Mountain-bike racing flourishes

The growth of mountain-bike racing in Utah County has been as steady as the inclines on Sundance Resort's bike trails, which have been pretty busy this summer.

Just ask mountain biker Reed Abbott.

Abbott, who has been riding for about 14 years, is among the dozens of riders who have gathered every Wednesday night this summer for some warm-up races for the larger weekend races at either Sundance or Soldier Hollow.

"Last week, we had 50 to 80 participants," said John Woodruff, Sundance bike patroller. "Wednesday night's race is a training race. It's a stepping stone that lasts about an hour compared to the full-blown races that last two to three hours."

Sundance Resort, which houses the only ski resort in Utah County during the winter, recently began holding premier mountain bike races, including the Intermountain Cup series and the Super D Race Series.

In fact, Sundance held its second race of the Super D Race Series on Monday and had more than 30 riders.

The Intermountain Cup Series, which features bike trails all over Utah and Wyoming, already made two stops in Utah County this summer.

Making its second stop of the season, the series camped in Lehi for the Showdown at the 5-Mile Pass on April 30.

Abbott, who rides for Mad Dog Cycles, won first place at the 5-Mile Pass in the men's 19-29 age group and also won first in that age group in St. George at the Desert Rampage Race, the first stop of the Intermountain Cup Series.

However, Abbott's biggest accomplishment came later this summer when he decided to race in the expert men 19-29 division. In his first race in that category, Abbott took third, which has been the highlight of his career.

"That was a hard-fought third-place finish; it was my first expert race," Abbott said. "The course was long and hard, about two-and-a-half hours, and I really felt like I gave it my all and was surprised at how high I finished.

"By the time I finished, my arms and legs were exhausted and shaking. All I could do afterward was lie on the ground and do anything not to move. But, like I said, I was really surprised that I had placed as high as I did in my first expert race, and even though it was really painful, it was worth it."

Ed Chauner, who organizes and puts on the Intermountain Cup Series, has seen a recent climb in the popularity of the sport and a definite change in the demographics of mountain bikers.