Before I get on my bike, I always go through a standard checklist: Spandex? Yep, nice and tight. Water bottles? Ice cold. Power music? Cued up. Helmet, gloves, and other safety gear? Ready as always. After attending stage one of this year’s Tour of Utah, however, I realized I’ve been consistently leaving something off of my list: sunscreen.

Yellow Jersey winner Mancebo Perez Francisco

The 85-mile stage from Pineview Reservoir to the University of Utah’s Research Park was sponsored by University Health Care. While all of the riders had the latest cycling gear, including sub 14 lb bikes and Campagnolo Super Record components, two of the riders were wearing one additional piece of high-tech equipment: a UV dosimeter. As it turns out, two dermatology professors at the U, Chris Hull, M.D. and Mike Hadley, M.D. (both active cyclists),  were quantifying the amount of sun exposure received that day.

In my interview with them (which will soon be available on the U’s Facebook page and YouTube channel), they were less concerned with the number of rays soaked up during the six-day tour and more concerned with using the data to educate cyclists on the importance of lathering up with 45+. According to Dr. Hadley, everyone, especially cyclists, should apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going outside and every two hours thereafter.

I must admit, I often neglect using sunscreen when cycling. Since I don’t burn easily, I’ve always figured I’m doing little damage to my skin. But like Dr. Hadley and Dr. Hull pointed out, unlike other forms of physical activity (swimming, running, weightlifting, etc.), cycling usually involves prolonged exposure to the sun (2-6 hours) with little shade.

Both doctors were clearly practicing what they preach, Dr. Hadley was wearing sunscreen and Dr. Hull had on a large “cycling sombrero” that rivaled some of the vendor’s shade tents. Dr. Hull was anything but frail and nerdy though, with calves that had clearly logged tens of thousands of miles in the saddle.

Dr. Hadley and Dr. Hull

Having never been to an event like this before, it was cool to see some of the best cyclists in the world cross the finish line in the U’s Research Park (including, former Tour de France stage winner Dave Zabriskie). Equally cool was talking with two University professors who were world-class in their own right. I have to say, I’m going to be adding sunscreen to my cycling checklist.

NOTE: If you want to help fight sun cancer, you can contribute to “Miles for Melanoma,” a fund-raising effort associated with the Tour of Utah.

Cycling fans, do you recognize this guy?

I grew up in Holladay, Utah, not far from Creekside Park. One of the highlights of that park was its extensive disc golf course (Frisbee golf for you laymen).  If you ask me, disc golf doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves, so imagine my excitement when Rob Jones in Outdoor Recreation told me that OR had recently converted the former U of U golf course into an 18-hole disc golf Mecca.

When compared to traditional golf, disc golf clearly gets my vote. First, the entry cost is minimal  – a $10 disc (two or three if you want to go pro). There are no expensive green fees, and going shoeless is encouraged. I’m not a beer drinker, but I understand that a few six-packs while you play are par for the course. In disc golf, there are no dorky outfits. And best of all, if you completely shank it, you don’t have to worry about throwing your expensive driver in a rage. You just grab another disc out of the bag and throw it into the ether.

I haven’t played the U’s new course yet, but it is definitely on my list of things to do this summer. The sand pits that were part of the original course are kind of pointless, but who knows, maybe someone will come up with a creative use for those as well (sunbathing, sandcastles…). Rob sent me a link with an overview of the course if you want to check it out below.

What do you think about disc golf? Have you played the course? How does it compare to other courses around Salt Lake City?

Personally, I want to give props to OR for developing an alternative use for the golf course while the USTAR project is underway. While the mountains are only five minutes away, the open space on campus is quickly diminishing. The addition of a disc golf course is a hole in one in my book.

Tuesday was a bad day for bicycle commuting early this week.  Three cyclists were involved in accidents that morning. See the news report from local station KSL below.

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

The whole experience got me thinking about my bike commute to the U – it reinforced the importance of wearing a helmet and using bike lanes. My commute to the U from Davis County has several bike lanes from which to choose. If you are a struggling student making the trek to the U by bike, there is a great map of bike lanes to the U here.

A word of advice to those that bike to the U from Davis county on a regular basis: when riding home, use 11th avenue and go west though City Creek Canyon. Not only is the ride incredibly beautiful, but there is less traffic, only three stop signs, and a bike lane most of the route. I used to cruise downtown via south temple but found that the pm traffic congestion was quite dangerous. Believe it or not, I even got pulled over for speeding one day (although I avoided a ticket)

Cycling is a major form of transportation for many students out there – lets stay safe.