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rebeccmeisterAs mentioned earlier, out of the twelve riders who rode all the way from Tempe to Tucson, six riders decided to embark on the return trip. It had taken us 7 hours and 28 minutes of riding time, plus another two and a half hours of breaks, to reach Tucson, for a full 10 hours outside (for the number-happy, we averaged 16.2 miles per hour and rode a total of 121.39 miles according to R's odometer). This is roughly the number of hours of daylight in Arizona right now, so we quickly realized we'd need a fairly early departure in the morning to make it back to Tempe before it got too dark and late. Thus, shortly before 7 am, Ryan made the rounds to the various tents to start rousing the rabble. Rebecca and I had had fun as tent buddies on our touring trip to Patagonia in December, so we decided to share a tent again for this trip. Woe to the fellow travelers who are not morning people, for when Rebecca and I woke up, a lengthy giggle-fest ensued. Fortunately, we were with a pretty cheerful group of compatriots, so no McGrumpy Pants tried to end our antics. We packed our things up and back into the car and then rolled out in search of some breakfast.
The same person who led us to good food the night before had an equally good idea for a breakfast spot, a cafe and marketplace that served good coffee and delicious pastries (for the record, things weren't whole wheat and were served in to-go cups, so I used my own mug instead). The moment I bit into my delicious, tender, flaky scone was about when I began plotting my move to Tucson in greater earnest. We lingered briefly after breakfast to apply sunscreen and buy various foods, so it was around 9:30 before we set out again to head back to Tempe. Since we followed the same route we came in on, I created a new map for myself that read "Go back the way you came," with an arrow pointing forwards.
The six of us who rode back rather quickly came together in a pace line--Day Two was not a day for as much socializing, as we had a good idea of what lay ahead of us and felt the need to be a bit more conservative with our energy. It's probably also safe to say that those who rode back were the strongest riders of the bunch and were ready for some serious business, so the pace line allowed us to maintain a faster speed. With our faster clip and the help of a strong tail wind, we ticked back along mile after mile of the previous day's route, and the first stop came up so quickly it surprised us.
Picacho, Take Two
By the time we stopped at Picacho and were preparing to set out again, we espied another cyclist headed along our same route at a brisk pace. The novelty of another rider inspired the two fastest members of our group to give chase, and after a quick discussion they took off. My morning latte left me feeling a bit energetic, so I tagged along for as long as I could hold on for the chase and then I gradually fell behind. N and D kept up the hunt until our sag wagon managed to catch up and chide them for abandoning the rest of the group, so after everyone else caught up we stayed together as one unit, taking turns pulling each other along.
Fixing a flat
Some Sweet Shades
The order of events through the middle of the day is difficult for me to keep straight, and most of what I remember is having to pee and the relief of getting to stop and do so. Beyond that, the stretch from Sacaton back to the outskirts of Chandler was probably one of my favorite parts of the ride: it was my turn to pull the line and I managed to get in a comfortable groove that felt like it could go on and on forever. The angle of the sun began to signal that it was late afternoon, the land was flat and wide and golden, and the road was smooth and comfortable. The only discomfort was my butt, which was beginning to resent the fact that it had been on a bike seat for so many hours for two days in a row, but it was really no worse than it felt after three and a half hours on an ergometer, so I could ignore it.
It was 5 pm by the time we returned to the McDonald's we had visited so early the previous day, and the sun was on the verge of setting. As we rode the remaining 20 miles back to the co-op, I was a bit euphoric from having traveled to Tucson and back by bicycle, and also a bit sad that our adventure was coming to an end. We decided along that stretch that the most fitting celebratory finish would be dinner and drinks at The Cornish Pasty Co., and we were right.
Hilarity at McDonald's
Somehow, this nicely summarizes how I felt by the end
Back in Tempe, with 240 miles under my belt and with a delicious dinner in my belly, it was time for bed. That was one of the most amazing weekends I have ever spent in my entire life, and I am grateful for every moment of it.
The same person who led us to good food the night before had an equally good idea for a breakfast spot, a cafe and marketplace that served good coffee and delicious pastries (for the record, things weren't whole wheat and were served in to-go cups, so I used my own mug instead). The moment I bit into my delicious, tender, flaky scone was about when I began plotting my move to Tucson in greater earnest. We lingered briefly after breakfast to apply sunscreen and buy various foods, so it was around 9:30 before we set out again to head back to Tempe. Since we followed the same route we came in on, I created a new map for myself that read "Go back the way you came," with an arrow pointing forwards.
The six of us who rode back rather quickly came together in a pace line--Day Two was not a day for as much socializing, as we had a good idea of what lay ahead of us and felt the need to be a bit more conservative with our energy. It's probably also safe to say that those who rode back were the strongest riders of the bunch and were ready for some serious business, so the pace line allowed us to maintain a faster speed. With our faster clip and the help of a strong tail wind, we ticked back along mile after mile of the previous day's route, and the first stop came up so quickly it surprised us.
By the time we stopped at Picacho and were preparing to set out again, we espied another cyclist headed along our same route at a brisk pace. The novelty of another rider inspired the two fastest members of our group to give chase, and after a quick discussion they took off. My morning latte left me feeling a bit energetic, so I tagged along for as long as I could hold on for the chase and then I gradually fell behind. N and D kept up the hunt until our sag wagon managed to catch up and chide them for abandoning the rest of the group, so after everyone else caught up we stayed together as one unit, taking turns pulling each other along.
The order of events through the middle of the day is difficult for me to keep straight, and most of what I remember is having to pee and the relief of getting to stop and do so. Beyond that, the stretch from Sacaton back to the outskirts of Chandler was probably one of my favorite parts of the ride: it was my turn to pull the line and I managed to get in a comfortable groove that felt like it could go on and on forever. The angle of the sun began to signal that it was late afternoon, the land was flat and wide and golden, and the road was smooth and comfortable. The only discomfort was my butt, which was beginning to resent the fact that it had been on a bike seat for so many hours for two days in a row, but it was really no worse than it felt after three and a half hours on an ergometer, so I could ignore it.
It was 5 pm by the time we returned to the McDonald's we had visited so early the previous day, and the sun was on the verge of setting. As we rode the remaining 20 miles back to the co-op, I was a bit euphoric from having traveled to Tucson and back by bicycle, and also a bit sad that our adventure was coming to an end. We decided along that stretch that the most fitting celebratory finish would be dinner and drinks at The Cornish Pasty Co., and we were right.
Back in Tempe, with 240 miles under my belt and with a delicious dinner in my belly, it was time for bed. That was one of the most amazing weekends I have ever spent in my entire life, and I am grateful for every moment of it.
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Date: 2008-01-22 01:57 am (UTC)It was amusing to see a picture of you at McDonald's. It seems like such a non-sequitur. (:
Am I correctly interpreting that your SAG people were in cars, rather than cycling with the rest of you? I guess I originally assumed that one or more of you would have bike trailers with your support equipment.
Congratulations once again! That's very impressive.
no subject
Date: 2008-01-22 02:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-22 03:02 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-22 05:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-01-22 08:18 pm (UTC)