Rocking Bar End Ranch Ride

I came down to Tucson for to do some business - drove down and along with other stuff like tools and computers and printers - I brought a bike to ride (if time allowed) and here I am a few days ago out with my Old School Chum, Le Tigre!

If you were in Tucson visiting yourself, and riding up around the Catalina Foothills, you'd see many Cats on Bikes (Blokes on Bikes as well) zipping here and there.  This is where my friend Ryan Lives to Ride and Rides to Live, Gentle Readers of This Blog!  I follow him on his favorite rides this beautiful Sunday Morning in Tucson!

I drive to the YMCA, my old starting point for communing to work back in the day, and then I ride down to meet Le Tigre somewhere on the bike path.  It's right at 6 am and Tucson seems deserted - there's no traffic - just Monsoon rain clouds rolling over at a slow trot.

River Bike Path expanding 

 The Monsoons are in full swing - that's good because although it was cool - it was still a hilly ride and the sun, once the rain clouds move over the sleeping neighborhoods - take back the day with a vengeance! I meet up with Le Tigre pretty quick.

We waste no time rolling out to River Rd.  Much faster than the bike path now, as the runners and walkers are out for their workouts.  Le Tigre - is fit and strong - typical Tucson cyclist.  We were in school together back in the day, and his first job landed in our profession, he ending up doing well - he can work from home and then travels a bit - mainly to curate, buy for a wealthy collector who shall remain unknown to you, Gentle Reader, works of art, rare books, aircraft, artifacts, and rare curiosities.  L T is that individual's personal Librarian - if said individual had an obsession with Soviet Era MIG fighter jets for example, Le Tigere's job would be to track down and acquire for purchase that airplane - arrange for its shipment to rich guy's secret headquarters - set up restoration - then arrange and hire the top Russian Air Force fighter pilot to come to the USA and teach super rich guy to fly it. The job is bizarre and the stories Le Tigre tells me about the length and money spent to acquire shit like that is funny and awesome!
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We ride through areas around the Foothills, and then slip into the famous fat farm and celebrity de-tox resort of Canyon Ranch.  Sir Paul has a house there, and really besides being a rehab, you can buy a house there - but you got to be rich and you got to be somebody.  

We ride up to Sabino Canyon - a very beautiful place to hike and walk, and we get some water.  I'm feeling sluggish as I had driven cross-country from Kansas to Arizona. Also, I'm here in Tucson to evict the piece of shit tenant in my house up in Dog Mtn. but the stress of all that is falling away as I'm on the bike and on the roads I know so well.

I had enough room to pack Big Sexy - not the best road bike, but one I can leave here in Tucson and ride around when I'm in town.  When I got into town I took the bike to a new and local shop near Dog Mtn and they put on a set of bar end shifters, and replaced the old crappy handle bar shifters.  Well, mes amis, the bar end levers didn't work much better - in fact worse - so it was a bit frustrating to ride with the gears shifting on their own.  I had to ride in the drops and hold the gears in place.  Really I don't think the guys at this shop really knew what they were doing.  I should have driven across town and had Phil and Judy do the job.  I'll take the bike back to that shop and see if they can adjust them

As always, good to see Le Tigre! I'm try to get out and ride some more, and post when I can!  Cheers!  Bruce