After a fine ride with El Tour De Tucson yesterday, Bob and I made our way home today, another 130 mile ride.
We started the day with breakfast at the Kettle Restaurant in Tucson:
Waitress: "Good morning, would you gentlemen like to try our all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet?"
Brad & Bob (in unison) "Why yes! Thank you! (Big grins all around)
Three plates later...ahem...we agreed that Kettle puts on a great buffet. See you next time, folks!
We departed around 8 a.m. As we were rolling north out of town, a car drove next to us at a stoplight, bikes on the roof, they had obviously ridden in El Tour. The passenger asked "If we were riding home from El Tour"? Answer "Yeah"! "How far today then"? "Oh...about 130 miles or so". Both of their mouths literally "dropped open" as we sped off. ;->.
Our first stop was Catalina, which is about 30 miles up the road from Tucson. It was a steady climb, but riding conditions were great. We got water at Catalina and then cruised along the "Tom Mix Highway" (see Nov. 15th post) or "The Wilderness," as Bob calls it. It's pretty rural and remote, but we clipped right along, averaging around 20-22 mph, and made it to Florence for lunch.
By early evening we were in Mesa where Bob's wife Ginny had prepared a great celebratory meal! And - of course - Bob and I were both...well...hungry just doesn't seem the best, most appropriate, word. Famished, that's it! We were famished! Thanks Ginny!
I want to thank everyone for following the blog and helping spread the word about the symptoms of ovarian cancer. It's been nearly three years since Susan's death; this ride was for her and the other women who have died too soon because of this killer. Please spread the word and help to raise awareness.
Thanks for your ongoing support. And stay tuned for more CycleQuest ride news!
Brad (and Bob!)
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Day 2 - El Tour
What a great day! Let's take it from the beginning. This morning Bob and I departed about 7:15 a.m., a team of two among the estimated 10,000+ cyclists participating in the 25th Annual El Tour De Tucson.
It was a veritable "sea of humanity" with every color jersey imaginable. Quite a sight at the downtown start!
We rode the 109 mile stretch which took us on a broad, perimeter ride around Tucson. Tim and Bo, two colleagues from REI in Tempe, joined me. Another friend - a second Tim - rode with us, too. The two Tims and Bo had a GREAT time, as did Bob and I. It was Bo's first century ride and he was pretty psyched!
The day was perfect...sunny, clear and a high around 80. Tucson rolled out the red carpet for all the riders. At mile 55, firefighters at one of the firehouses were offering an endless supply of pancakes for hungry cyclists. Well, you can imagine how that went. Last I heard, they were ordering more batter as U.S. supplies had been depleted. Kidding! They really hit the spot.
Ya know, Pizza Huts really should offer pancakes, too.
The only downside was to my backside. I was riding on a new Brooks saddle which...while of the highest quality...just doesn't break-in very quickly.
Please share our blog with your family, friends and co-workers. Have them read the signs of ovarian cancer. Awareness can save lives! Many of the symptoms are dismissed as something else. If ovarian cancer is diagnosed soon enough, survival success is higher.
Well, that's day 2 of CycleQuest Arizona. 109 miles and time in the saddle was six hours and 50 minutes. We took it easy, wrapping up the course around 2:30 p.m.
Back to Enoteca for dinner! They have really good desserts there, too!
Thanks so much Tucson. You really know how to throw a party!
Tomorrow, we turn the bikes north and ride home.
Brad (and Bob!)
It was a veritable "sea of humanity" with every color jersey imaginable. Quite a sight at the downtown start!
We rode the 109 mile stretch which took us on a broad, perimeter ride around Tucson. Tim and Bo, two colleagues from REI in Tempe, joined me. Another friend - a second Tim - rode with us, too. The two Tims and Bo had a GREAT time, as did Bob and I. It was Bo's first century ride and he was pretty psyched!
The day was perfect...sunny, clear and a high around 80. Tucson rolled out the red carpet for all the riders. At mile 55, firefighters at one of the firehouses were offering an endless supply of pancakes for hungry cyclists. Well, you can imagine how that went. Last I heard, they were ordering more batter as U.S. supplies had been depleted. Kidding! They really hit the spot.
Ya know, Pizza Huts really should offer pancakes, too.
The only downside was to my backside. I was riding on a new Brooks saddle which...while of the highest quality...just doesn't break-in very quickly.
Please share our blog with your family, friends and co-workers. Have them read the signs of ovarian cancer. Awareness can save lives! Many of the symptoms are dismissed as something else. If ovarian cancer is diagnosed soon enough, survival success is higher.
Well, that's day 2 of CycleQuest Arizona. 109 miles and time in the saddle was six hours and 50 minutes. We took it easy, wrapping up the course around 2:30 p.m.
Back to Enoteca for dinner! They have really good desserts there, too!
Thanks so much Tucson. You really know how to throw a party!
Tomorrow, we turn the bikes north and ride home.
Brad (and Bob!)
Friday, November 16, 2007
Day 1 - Tempe to Tucson
It was a fine day for riding. My thermometer read 64 degrees at 6 a.m. in Tempe, as we made the final gear preparations.
Bob's wife Ginny sent us off with a big, hearty breakfast of blueberry pancakes (my favorite) and banana pancakes (Bob's favorite), eggs, bacon, and hot coffee. Thanks Ginny! Let me tell you, we were well fortified when we rolled south. Ginny rode the first ten miles with us and then there were abundant hugs all around as we said goodbye.
We made it to Florence by 11:30 a.m. so that gives us about 65 miles for the morning. We "fed" on some slabs of pizza, and downed some Mountain Dew, at A & M Pizza, a restaurant on the edge of "The Wilderness," Bob's description for this neck of the woods. Beautiful, spare country down through this part of Arizona. The riding was good as we steadily climbed in altitude southward.
By 3:30 p.m. today we had arrived at the outskirts of Tucson, with 120 miles under our belts. We then rode the final 12 miles to Howard Johnsons where we'll overnight. By the way, fantastic pizza can be found at this great little pizzaria in Tucson called Enoteca (58 west Congress St.) We were able to replace the calories burned on the trip down ;-)
In all, we had 7:57 riding time with 133.3 miles covered. That's 215 kilometers for our European and Canadian followers.
Tomorrow, we ride the 109-mile leg of the 25th annual El Tour De Tucson, with up to 11,000 riders expected. This is a fun ride, with aid stations (food) every five miles. One never grows hungry. Ahem. The ride starts at the convention center downtown and will take us on a perimeter ride around Tucson.
Day one of CycleQuest Arizona is history!! Talk to you tomorrow!
Brad (and Bob!)
Bob's wife Ginny sent us off with a big, hearty breakfast of blueberry pancakes (my favorite) and banana pancakes (Bob's favorite), eggs, bacon, and hot coffee. Thanks Ginny! Let me tell you, we were well fortified when we rolled south. Ginny rode the first ten miles with us and then there were abundant hugs all around as we said goodbye.
We made it to Florence by 11:30 a.m. so that gives us about 65 miles for the morning. We "fed" on some slabs of pizza, and downed some Mountain Dew, at A & M Pizza, a restaurant on the edge of "The Wilderness," Bob's description for this neck of the woods. Beautiful, spare country down through this part of Arizona. The riding was good as we steadily climbed in altitude southward.
By 3:30 p.m. today we had arrived at the outskirts of Tucson, with 120 miles under our belts. We then rode the final 12 miles to Howard Johnsons where we'll overnight. By the way, fantastic pizza can be found at this great little pizzaria in Tucson called Enoteca (58 west Congress St.) We were able to replace the calories burned on the trip down ;-)
In all, we had 7:57 riding time with 133.3 miles covered. That's 215 kilometers for our European and Canadian followers.
Tomorrow, we ride the 109-mile leg of the 25th annual El Tour De Tucson, with up to 11,000 riders expected. This is a fun ride, with aid stations (food) every five miles. One never grows hungry. Ahem. The ride starts at the convention center downtown and will take us on a perimeter ride around Tucson.
Day one of CycleQuest Arizona is history!! Talk to you tomorrow!
Brad (and Bob!)
Thursday, November 15, 2007
CycleQuest - Arizona Ride (Nov. 16 - 18)
It's Thursday evening and we're getting the bikes and the gear together for an early departure tomorrow morning at 6:30 a.m.
The CycleQuest cycling team, which rides to raise awareness about ovarian cancer, hits the road tomorrow, November 16th, for a 360 mile ride down to Tucson, Arizona.
Bob Lewis, a frequent cycling buddy who rode the Heartland ride with me this past summer, will again be along for this latest adventure.
The first 125 miles will be through Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Florence, Catalina, and finally Tucson. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the territory, the road between the communities of Florence and Catalina is referred to as the "Tom Mix Highway."
Mix was a cowboy movie star - a big one - who appeared in more than 300 Westerns. He lived the life of a bon vivant, and by the early 1920s the former Texas Ranger was earning the remarkable sum of $10,000 a week. And, he even got to keep the big cowboy hat!
Sadly, Tom died in 1940 in a weird automobile accident near Florence, when the back of his head was walloped by a suitcase that flew off the rear shelf of his single-seat roadster in the remote area. It was October 12, 1940 and Tom Mix died alone in a dry wash. He'd apparently ignored warnings about a gully bridge being out due to road work. Let that be a warning motorists!
"The Tom Mix Death Site Marker -- a black iron silhouette of a riderless bronco -- stands roughly 17 miles south of Florence. The road where Tom drove to his end is long, flat, straight -- surrounded by desert scrub and the occasional giant cactus. The gully into which his 1937 Cord plunged has been renamed Tom Mix Wash," according to Roadsideamerica.com, a great historical resource for travelers.
Bob calls this area simply “The Wilderness." We'll zip right through it on Friday, because Saturday we're riding in the 25th anniversary El Tour De Tucson. 10,000 - 11,000 cyclists are expected for the fun. Bob and I will ride the 109-mile leg, then try to find a Pizza Hut to refortify ourselves. (To fully appreciate the "humor" foreshadowing intended, please read the summer Heartland Tour entries.)
Then, on Sunday, we'll simply point the bikes north and ride 125 miles back home.
Please alert your friends to this latest CycleQuest ride. Encourage them to read the continually updated CycleQuest blog, and understand the signs of ovarian cancer. As always, we ride in memory of Susan and the other women who have died too soon because of this "silent killer."
CycleQuest Arizona beckons! For this ride, we're proud to be wearing the new cycling jerseys for our Banner Children's Hospital cycling team!
More from the road on Friday!
Brad (and Bob!)
The CycleQuest cycling team, which rides to raise awareness about ovarian cancer, hits the road tomorrow, November 16th, for a 360 mile ride down to Tucson, Arizona.
Bob Lewis, a frequent cycling buddy who rode the Heartland ride with me this past summer, will again be along for this latest adventure.
The first 125 miles will be through Tempe, Mesa, Chandler, Florence, Catalina, and finally Tucson. Now, for those of you unfamiliar with the territory, the road between the communities of Florence and Catalina is referred to as the "Tom Mix Highway."
Mix was a cowboy movie star - a big one - who appeared in more than 300 Westerns. He lived the life of a bon vivant, and by the early 1920s the former Texas Ranger was earning the remarkable sum of $10,000 a week. And, he even got to keep the big cowboy hat!
Sadly, Tom died in 1940 in a weird automobile accident near Florence, when the back of his head was walloped by a suitcase that flew off the rear shelf of his single-seat roadster in the remote area. It was October 12, 1940 and Tom Mix died alone in a dry wash. He'd apparently ignored warnings about a gully bridge being out due to road work. Let that be a warning motorists!
"The Tom Mix Death Site Marker -- a black iron silhouette of a riderless bronco -- stands roughly 17 miles south of Florence. The road where Tom drove to his end is long, flat, straight -- surrounded by desert scrub and the occasional giant cactus. The gully into which his 1937 Cord plunged has been renamed Tom Mix Wash," according to Roadsideamerica.com, a great historical resource for travelers.
Bob calls this area simply “The Wilderness." We'll zip right through it on Friday, because Saturday we're riding in the 25th anniversary El Tour De Tucson. 10,000 - 11,000 cyclists are expected for the fun. Bob and I will ride the 109-mile leg, then try to find a Pizza Hut to refortify ourselves. (To fully appreciate the "humor" foreshadowing intended, please read the summer Heartland Tour entries.)
Then, on Sunday, we'll simply point the bikes north and ride 125 miles back home.
Please alert your friends to this latest CycleQuest ride. Encourage them to read the continually updated CycleQuest blog, and understand the signs of ovarian cancer. As always, we ride in memory of Susan and the other women who have died too soon because of this "silent killer."
CycleQuest Arizona beckons! For this ride, we're proud to be wearing the new cycling jerseys for our Banner Children's Hospital cycling team!
More from the road on Friday!
Brad (and Bob!)
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Upcoming Rides...El Tour De Tucson (With a twist)
The CycleQuest continues in the great state of Arizona.
This year El Tour De Tucson celebrates its 25th anniversary on November 17th. El Tour is a great ride put on by a wonderful organization called PBAA (www.pbaa.com). El Tour is a 109 mile ride around the perimeter of Tucson with about 10,000 of your closest cycling friends (This year 11,000 are expected). The start line of El Tour De Tucson is about 125 miles from my home in Tempe...which is where the twist comes in. I thought this would be a perfect oportunity for a short 3-day CycleQuest ovarian cancer awareness ride.
It has been four months since the inagural CycleQuest ride across the heartland from Vail to Hannibal; it is time to put the signs and symptoms in front of the public again. The plan is to ride down to Tucson Friday, ride El Tour De Tucson Saturday and then ride back home Sunday...about 360 miles for the weekend! Bob Lewis (inagural CycleQuest team member)is slated to participate in this event, too.
Please stay tuned...more to follow! Daily updates from the road starting 11/16!
This year El Tour De Tucson celebrates its 25th anniversary on November 17th. El Tour is a great ride put on by a wonderful organization called PBAA (www.pbaa.com). El Tour is a 109 mile ride around the perimeter of Tucson with about 10,000 of your closest cycling friends (This year 11,000 are expected). The start line of El Tour De Tucson is about 125 miles from my home in Tempe...which is where the twist comes in. I thought this would be a perfect oportunity for a short 3-day CycleQuest ovarian cancer awareness ride.
It has been four months since the inagural CycleQuest ride across the heartland from Vail to Hannibal; it is time to put the signs and symptoms in front of the public again. The plan is to ride down to Tucson Friday, ride El Tour De Tucson Saturday and then ride back home Sunday...about 360 miles for the weekend! Bob Lewis (inagural CycleQuest team member)is slated to participate in this event, too.
Please stay tuned...more to follow! Daily updates from the road starting 11/16!
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