Arizona Spring Training/TdNealSpringBreak
#26
No one cares
I lost my toothbrush on day 1. Apparently I forgot my comb. My face is more vintage than the bike I was riding, by far.
__________________
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
Last edited by -holiday76; 03-05-20 at 01:04 PM.
#27
No one cares
__________________
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
Likes For -holiday76:
#28
No one cares
__________________
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
#29
No one cares
i was REALLY glad that sign was there. I wanted in so I kept trying to open it to get inside. Over and over again. Then i read the sign and it turns out it was blocked? Who knew.
Thankfully the front to the restaurant was marked "NOT BLOCKED", so we were able to leave without issue.
Thankfully the front to the restaurant was marked "NOT BLOCKED", so we were able to leave without issue.
__________________
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
#30
No one cares
They said the bugs were bad in Arizona. I didnt believe them. I still don't. I mean, in NYC where i work the rats eat large slices of pizza.
In any event, this one was still pretty big.
In any event, this one was still pretty big.
__________________
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
#31
No one cares
If you look hard enough at this pic you can actually see Trump, shovel in hand, building the wall. Did you know that he is also responsible for the longest black history month to occur in 4 years? True story.
__________________
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
Likes For -holiday76:
#32
No one cares
Do you see that lone cloud over there? That was either:
- smoke from my bicycles hubs almost imploding under my fat ass
- Gugie's Flatulence.
Not sure which.
- smoke from my bicycles hubs almost imploding under my fat ass
- Gugie's Flatulence.
Not sure which.
__________________
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
I prefer emails to private messages - holiday76@gmail.com
Jack Taylor Super Tourer Tandem (FOR SALE), Jack Taylor Tour of Britain, Px-10, Carlton Flyer, Fuji The Finest, Salsa Fargo, Santa Cruz Tallboy, Carver All-Road .
#34
Bike Butcher of Portland
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,639
Bikes: It's complicated.
Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4669 Post(s)
Liked 5,768 Times
in
2,272 Posts
Ellen : What are you looking at...
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#35
Bike Butcher of Portland
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,639
Bikes: It's complicated.
Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4669 Post(s)
Liked 5,768 Times
in
2,272 Posts
On the other hand, I was clearly not following the "don't wear flip flops when you're draining the RV" rule.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#36
Bike Butcher of Portland
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,639
Bikes: It's complicated.
Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4669 Post(s)
Liked 5,768 Times
in
2,272 Posts
Your breath, my gas, good times in the RV
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#37
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,127
Mentioned: 480 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3788 Post(s)
Liked 6,573 Times
in
2,580 Posts
In that pic, I was the learner and gugie the teacher. Had to fly solo a couple of days later and was well prepared.
#38
Partially Sane.
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Sunny Sacramento.
Posts: 3,562
Bikes: Soma Saga, pre-disc
Mentioned: 22 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 972 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 643 Times
in
468 Posts
Good stuff, all around. 👍 I haven’t watched “Vacation” in awhile, now I need to look it up again. 😁 I notice you wisely waited until I left Arizona to come down. They couldn’t handle too many psychos at once, lol. 🤪😁😉 I’m still close to Mexico, in El Centro, California. Nice riding in the Southwest, for sure. 😎
#39
Senior Member
As you can tell there was a lot more than bike riding going on during this trip. I learned an RV is kind of like having a child; you have to feed it (water and gas), clean it’s poop, find a place for it to sleep every night. The bikes were much lower maintenance. Some more of my pics:
Neal (I think) climbing Mt Lemmon
Not the top of Mt Lemmon, but near our turnaround point. We coulda gone all the way, but ran out of daylight!
Climb to Gates Pass outside Tucson
We paid as much attention to food and beer as we did to riding
We could always count on Gugie to be the sweeper on the hills. No man left behind!
Neal (I think) climbing Mt Lemmon
Not the top of Mt Lemmon, but near our turnaround point. We coulda gone all the way, but ran out of daylight!
Climb to Gates Pass outside Tucson
We paid as much attention to food and beer as we did to riding
We could always count on Gugie to be the sweeper on the hills. No man left behind!
__________________
N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
N = '96 Colnago C40, '04 Wilier Alpe D'Huez, '10 Colnago EPS, '85 Merckx Pro, '89 Merckx Century, '86 Tommasini Professional, '04 Teschner Aero FX Pro, '05 Alan Carbon Cross, '86 De Rosa Professional, '82 Colnago Super, '95 Gios Compact Pro, '95 Carrera Zeus, '84 Basso Gap, ‘89 Cinelli Supercorsa, ‘83 Bianchi Specialissima, ‘VO Randonneur, Ritchey Breakaway Steel, '84 Paletti Super Prestige, Heron Randonneur
Likes For Spaghetti Legs:
#40
Bike Butcher of Portland
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,639
Bikes: It's complicated.
Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4669 Post(s)
Liked 5,768 Times
in
2,272 Posts
#41
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 17,127
Mentioned: 480 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3788 Post(s)
Liked 6,573 Times
in
2,580 Posts
When climbing those long, steep hills, I found sustenance in thoughts of beer and food.
#42
Not lost wanderer.
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Lititz, Pa
Posts: 3,359
Bikes: In USA; 73 Raleigh Super Course dingle speed, 72 Raleigh Gran Sport SS, 72 Geoffry Butler, 81 Centurion Pro-Tour, 74 Gugie Grandier Sportier
Mentioned: 72 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 885 Post(s)
Liked 979 Times
in
514 Posts
Looks like it was a lot of great riding and good food.
#43
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: North Bend, Washington State
Posts: 2,938
Bikes: 1937 Hobbs; 1977 Bruce Gordon; 1987 Bill Holland; 1988 Schwinn Paramount (Fixed gear); 1999 Fat City Yo Eddy (MTB); 2018 Woodrup (Touring) 2016 Ritchey breakaway
Mentioned: 291 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 551 Post(s)
Liked 3,771 Times
in
664 Posts
Finally back from a 4900 mile road trip from the @nlerner Spring Training rides in the Arizona desert so now it’s time to contribute to this thread a little late to the party.
Stopped and picked up @gugie Moto-Bacon as I made my way south through Portland. I made a detour to see a winter view of Crater Lake before stopping for the 1st night in Klamath Falls Oregon.
Side trip to Crater Lake. by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Another long day of driving had me overnighting at a hostel in Bishop, California. Long drives like these are not bad when you get to drive through the Eastern Sierra on highway 395:
Eastern Sierra by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Those 2 long days set me up to enjoy 2 days camping at Furnace Creek in Death Valley.
Made in the shade by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
With daytime temperatures reaching into the 80’s and mid 50’s at night it felt like summer. It was late afternoon before I got the bike unpacked and ready to ride. I rode one of my all time favorite roads as the sun was low in the sky: Artists Drive is a 6 mile one way loop through an amazing landscape. The road is almost like a ride at Disneyland it is so entertaining. After turning off the main road onto the Drive, the moderately stiff climb up to the Valley wall make you put in an honest effort as you gaze out at the colorful rock formations.
Artist Drive Loop by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Once the wall is reached it levels out you are treated to this roller coaster whoop-de-doo ride as the
A playful line in the sandstone hillside by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The pavement is perfectly clean and smooth, inspiring confidence. The setting sun accentuates the rock colors and producing deep shadows as the road goes through several narrow washes. One moment you’re in intense light then as a curve comes up, deep shadows creating moments of uncertainty as my eyes adjust to the change.
Descents in narrow sandstone canyons, intense shadows add to the excitement. by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Out of the shadows I climb and I’m back in the sun again
Punchy little climbs with these views in your face by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The loop ends with a long fast downhill to the valley floor and the short 9 mile ride back to the campground. The sun has set behind the Panamint mountains by the time I got back to camp and the Valley is in shadows.
Stopped and picked up @gugie Moto-Bacon as I made my way south through Portland. I made a detour to see a winter view of Crater Lake before stopping for the 1st night in Klamath Falls Oregon.
Side trip to Crater Lake. by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Another long day of driving had me overnighting at a hostel in Bishop, California. Long drives like these are not bad when you get to drive through the Eastern Sierra on highway 395:
Eastern Sierra by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Those 2 long days set me up to enjoy 2 days camping at Furnace Creek in Death Valley.
Made in the shade by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
With daytime temperatures reaching into the 80’s and mid 50’s at night it felt like summer. It was late afternoon before I got the bike unpacked and ready to ride. I rode one of my all time favorite roads as the sun was low in the sky: Artists Drive is a 6 mile one way loop through an amazing landscape. The road is almost like a ride at Disneyland it is so entertaining. After turning off the main road onto the Drive, the moderately stiff climb up to the Valley wall make you put in an honest effort as you gaze out at the colorful rock formations.
Artist Drive Loop by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Once the wall is reached it levels out you are treated to this roller coaster whoop-de-doo ride as the
A playful line in the sandstone hillside by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The pavement is perfectly clean and smooth, inspiring confidence. The setting sun accentuates the rock colors and producing deep shadows as the road goes through several narrow washes. One moment you’re in intense light then as a curve comes up, deep shadows creating moments of uncertainty as my eyes adjust to the change.
Descents in narrow sandstone canyons, intense shadows add to the excitement. by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Out of the shadows I climb and I’m back in the sun again
Punchy little climbs with these views in your face by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The loop ends with a long fast downhill to the valley floor and the short 9 mile ride back to the campground. The sun has set behind the Panamint mountains by the time I got back to camp and the Valley is in shadows.
Last edited by northbend; 03-13-20 at 11:08 AM.
Likes For northbend:
#44
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: North Bend, Washington State
Posts: 2,938
Bikes: 1937 Hobbs; 1977 Bruce Gordon; 1987 Bill Holland; 1988 Schwinn Paramount (Fixed gear); 1999 Fat City Yo Eddy (MTB); 2018 Woodrup (Touring) 2016 Ritchey breakaway
Mentioned: 291 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 551 Post(s)
Liked 3,771 Times
in
664 Posts
One of the best things about Death Valley are the clear and very dark night skies. A star gazers dream.
I woke up in the middle of the night to a light show. The moon was a thin crescent, the Milky Way stretched across sky. I got up and walked around just tasking it all in, the sound of Coyotes cackling in the distance
I hadn’t spent much time on the bike this winter, opting to ski instead. I was a little concerned how I would feel doing the long sustained climb down in Tucson on Mount Lemmon later in the week. I had swapped out the 12-26 cassette on my Holland for a 13-29 just before I left home. I needed to field test it and my legs and lungs. The 5400 ft climb up to Dantes View the next morning answered that question. It is roughly the same amount of elevation gain and distance as Lemmon. The climb stiffens as you get near the end: 14% the last quarter mile have you pulling the bars for all I'm worth. The views from the top are amazing, looking down at salt flats of Badwater Basin, 250 ft below sea level below you.
Dantes Overlook by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The road is in much better shape since the last time I’d visited here a couple of years ago - no jarring expansion joints this time.
Heading back down to Furnace Creek by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Soon I was passing by Zabriske Point so I decided to stop and check it out:
Death Valley Backdrop by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Zabriskie Point view of Manly Beacon by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
2020-02-26_07-38-07 by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The next morning I left Death Valley and drive to Phoenix to pick up Mark (@gugie) from the Airport to begin the TD Neil Spring Break tour..
I woke up in the middle of the night to a light show. The moon was a thin crescent, the Milky Way stretched across sky. I got up and walked around just tasking it all in, the sound of Coyotes cackling in the distance
I hadn’t spent much time on the bike this winter, opting to ski instead. I was a little concerned how I would feel doing the long sustained climb down in Tucson on Mount Lemmon later in the week. I had swapped out the 12-26 cassette on my Holland for a 13-29 just before I left home. I needed to field test it and my legs and lungs. The 5400 ft climb up to Dantes View the next morning answered that question. It is roughly the same amount of elevation gain and distance as Lemmon. The climb stiffens as you get near the end: 14% the last quarter mile have you pulling the bars for all I'm worth. The views from the top are amazing, looking down at salt flats of Badwater Basin, 250 ft below sea level below you.
Dantes Overlook by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The road is in much better shape since the last time I’d visited here a couple of years ago - no jarring expansion joints this time.
Heading back down to Furnace Creek by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Soon I was passing by Zabriske Point so I decided to stop and check it out:
Death Valley Backdrop by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Zabriskie Point view of Manly Beacon by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
2020-02-26_07-38-07 by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The next morning I left Death Valley and drive to Phoenix to pick up Mark (@gugie) from the Airport to begin the TD Neil Spring Break tour..
Last edited by northbend; 03-13-20 at 11:53 AM.
#45
Bike Butcher of Portland
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,639
Bikes: It's complicated.
Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4669 Post(s)
Liked 5,768 Times
in
2,272 Posts
Great pics, Matt! You can tell that Death Valley is the backdrop for all sorts of movies. The topography there is pretty unique and unusual.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
#46
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: North Bend, Washington State
Posts: 2,938
Bikes: 1937 Hobbs; 1977 Bruce Gordon; 1987 Bill Holland; 1988 Schwinn Paramount (Fixed gear); 1999 Fat City Yo Eddy (MTB); 2018 Woodrup (Touring) 2016 Ritchey breakaway
Mentioned: 291 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 551 Post(s)
Liked 3,771 Times
in
664 Posts
After several drives to the airport to pick up arrivals, we had everyone together and spent the first night at an RV resort out side of Mesa. Bikes were assembled, beer was consumed and we settled in for the night. We got a late start the next morning driving down to Tucson to meet up with @Soup_Please (Scott) in a Safeway parking lot near the Catalina Highway. I met Scott at Eroica a few years back and immediately liked him. Super nice guy and a great athletic rider. He was on the mend after a bout with the flu a few weeks before, he was chomping at the bit to get out riding again.
Introductions were made and we set out to climb up Mount Lemmon. It was getting kind of late in the day to have any reasonable hope of getting everyone to the top so we decided to climb at paces we were comfortable with and set 4pm as the time we’d turn back in order to be back at the RV while it was still daylight. For most everyone, this was their 1st time this year to be on a big climb.
Neil and Gugie man by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
We regrouped at a Viewpoint overlooking Tucson and decided that was our turn around point.
Mt Lemmon crew by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The descent off of Lemmon is really fun. @Spaghetti Legs (Hugh) and I raced down with a super fit woman we had met at the view point, swapping leads in our formation all the way down. It’s a wonderful thing to descend with riders you can trust. We met up with @-holiday76 (Brian) back in town at a brew pub near our RV. The others soon joined us and after finishing up our beers we packed up and drive to our campsite in Tucson Mountain Park on the South West side of town. It was completely dark by the time Mark had skillfully parked the RV and we set up camp. Now in search of food, we took to google to find something close by. We packed into my car and drove down to a place called Tiny’s. Situated on the outskirts of town, there’s a large number of trucks and vehicles parked out front in a large dirt parking lot. Opening the front door to this small place a hostess greets us and says it will be a few minutes before they can seat us.
It was weird, it was quiet and sort of dark, there were only a few tables there and a smattering of other folks, no one eating or drinking. After a few minutes she calls us and she opens a door that must have obviously been soundproofed. Was it a speakeasy at some point in the past? Country music and a loud crowd blast us as we enter this long skinny room. It was so loud I had trouble hearing any conversations except from the Latino Karaoke guy spinning the music. One of the Bar tenders was pouring drinks with one hand and singing into the microphone with the other while we were waiting for our drinks. Surrounded by cowboys, latinos and redneck bikers. Everyone was having a real good time. Burgers, wings, and nachos were pretty much all that was available on the menu
I don’t think anyone of us recognized any of the songs that were sung that night. It was so bizarre. I caught a brief video of it to share with you guys:
Tinys by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
A belly full of greasy food and beer, sleep that night was not so great.
In the morning we got around and headed up to Gates Pass to meet Scott over at the Mercado San Augustin for Brunch on the other side of the mountain in Tucson.
https://mercadodistrict.com/mercado/
The desert in this area is rather lush and the road leading up to the pass is quite beautiful in it’s own way. There’s a few rollers when we first set out and it’s easy to get suckered into riding them fast but you don’t because the road ahead begins to climb steeply, ratcheting up even more just before the summit.
Gates Pass by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Gates Pass viewpoint by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
This is what Neil was looking for back in January when he first said he needed a break from the Boston weather and proposed a tour.
Neil by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
We wait at the viewpoint for everyone to regroup and get pictures.
Spring Break Crew by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The descent on the other side of the pass is a bit rough. Brian has the biggest tires of the group and is way off the front. Me, I took it safe, feathering the brakes and looking to avoid any hard hits on my 28mm tires. Soon, we are at the Mercado eating some great food on the patio with Scott.
Brunch stop at the Mercado by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Scott was riding a stunning MAP randonnuer and it was a treat for the eyes to view.
Scotts beautiful bike by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Introductions were made and we set out to climb up Mount Lemmon. It was getting kind of late in the day to have any reasonable hope of getting everyone to the top so we decided to climb at paces we were comfortable with and set 4pm as the time we’d turn back in order to be back at the RV while it was still daylight. For most everyone, this was their 1st time this year to be on a big climb.
Neil and Gugie man by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
We regrouped at a Viewpoint overlooking Tucson and decided that was our turn around point.
Mt Lemmon crew by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The descent off of Lemmon is really fun. @Spaghetti Legs (Hugh) and I raced down with a super fit woman we had met at the view point, swapping leads in our formation all the way down. It’s a wonderful thing to descend with riders you can trust. We met up with @-holiday76 (Brian) back in town at a brew pub near our RV. The others soon joined us and after finishing up our beers we packed up and drive to our campsite in Tucson Mountain Park on the South West side of town. It was completely dark by the time Mark had skillfully parked the RV and we set up camp. Now in search of food, we took to google to find something close by. We packed into my car and drove down to a place called Tiny’s. Situated on the outskirts of town, there’s a large number of trucks and vehicles parked out front in a large dirt parking lot. Opening the front door to this small place a hostess greets us and says it will be a few minutes before they can seat us.
It was weird, it was quiet and sort of dark, there were only a few tables there and a smattering of other folks, no one eating or drinking. After a few minutes she calls us and she opens a door that must have obviously been soundproofed. Was it a speakeasy at some point in the past? Country music and a loud crowd blast us as we enter this long skinny room. It was so loud I had trouble hearing any conversations except from the Latino Karaoke guy spinning the music. One of the Bar tenders was pouring drinks with one hand and singing into the microphone with the other while we were waiting for our drinks. Surrounded by cowboys, latinos and redneck bikers. Everyone was having a real good time. Burgers, wings, and nachos were pretty much all that was available on the menu
I don’t think anyone of us recognized any of the songs that were sung that night. It was so bizarre. I caught a brief video of it to share with you guys:
Tinys by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
A belly full of greasy food and beer, sleep that night was not so great.
In the morning we got around and headed up to Gates Pass to meet Scott over at the Mercado San Augustin for Brunch on the other side of the mountain in Tucson.
https://mercadodistrict.com/mercado/
The desert in this area is rather lush and the road leading up to the pass is quite beautiful in it’s own way. There’s a few rollers when we first set out and it’s easy to get suckered into riding them fast but you don’t because the road ahead begins to climb steeply, ratcheting up even more just before the summit.
Gates Pass by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Gates Pass viewpoint by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
This is what Neil was looking for back in January when he first said he needed a break from the Boston weather and proposed a tour.
Neil by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
We wait at the viewpoint for everyone to regroup and get pictures.
Spring Break Crew by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The descent on the other side of the pass is a bit rough. Brian has the biggest tires of the group and is way off the front. Me, I took it safe, feathering the brakes and looking to avoid any hard hits on my 28mm tires. Soon, we are at the Mercado eating some great food on the patio with Scott.
Brunch stop at the Mercado by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Scott was riding a stunning MAP randonnuer and it was a treat for the eyes to view.
Scotts beautiful bike by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
#47
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: North Bend, Washington State
Posts: 2,938
Bikes: 1937 Hobbs; 1977 Bruce Gordon; 1987 Bill Holland; 1988 Schwinn Paramount (Fixed gear); 1999 Fat City Yo Eddy (MTB); 2018 Woodrup (Touring) 2016 Ritchey breakaway
Mentioned: 291 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 551 Post(s)
Liked 3,771 Times
in
664 Posts
After eating, Scott lead us on a nice route over to McKinney Road which we would follow to get back to camp, he’d ride back home from where we split off.
Scott's a happy boy by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Gugie steamrolling along by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Hugh's nose hairs by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Well hello Neil by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
McKinney road is a lot of fun with light traffic, rollers..
Smiley by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
We stop at a tourist destination called “Old Tucson” . It was created originally as a movie set.
Brian by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Shady Characters by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Brian led us back to the campground
Back to the campground by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Scott's a happy boy by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Gugie steamrolling along by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Hugh's nose hairs by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Well hello Neil by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
McKinney road is a lot of fun with light traffic, rollers..
Smiley by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
We stop at a tourist destination called “Old Tucson” . It was created originally as a movie set.
Brian by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Shady Characters by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Brian led us back to the campground
Back to the campground by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
#48
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: North Bend, Washington State
Posts: 2,938
Bikes: 1937 Hobbs; 1977 Bruce Gordon; 1987 Bill Holland; 1988 Schwinn Paramount (Fixed gear); 1999 Fat City Yo Eddy (MTB); 2018 Woodrup (Touring) 2016 Ritchey breakaway
Mentioned: 291 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 551 Post(s)
Liked 3,771 Times
in
664 Posts
The next morning we drove farther south in the RV to camp over night in Sierra Vista. Our ride for the day was in Coronado National Memorial. A short but very entertaining ‘Cino” type ride. We are only a few miles from the Mexican Border. Brian decides to hike for the day. Scott meets us at the visitors center and we set out for Montezuma Pass.
Coronado National Memorial by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The pavement ends and things start to get interesting
The fun starts here by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The dirt road is at about a 10% incline and you have to negotiate washboard as an added challenge. Looking back over my shoulder you can see Neil below me on the climb. Look closely in the distance and you can see the “Border Wall”..
Neil on the climb up to Montezuma Pass by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Our group photo from the pass
Montezuma Pass by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The descent off the pass is taken slowly for most. Scott taking the lead off the front. Brian is not back from his hike yet when we get back to the Visitors center so we ride out of the Memorial to the highway. You really get a sense for how much climbing you do as you rip down the strait road leaving Coronado. The acceleration is fast but a strong side wind is blowing out of the south making our wheels feel squirrelly like they have a slow leak. A touch of the breaks, looking down all is good and back up to speed we go. We turn around at the highway and backtrack into the wind back to our cars. The wind and the incline assures that we’ll be happy to call it quits even though the actual milage for the day is short.
Climb into the wind by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Time now to drive to Bisbee to visit the legendary Bisbee Bicycle Brothel.
It is a special place, owned by vintage bike collector Ken Wallace. The place is packed to the gills with rare beautiful bikes and memorabilia. Ken is happy to have us visit and is a great story teller. Ask about anything in his collection and he has a story to tell about it.
Ken holds court in Bisbee by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Small details at the Brothel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Ken opens up his liquor cabinet and offers us some shots while he entertains us with more stories.
Sippin' whiskey and Tequila at the Brothel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
We wait outside for Gugie to finish up his souvenir shopping. It’s time to get some supper.
You won't forget a visit to the Brothel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
That pretty much sums up the riding we did. None of the rides were all that long but they ride bigger than the numbers show.
Thank you Scott for showing us around, it was great to see you again. I hope to be riding with you again so we can complete that loop we talked about on Montezuma Pass.
Scott on Montezuma Pass by Matthew Pendergast, on FlickrWe dropped Mark off at the Airport the next day ands the rest of us went to a baseball game in Scottsdale. This was a little ironic the one day we choose to go see a game, there’s a rain delay mid way thru the game. One more overnight in the RV and we begin to go our separate ways. I drive to Sun City and visit with my Dad’s wife. It’s been almost 2 years since dad died and I haven’t seen her till now. She’s doing great. I took her to a ball game in Peoria the next day before heading up north to meet my son for some skiing in Utah,,,,
Coronado National Memorial by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The pavement ends and things start to get interesting
The fun starts here by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The dirt road is at about a 10% incline and you have to negotiate washboard as an added challenge. Looking back over my shoulder you can see Neil below me on the climb. Look closely in the distance and you can see the “Border Wall”..
Neil on the climb up to Montezuma Pass by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Our group photo from the pass
Montezuma Pass by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
The descent off the pass is taken slowly for most. Scott taking the lead off the front. Brian is not back from his hike yet when we get back to the Visitors center so we ride out of the Memorial to the highway. You really get a sense for how much climbing you do as you rip down the strait road leaving Coronado. The acceleration is fast but a strong side wind is blowing out of the south making our wheels feel squirrelly like they have a slow leak. A touch of the breaks, looking down all is good and back up to speed we go. We turn around at the highway and backtrack into the wind back to our cars. The wind and the incline assures that we’ll be happy to call it quits even though the actual milage for the day is short.
Climb into the wind by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Time now to drive to Bisbee to visit the legendary Bisbee Bicycle Brothel.
It is a special place, owned by vintage bike collector Ken Wallace. The place is packed to the gills with rare beautiful bikes and memorabilia. Ken is happy to have us visit and is a great story teller. Ask about anything in his collection and he has a story to tell about it.
Ken holds court in Bisbee by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Small details at the Brothel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Ken opens up his liquor cabinet and offers us some shots while he entertains us with more stories.
Sippin' whiskey and Tequila at the Brothel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
We wait outside for Gugie to finish up his souvenir shopping. It’s time to get some supper.
You won't forget a visit to the Brothel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
That pretty much sums up the riding we did. None of the rides were all that long but they ride bigger than the numbers show.
Thank you Scott for showing us around, it was great to see you again. I hope to be riding with you again so we can complete that loop we talked about on Montezuma Pass.
Scott on Montezuma Pass by Matthew Pendergast, on FlickrWe dropped Mark off at the Airport the next day ands the rest of us went to a baseball game in Scottsdale. This was a little ironic the one day we choose to go see a game, there’s a rain delay mid way thru the game. One more overnight in the RV and we begin to go our separate ways. I drive to Sun City and visit with my Dad’s wife. It’s been almost 2 years since dad died and I haven’t seen her till now. She’s doing great. I took her to a ball game in Peoria the next day before heading up north to meet my son for some skiing in Utah,,,,
Last edited by northbend; 03-13-20 at 02:21 PM.
Likes For northbend:
#50
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: North Bend, Washington State
Posts: 2,938
Bikes: 1937 Hobbs; 1977 Bruce Gordon; 1987 Bill Holland; 1988 Schwinn Paramount (Fixed gear); 1999 Fat City Yo Eddy (MTB); 2018 Woodrup (Touring) 2016 Ritchey breakaway
Mentioned: 291 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 551 Post(s)
Liked 3,771 Times
in
664 Posts
On the way to Salt Lake City, I stopped and stretched my legs at 2 interesting places:
A short walk down into Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
And a walk around Butch Cassady’s boyhood home
Butch Cassady's family home by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
My son and I went to Snowbird on Saturday. The tram was packed to capacity. Coronavirus or not…
Snowbird tram by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
This legendary mountain is huge.
snowbird by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
It was interesting to go thru the Peruvian Tunnel in the upper reaches of the mountain. You ski up to the entrance and a conveyor belt pulls you into the tunnel
The Peruvian Tunnel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Inside, it’s a mining museum filled with pictures and artifacts as you glide by
A conveyor moves you thru the tunnel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
It spits you out the other side into Mineral Basin and you’re skiing again
Mineral Basin was cool by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Apres Ski in the courtyard during Snowbird’s “Winterfest” weekend.
Billy Strings was performing. It was simply amazing bluegrass. I had never heard of him before. Check him out!
Light snow began to fall during his performance and it continued all night long.
Billy Strings playing at Snowbird by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
13” of new reported at Brighton on Sunday made for some GREAT tree skiing.
Powder Day! by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
A short walk down into Bryce Canyon
Bryce Canyon by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
And a walk around Butch Cassady’s boyhood home
Butch Cassady's family home by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
My son and I went to Snowbird on Saturday. The tram was packed to capacity. Coronavirus or not…
Snowbird tram by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
This legendary mountain is huge.
snowbird by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
It was interesting to go thru the Peruvian Tunnel in the upper reaches of the mountain. You ski up to the entrance and a conveyor belt pulls you into the tunnel
The Peruvian Tunnel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Inside, it’s a mining museum filled with pictures and artifacts as you glide by
A conveyor moves you thru the tunnel by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
It spits you out the other side into Mineral Basin and you’re skiing again
Mineral Basin was cool by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
Apres Ski in the courtyard during Snowbird’s “Winterfest” weekend.
Billy Strings was performing. It was simply amazing bluegrass. I had never heard of him before. Check him out!
Light snow began to fall during his performance and it continued all night long.
Billy Strings playing at Snowbird by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr
13” of new reported at Brighton on Sunday made for some GREAT tree skiing.
Powder Day! by Matthew Pendergast, on Flickr