I think we were all on the same page — enough with the fiddle fartin’ around, fun as it was. It was time to get some continuous riding in, maybe a little flow.
No better place for that than Mt. Lemmon. It was a self-shuttle day — even ‘big’ bikes climb pavement well, provided you don’t have expectations of being fast or chasing road cyclists. I guess some high profile roadies passed us — Astana jerseys at one point. I was thinking more about the trails ahead.
I enjoyed talking to Alan about dentistry, retirement and how the heck he rides a bike so well as we pedaled up the mountain. I don’t think either of us even unclipped or stopped until we got to the top of the Bug Spring trail. 1:45 of continuous riding — a huge record for their trip so far!
My legs started the day utterly empty, but the easy spinning really opened them up. I was ready to attack ‘the scar.’
Traction was good and it went clean, thanks to 20×36 (super granny) gearing.
New line on Bugs! Doesn’t look like much, but the ‘up’ is a little ‘heady’, as Mike would say. Enough that it took some encouragement from Mike and Alan before I rode it. I’ve been eying that rock for years now! Awesome.
More unbroken descending followed, through lower Bugs and Prison Camp.
Until Mike and I hit the climb to the saddle above Molino, where we fell off the wagon, reverting to our old ways. You see, there were sections we couldn’t ride, and we just can’t have that.
We gave the switchback staircase combo a number of valiant efforts. But none succeeded. Still tons of fun.
I got a kick out of riding behind Mike. Last time on this trail we were shooting helmet cam video, so I was in front. It was more fun to follow him and watch him pop off even the tiniest of rocks, lips or rises in the trail. He rode it like a local.
Line 1 on Milagrosa’s upper staircase.
Line 2.
I’d never cleaned the climb just after the staircase. Until… Mike and I started attacking it, with eventually Mike, then me, coming out of it still clipped in and moving forward.
One more piece of the Milagrosa puzzle falls into place. That left only one section (a climb), but I didn’t have much hope that it would go, even with Mike’s help.
In the meantime we had miles of chunky descending to devour, and illumination too breathtaking not to stop for a pic or two.
What’d I say about Mike and popping off every thing possible?
Muscling through through the Gauntlet. I like how the animation shows where he loses momentum and has to readjust his line.
Eventually Milagrosa dumps out into a wide wash, where our final climb challenge waited. I consider it unrideable, and said as much. But it didn’t stop Mike, and eventually me, from trying. Mike made the most progress early on, and watching him I started believing it might be possible. Subsequent attempts didn’t go well, though. Energy was running thin, daylight fading.
But somehow I got it. “Holy crap!” from Mike, followed by much hootin’ and hollaring from me. Greg and Alan heard us from ’round the corner and up the hill.
They were most patient. We rejoined them at the top, where we proceeded to roll out some of the harder moves on the trail.
Greg turned it on here. Maybe it was the sun’s absence that had him focusing purely on the trail rather than photo angles. But he totally rocked the lower ‘triple trouble’ moves, sight unseen. I only know a small handful of riders that ride them, and even Mike struggled a bit last year. Greg was on fire.
We were all buzzing as we pedaled a bit of pavement to round out the loop. They say riding with those better than you makes you a better rider. Today was ample proof of that. It was by far my best run on these trails. Thanks MC, Alan and Greg!
We finished the day with a proper feeding at our neighborhood Mexican joint — Francisco’s — tag line = elegant dining elsewhere.
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