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Q: Can you ride a tandum [sic], with a flat front tire, with two people?
A: Yes, carefully.

I saw Paula standing next to the deck. I pulled the brakes and at the exact second the bike came to a stop. . . wooosh! Front tire flat, instantly. We both laughed. This is Tucson, afterall, land of flats. But I set up the Tandum (it was spelled like that on the label at the Play it Again Sports where we bought it) with both slime and tire tuffy’s — supposedly flat proof.

Well, we ate our burritos and then found out the answer to the question posed above. Originally the plan was for me to ride and Paula run (I was picking her up from a run), but we tried both of us anyway.

The tire came off the rim once, and negotiating Tucson’s uneven, bumpy streets was a challenge, but we made it home just fine.

It’s been a good week so far, and the weekend was even better.

Saturday was Tucson Mountain Park with Jon. Jon rides a singlespeed, so the pace was nice and fast. I felt great riding back through town afterwards, which was a very good sign. We pedaled back through campus as folks were firing up their hot air balloons.

Sunday was Agua Caliente to Milagrosa — backwards. A classic ride and the absolute best technical workout in town. I was somewhat surprised when Jay suggested we ride it backwards. Anyone who would suggest climbing Milagrosa is exactly the kind of rider I’m looking to ride with.

We had a blast on the trail. And Jay’s dog, Fred, who happens to be a she, was in front or right behind us the entire way.

Q: How do you know you’re riding a good trail?
A: When your friend’s dog can keep up the entire time.

The trail is just relentless, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hike-a-bike? Not really. We rode probably 95% of the trail distance. I hardly remember any walking. Many dabs, but that just leaves room for improvement next time.