I did my last long-ish ride before leaving for the AZT. First I pedaled over to Reid Park to watch Paula in the Race for the Cure 5k. She pulled away from Tia and Beth around mile 1.5 to mile 2.0, but could not hold on to the gap she had. Fatigue, it seems, is not a good thing to have haunting you while racing.
I next headed east, intending to make it to the next round of AZT construction at Colossal Cave. At about Broadway and Craycroft I realized that in my haste to make the start of the race I forgot my pump. It was in my backpacking pack. With ~20 miles to go and possibly ~30 to get back, I decided I wasn’t willing to put myself at risk of a flat. My front tire currently has a thorn in it that leaks true goo every once in a while, but is still holding. I couldn’t bear riding BACK out to where I had already ridden, so I decided to change plans and do a long ride instead.
So I rode back home, called Shane and was soon off riding up Oracle Rd. How could I put in a winter of riding (some call it training) without paying my dues on Oracle road? It’s true that I’ve been in a stranger to the west side of the Catalinas this winter. So today Shane and I corrected that situation.
We cruised directly to the Charouleau Gap parking lot, then began the 2600 ft climb to the Gap. It’s always a pleasure to pedal this trail and today was no exception. The air was crisp for April in Tucson. I was starting to feel tired at the turn off for Cherry Tank where we stopped to contemplate making the climb to the Gap. I was tired and whiny, but I can never say no to extra climbing, so of course we kept rolling to challenge the technical terrain at the top.
I had zero dabs going into it, but hopes were not high for the very last ledge section which was near impossible the last time I climbed the Gap. Nothing like negative thinking like that to make you dab somewhere earlier and easier. When I approached the ledge it looked OK, and I was able to get both tires onto the exit slickrock ramp, but I didn’t have nearly enough momentum (or enough guts, your choice) to pedal out of it. C-gap in 2 dabs.
The wind was blasting, as usual, at the top. After a quick look at the AZT on Oracle Ridge we turned around to blast back down.
“I think the downhill is harder than the uphill.” Says roadie Shane. The deep ruts do make for some sticky situations on the descent.
We turned to climb to Cherry Tank, then the Sutherland Gap singletrack into the upper 50 year trail loop. All great stuff and trail I rarely get to ride. Wildflowers in places. My legs were cooked at this point, though.
Shane, true to form, blew out a big knob on his all-but-disinigrated rear tire, resulting in an squeaky and loud POP of his tire. He laid his spare tube on a cactus while changing it, but by some miracle it actually held when pumped back up.
The 50 year trail is great fun, but a powerful bonk took over me, tightened up my shoulders and made me question the wisdom of riding this long. I managed to pull myself out of it by the time we reached the state park. I usually am much more beat up when I finish that trail, and I think my expecations of how hammered I should have felt tricked my feeble mind into thinking the body wasn’t as tired as it really is. Thank you 29 inch wheels and titanium frame.
I was, of course, still pretty hammered, but it was only pavement back home, and mostly downhill. Who doesn’t enjoy riding in traffic in Tucson and especially Oracle RD?
It’s time to rest up. My legs are tired and my sleep near comatose.
76 miles, 6200 feet of climbing, 9 hours
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