Photos from the Utah to Flagstaff AZ Trail trip of 2009.

Went on a brevet with Yuri. It was 200km (about 127 miles). The last 45 miles or so were spent in the rain descending on some wet roads. It was a good time.


Yuri has some photos over at Upsideout.

RBR Weekend

Two days were spent riding with some very fine folks. Some were local, some were wintering in the state, some visiting with their spouses and one just drove over from Sandy Eggo.

The first day, Friday, was spent up in Scottsdale. A group of nine, which finished as a group of eight, left John H's house at 9am for a sunny spin around the wealthy environs of Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. John decided the route would include Camelback Mountain. I've ridden some of it before, but not the insane 16%-18%(?) pitches that it possessed. I had to stop twice due to a loose cleat on my right shoe. Believe me, that it NOT a place one wants to stop and get started again. Not to mention the lowest gear I had was a 23t. That climb will definitely need to be revisited. After a regroup, we made our way back in a similar fashion back to John's for food and beverages.

On Saturday, we all met again up in Cave Creek at Barry's place. We were minus one from the previous day due to him being in the ER because of an infection that he never quite shook before he arrived in Phoenix, but we gained one as YuriB graced us with his presence. As a group, we all rolled along towards Seven Springs where the group strung out. Many other groups rides were in progress on the same roads, some small, some large, some teams and some individuals. After regrouping at the top of the longish climb out to the end of the pavement we all bombed down to the next meeting spot for continued climbing. This time instead of enjoying mellow climbs, these became short and steep. Very steep. These were fun but definitely took their toll on me (and maybe others). After a decision to head back for food, since we had to drive to Fountain Hills for the festivities, we all rode back in a loose group, some still hammering and some just cruising and chatting.

The BBQ at Jim's place was a great ending to the riding of the past two days. The beer and conversation flowed with the snacks replenishing our caloric deficit while the ribs were cooking on the grill.

AZ Trail -- Picketpost TH Out-n-Back

Yuri, Gordon and I agreed to check out some new singletrack cut for the Arizona Trail. Some was familiar, a lot of it was new and the last few miles were mostly hike-a-bike.

We intended to do some hiking once we reached the wilderness boundary but that didn't happen so much. As it was, we did some hiking anyway.

Casa Grande Ruins 200K Brevet

Just a few photos, fewer words. Yuri and I did this 125 mile ride on January 2nd, a good way to start the year and a good day on the bike. It was a bit challenging with just the route out to the Tohono O'odham Reservation; fairly straight, some rolling hills and of course, wind. We finished in about 8.5 hours. That included all of the nature breaks, checkpoints and food stops. I think more of these are in order.

Mornings...

Since summer has fully ensconced us in its grip of heat, humidity and long days, it's often necessary for us Phoenix riders to get out early to avoid the wilting temperatures. A four o'clock alarm isn't unheard of and allows one to put in a good 40-mile road loop or 20-mile dirt ride and to enjoy the lack of traffic. While still dark, it isn't long before the sun begins it upward arc and lights up the rocky hills around the Valley with saguaro cactus casting long shadows. The quail and dove are out in force, taking advantage of the cooler morning before they hunker down and seek shade. The desert hare drag races the rider along small stretches of road before beginning their zig-zag escape, often at danger to themselves.

The network of canals can provide a slightly cooler alternative to many of the major streets as well as the MUT's that lightly lace the valley. It's often on these canals, trails and paths that we see other riders on the same pre-work mission. We also encounter joggers, runners and dog walkers. As creatures of habit, we often see the same folks at the same time. Our courses and routes laid out, typically because we know how long they should take and how much time we have before our first meetings at work and many of us begin our work day, the fun put to rest until our next ride.