The Friday Cyclotouriste

a geo-photoblog chronicling my "excursions velo"

Archive for June, 2011

On the Road……The Long Descent (of Catalina Highway)

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After turning around at the Bear Canyon picnic spot it was all downhill (literally not metaphorically speaking) — 16 miles of pure descending.

I had to touch the brakes in a few tight curves, but otherwise I modulated my speed by raising or lowering my upper body relative to my bike’s top tube (thereby increasing or decreasing my wind resistance).

 

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June 30th, 2011 at 10:47 pm

Ride Report……Mt Lemmon, Part II

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I’m just now getting around to completing Part II of my ride report covering the scouting trip I made up the Catalina Highway toward Mt. Lemmon a number of weeks ago.

To recap: as I described in Part I, I was only about 6-7 miles and 2500 feet up the mountain before I began to succumb to the high temperatures, lack of water, and gusty winds.

However, as I contemplated ending my ride another bicyclist happened along.  She had abandoned her efforts around the 11-12 mile mark anxious about the high wind and the dangers this could poise during the steep, twisting descent. Since she no longer needed all her liquids she offered me half a bottle, which contained some kind of energy, mineral, or electrolyte-infused water.

To my surprise, drinking this helped me recovery most of my energy and instilled a renewed spirit for pushing onward. As I climbed, I actually began to gain strength. I passed a group of three mountain bikers and settled into a good rhythm, climbing for another 5-6 miles which brought me to about 6,000 feet above sea level.

I pulled into the Bear Canyon picnic area around 3:30pm feeling really good.

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I attribute much of these good feelings to the Ponderosa Pines (Pinus ponderosa) now populating the landscape. Seeing this majestic species with its distinctive orange-ish bark  (a common sight when I bicycled in California) thrilled me to no end. Plus, it signified that I was transitioning through one of the many eco-zones along the route.

However, given that I was out of water again (and it would be 8-9 more uphill miles before I could count on finding more) I decided my exploratory ascent would end right here.

Next up: a quick, yet sublime, 16-mile descent to the valley floor.

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June 28th, 2011 at 8:46 pm

Biking Culture……H.G. Wells and the Future of Humanity

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A bicycling quote from the famous, socialist, pacifist, and sci-fi writer, H.G. Wells:

“When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race.”

Audrey Hepburn

 

Albert Einstein


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June 20th, 2011 at 9:58 pm

Posted in BIKING CULTURE

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