Cycling in Cache Valley: A fan's guide to the best rides

By Paul W. Larson

December 13, 2007 | If you're into scenery and exercise but aren't ready to tackle the mountains, these routes may be for you.

The Benson Belt

If your idea of preparing for a bike ride is turning off the television and getting off the couch, then try peddling around beautiful downtown Benson.

This bike route is for more for the jeans set than the Spandex set when it comes to cyclists. The route begins at Darrell's Appliances in the heart of Benson. The trial is a flat ride along the highway circling a small reservoir and handful of dairy farms. The strength of this ride is not in the ease of the route or the lack of vehicles on the road, but in its beauty. The path is lined with farmhouses that are graying right along with the people who call them home. Also along the road are pastures with cattle grazing and the occasional Chevy rusting. The only noise on the trial aside from the occasional moo is the sound of bicycle gears humming and the breathing of the rider. It is a perfect place to think about nothing and everything.

This is the kind of ride that speaks of what there is to love about cycling. It is not a technical ride requiring the use of 20 of the 21 gears available, but a ride that reminds the peddler of the freedom of traveling under your own effort. Each mile rolls by bringing postcard images and strengthens the resolve to get off the couch and get on a bike. The Benson Belt is great ride to start exploring Cache Valley.

The Lewiston Loop

Lewiston is a great town to roll up the right leg of your Levis and ride a bike. The Lewiston Loop starts at the abandoned You-R-Here diner and travels west along the highway. The first and only stop along the route is at Theurer's Market to buy a snack for the road. If the Spandex you are wearing matches your bike, buy a power bar. If you are wearing Levis, buy a stick of beef jerky and a soda that will fit in your water bottle cage. Now that you are properly fueled, you will be able to enjoy screaming past the fields and farmhouses along the loop. This is a fast little ride on a bumpy road.

There is no time to stop and smell roses on this trial. The goal is to make it back to the old diner before your soda warms up or loses its fizz. The ride is akin to stage 11 of the Tour de France -- it is short, flat and made for sprinters. As you jet along the route do not be distracted by the blur of fields and miss turning south at the Sinclair station. Follow this road till it comes to a T and then turn east. This part of the trial is a good time to reach down and check the temperature of your soda. If it is still cold pedal even faster, but if it is warm drink it, because if it's warm at the half way point, it will be boiling at the finish line. After testing your soda's temperature take the second right turn heading north and make your way back to the start. After making it back to the diner you can imagine being given a yellow jersey or you can take a victory lap back to Theurer's and buy a cookie.

The Mendon Mile

Cowboys seemed to like ending adventures by riding into the sunset; The Mendon Mile starts by pedaling into one.

When the sun starts to set behind the Wellsville Mountains and the sky catches fire, it is time to throw a leg over a bike and ride. The Mendon Mile is a great way to end a day or to start an evening. The route is along the main drag in Mendon. It starts at the Post Office and meanders about in whatever direction the bike is pointed.

Mendon is a slower place where the pace of life is a little more relaxed. This is evident in the stop sign by the church house. There the sign is planted in the middle of a turning lane. In a busier town, the sign would be mowed over and moved aside. In Mendon it stands as a monument to unhurriedness.

Cruising around at sunset is the perfect reward for a hard day's work. The sun light is breaking over the mountain and the worries of the day are being lost with every pedal. The streets of Mendon give the rider a chance to slow down and converse with their thoughts. It is clear after riding The Mendon Mile why cowboys ride off into the sunset. The sunset is a good place to recharge for the next adventure.

Paradise Pedal

Paradise is in the south end of Cache Valley, but it can only be experience while riding a bike.

Cycling through Paradise is similar to riding through other parts of the Valley, with one exception. Paradise is owned by a dog. The ride started at The Cracker Barrel and ended after the town's owner gave up. The first half of the trail is beautiful and the second half is a blur.

At the start the road was smooth and the scenery consisted of old farm houses and new mansions. The road curved back and forth through the countryside showcasing the landscape. The ride was pleasant and provided time to ponder and meditate. That changed after passing a white barn.

The chase was on, out of the barn came running a most determined dog. All pondering and peaceful contemplation ended. The ride had moved from exercise to survival. The dog was angry and awfully close. For two minutes, an eternity, the dog was threatening to bite the back tire. Finally the pedaling paid off and the dog ended the chase. Or so was thought, in order to get back to The Cracker Barrel and to safety, the white barn and the dog would have to be passed again.

Round 2 with the dog was much the same as the first. Paradise was a nice ride and an even better race.

Smithfield Circle

To ride a bike in Smithfield is to cycle through the fittest town in Utah. The streets of this town are nearly as busy as Logan's. To avoid the traffic and the cycling dangers that comes along with it. The Smithfield Circle starts at the high school parking lot and wraps its way up around the golf course and back. The best time to attempt this ride is around two or three in the afternoon.

The loop offers the rider a chance to take on some hills. They are not the steepest hills in the Valley, but they will definitely force a sweat. The route travels mostly through neighborhoods, so the scenery is classic suburbia. When cycling through the neighborhoods watch out for cars, not just on the road but backing out of driveways. Always ride on the street and in plain view.

After the ride is finished you can say you conquered the fittest city in Utah. That way you won't feel so bad when you stop at Wendy's on the way home for an early dinner.

MS
MS