Archive for the ‘BICYCLING ARIZONA’ Category
Random Images……Tucson’s Monsoon season has arrived!
The word monsoon is derived from the Arabic word mausim, which means season. Traders plying the waters off the Arabian and Indian coasts noted for centuries that dry northeast winds in the winter suddenly turn to the southwest during the summer, and bring beneficial yet torrential rains to the Asian subcontinent.
Supposedly, it’s so hot in this desert that moist air from the distant Sea of Cortez is sucked inland and becomes rain here in Tucson.
However, I prefer to believe that it is San Juan Bautista (St. John the Baptist), patron saint of water, answering the Spanish explorer, Francisco Vasquez Coronado‘s sincere prayers.
I scrambled up onto my roof as the clouds were darkening to get these pictures.
The National Weather Service reports 1.6 inches of rainfall so far this month.
I estimate that this evening’s storm dumped another 0.25 to 0.50 inches (I just avoided getting caught in the deluge bicycling back from the grocery store) bringing July’s total to around 2 inches.
The wettest July on record: 6.24 inches in 1921.
Gracias, St. John!
Nathan
Espresso Review……Il Gelato Naturale! Allegro, on Campbell and 6th
Show on mapMy first “espresso review” since moving to Tucson is actually a “gelato review.”
Regular readers will know I adore my hand-crafted, Italian-built Guerciotti racing bike so a love of Italian gelato is to be expected.
The best gelato is differentiated from typical American ice cream by its:
- more intense flavors;
- velvety texture;
- lower fat content; and,
- small batch production methods.
You can call anything an “espresso” or a “gelato,” but the real thing requires the finest and freshest ingredients and an artisan’s touch.
So how is Allegro?
I didn’t interview the staff about their production methods because they were so busy when I dropped by, but based on taste I give them a solid 5 (out of 5) stars.
Allegro promotes its use of organic, fresh, seasonal ingredients. They offer about 20 flavors including novel ones such as (1) pineapple-basil, (2) cardamom, and (3) saffron. Their menu also includes seasonal sorbets such as (1) lemon, (2) peach, and (3) boysenberry. All these flavors are made with fresh fruits and spices!
Btw, I see from Allegro’s facebook page they will have a fig sorbet coming up. I really dig figs so I’ll be back to try this!
If it isn’t already clear, this place is definitely worth a visit if you need a gelato fix.
Oh, there’s also indoor and outdoor seating and…wait for it…bike parking right in front.
Nathan
On the Road……Busted by Pima County Sheriff, Catalina Highway
I consider myself a very safe and considerate bicyclist, but I do practice the Idaho Stop Law when conditions permit such as:
- being outside the Tucson city limits;
- surrounded by desert; and,
- having clear lines of sight in all directions!
But this Pima County Sheriff was not buying my defense. In fact, I was given no warning and was issued a $200 citation for failure to stop at a stop sign, which he told me, carried the full automobile DMV points and insurance implications as though I had been operating an automobile.
Later, I found out the City of Tucson has a re-education program for scofflaws like me (which will wipe away the infraction)…I’m scheduled to attend this bicycle safety course next week-end.
For the record, this is the second time something like this has happened to me. I wrote about the first time here.
On the Road……Still Descending AZ’s Catalina Highway
Descending the Catalina highway toward Tucson.
With about 10-12 miles of downhill miles remaining, I’m feeling pretty good about the day.
On the Road……The Long Descent (of Catalina Highway)
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).
Ride Report……Mt Lemmon, Part II
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.
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.
On the Road……Central Tucson’s Palo Verdes
I’m back in the desert, but recovering from an awful case of pneumonia valley fever — which is not good at all.
Nonetheless, I saw this lovely Palo Verde (Parkinsonia florida), which is Arizona’s state tree, while riding to pick-up my Honda from the dealership over on 22nd St.
These trees have green branches and trunks to help with photosynthesis, which comes in handy during droughts when the Palo Verde drops its leaves.
Ride Report……Toward the Summit of Mt. Lemmon, Part 1
My Mt. Lemmon ride was rather ill-planned, meant only as an exploratory trip to see what this mountain is all about.
It began on a Sunday afternoon, fueled by a morning capuchino and cinnamon roll from Cartel Coffee Lab (which was excellent and made me wish I had snapped a picture for an espresso review — click here for the review archives…but I digress).
Getting off to a late start (about 12:30 with the sun already directly above), I parked at the Safeway on Tanque Verde and Catalina Highway, 2-3 miles away from where the road begins to steepen. I wore wool shorts, some puma shot-putting shoes, a cotton tank-top with a lightweight, long-sleeve polyester shirt over that, a scarf-like buff around my neck, and zinc oxide sun protection on my face. I put a vietnamese-style baguette sandwich in my handlebar bag and a full water bottle in my downtube cage.
I felt great the first 7 miles as I climbed the initial few thousand feet. With each switchback the valley began fading away. I remarked to myself that this was the most comfortable I’ve felt on a bike since coming to Tucson: few cars, scenic views, and to me, the satisfying rhythm of a long, hard hill climb (which is what I was used to in California).
Just after making the above picture of this prickly pear cactus, the sound of rapid gunshots rang out from a pickup truck directly across the road. I quickly ascertained the pistoleros were not aiming their bullets at me, but I still felt vulnerable. I didn’t linger.
As I covered this initial ground, I guzzled water at a rate that naively assumed I could fill-up at the numerous official campgrounds en-route (e.g. at mile 6, 12, 18 etc.). So I rolled into the Molino Basin Campground — at around 1:30pm and well into the heat of the day — with a nearly empty water bottle. It was only then that I learned there would be no more water until the Palisades ranger station (more than 14 miles ahead and 4,000 feet above me).
I gamely rode another mile or so, but began to tire. The hot and extremely windy conditions made for tough riding. At times, it felt as though I was barely moving at all as I hammered my lowest gear into 30-mph gusting headwinds.
The opportunity to take a rest and eat something arrived in the form of the Gordon Hirabayashi recreation site. My energy was mostly spent and I was out of H2O. I ate half a sandwich and thought that this would be the end of my climb….
…TO BE CONTINUED in PART II
Tired, thirsty, and hunkered down in a small patch of shade.
On the Road……Toward the Summit of Mt. Lemmon
This past Sunday I decided to head toward the top of Mt. Lemmon to see how far I could get. It’s a tough 20+ mile ride going from the desert floor (at around 2,000′ of elevation) all the way up to a subalpine forest (around 9,000′).
I hope to have a detailed report and more pictures soon. Suffice it to say: I only made it about half way (around 6,000′ just below Windy Point).
Q: do you notice anything wrong with the picture above?
A: the single water bottle (and lack of water along the route), which proved to be my critical undoing!
On the Road……Tucson Front Yards (more)
FOR SALE…$25…FIRM, which begs the question: the mattress or the asking price? Or both?
On the Road……Tucson Front Yards
Tucson front yards are quirky and full of character…These are along my regular 3rd St./Rosewood commute.
On the Road……Near the Alamo Wash on Rosewood St.
Tucson is blessed with what the locals call “washes” essentially dry riverbeds that channel water during heavy rains. In New Mexico (where I went to high school) we called them “arroyos“. I think they are one and the same.
Theoretically these washes perform the function of habitat corridors in an otherwise highly fragmented urban landscape. I’m not familiar enough yet with the city’s urban ecology to know for certain, but I’ll bet bobcats, javelinas, and other assorted critters make use of these.
This particular wash, bisects the bikeway I use to get to work. It was a partly cloudy day so I stopped and made a few pictures.
On the Road……Tour of the Tucson Mountains, cont’d.
Here we have the results posted in the finish area. My time was 4:42, including stops for refreshments, photography, and a flat tire.
Bookman’s, the jersey sponsor above, is a Tucson institution. They buy, sell, and trade books, digital media, and other sundry items — including used vinyl (and while the selection doesn’t compare to the likes of Amoeba Records in Berkeley, I was happy to find some old Leonard Cohen and Sam Cooke records when I stopped by).
The only snack I wanted after this long hot ride was H2O-melon!
On the Road……Tour of the Tucson Mountains, cont’d
Here we have aid station #3, about 30 miles into the ride, which unbeknownst to me was about 1000′ away from the spot where I had my first mishap — a flat tire.
I expected a couple flats during the ride. I seem to pick up lots of cactus thorns in AZ. So I stuffed an extra tube, tire irons, even a patch kit into my TA handlebar bag. What I hadn’t expected was for my trusty silca frame pump (which I wrote about here and here) to fail me.
So I waited, and waited…and watched dozens of cyclists stream past before a kind gentleman (whose name I never caught) riding a recumbent bicycle offered me use of his pump. I lost about 25 minutes and was quite surprised to crest the next gentle slope and see this aid station.
Nathan
On the Road……Tour of the Tucson Mountains
This is the view of the mass start at about 6:25am for the 25th anniversary, 73-mile perimeter ride around the Tucson Mountains.
I started toward the very back — about 600 riders deep — amidst a sea of muti-colored and neon jerseys. It took about 3 minutes to actually cross the “start” line after the bell sounded.
I wore some traditional black wool bicycling shorts, a long sleeve white t-shirt, and my Adidas Chile ’62 shoes (because I like the way their knobby soles grip the pedals when I use toe-clips and leather straps).
Timed rides like this are usually not my thing, but I figured it would be a good way to get a sense of the local bicycling scene. I hope to post some more thoughts on that subject, and more pictures from this ride, soon.
Nathan
On the Road……3rd Street-University Bikeway, Tucson
Here’s the 3rd St. bike way (looking east west) which is the bike path I take when riding my bike to work.
Near the University there’s some good infrastructure (like the special bike crossing above), but unfortunately as you travel east the bikeway ends at Wilmot (about a mile before my destination). I’m then forced to ride on one of Tucson’s mega-six lane boulevards (along a narrow stripped bike lane) for about another mile.
This (and the fact that I pedal directly into a glaring sun each morning AND afternoon — since I ride due east in the AM and due west in the PM) will be a test of how dedicated I remain to riding my bike to work.
Nathan
On the Road……The Teddy Bear Chollo of Sabino Canyon
I’m still getting settled here in Tucson, but I’m making an effort to sustain my 11-mile, round trip, bicycle commute to work (at least before the temperatures reach the triple digits).
Tucson’s beautiful Sabino Canyon is open to bicyclists after 5:00pm, which is where this image was made.
The subject seen here is my current favorite cactus: the Opuntia bigelovii or Teddy Bear Cholla.
Nathan
Featured Comment by Laura: “It looks like it was a hard dry winter for that area, so not much of a spring bloom. It’s one of the great joys of the desert to see it in bloom, so if you’re there next year I hope it’s a good one! This site is useful for checking out what’s happening with the fleurs. http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/wildupdates.html (lots of ads, but the info is good.) I have indeed removed teddy bear cactus spines with pliers. Not from my own calf, I’m happy to say–it weren’t pretty.”
Nathan replies: What a great website. It confirmed the two other blooming plants I’ve been seeing around Tucson. One is the Hedgehog (Echinocereus) and the other is the Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), which is my new, new favorite cactus — but it turns out it is not actually a cactus! (P.S. Laura is a talented botanist pursuing her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Brown University. I always appreciate her comments when I attempt to write about the plant kingdom).
On the Road……Good-bye SF Bay Area — Hello Tucson, AZ?!
Sad, but true. I’m relocating to Tucson, AZ and (at least for now) leaving the Bay Area.
The truck, my Honda, and the bikes in tow, make for a pretty long rig! Rolling into and out of gas stations (see picture below) was not easy. And I was always concerned about pulling in some place and not being able to get out again.
Anyhow, Tucson is supposed to be a great biking city so once things settle down I hope to continue dispatching bike-related rides and photos from the Southwest.
On the Road……Tucson, Arizona – Snow!
I drove from the Bay Area to Tucson, AZ the day after Xmas for a quick 2-day visit with my dad.
I brought my bike hoping to try the famous Mt. Lemmon ride, but a combination of insufficient time and snowy weather prevented me from giving it a go. (I’m in pretty poor bicycling shape so it’s 50-50 whether I even could have made the 25-mile climb up to 8,000 feet.)
A sad bicycle sitting idle, poolside.
