Hi All!

Day three of our four days of attempted riding this weekend brought us 68 cyclists this morning. This exceeded Thursday morning's pack size by about 67 riders. We actually had about 7 turn out for our thankful-day romp that soggy morning, but 4 headed straight to breakfast, a couple went back home, and Frank Preston pedaled off into the damp to earn his feasting later in the day. Yesterday our offer of a no-shopping day pedal brought us 14 riders, with those coming in from south Chandler having to dodge the piles of hail still banked up in the shadows at dawn. Today's cloudless sunrise, coming just a few minutes before we rolled out, was a welcome sight. As we rolled through the ASU Research Park, we were cheered on by our growing injured-shoulder division, who had planted themselves there to watch us ride by, because they apparently don't know what to do with themselves if they can't ride. Breakfast at AZ Bread stretched the limits of seating there, but that didn't seem to have much impact on the chatting.

Coming up...

Saturday 12/6/08 9:30am Pioneer Park (Mesa). FREE RIDE! The one Saturday of the year when Saturday Cycling relocates to another park for our start. Click here for complete details on this event. No event fee and free food! Route options of 25 miles, 40 miles, and 60 miles. Sign-in opens at 9:00am, ride start time is 9:30am. If you will be participating, please zip an RSVP to ride leader Glen Fletcher so we have a head count for food. There will be no ride from Kiwanis Park on this date.

Saturday 12/13/08 8:00am Kiwanis Park. Speaking of free food, its time for our quarterly membership breakfast! Our ride from Kiwanis Park will do a loop to the southeast (long route), then swing back north as we head to the Home Town Buffet in Scottsdale (northwest corner of Scottsdale Road and Belleview) for our quarterly get together. Mileage options 23 miles or 33 miles, with a couple of climbs. If you want to meet us there, aim to arrive at the restaurant about 9:30am, meeting and election of 2009 officers to be held at 10:00am. Breakfast is free to all PMBC members, $8 for non-members.

Saturday 12/20/08 8:00am Kiwanis Park. Before it gets too cold for the downhills, we'll head to South Mountain. Route options 27 miles with a little gentle climbing, 40 miles with moderate climbing, 42 miles with lots of climbing. Breakfast at AZ Bread, southweast corner Elliot & Kyrene.

Tid bits

For those that made use of the club's floor pump at the start this morning, you might have noticed that it was spiffy new, and worked. We have Pat's Cyclery in Mesa to thank for that. Just in time for excessive pumping at FREE RIDE and Casa Grande, the store donated two Bontrager floor pumps to the club. In today's world of on-line shopping, keep in mind that those far away warehouses are not the businesses that come thru when our club is in need. Our website and newsletter make note of local shops that have our back. Consider shopping local, supporting the stores that support us, and in turn you have the advantage of building a relationship with your local bike store. They promise not to laugh when you ask creative questions.

Ride safe.

Hi All!

The siren call of Tucson reduced the home team to 49 riders yesterday. With the challenge of a rarely used complex route map in hand, they were off. The first riders didn't get off track for at least 4 miles or so into the romp, and from there on, various scenic routes were selected. The rollicking romp in the foothills eventually resulted in most of the riders who started with the pack finding their way to the breakfast stop.

Coming up...

Thursday 11/27/08 7:30am Kiwanis Park. Give thanks that you have the ability to pedal a bike and come join us for our traditional holiday ride to the quiet streets of Lehi. Route options 27 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakast at Einsteins, northwest corner Guadalupe and McClintock.

Friday 11/28/07 7:30am Desert Breeze Park. Spin Cycle hosts an all levels ride from our Sunday start point at Desert Breeze Park in Chandler. Route is in the general direction of the southeast, with 4 mileage options, no climbing. Breakfast at the spiffy new Paradise Bakery on Ray, southeast of the Price/101 freeway. If you haven't pedaled from this location before, we meet in the parking lot near the train depot on the north side of the park.

Saturday 11/29/08 7:30am Kiwanis Park. Our last 7:30am start time of the year will have us rolling out just a few minutes after sunrise. We'll be headed south bound on the Tour de Sue, with mileage options of 25 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at AZ Bread, southeast corner Elliot & Kyrene.

Saturday 12/6/08 9:30am Pioneer Park (Mesa). The Saturday you have all been waiting for, it's time for FREE RIDE! The one Saturday of the year when Saturday Cycling relocates to another park for our start. Head to the club's website (www.pmbcaz.org ) for complete details on this event. No ride fee and free food! Route options of 25 miles, 40 miles, and 60 miles. Sign-in will open at 9:00am, ride start time is 9:30am. If you will be participating in this event, we need you to zip an RSVP to Glen Fletcher so we have a head count for food. There will be no ride from Kiwanis Park on this date, so if you show up there, you'll be lonely.

Tid bits

El Tour de Tucson always results in so many tales of adventure, triumph, and challenges for our club members who rise to the call. A shout out to just a few who took on the 109 mile route.

To Gary Bernard, for finishing at an astounding time of 5:14 after coming back from a blood clot in his leg recently.

To Bill Shea, for being the first to carry our vibrant club jersey across the finish line at 5:34.

To one of our club's founding fathers, Jack Graham, for enduring and never quitting, riding after two knee surgeries earlier this year, coming in at 9:35.

And a "you'll get 'em next year" to Bob Beane, our newsletter editor, who was crashed out of the ride by a bike patrol rider 12 miles into the romp.

To all the riders that proudly donned their club kit for this ride, thank you. Wearing our club name on your belly and butt gives us great free publicity for the group. (Well, free to the club, not free to you considering the ride fee for this type of event!) There are riders who participate in the Tucson romp from our local area that seek our club out after the event because they see our name there so predominately. Wearing your home team colors also makes it much easier to find a familiar wheel in the crowd. Don't own a club jersey? Why, funny you should ask about buying one. The window to buy into the current order is up on the club website and this is the final week to send in your order. Go now to the website, print off a form, and get it off in the mail with a check the early part of this week, and you are good to go. You want to have that flashy kit on you during the Tour de Phoenix in April, don't you??

Ride safe.

Hi All!

We had 79 riders turn out this morning, inter-mixed in the parking lot with a few runners heading out on the Undy 500. (Yes, that is "undies" as in boxer shorts... don't ask.) Our roll out down Guadalupe gave us a view of the three day cancer walk participants, who for some reason cheered us on, while we cheered them right back. The loop around Mummy was the traditional gorgeous romp, or least it was for those that rode moderately enough to take in the scenery. As we came back in across the Town Lake bridge, we checked out hundreds of people and dogs gathering for a animal charity walk in the Tempe Beach area, which was definitely pissing off the feral cats that normally occupy the park. (Maybe they should hold a charity walk for the cats next?) With apparently every mobile person in town outdoors, we managed to get seating at IHOP. Chatter was of course centered on Tucson strategy (or lack thereof) and pondering if the lead pack will somehow manage to struggle on for a few weeks while Neal recuperates from shoulder surgery. (This comment has been added assuming that Neal is so bored by now that he will actually read the ride report today.)

Coming up...

Saturday 11/22/08 7:30am Kiwanis Park. Buddy's Route, the original route for the Ahwatukee Foothills area. One route, about 30 miles, less if you skip the climbing loops. Breakfast at Paradise Bakery, southwest corner Ray & 54th St.

Thursday 11/27/08 7:30am Kiwanis Park. Our traditional turkey day pedal, to the quiet streets of Lehi. Route options 27 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at Einstein's, northwest corner Guadalupe and McClintock.

Friday 11/28/08 7:30am Desert Breeze Park. Just say no to shopping. Our Sunday pack Spin Cycle invites all to join in a romp offering a bit of everything for everybody. Several mileage options, no climbing. Breakfast at the new Paradise Bakery, southeast of Price 101 freeway and Ray. (Note that this ride is from Desert Breeze Park in Chandler, not Kiwanis Park!)

Saturday 11/29/08 7:30am Kiwanis Park. The Tour de Sue takes us south, with options on Queen Creek or Riggs Road. Mileage choices of 25 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at AZ Bread, southeast corner Elliot & Kyrene.

Tid bits

For some of the group, next weekend is the peak of your cycling year. You've made some attempt at seeking sleekness. You have pedaled for miles and miles, for hours and hours in preparation. You've upgraded your gear. You've discussed strategy, plotted how you will take on the challenge. At one week out, now what? Relax, grasshoppers. Scale back on your miles and your intensity if you will be riding during this next week. Don't change anything now on your bike set up or fit, you're as dialed in as you are going to be, both equipment wise and physically. This week is for focusing the rest of you, your mind and spirit, on the adventure to come. Many of you have set a time goal for the event. If so, add two more equally important goals to your quest, which is to ride safely, arriving at the finish line intact and undamaged... and have fun!

Ride safe.

Hi All!

A cool night gave way to a temp at the start this morning of under 50 degrees. Desert rats that we are, that reduced the herd to 71 riders who were determined to generate their own heat. The romp up through Tempe took us thru what ever the charity walk of the day was, and then we were off into the east, working against the wind. The reward for that struggle was the usual tailwind assissted rampage back in on Brown. As we drained the coffee urns at Einy's, conversation flowed from plans (or lack thereof) for El Tour de Tucson and discussion of whether the BikeJournal online site will ever recover from its virus attack earlier this week. (For those having mileage-log withdrawal, let's hope so.)

Coming up...

Saturday 11/15/08 7:30am Kiwanis Park. Mummy Mountain, original route, with options of 27 miles with moderate climbing or 40 miles with a bit more climbing. Breakfast at IHOP, southwest corner College & Apache.

Saturday 11/22/08 7:30am Kiwanis Park. Buddy's Route, also known as the original route for the Ahwatukee Foothills area. One route, about 30 miles, less if you skip the climbing loops. Breakfast at Paradise Bakery, southwest corner Ray & 54th St.

Thursday 11/27/08 7:30am Kiwanis Park. Our traditional turkey day pedal, to the quiet streets of Lehi. Route options 27 miles or 35 miles, no climbing. Breakfast at Einstein's, northwest corner Guadalupe and McClintock.

Friday 11/28/08 7:30am Desert Breeze Park. Just say no to shopping. Our Sunday pack Spin Cycle invites all to join in a romp offering a bit of everything for everybody. Several mileage options, no climbing. Breakfast at the new Paradise Bakery, southeast of Price 101 freeway and Ray.

Tid bits

A number of you have mentioned that some of your favorite event rides are missing from our state's ride calendar this fall. They have fallen by the way side for a variety of reasons, but right up there as a primo cause is simply a lack of warm bodies to put in the effort to make them happen. Every charity ride and club event ride that comes to be is in existence because an army of worker bees makes them happen. Most of those people are cyclists who give up a day (sometimes many days) of riding so that others can have a fun romp. We ask that our club members volunteer at one ride a year, taking a turn at the front so others can enjoy the day. If you have not yet worked a PMBC event ride in 2008, its your turn to pull. Our last event ride for the year is coming up on Saturday December 6th. Free Ride will be held that morning, with the start/finish at Pioneer Park in Mesa. See the club's website for details. We need people to work registration, to staff rest stops, to drive SAG, to serve lunch, etc. To volunteer, contact ride leader Glen Fletcher. If you plan on pedaling in this event, now is the time to RSVP to Fletch also. As noted, no ride fee (hence the name Free Ride!), but we need a head count for lunch. A reminder, Saturday Cycling will relocate to Pioneer Park for this date only.

Ride safe.

Hi All!

You know we've been running large summer packs when our turn out of 71 riders this morning prompted somebody to ask where everybody was! The answer was that a few hardy souls were off doing the Heart of Arizona romp and apparently some were just recovering post-Halloween. Our roll around with a reasonably new map today resulted in a few riders taking the scenic route. (You're never lost if you're out on your bike and its a beautiful day.) The rear half of the pack triumphantly rolled into breakfast ahead of the lead dogs, which was due to the front end of the pack deciding to go visit S Mountain Park while we were zipping by it. Breakfast chatter ranged from national politics to local gossip, the latter being much more interesting than the former. (Could we all be a bit tired of the election stuff??)

Coming up...

Saturday 11/8/08 7:30am Kiwanis Park. The McKellips Loop, with route options of 28 miles or 37 miles, a little gentle climbing on each. Breakfast at Einstein's, northwest corner Guadalupe and McClintock.

Saturday 11/15/08 7:30pm Kiwanis Park. Mummy Mountain, original route, with options of 27 miles with moderate climbing or 40 miles with a bit more climbing. Breakfast at IHOP, southwest corner College & Apache.

Saturday 11/22/08 7:30pm Kiwanis Park. Buddy's Route, also known as the original route for the Ahwatukee Foothills area. One route, about 30 miles, less if you skip the climbing loops. Breakfast at Paradise Bakery, southwest corner Ray & 54th St.

Tid bits

El Tour de Tucson looms. For many in our group, the annual ride in Tucson is a quest, a goal that keeps us focused for the rest of the year. At three weeks out, your time to drop weight is done. What ever cargo you still have today, is going with you on the ride, over every dang foot of climbing and across every mile. If you didn't succeed on that phase of your training, you'll be cursing every one of those pounds by the end of the event and promising yourself that next year you'll get more serious about it. Some question the idea of having one event that is the peak of our year, building up to that, and then letting things slide afterwards for a bit, before starting the cycle all over again the next year. From a pro-athlete's perspective, not a good training pattern. But for a life-time recreational athlete, you're on target. That carrot dangling out there each year, for many its enough motivation to keep us trying, to keep us making an attempt each time to seek our best. Crank it up, Grasshoppers, the time to ride hard and long is now. The couch will wait.

Ride safe.