you will generally encounter during a normal club ride. If you measure your average pace on a flat course, your average pace will be higher; if you are on a very hilly course, your average pace will be lower
- Length: Do not measure your average pace on a course that is less than 10 miles. 15 miles is recommended as a good minimum length course.
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Road Cycling Leader's Guidelines Prior to the start of the ride introduce yourself and advise that you will be leading the ride and participants should follow you. Riders should note the leader’s cell number. If appropriate, have participants introduce themselves to the group. Make sure that EVERYONE (including guests) sign the Activity Release Form. (Members should have signed electronically already). You should carry the completed form with you in case you need the contact information. The following should verbally be reviewed before the start of the ride:
A, B, and C rides are intended for road bikes (lightweight frames, approx. 20 gear options, narrow tires and no suspension). If someone shows up with a mountain bike (wide tires and suspension) for a road bike ride, they should be advised that it will be difficult for them to keep up with the group and they may be dropped notwithstanding the “No Drop” rule for that ride. Hybrid bikes (similar to road bikes but with upright handle bars) are permitted on all B & C rides assuming that riders are able to keep up with others. For leisurely rides, all types of human-powered bikes, including beach cruisers are acceptable. The use of E-bikes for road bike rides is permitted. All participants in a Club ride must wear a bike helmet and have sufficient water for the outlined ride. The ride leader may cancel the ride if there is adverse weather near the scheduled starting time. It is the rider’s responsibility to verify the status of the ride by calling the ride leader’s cell phone. Cancellations or schedule changes should be communicated with the road bike coordinator who will post changes on the Club’s calendar. However, the Club does not send cancellation emails to the membership, so non-weather related changes are discouraged unless made well in advance of the ride. It is suggested that leaders make a head count at the start of the ride and be sure you end the ride with the same number. We think these few reminders will help keep everyone safe and enhance the riding experience. Bike Helmets The Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Snell Foundation certify helmets. Be sure the helmet says CPSC and/or MIPS on the inside label. It’s often said that a helmet ages and should be replaced every three years even if you’ve never made love to the pavement. Fit is critical. Wearing a helmet on the back of your head like a beanie is absurd. Many bike accidents happen when people go forward over the handlebars. In that scenario a helmet sitting on the back of the head will protect about as well as a baseball cap. Strap positioning is also vital. The Snell Foundation has a good web site that describes how to fit a helmet. http://www.smf.org/helmfit.html. |