All Great Rides Must Come to an End

Day 6 - Friday, March 16, 2012
Tombstone to Tucson - 85 Miles

Just when you think you couldn't get any more spoiled, along comes another absolutely fantastic day of cycling.  We awoke to perfectly chilly (but not too chilly) temperatures, clear, sunny skies and . . . (wait for it) . . . a tailwind!  It's like having the hand of God propelling your bicycle in a forward direction.  We departed Tombstone just before 8:00 a.m.  It was a fast and fun trip descending out of Tombstone toward Sonoita.  Art saw a rather large freshly dead snake in the middle of the road.  I did not see it, thankfully, because seeing it would most certainly cause me nightmares for the foreseeable future.  For the last 10 or so miles to the first rest stop at mile 16, Art & I got in a long pace line wherein, together with the tailwind, we hammered out the miles at an amazing pace - much faster than I'm used to going by myself.  There are some very strong riders in this group and it was great training for me to try and stay up with them.  Then we made the turn toward Sonoita where we encountered some big rolling hills (fun) and the Border Patrol (not so fun).  The Border Patrol was situated right at the base of one of these big rolling hills.  So, while I'm coming down this big downhill building up all kinds of momentum to get up the next hill, the Border Patrol officer makes me stop to ask if I'm an American citizen.  After verifying that I am in fact an American citizen, I was then allowed to proceed, which meant slogging up the next hill without any momentum and in too high a gear.  Anyway, I was able to haul it up the next hill and get back into my "zen."  After we got over those rollers, there was a grand 4-mile downhill right to our lunch stop, and then a gradual descent all the way into Tucson.  Although we did have to contend with a certain amount of traffic (and traffic lights) as we got closer to Tucson, it was still a fun ride.  We arrived back at our hotel in Tucson at just about 1:30 p.m.  Sunny, pleasant and about 80 degrees, I was looking forward to taking a dip in the hotel pool.  But first we had work to do - we had to proceed with the bittersweet but necessary task of disassembling our bikes and putting them into the bike boxes for the trip home tomorrow.  Somehow, in my melancholic state of mind, I managed to drop two springs from my wheel skewers on the ground when I took them off and could not find them, at which point my mood changed somber to annoyed.  After we finished, we hung around outside and chatted with our  fellow riders about the week and any other bike adventures they had planned.  Some were staying for a 2nd week of riding.  We also got to see some old PAC Tour friends who were just arriving in Tucson to ride the upcoming week.  After I took my long-awaited dip in the hotel pool, we cleaned up and went for pizza with Ron and Steve.  At 7:30, we gathered for an ice cream social as PAC Tour ran a slide show of all the pictures from our week of riding.  Needless to say, we had an absolute blast.  We met and rode with some terrific people, enjoyed a week of perfect weather and got to ride our bikes to our heart's content.  And - as a souvenir, I get to take home my bike tan - at no extra charge!  As I always say - it just doesn't get any better than that.   : )

Art on the long road to Sonoita

Nice day for a pace line

Taking a break at the 2nd SAG stop

Woo-hoo!

Art Hewig: A Man and his Moots

Bisbee Bicycle Brothel (it's not what you think)

Day 5 - Thursday, March 15, 2012
Tombstone to Bisbee to Tombstone (out & back route) - 50 Miles

Today’s ride would be out-and-back route to the eclectic town of Bisbee.  The morning weather was sunny, mild and warm enough that we did not even need to start the ride wearing any extra gear (yay!).  Bisbee is located at the foot of the north side of  Mule Pass, a 6,000 ft. pass, so our out-and-back route would take us up and over Mule Pass from both directions.  To start, we descended out of Tombstone as we headed south toward Bisbee.  Then the route was a mixture of gentle climbing and descending until we came to the start of the climb up Mule Pass at mile 16.  The climb to the summit of Mule Pass from the south side is a scenic 6 miles with grades ranging from 4% to 9%.  The descent down the other side is only about 2 miles and brings you right into downtown Bisbee.  In fact, if you fail to make the last turn at the end of the descent, you’ll crash right into the patio of the famous Bisbee Coffee Company, which I almost did because I waved to some of the people from our group enjoying a cup of coffee there.  Because it was a short-mileage day, we had time to walk around Bisbee and check out the town.  The first place we went was the Bisbee Bicycle Brothel - the "Best Little Wheelhouse in Arizona."  The Bisbee Bicycle Brothel is a unique bicycle “shop/museum” owned and operated by a man named Ken Wallace, who is basically a walking encyclopedia of cycling facts and history.  The place is not really a bike shop in the traditional sense, because Ken doesn’t sell any new or modern bikes, although he does sell some accessory-type items such as lights and handlebar tape.  It is, however, more aptly described as a museum in the sense that the place is chock full of all kinds of old-style bicycles from different eras.  The walls are filled with unique posters and pictures of noted cyclists both past and present.  On the counters are all different kinds of cycling relics and memorabilia.  I could have spent all afternoon in the place just looking at all the photos and bikes and listening to Ken talk about each one.  We spent so much time in the Bisbee Bicycle Brothel that we didn't really have much time to visit any of the other shops in Bisbee - but we didn't mind.  After a hearty PAC Tour lunch, we headed back up the north side of Mule Pass, which is only a 2-mile but steepish climb, and enjoyed the fast and furious 6-mile descent down the other side.  My maximum speed was over 41 m.p.h., which is a bit faster than I’m used to going on a descent, but the road was smooth enough that I felt comfortable with the speed.  We arrived back in Tombsone just after 2:30.  The day’s weather was, again, just perfect.  After we cleaned up our bikes and ourselves, we sat around outside with other members of our group and the PAC Tour crew and chatted.  It's fun talking to the other riders in our group and hearing all the different bike rides and races people have done.  A group of us went to dinner at the Mexican restaurant we ate at the first night of our tour (Sunday).  Lon joined us, and it was a real treat to listen to him talk about his experiences in endurance cycling.

Susan and Art

Getting bikes ready to ride in the parking lot of the Tombstone Motel

The peaceful road to Mule Pass and Bisbee

The summit of Mule Pass (6,000 ft.)

Art approaching the summit

Bisbee Bicycle Brothel

Art enjoying himself at the Brothel

Art and fellow rider, Steve

        

Back to the Wild Wild West

Day 4 - Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Willcox to Tombstone - 80 miles

I’m very excited about today’s ride because we’ll be going back to Tombstone - cowboy country, where men are men and tourists are everywhere.  Today's route to Tombstone would be different than the route we took on Day 1 when we rode in from Tucson; today we‘d be coming in from the east.  Our route today would be essentially flat for the first 55 miles, then a gradual climb up into Tombstone.  It was a cool and sunny morning (as per usual) when we rolled out of Willcox.  We had a headwind (again, as per usual), so we hooked onto a pace line and made great time to the first rest stop at mile 23.  The rest of the ride was uneventful but for our brief stop at the Mustang Mall.  Yes, that's right, I said "Mall."  The Mustang Mall is a little gas station/convenience store in the middle of nowhere which, in addition to typical convenience store items, also sells western-era memorabilia, cowboy hats, horse saddles, gun holsters, leather apparel and an interesting collection of greeting cards.  I can certainly understand why they call it a "mall," despite the fact there was no food court, movie theater or teens hanging out there.  The people who owned the mall were very nice and let us use their restroom w/out having to buy something.  (I would have gladly bought a cowboy hat to wear as I rode into Tombstone, but couldn't find one to fit over my bike helmet.)  Anyway, when we arrived in Tombstone, we stopped for ice cream at a little shop on the corner of Allen Street (the street that is dedicated to being replica of the old west).  The woman behind the counter was sort of grumpy (could it be because there were about 10 cyclists in her shop waiting in line for ice cream?)  I didn't have the heart to tell her we'd be in town for two nights - she might've pulled a shotgun from behind the counter, just like in the old west days.  In any event, the ice cream tasted delicious.  In all, it was an absolutely beautiful day to be on the bike - sunny, clear and about 77 degrees.  It just doesn’t get any better than that.   : )

All smiles on the road to Tombstone

Lunch!

Just keep pedaling

Self-portrait action shot

Outside the ice cream shop on Allen Street in Tombstone

Our honeymoon suite at the Tombstone Motel - and my honey

     

The Chiricahua Challenge

Day 3 - Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Out & back route to Chiricahua National Monument - 88 miles

Today was the biggest ride of the week - the ride to the summit of the Chiricahua National Monument.  We refer to it as the Chiricahua Challenge because it is actually a feat of bravery (really, foolishness) to attempt such a big climb this early in the cycling season.  Today's ride would be an out-and-back route, 88 total miles with over 4,300 feet of climbing.  My legs are probably going to be very angry with me by the end of the day.  Be that as it may . . . the morning temp was a crisp 38 degrees and sunny, so I started the ride wearing my wool jersey.  As soon as we rode out of Willcox city limits, the route began to ascend, gently at first, but then gradually more steeply.  To add to the challenge, we faced a strong headwind that remained with us for most of the day.  Between the climbing and the headwind, I must've been working pretty hard because, despite the chilly air, I was sweating my buns off by mile seven.  Our first "hill" of the route was the town of Dos Cabezas (translation: "two heads"), aptly named for the double peaked mountain that overlooks the town.  Thereafter, we encountered rolling terrain as we ascended toward Chiricahua.  At mile 36, we started the actual climb to the monument.  It was a fairly tough 8-mile climb, especially considering it was my first "sustained" climb of the season.  At the beginning of the climb, the grades ranged from 5 to 6%, but as we ascended, it became steeper with grades ranging form 7 to 9%.  The views were absolutely spectacular.  The rock formations were amazing.  I'd have to rank it as one of my favorite domestic climbs.  We spent some time at the summit taking pictures and enjoying the scenery.  The decent, of course, was fast and furious.  Fortunately, there were very few cars on the road, so you could really let 'er rip.  After the descent, we enjoyed a wonderful PAC Tour lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches, salads and all kinds of other delicious fare, which, after that climb, really hit the proverbial spot.  From there, we had about 33 miles to return to Willcox, most of which was either rolling hills or decent (the reverse of our morning route).  Remember that headwind I mentioned we had to contend with in the morning?  Well, it decided to reverse direction and continue to be a headwind for us as we made our return trip.  (Yes, it's unfair.  But Mother Nature can do whatever she wants, apparently - even if it defies logic.)  Thankfully, we were still able to make good time because it was slightly downhill as we approached Willcox.  Arrived back in Willcox by 3:00.   A good time was had by all - even my legs (although they refuse to admit it). 

Art rolling toward Chiricahua

The entrance to the park and beginning of the climb

Pipe rock formation

Me at the summit.

Art at the summit - 6,870 ft.

A view from the top of the climb

Life & Times in Margaritaville

Day 2 - Monday, March 12, 2012
Tombstone to Willcox - 72 miles

Considering that I fell asleep at 8:00 last night, it's no wonder I was wide awake and ready to start the day at 3 a.m.  I really have to try to stay up later so I can be awake during the generally accepted awake times.  We had a shorter day of riding today - only 72 miles.  The morning temperature was a few degrees warmer than yesterday's, so we didn't really need as much extra gear. After a bit of tinkering with my bike seat trying to get it to a more "agreeable" position (very important), we started riding around 8:15 a.m.  The first 25 miles of the day's route descended gently from Tombstone to Benson, which made for a fast and fun ride.  As usual, the scenery provided ample photo opps.  We then had a 10-mile climb to Dragoon, where we had our 2nd rest stop.  From Dragoon, we climbed a little more and then the route flattened out right into Willcox.  Although we had a bit of a headwind as we traveled east, we made great time and pulled into Willcox just after 1:30.  A few of us stopped at McDonald's for ice cream or a shake, as our hotel rooms at the Day's Inn wouldn't be ready until 2:30.  At dinnertime, a bunch of us walked over to a nice little Mexican restaurant across the street from the hotel.  The food was excellent.  Art had a margarita, but, much to my disappointment, he didn't get giddy or even tipsy.  (But he is fast asleep right now, and it's only 7:00.)   There are about 30 people in our group, and they're all terrific.  We're having a great time riding with and getting to know them.   One guy, Ron, was with us on the Southern Transcontinental ride we did last fall, and it's great to be riding with him again.  Tomorrow is a big day - we climb the Chiricahua.  I better get some sleep.  : )

The road to Benson - a nice descent

Tomorrow's destination - Chiricahua National Monument (the summit is in the background, to the right of the sign)

A very happy biker

Bicycles & Cowboys

Day 1 - Sunday, March 11, 2012
Tucson to Tombstone - 86 miles

Today is our 12th wedding anniversary!  We celebrated by riding our bikes 86 miles!   Today's route took us to the historic town of Tombstone, Arizona - home of all the famous cowboys such as Wyatt Earp and that guy from Gunsmoke.  The temperature in Tucson when we woke up this morning was brisk 43 degrees, but sunny.  It was predicted to get to the mid 70’s and sunny, which, to me, is perfect biking weather.  (I know, it‘s a tough job, but someone has to do it.)  I started today’s ride with arm warmers, leg warmers, a jacket and long-fingered gloves.  By mile 10, however, I was warmed up enough to ditch the extra gear.  It was a fairly flat ride as we left Tucson, but with a pretty strong headwind as we traveled east.  At mile 17, we began to climb toward Sonoita - a mostly gentle climb with a few steeper spots as we got closer to the summit.  There’s nothing like southwest scenery - it is spectacular.  After we reached the summit, the terrain changed to rolling hills and then a gentle descent right to our lunch spot.  The final 10 miles of the ride consisted of a “steepish” climb up into Tombstone, our final destination (no pun intended).  As soon as you breach the vicinity of Tombstone, the “cowboy” theme becomes apparent.  We went by  Boot Hill Cemetery, where, apparently, all the famous deceased cowboys are buried.  We passed Wyatt Earp’s place and the OK Corral.  The neatest thing about Tombstone is that there is an entire street dedicated to the old west.  Neither cars nor bikes are allowed on this particular street (you have to walk your bike).  The facades of the shops and saloons (yes, saloons) that line the street are in style of the old west.  There are people in character walking around in cowboy-era garb.  Every afternoon, actors perform a gunfight in the street and other short, comedic cowboy-themed vignettes.  When we arrived, a “shotgun wedding” was in progress.  It was very entertaining and actually quite humorous.  Tombstone is a fun town with a lot of character.  In all, it was a fun day - both on and off the bike.  

Art getting Moots ready for the day's ride

Scenery on the climb to Sonoita

"Truck on cheese"

The "Shotgun Wedding" in Tombstone

Me with a couple of real cowboys

Art's promotional photo for Harley-Davidson and Amgen

Back in the Saddle: Kicking Off a New Bike Season

Saturday, March 10
Arrival in Tuscon, Arizona

A new biking season is upon us!  To kick it off, we will be spending a week bike riding in Tuscon, Arizona and the surrounding area, with PAC Tour.  Today, we arrived in Tuscon around noontime.  I'm very glad to report that our bikes made the trip unscathed.  We arrived at the Country Inn & Suites and were greeted warmly by Lon & Susan and the rest of the PAC Tour crew.  Today was a chilly day in Tuscon - only about 55 degrees, but sunny and clear.  Our first order of business was assembling, our bikes, which we did with relative ease.  The second order of business (after checking into our room) was taking the bikes for a test run.  PAC Tour gave us a suggested warm-up route to Saguaro National Park - a 33-mile round trip.   Just after 2:00 p.m. (Arizona time), we started our ride.   Our ride to Saguaro National Park was pleasant and essentially flat, just a few slight inclines here and there.  Saw lots of cacti on the route, of all shapes and sizes.  Art gave his new Moots a real introduction to its first bike season by getting the first flat tire of the season!  For those of you who haven't heard, Art bought a new bike this year - a "Moots," which is sort of like the Rolls Royce of bicycles.  Well, not really the Rolls Royce, maybe more of a high-end Nissan.  But, in any event, it is a very good bicycle.  And it's a very handsome bicycle - almost as handsome as the owner.  We had a fun "test run" ride.  Looking forward to the official start of the ride tomorrow - an 86-mile ride to the historic town of Tombstone.  The bikes seem to be working just fine.  Me - I'm a little rusty. : )  But that's OK, I'm just glad to be back in the saddle.

Our bikes - assembled and ready for the test ride.  (That's the "Moots" on the left.)

Art - getting himself assembled and ready to go on the test ride.

"Art"

Art amongst the cacti

Art fixing his flat (I helped by photographing the event)