THE DIY TOUR
A Journey Across Utah By Bike
Words by: Kyle McFarland
To some, the Tour of Utah was just a bike race. Something that would come and go for 6 days each August, providing fleeting moments of motivation for your cousin’s, neighbor’s, sister, or brother to get back on the bike, or sign up for a Fondo. For me, the TOU was much more: it was a window into a culture I didn’t even know I was craving. I was fascinated by the inner workings of the teams, the tactics, the athleticism, and more than anything, the ability to see the world, or in this case, the beautiful landscapes of Utah by bike.
Every year, friends and I would say in passing how cool it would be to concoct our own version of the TOU, but just as quickly as the idea came, it would fade into oblivion. Fast forward to winter of 2023, when for some reason or another the idea resurfaced and quicky became an obsession. I reached out to a few athletes that I coach through White Pine Athletics: Aiden Sorich, Walker Dunbar, Porter Hales, and fellow WPA coach Corbin Dittma. Together we decided that the crux of the planning process was figuring out the route and the sleeping situation. We weren’t quite ready to commit to full on bike packing, but also didn’t want to cheapen the experience with full on SAG support. The middle ground option was to do this ride “credit card camping” style. We would carry the supplies needed for each day/night of the trip and avoid any significant outside assistance. After a few meetings and zoom calls we landed on a plan: ride from the Utah/Idaho border in Bear Lake, and ride across the State of Utah over 6 days, finishing on the Utah/Arizona border in Saint George. This ambitious plan would span 670 miles and 36,000 feet of climbing through some of the most beautiful, rugged, and challenging terrain. This was the DIY Tour.
Throughout this entire planning process we were supported by some amazing brands. We knew DNA was the best option when considering a partner for a custom kit. I’ve worked with DNA for years with my coaching service, White Pine Athletics, and my students rave about the comfort, fit, and durability. I have kits with thousands of miles logged on them, and they are still holding strong! When I reached out to DNA Cycling to partner on this journey, they designed and produced a beautiful kit to commemorate the epicness of the trip. They also provided us with their media team to help document and produce this journey.
You know the old saying “everyone has a plan until you get punched in the face”? That punch landed before the ride would even kick off. In the days leading up to the DIY Tour grand depart, both Aiden and Porter had to withdraw due to injuries. Porter would travel with us to the start and send us off, but would be unable to ride any of the stages. Aiden was on the upward swing of his recovery and had planned to join us midway through the tour to join for as long as his body could, and deliver a pre-arranged nutrition package.
Stage 1: Bear Lake > Coalville
If you had asked me before we started the DIY Tour what stage I thought would be most difficult, I would have never in million years picked stage 1. On paper, this would be one of our easiest days. 116 miles and 5000 feet of climbing, cruising from Bear Lake, briefly crossing into Wyoming, then descending through the beautiful hardpacked gravel roads of Chalk Creek into Coalville.
We woke Monday morning to dark cloudy skies, and a forecast of rain and a steady headwind. The stoke was high as Walker, Corbin, and myself took a quick selfie at the Idaho border before starting to pedal towards our destination of Coalville. Intermittent rain and a seemingly eternal headwind turned what should have been a relaxing start to the week into an absolute grind. The terrain from Bear Lake to Evanston, WY is wide open with nowhere to hide from the wind. The three of us did our best to enjoy the views while exchanging pulls on the front to give each other a few minutes of respite from the winds. Moral was waning until we hit the five and a half hour point, where we reached the smooth and fast gravel of Chalk Creek. From there it was 35 miles of some of the most beautiful riding you’ll ever experience. Stoke went from low to high in an instant as we rallied the gravel roads and descended into Coalville, where warm beds, mediocre Subway sandwiches, and copious amounts of chocolate milk awaited us.
Stage 2: Coalville > Duchesne
From the very beginning, we knew we wanted to generate some community engagement and get folks to come out and ride a few stages with us. Due to its close proximity to Park City and the Salt Lake Valley, we figured stage 2 would be the best option to rally some people together and turn this day into a group ride. The plan was to leave Coalville, ride the 25 miles to Francis where we would meet up with riders who would join us for a ride to the summit of Wolf Creek Pass. At this point, they would flip around and ride back to Francis, and we would continue on towards Duchesne.
As we made our way out of Coalville and along the shores of Rockport Reservoir, we picked up DNA Cycling’s Head Honcho, Seth Bradley. Seth, being the upstanding gentleman that he is, spent the next 60 minutes drilling it on the front, refusing to let the three of us feel even an inkling of wind. We rolled into Francis and were greeted by a handful of White Pine Athletics junior athletes and Uncle Jesse (If you know, you know). Together we pedaled along the winding mountain pass, enjoying a couple cheeky town sign sprints and great conversation. When looking back at the entire week, this stage easily stands out as the most memorable and enjoyable. Getting to share this experience with these riders was something we won’t likely forget. After reaching the summit and saying farewell to our friends, Corbin, Walker, and I continued on, descending into the town of Hanna and ultimately to Duchesne. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this day provided us with something special: the sweetest, and final, tailwind we would experience for the remainder of the DIY Tour.
Stage 3: Duchesne > Ferron
I know what you’re thinking: where the hell is Ferron? Planning the DIY Tour was an adventure in and of itself. We knew where we wanted to start and finish. Between those two points hotel options that fit between our ideal stage lengths were few and far between. I also had a unique requirement on this trip: we absolutely had to ride through the town of Orangeville so we could pay a visit to The Food Ranch, a staple from my youth as a professional climber and my frequent trips to nearby Joe’s Valley. The Food Ranch is famous for their donuts in the climbing community, and stopping was a non-negotiable.
Anyway… nestled 20 miles south of Orangeville is the town of Ferron. The only town with a hotel for many more miles.
On paper, stage 3 wasn’t much to write home about, clocking in at 100 miles on the dot, and about 6,000 feet of climbing. Aside from those stats, this stage was a bit of an unknown to the group. Unsure of what to expect, we left behind the cooler temps of Northern Utah, and set off from Duchesne in the 85 degree heat that felt searing compared to the mild temps of the previous stages. We spent the first two and a half hours climbing out of the desert floor, passing through dense pines and aspen groves all the way up to the 9,000 ft high-point of the day. We stopped to soak in the views, crack a couple Neversecond bars, and then started off on a steep, winding, rollercoaster of a descent towards the town of Price, detouring slightly to travel back in time along the historic main street of Helper, a must-see for anyone passing through. With temperatures climbing to around 95 degrees, the next three hours felt like an eternity. Conversation tapered off until all you could hear was tires on pavement and a warm headwind in your ears. I tried to distract myself from my current state of misery with thoughts of an ice cold Coke and a Food Ranch donut, the maple coconut or Fruity Pebble donut to be precise. At mile 87 I was rewarded with just that, and a surprise visit from Rocco, an old climbing buddy of mine. Caffeinated and fed, we hopped back on the bike and enjoyed another hour of headwind-blessed riding into the sleepy town of Ferron, where we washed kits, ate our body weight in chicken tenders, met up with Aiden, and prepared ourselves for stunning brutality that awaited the next day: the queen stage.
Stage 4: Ferron > Escalante
Those who know me best know that I’m not one to shy away from an adventure fueled by coffee and questionable decision making. Which is probably how we ended up in a motel parking lot on a Thursday morning having already ridden 310 miles and almost 15,000 ft of climbing in the previous three days, and starting off on a 145 mile stage with just over 11,000 feet of climbing. A quick Google search of the term “queen stage” provides the following definition: In cycling, a queen stage is the most challenging stage of a multi-day road race. It’s typically the hardest stage and often includes the race’s highest point and multiple difficult climbs. Queen stages require riders to push their physical and psychological limits, and symbolize the endurance and resilience of the sport. Stage 4 from Ferron to Escalante was our Queen Stage.
Having met up with Aiden the night before, we spent the first 23 miles rolling in a fast 4-person paceline until we reached the base of the first climb. Over the next 20 or so miles, we made our way over Hogan Pass and back up to 9,000 feet where the air was cool and comfortable. We stopped briefly at the summit to take in the views of the San Rafael Swell, then descended 35 miles into the town of Torrey, where we would once again say farewell to Aiden, as he was still nursing an injured knee and elected to skip the final climb in hopes of riding with us again the next day. Leaving Torrey, we made our way to the gateway of Capitol Reef National Park, then veered right along a 20 mile climb that saw gradients up to 17% and stunning views of the red rock formations that grew smaller and smaller the higher we climbed. Once we reached the summit, just below 10,000ft, our efforts were rewarded with an absolutely ripping descent along the aptly named and treacherous Devil’s Backbone. From there, we endured a short but seemingly never ending climb into the quiet town of Escalante. Here we met up with Aiden once again, loaded up on pizza, shared stories from the day, and turned in early, knowing the next morning would be early and hot.
Stage 5: Escalante > Kanab
To say we were all feeling a little stiff and tired the morning of stage 5 would be a drastic understatement. The cumulative fatigue was kicking in, and the 9 hours of saddle time, 145 miles, and 11,000 ft of vert the day before was an obvious factor in the lethargic mood of the group. For obvious reasons, we opted for a slightly later start to the morning. We enjoyed a decent hotel breakfast, my first proper cappuccino in six days, and soaked in some of the beauty of this small, tucked away little town.
At around 9:45am, Aiden, Walker, Corbin, and myself swung our legs over the bike (slowly, and with audible groaning) and headed south towards today’s end-point, Kanab. An unplanned, and unfortunate coincidence of this trip was the fact that every single day up to this point, started with a climb, and today was no different. We spent the first 90 minutes making our way up a slow and gradual climb- but surrounded again by stunning red cliff bands as we ventured closer towards Bryce Canyon National Park. The already high temperatures, and a good amount of fatigue led to a quieter morning. An hour or so would tick by without a single word spoken between the four of us. We just rode the wheels and soaked in the views around us. We eventually stopped in the town of Tropic, where we enjoyed slushees, cold drinks, and maybe a couple gas station hot dogs. We then said goodbye to Aiden for the final time of this trip. He would head back home to Montana to rest the knee and rebuild for his next block of racing.
The remainder of the day, at least for me personally, was rough. Historically, I have always struggled with heat. Today we saw an average temperature of 93 degrees, and a high of 104. This, coupled with 7 hours of headwind, had me feeling an inch from completely shelled all day. It was one of those days where you look down at your computer to realize that you’re descending on -8 degree gradients, pushing 300 watts, and going 14mph. I don’t have many fond memories of this day, but a few highlights would be riding through Bryce Canyon- I’ve never seen a photo do that place justice, and being able to ride my bike through it with an awesome group of friends, was truly special. The same can be said about the final stretch of the ride into Kanab. After 120 miles on the bike, the warm glow of the cliffs surrounding Kanab were a welcomed sight, especially knowing that we had only one more day of riding to go.
Stage 6: Kanab > Snow Canyon
Ok. Those familiar with their geography might be wondering why there’s a sixth stage. The town of Kanab sits pretty much right on the Utah/Arizona border. One might think this would be a logical end-point for the DIY Tour. You might also recall me mentioning that questionable decision making was a particularly dominant skill of mine, and well, momma didn’t raise no quitter. Rather than wrapping things up in Kanab, we opted for a lovely jaunt into Arizona, then cruising back into Utah to finish in Saint George. This bonus stage would mean an additional 93 miles of riding before we would be greeted by friends and family at the top of the iconic Snow Canyon climb.
From the very start of the day stoke was at an all time high. We again stopped for a cheeky selfie at the Utah/Arizona border sign, then set off for a day of desert riding. In stark contrast to the cold and damp conditions of stage 1, the final stage saw an average temperature of 95 degrees, highs near 110 degrees, and not an inch of shade to be found as we made our way across the Kaibab Reservation land, through Colorado City, AZ, and back into Southern Utah.
We weren’t sure what it would look like, but we knew we’d be greeted at the finish by our families- after all we needed a ride home! As we inched closer to Saint George we were first greeted by my wife, Jami, who had loaded a RinseKit into the van so she could spray us down with cold water as we rode past- well played, Jami. As we came through Washington Parkway we were met with motivational signs and cowbells held by members of Corbin’s family, and further down the road Walker’s family. This motivation and support lit a fire in us. The final stretch of riding through Saint George is still a bit of a blur, but I know we were absolutely flying. As we made our way up through Snow Canyon it was all smiles. We were chatty, happy, maybe even jubilant as we crested the final kicker of the canyon. In the distance we could see our group, our people, our families standing in the 110 degree heat waiting to welcome us. The three of us rode those final meters together, with our arms around each other’s shoulders, and gratitude in our hearts for what this project meant to each other and to others.
While rides like this are indeed inherently selfish (and we 100% acknowledge this), we also hoped to achieve some good with this project. Over the course of this ride we were able to raise over $10,000 dollars for the non-profit organization RetPositive to fund research and awareness for a rare form of lung cancer that has impacted a member of this team significantly. Cancer, in its many forms, has impacted the lives of so many. We will be forever grateful that we were able to take our selfish pursuit of riding our bikes across this beautiful state, and accomplish some good at the same time.
Conclusion
On behalf of the DIY Tour team, thank you to everyone who made this such a fun and special project. Thank you to everyone who donated. Thank you to DNA Cycling, who was on board from day 1 to make this project happen, and for bringing the vision for our kit to life. Thank you to the amazing brands who made sure we wanted for nothing and had everything we needed: KENDA Tires, Neversecond, Chamois Butt’r, Tannus, ALMSTHRE, and White Pine Athletics.
Final Stats: 670 miles – 36,256ft – 38 hours, 32 minutes – 23,200 calories burned
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