Wendover, UT: Bonneville Salt Flats

Wendover, UT: Bonneville Salt Flats

Tired of climbing? This ride is so flat you could break a land speed record. All you need is a tailwind...and maybe a motor.

Author:	MtnBkr
Date:	29 Oct 2007 12:15:06 PM
Activity:	Mountain Biking ActivitySearchMountainBiking
State:	Utah (UT)
Distance:	12.49 mi (Change units)
Calories:	650
Average Speed:	9.2 mph 0:06:32/mi
Duration:	Total: 1:21:47 Active: 1:21:46 Unaccounted: 0:00:00
Elevation:	No Elevation Data
Difficulty:	1 / 10
Tags:	Wendover, Salt Lake City, Utah
Rating:	Unrated Rate it

You can't get any flatter than the Bonneville Salt Flats International Speedway. In late October, the temperature is a very comfortable 50ºF, with no wind and no clouds. The salt looks just exactly like snow, and is firm enough that neither bikes nor trucks leave tracks.

The racetrack itself is exceedingly smooth: the traction is better than snow, but not as good as asphalt. There may be significant drag due to moisture in the salt. A skinny tire bike wouldn't have any trouble riding on the prepared racetrack, but getting any real speed going would be a whole other kind of challenge.

Position Format:	Datum:

Tracks

Dist: 12.49 mi	Points: 320	Calories: 650
Time: 1:21:47	Speed: 9.2 mph	Pace: 6:32 / mi

Points of Interest

Flat Open Space

Location: 40.777422°, -113.849430°

Salt

Location: 40.795228°, -113.846855°
The salt is dry in the middle of summer when speed week is scheduled. In late October there was a very shallow layer of water in some places. Even where water was not visible, the salt was moist enough that anything laid on it would get wet.