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[ThomasDark]

Hey all. My name is Tom and I hail from Salt Lake City, UT. I just finished a thrilling and very informative weekend at Streets of Willow Springs with the amazing CSS. I took Level 1 and 2 and can not wait to get back in 'school' for Level 3 and 4. I can honestly say that i'm 10X the rider I was before this school. I enjoy a couple track days a year and about 10K of street riding in my favorite canyons around my area, which are plentiful. I do my work on a 2002 Honda 954rr, which I fell in love with even more at CSS.

 

If anyone is ever in my area I am glad to recommend some rides that will peak your cornering interest as well as some less well known eateries around the valley.

 

...until we chat again keep the rubber side down and the throttle control precise!

 

 

 

td

[warregl]

Hey TD, welcome to the forum! Glad to hear you enjoyed your experience. The CSS crew really know's what they are doing and it's just amazing how much you learn.

 

Was that your first time on the track? Where are you planning to do 3 & 4? Miller in July?

 

Best,

Carey

[BLSJDS]

Hey Tom -

 

Welcome to the forum! There is a TON of great information here. I had an '03 954RR and loved that bike; sometimes I really miss it (on an '08 600RR now). Enjoy!

 

Dan

[ThomasDark]

It wasn't my first time on a track. I have done about 3 track days in my life, 2 on a CRB 1100XX and one on my 954. I was able to teach myself (albeit using the wrong technique) to put my knee slider down before CSS but it was very taxing on my muscle structure.

 

 

I would say this was the first time I felt genuinely comfortable in the corners on a track and with my body position and general bike control. I read ToTW which I can confidently say has saved my life in a couple of instances by way of the Survival Response discussions, and ToTW2 but the interactive discussion and learning really put it all together for me in a package that I could utilize. The key for me was working on one thing at a time.

 

 

Who knew I could ride a track, and have a blast, in only 4th gear using NO BRAKES! I never even considered trying that until CSS. I also feel empowered by the line diagnostic techniques I learned at CSS, now I just have to get better at my reference points so I don't pick them 20-30 feet away from where I end up wanting them.

[Cobie Fair]

Hey all. My name is Tom and I hail from Salt Lake City, UT. I just finished a thrilling and very informative weekend at Streets of Willow Springs with the amazing CSS. I took Level 1 and 2 and can not wait to get back in 'school' for Level 3 and 4. I can honestly say that i'm 10X the rider I was before this school. I enjoy a couple track days a year and about 10K of street riding in my favorite canyons around my area, which are plentiful. I do my work on a 2002 Honda 954rr, which I fell in love with even more at CSS.

 

If anyone is ever in my area I am glad to recommend some rides that will peak your cornering interest as well as some less well known eateries around the valley.

 

...until we chat again keep the rubber side down and the throttle control precise!

 

 

 

td

 

Welcome and glad the school went well.

 

Now for the critical info...what are the good eateries when we get back up to Salt Lake in July?

[ThomasDark]

Holy necropost batman! Sorry for the absence but life became all I could handle for a while there.

 

Cobie,

 

If you ever find yourself in Salt Lake City here's a list of GREAT places to eat, by meal type.

 

Breakfast:

 

Finn's Cafe - 1700 South 1100 East - This is a norwegian style breakfast spot and one of my faves. The owner is a racer in our regional Masters of the Mountains road racing series here in Utah and a definite moto lover. I actually didn't even eat here until after CSS last year where I met the owner in my Level 1/Level 2 classes. Since then it's had a meteoric rise on my favorites list. If you go try the Trout and Eggs. It may not sound like something tasty at 7:30am (when they open) but I assure you you'll be surprised.

 

The Park Cafe - 1300 South 600 East - This has been my go-to breakfast spot since college about a decade ago. Until Finn's came into the picture this was my no-brainer pick come Saturday morning. If you go I'd recommend the French Toast Foolishness... two eggs, two bacon or sausage pieces, breakfast potatoes, and a couple of slices of cinnimon-covered french toast to wrap it all up. If you're not quite as hungry try the Mini FTF, it's similar just short one slice of delightful FT. A word to the wise: If you don't want to plan on 30-60 minute wait to sit you should try to show up before about 8:30. It's totally worth the wait though.

 

Ruth's Diner - 4160 Emigration Canyon Rd Salt Lake City, UT 84108 - This is a classic diner style restaurant tucked into one of the many pretty canyons surrounding Salt Lake. Their patio leaves nothing to be desired when it comes to atmosphere. There's a creek running by and it's always shaded by the trees. The food is epic. I (and my wife) love their home made corn bread they serve as a complimentary appetizer. During the summer they usually have ample seating. They do open a little late, 8:00am, but that just makes it easy to beat the rush because most of their patrons are... advanced in age... and show up around 8:30-9:00

 

Eggs In the City - 1300 South 1700 East - This is a hipster hangout yet the food is great. They're usually busy by about 9:00 but the wait is usually never longer than 20 minutes. It's tucked in the Sugarhouse neighborhood so some people are thrown off by it's surrounding neighborhood and don't ever find it. My advice, FIND IT! I love their breakfast burrito smothered in Chili Verde (the pork kind, not the green kind).

 

LUNCH/DINNER

 

The Soup Kitchen - Many locations - Their soups and salads are something I'd write home about. Be sure to grab ample amounts of their breadsticks to dip in their soup. The cheese ones are my fave.

 

Pat's Bar-b-que - 155 W Commonwealth Ave Salt Lake City, UT 84115 - This is THE BEST BBQ IN SALT LAKE, possibly the western US. They've been featured on Diners Drive-In's and Dives and it's totally legit. When you're driving there it may seem like you're headed for a part of town where you'll wish you had brought your glock but it just looks that way, trust me it's fine. This spot smokes their own meat (haha) weekly and if you're lucky or savvy enough to show up on friday ask for the "burnt ends". They're the end of the smoked briskets where the fat meets the sirloin and are a thing of flavor beauty. They also usually have some sort of live music to set the mood, which I like.

 

Tres Hombres - 3298 Highland Dr, Salt Lake City, UT - This is one of my favorite Mexican food spots in the valley. When I'm inside the building it reminds me of trips to Mazatlan in college. The food is good and the service is good. Portions tend to be on the larger side so go hungry.

 

The Red Iguana - 736 West North Temple - This is probably the flag-ship local Mexican food spot in Salt Lake. They have great food but their main location is typically very very busy. It's a local secret that just around the corner there's a second restaurant called The Red Iguana 2. It's address is 866 West South Temple. You'll know you're in the right spot if parking is difficult and there are train tracks across the street from the restaurant. The neighborhood doesn't tend to be great so make sure to drive the hoopty and take valuables inside but the food is just amazing. They've definitely got the flare for bright colors in their decor that will remind you of our continental neighbor to the south.

 

 

I think that's about it for now... I'll probably ad to the list as I remember my spots but that's a good start. I see from your schedule that you'll be out in the land of Zion in July. We'll have to try to meet up at some of these spots for dinner. As for me I just signed up with my brother and father to come see y'all at Willow Springs in early June. I actually was reading over my Level 1 and Level 2 booklets yesterday before one of my 30 minute trips up our windy canyons (Big Cottonwood Canyon yesterday... look it up and bring your bike when you come.) I'm looking forward to coming out this spring at finishing up Level 3 & 4.

 

Keep the rubber side down.

 

tom

[csmith12]

Welcome Tom!