October 2nd-3rd 2020
Courses
I grew up in Wendover in the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s and first started riding some of these roads on my bicycle as a kid. Later, I bought a Honda Trail 90 and ventured even further into the Wendover desert, on endless Trail 90 adventures, falling in love with my town’s landscapes. I came back to Wendover to teach and continued exploring desert roads on my mountain bike. Nine years later I moved to Cache Valley, but I came back often with friends to ride mountain bikes on my favorite dirt roads. Many of these roads are perfect for gravel grinding so now I’m excited to share these same roads and Wendover’s scenic desert beauty with you through the Salty Lizard 100. There will be a 106-miler, 62-miler, and also a 42-miler for those wanting an introduction to riding gravel. The course will have wide-open vistas and long, endless dirt roads as they weave through the beautiful desert landscape.
I want to share an adventurous desert gravel grinding event for all levels and abilities. I want to show you Wendover’s splendid desert beauty, introduce you to Wendover’s rich history and geology, and to for you to get to know the wonderful folks that live out here.
I hope you can come join us and ride the inaugural Salt Lizard 100 in May!
Thanks,
John Hernandez
Prizes
A cash prize will be awarded to the top 3 overall Women and Men’s finishers.
First Place: $150 Second Place: $125 Third Place: $100
Podium spots will also be awarded to the first 3 finishers of each category.
Which Course is For Me?
There will be three options: 42 miles, 62 miles (100K) and 106 miles. All groups will start and finish at the same locations. The course will travel on short sections of pavement and dirt roads that are a mix of hard pack, loose gravel, sand and chucky rocky sections. This course only has 3600 feet of elevation gain for the 100- mile course. Most of the climbing is at the start and finish, including the 2-mile climb on the Silver Island pass for the 62- and 106-mile racers. Three aid stations (aid station # 3 will also be #4) and two more water stations, the first at 17.5 miles and second at 33 miles and later 80 miles.
Which Bike?
The roads and trails that we are going to ride will be fairly well-maintained gravel roads. Any bike that can handle at least 32mm tires (ideally tubeless) will do the trick. The bigger the tire width, the more comfortable you’ll be and the faster you’ll be through the Leppy Trails section, but the slower you’ll be on the other 90 miles (depending on which distance you’re riding). Whatever you’re riding, make sure that it’s comfortable over distance and at speed.
The Rickshaw
Looking for something different? The Rickshaw event is just for you! Our Rickshaw event will take place the night before the Salty Lizard 100, so there is no need to worry about missing the race. This event has no entry fee. Location and Distance to be determined. Build and race your own Rickshaw. Get creative, but be sure to follow the rules below.
Rules:
- Must Have 3 Wheels
- All 3 Wheels Must Be On The Ground
- 3-Foot Wheel Base
- 3 People On The Rickshaw At All Times
- Must Be In A Seat
- Must Be Pedal-Powered
Weather
Wendover’s elevation 4,252 ft. On May 16, the temperature in Wendover typically ranges from 52°F to 69°F and is rarely below 43°F or above 83°F. On average, there is a 15% chance that more than 0.04 inches of total precipitation will fall in Wendover throughout the day on May 16. Expect it to be dry, mild, and salty.
