I Have a Story to Tell

This is a picture from this last weekend on my ride. I'm up in Dog Mtn, and Downtown Tucson can be seen in the middle of the photo. To the right is "A" Mountain. To the left aways is where I work. I'm about 30 miles out and looking South.


Bike and stuff packed the night before in my car. It was a bit cold so ran back in and got the jacket. Got an Americano from Espresso Drini, the cafe I frequent in Dog Mtn. I'm kinda not awake at the moment, but I'm at the YMCA--about 8 miles from chez moi.


Rode up Ina, to Sunrise, to Skyline. The road changes names I believe in that order. I climb East along the base of the foothills of Pusch Ridge. Here, I've stopped to photograph, for your enjoyment, Gentle Reader, about the intersection of Swan (looking South here) and Skyline.


Turning around, you can see the intersection just up there in the left-hand corner. I'm looking North up Swan. These are the Catalina Foothills. The climbing is done for the morning, and I will ride down and get some speed, 30 to 35 mph should the traffic be clear.


How do you all like my new presciption sun glasses? All these years and I never had a pair. They are pretty nice, and you know, this is the first time to wear them on the bike. They are Italian by design--probably the only thing Italian on my bike other than the bike cap me mum brought back from Milan...


The steel bike.


Riding home after a day at the office, dreaming all day I could be outside and riding the bike in the open desert. Actually, mes amis, it was a windy one in the afternoon. The headwind was brutal. As I rode up LaCholla on my last stretch back into the mountains of Dog Mtn, my calves started cramping up. I didn't eat my power bar for the ride home because I couldn't find it in my backpack. I was bonking, and still had about three miles of climbing to go.


I ride and park here. This would be a road I could take to Dog Mtn but as you can see, lot of people moving in and its bumper to bumper.


The last part I'll drive home. Too dangerous even for me to try and get home this route.

At the moment, I am unable to ride all the way in as the roads are shit. Roads are beat to hell, and there's a lot more people moving in and its crowded. Some type of construction and development going on, which is probably the reason for the water seeping into the road. I think they're building the new homes in the wash and they've tried to re-route the wash's path. Wash may not be cooperating at the moment. So we get this mess. The way turds drive out here, with total disregard for their fellow humans, I would surely meet my end.

People seem to drive like gas will never reach $5.00 a gallon. They probably don't have much choice and must drive. My daily commute distance round-trip is just under 50 miles. Today I rode my bike 30 and drove about 20. At least that's something.

Love!