Roctober Rides

[AppleTree]

Can't wait to read your blogs when I have a bit of time Emily!

I did almost 51 on the Centennial Trail again today. Last weekend I did great, this week was more tiring, but there was a stiff headwind going back south. Lots of riders out today and no wonder, it will probably be one of last days this year it will be in the 70s. Gorgeous day!



Oh, and I had a little hitchhiker!

[azfiddle]

Somehow I've ridden about 400 miles this month and haven't posted anything! Last week I did three twenty-ish weekday rides (two "training" and one commute) plus a group ride on Saturday and an organized ride on Sunday.

The organized ride is the "Tumacacori Century", which mainly follows the Santa Cruz River valley south of Tucson toward Nogales. I had signed up to ride the full century Sunday, but my longest ride this fall was about 64, so I wasn't sure about jumping up to about 100 miles. I opted for the 71 mile length, which also meant I had a riding partner. Only the fast gals were doing the longest distance and at an average of around 14 mph, it would have been 8 hours or so, depending on rest stops. It was a good choice- I still had a something in the tank when I got back, and wasn't in the last 20 riders dragging into the parking lot. It's a nicely supported ride, with more options for snacks than a person can possibly sample, and sub sandwiches and a local Tucson treat- Eegee's frozen fruit slushies at the end of the ride.

[rebeccaC]

Thanks AppleTree, CAS and Emily for the nice comments on the photos!!!!

Emily…..Thanks for the blog links!!
We stopped to ride a few times on the northern California 101/1 on a trip back from Wa. a year ago.
It's absolutely a magical road through Prairie Creek. I also posted some photos of the ride in the "Show your 2013 summer adventures" thread. Looking at that thread again I found Eden's photos of one of her rides up to Mt. Baker that inspired me to ride it when on a trip to Bellingham Wa. I couldn't remember who posted the photos......THANKS EDEN!!!!!!

[Crankin]

I did an early morning ride this morning, something I haven't done in awhile. I'm still waking up at an ungodly hour (3-4 AM) from traveling, so I got out of bed at 4:30, and since it wasn't raining, decided on riding, instead of spin class. I always love riding early in the AM, but sadly, there are more people up and about now, as compared even 2 years ago. However, the first 15 minutes of the ride is always quiet, and I even saw another cyclist at my first intersection.
I rode through Concord Center and came right back, so only 10.3 miles, but I felt like I was working hard. I have several versions of this ride and today I did the shortest and flattest. When I got back, I discovered I had jammed the zipper of the back pocket of my wind jacket; since my phone and wallet were in there, I had to work hard to try and get it unstuck. Unfortunately, I couldn't, so my choice was cut the jacket or rip the zipper apart, which I did. Since I won't be riding until the weekend, and it's going to be a bit warmer, I will be able to take it for repair and use other clothing combinations. It's going to rain for the next 4 days, of course during the days I actually have time to ride during the day.