Tag: tucson

J&P 09: Florence to Tucson

Phil awoke quickly at 5:10am, and I rose more slowly.   The HIExpress had quite a good help-yourself free breakfast, including cheese omelets, bacon, and biscuits.   While we are there, more than a half dozen actors in Elizabethan costumes join the breakfast, and so we guess there is a Renaissance Festival somewhere close by today.  Just as we’re leaving breakfast, Bob Turner shows up and informs us that Sharon will come by about 7:45am for any bags we want to deposit in the van. After all my knee twinging yesterday, I make an easy decision to go with Plan B and

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J&P 09: Preface

At the end of September, my friend Mary Ellen Coe sent me a pointer to the J&P Tucson Tour.  I asked further about it and she simply told me it was a bunch of fun.   2008 was a strong cycling year for me, basically culminating in the El Tour de Tucson ride in late November.    In early December, I rode in the Phoenix Metro Bicycle Club’s Free Ride.   Mary Ellen and I pushed hard the last 25 miles or so, doing 22-24 mph the whole way, and as a result I strained my knees plenty.  The pain lasted a week

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ETT 08: Race Day

With no milk for my ritual cereal, I ate yet another apple in the morning.  Left the room by 5AM for the drive downtown.  Approaching from the east on Broadway, I spied the first signs of cyclists parking on side roads and figured I’d better grab a freebie spot (Convention Center parking was $7). A few ride decisions to make.  Fortunately the temperature was already 55 and headed for high 70s, so shorts and jersey was all that was needed.   I decided to wear arm warmers for the wait at the Start, because they’re so light and stowable. I was

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ETT 08: The Day Before

I jumped in the SUV about noon Friday and headed down to Tucson, eating a couple apples on the way.  Linda booked me a room at the La Quinta Inn on Priceline.com, designed to save me a couple hours of sleep Saturday morning. I went straight to the expo at the Tucson Convention Center, downtown at Congress and Granada.   It took a while but I finally found free parking on a side street.  Jules had come down earlier in the week, so I called her once inside the building, and we quickly met up.  I also ran into Court Phillips,

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ETT 08: The Week Before

Rode in the club ride on 11/15 to Mummy Mountain in Scottsdale, but took the shorter and less hilly 30 mile option with Mary Ellen.  Johnny’s combo was playing a set out in front of Milano’s Music in downtown Mesa, and I didn’t want to miss it. It has nothing to do with the ETT ride, but below is a pretty nifty picture of John at the gig. On Tuesday, I spit-shined up the bike, cleaned and lubed the chain, adjusted the brakes, then did a 10 mile loop around Las Sendas, but otherwise took it very easy leading up to

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ETT 08: Preparations

This past spring, I was talking with Leon Smith, a.k.a. Captain America, following a Sunday Kokopedalli ride at Einstein’s Bagels.   Since he was such an accomplished cyclist, I asked him to tell me his favorite ride, the one everyone must do.  Without hesitation, he stated that the El Tour de Tucson ride was it. I signed up for the ETT in early summer.  My thinking was to register early, pay the money, and ink it onto my calendar.  Otherwise, I might find a hundred excuses why not to do it. In early September, I met with my buddy Jules Moore

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