I am considering bringing my x-bike for my trip in the first of July. I want to ride from Draper to Park City via Guardsman Pass. How is the road over Guardsman's Pass for a 28c cyclo-cross tire? Is there another route option from Little Cottonwood Canyon? I could ride my mtb but I am trying to minimize the effort and time commitment. Thanks.

Still very much looking forward to Wasatch Crest ride on Thursday, July 8.

The road is no problem for a cross bike. In fact it is now paved most of the way. The pavement quality is marginal, but no difficulty for a x-bike. The connection to Guardsman's Pass Rd is via Big Cottonwood, not Little Cottonwood Canyon. I wasn't sure from your post whether you knew that or not. You are looking at a pretty long haul no matter how you go to get from Draper to Park City. It's probably 15-20 miles from Draper to Big Cottonwood. There is is a race up Big Cottonwood this Saturday. It is listed as 13 miles with 3,800 vertical from the mouth to Brighton ski resort. It is at least a couple of miles farther up to the pass where the road turns to dirt. It's all downhill from there. You could jump onto the Deer Valley singletrack part way if you want to. We've ridden cross bikes all over that area and the road conditions are the least of your concerns. I've cut sidewalls on some of the rocky singletrack and sworn off of the more gnarly ones now. Too expensive with tubulars!

Have fun.









I am considering bringing my x-bike for my trip in the first of July. I want to ride from Draper to Park City via Guardsman Pass. How is the road over Guardsman's Pass for a 28c cyclo-cross tire? Is there another route option from Little Cottonwood Canyon? I could ride my mtb but I am trying to minimize the effort and time commitment. Thanks.

Still very much looking forward to Wasatch Crest ride on Thursday, July 8.

That is what I was hoping to hear. I definitely enjoy a little more adventure on my rides.

I will be doing a full loop of the Wasatch Crest trail on Thursday, July 8. That will be a mtb ride. I think we are starting somewhere in the Skyline area.

The road is no problem for a cross bike. In fact it is now paved most of the way. The pavement quality is marginal, but no difficulty for a x-bike. The connection to Guardsman's Pass Rd is via Big Cottonwood, not Little Cottonwood Canyon. I wasn't sure from your post whether you knew that or not. You are looking at a pretty long haul no matter how you go to get from Draper to Park City. It's probably 15-20 miles from Draper to Big Cottonwood. There is is a race up Big Cottonwood this Saturday. It is listed as 13 miles with 3,800 vertical from the mouth to Brighton ski resort. It is at least a couple of miles farther up to the pass where the road turns to dirt. It's all downhill from there. You could jump onto the Deer Valley singletrack part way if you want to. We've ridden cross bikes all over that area and the road conditions are the least of your concerns. I've cut sidewalls on some of the rocky singletrack and sworn off of the more gnarly ones now. Too expensive with tubulars!

Have fun.
...although you do need to watch out for rocks on the connection road from Brighton into Park City. It is not a smooth graded road. But as whc said, the singletrack (and we have over 300 miles of trails in the Park City area) can do serious damage to cross tires due to the angular rocks. Heck, just bring your mtb and spend your time biking the single track here. Check out www.mountaintrails.org

Brooks