Best Days to Ride

August has been hot but September is on the way!

Just the best these mornings on the commute. I feel good and the weather is excellent--you couldn't ask for better riding here in Tucson.

There are a lot of lads and lasses out on bikes. Everyone is thinking about El Tour in November--as they should.

Too many times I've seen the dead and dying at about half-way through the 109 mile course. They were more than often young guys who had not trained, and thought they'd go out and rip up the road.

There's just this look in their eyes, "WTF am I doing out here?" They're miserable and in pain. I'm not saying I'm out there breaking any records, mes amis, its just that most people around here don't really train for over 100 miles, and its usually double what they ride on the weekends when they're out speeding around with their mates.

No matter how fit you are, you must train for 100 miles--or else you will be sorry. No expensive carbon road bike, or the latest most expensive saddle Tour de France riders used, etc etc etc, will make any difference if you have not spent the time on your bike.

Also, people that don't train, I've noticed, go balls-out the first 30 miles--then they get exhausted. 70 miles of pain is not fun, and the last 30 miles of El Tour on Silverbell just really suck--bad roads (getting a bit better) and its up-hill with a headwind.

Still, at the end of the day, Man it's so much fun! I've met and talked with people on the ride from all over the country--some trained in-doors for months so they could be ready. They're just happy to be in Tucson for the weekend instead of Boston or Detroit, or some other place where its gotten to cold to do any long rides because of snow and rain.

Let the fast guys go--what I like about El Tour is that eventually someone you know rides up, or you ride up to them, and you get to talk and catch up on things, and make plans to meet at the pub later!

Cheers! Bruce