Phoenix area riders?

[mommelisa]

Hi, all:

I'm looking for someone to ride on the weekends with, and maybe sometime during the week if its early.

I'm not a beginner but I'm not an expert either, just trying to get better!! My longer rides are in the neighborhood of 2 - 2 1/2 hours right now.

Anyone in AZ?
mommelisa

[JanT]

Hi! I live in NW Glendale. I've been mountain biking for a few years, and just started road riding a year ago. The group rides all seem to be on the east side, so I've only done one. What side of "town" do you live on? I'd enjoy having some company, especially now that's it's getting hot!

[mommelisa]

Hi, Jan! I live in Scottsdale (Grayhawk) but I'm willing to travel!

I've been riding about a year and I really love it. I'm training for a couple of triathlons coming up in July and the fall, and as I said before my longer rides are between 2 - 3 hours right now. I'd really love to do longer eventually.

I usually like to ride early - I hate traffic!! My husband has kind of messed my training schedule up - he's training to hike the Grand Canyon this year, and his long hikes are on Saturday mornings, so I've had to readjust my training schedule a little. I'm trying to do my my long runs on Friday morning and my longer rides on Sunday, but I'm open for any day. I ride with a group on Thursday mornings from 100th Street and Via Linda which is a nice easy group - we kind of all go our own pace. The group is part of racelab, have you heard of it?

Let me know what you'd be up for!
Melisa

[JanT]

I'd heard of race lab, but didn't know anything about it. I just went to their website to check it out. Looks like they offer good programs, although expensive. Are you in their triathlon program? I'm concerned that I could not keep up with you. I am not fast, but have good stamina.

Do you have to be a member of Race Lab to ride with your Thursday group? How is the pace? What is the start time? In a couple weeks, school will be out, and maybe I could check it out.

Jan

[mommelisa]

Jan:

Racelab is great, I started with them years and years ago when all they were doing was coaching runners. They've branched out into more now - triathlon training, swimming, adventure racing, hiking. Its a pretty diverse group. Yes, I'm in the tri program. It is a little expensive, but they make me a schedule that is built around my needs as well as my own zones (hr zones) and I have access to about 10 coached sessions a week if I wanted. I do the swim class on Tuesday mornings, a track session on Wed and the group ride on Thursday but that is about it. I prefer to do my long runs around my own home where I have a running buddy who likes to run with me.

Our Thursday group starts at 5:30 at 100th Street and Via Linda. There is an AJ's there where we meet. We have a few set loops that we do, and everyone pretty much goes at their own pace (I would say between 14 - 17 mph) and then we have regroup points. You are always welcome to join us and see if you like it. There are a few high shool kids getting into biking and then the rest are just average like me who have lives and jobs and like to train. :-)

I am not fast, but I am like you, I can go for ever. I really haven't been riding long, but I enjoy it and I'm getting more comfortable on my bike. I don't think I ever rode one as a kid, so it was a big learning curve for me!

Maybe we can meet sometime and try it out. I am a "traffic-wussy" though, so I like to go early before the cars are out in force. Just let me know.

Melisa

[JanT]

Okay, Melisa. I feel less intimidated, as it sounds like we travel at about the same pace. Let's keep in touch. Sometimes my mountain biking friends can't get out on a Sunday, and I could do a long ride that fits your schedule. Or if you are wanting to do a Saturday or mid-week ride, you can give me a holler. I'm a teacher, and in two more weeks, I will be FREE! I don't mind driving east, as it is so scenic there. We have our scenic areas around Lake Pleasant, but the roads this way are very scary! I often ride the bike path that runs from near my house all the way out to the east side along the Arizona canal. It has underpasses at the major intersections so you can just ride, ride, ride, withour fear of traffic. It's pretty pleasant, although on weekends you sometimes have to deal with walkers, dogs, and unpredictable kids on bikes.

Do you ever ride at night? Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night during the summer and go for a ride. It's awesome around 3am, still warm, but more tolerable, and you have the roads to yourself. If you ride near the edge of civilization, as I often do, you hear the coyotes yipping. It's finally getting warm enough at night (for me!) to enjoy that kind of ride.