Today was a rest day in Phoenix so no miles recorded. However I took a 7 mile ride in the morning. Why would I do that? I wanted to test the new rear tire and all is good!
I was able to buy some new camping and biking gear today that I realized I needed after the first week. I also left some things at home that I didn’t need. So it was a timely rest day for me.
By coincidence, my friend Jan celebrated her 80th birthday today and I was able to attend her special day. Happy Birthday Jan!!!
Then Margaret dropped me off at the hostel so I’d be ready for an early ride in the morning.
Today we rode a gradual descent from Wickenburg to Phoenix. The Adventure Cycling tour had two options for this ride. One came straight down the busy Highway 60 into the northwest suburbs. The alternative route took Highway 74 that was further north past Quintero Golf Club and also close to Lake Pleasant and then entered the Phoenix area further north. A few weeks before we started I rode portions of each route. I preferred the alternate route even though it was about 8 miles longer, because there was better scenery, less traffic, better bike lanes and paths, and it stayed off the dreaded Bell Road which is one of the busiest roads in the northwest suburbs. The group agreed so we took the alternate route and it was a good choice.
As we were getting ready to start the ride in the morning, I noticed my rear wheel was low on air. This made me nervous but I pumped it up and away we went.
I enjoy the rolling hills on Highway 74 with Saguaro cacti and Cholla cacti among others. If you like the desert, it’s a great ride.
At about the 50 mile mark, Margaret and friends and relatives and Lambeau came out to greet me and the other riders at Rio Vista Park in Peoria. It was a great spot for a break and I was happy to see everyone. I took a long break there to talk to everyone, and to enjoy two pudding shots which is a tradition with our “Bocce and Boozze” bocce ball team at Pebble Creek.
Also at the break, I checked my rear tire and it was still low. I tried pumping it up, but it was not holding air well. I decided to go for the last 20 miles with low tire pressure. Well, I made it to the hostel in Phoenix on a bad tire, so I had a sigh of relief.
Margaret picked me up at the hostel and as we were driving home I called my local bike shop to see if they could look at it on Saturday. They said they would be very busy, so I rushed over there on Friday before they closed. After they looked at the tire, I agreed to get a new one and they mounted it for me in about 10 minutes. I now felt comfortable again for the next week of riding.
Margaret and I joined a large group of friends at our Clubhouse tavern and enjoyed a great evening and a big meal. I’m grateful for my PebbleCreek friends.
Sleeping in my own bed and using my big, beautiful, clean shower were luxuries I appreciated more than ever!
Pictures don’t ever capture the scenery as when you are there, but I’ll keep trying. We crossed the Aqua Fria River and I was amazed that there was a little water in it!Tom arriving at Rio Vista parkLambeau running to see me before I could get off my bikeDana, Chris, and Tom enjoying the breakWe took the Arizona canal trail for the last 20 miles and encountered 12 tunnels like this one that passed under major roads. Sometimes we saw homeless people, standing water, and garbage, but no problems. Scott, Cheryl, Bergitta, Katie, Matt, Jerry, Dave, Jeff, Nathalie, Carlene, Margaret, Tom, Gayeann, and Kevin. “Excellent” friends on my excellent adventure.
Today’s ride was somewhat of a recovery from the last 5 days of strenuous riding. At least that’s what I thought when we started. There was only one hill that wasn’t too steep. However, we encountered cross winds and headwinds of 10-12 miles per hour that slowed me down a little. But it was still the easiest day so far and I was in Wickenburg by about 12:30-ish. I met up with four of our riders that were hanging out at a cafe in Wickenburg. But Dana was ready to leave and go to the campground, so I rode with him while the others stayed behind. Dana and I got to the campground first, so this was the first day I finished “on the podium”. It also meant I had to help unload luggage from the trailer, but it was worth it!
Today was my first day that I was assigned cooking duties with Felix. So getting to camp early was good. I had to stake my tent, shower, go shopping at Safeway with Felix and Simona, and then cook the meal. One of the benefits of going to the store is we have a chance to buy personal items we need, like beer! We picked up some Guinness and an IPA today.
So…what did we make for dinner?
We started with appetizers of veggies with ranch dip and guacamole. Our main course was penne pasta, marinara sauce from the jar, Italian meatballs from a frozen package, and sautéed bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. We served these all separate and let everyone take what they wanted, since we have vegan and gluten free participants. We also added bread and butter, a Sunflower salad (a salad bag kit) and had chocolate chip cookies from the Safeway bakery for desert. I have to say it was quite good!
We are allotted $150 at the grocery for the meal ingredients. Without realizing it until we got to the register, Felix and I served our meal to 12 people for less than $100!
I only took one picture today. About 20 miles into our ride we entered Maricopa county which includes Phoenix and Goodyear where we live. Maricopa county is huge and it’s usually one of the last counties in the US to certify votes in elections because of its size.
We started the day near Palo Verde, CA at Tamarisk Mobile Home Park and Campground. As usual, we camped in our tents last night, but the campground bathrooms and showers were horrendous. Our tour group rated it zero stars, because we don’t know how to make a negative star. Do not ever go near that place.
Before we started riding, I noticed a small cut in my rear tire. I asked Mark to take a look. Mark knows a lot about bikes and other things too! He said it wasn’t deep into the core, so he recommended putting crazy glue on it. I got some crazy glue out of the trailer and did a quick patch job. The tire held all day and hopefully a long time!
The ride went north to Blythe, CA where we crossed the Colorado River on a bike lane on I-10. We were now in Arizona!!! One state down. Also, after today’s ride we are over 10% of the way across the United States.
In Arizona, we rode two segments on I-10. I stopped at the I-10 Rest Area and it is very nice. You can go near that place.
Lots of people ask us where we’re going and they’re always impressed when we say St Augustine. At the rest area, I met Carlos, and he said a prayer with me for all our riders. Very cool.
Today’s ride was the hardest so far. We rode 80 miles to Solame, AZ. We also climbed 3 hills with elevation gain of 2,695 feet. It was also hot with a small headwind that added to the difficulty.
With about 20 miles left in the ride, I met up with Dana at Buckaroo’s Country Store where we got water and Gatorade. Dana was having trouble with his rear wheel on his recumbent. I rode behind Dana the last 20 miles in case he needed help which he did not. Dana thanked me at camp with a beer!
Near the end of the ride, I passed an RV park with a church called The Little House of Hope. I then passed the sign in the picture below. I hope it’s not a premonition!
Colorado River at Blythe, CAMy bike and I made it to ArizonaNot yet!Tom and Carlos
Today’s ride was a tale of three sections. First, we rode about 20 miles through agricultural lands in the Imperial valley. At the end of that section, there is a large canal that comes from the Colorado River. The Imperial valley is the largest user of Colorado river water. They grow a tremendous amount of vegetables.
Then almost immediately after the canal, there is about 10 miles of sandy area and large sand dunes that were gorgeous.
The final 40 miles was through natural desert and had one long climb but not too steep, and we had a tailwind most of the day!
My ride started slow. Pat had a flat and Brent and I stayed with him while he fixed it, but it didn’t hold and he had to call for the van to get a new tire. Then about 20 miles into the ride Brent had a flat that took very long to fix. By the time we got going again, one of the tour leaders, Tammy, was there so I rode ahead to make up time since we still had 50 miles to go. I rode solo for those 50 miles and really increased my pace. At the end of the day, my riding app showed I was moving for 5 hours and stopped for 3 hours. I don’t want to do that again, but I also know I’m going to need help and support from others in the future.
I carry a lot of water with me. I have a backpack with a water bladder that holds 2.5 liters and I also have 2 water bottles. About 12 miles to go, I finished my water bladder and I got uncomfortable with my water supply but I knew I could make it if nothing went wrong. At a similar time I noticed a car drive me at a slower speed than the rest of the traffic. About a mile up the road, that car had pulled over, and a man was standing outside and offering me a cold bottle of ice tea. I gladly took it and it was cold and delicious. We only talked a few minutes, but I learned his name was Sean and he had done some bicycle riding/racing in the past. I thanked him profusely and I’m sorry I didn’t take his picture, because he was my guardian angel today. Thank you Sean!
At the canal carrying Colorado river water to the Imperial valleySand dunesThe adventure cycling van on left was a welcome site to see at about the 40 mile mark in the desert section of the ride. Tour leader Simona was there with water, supplies, and sliced watermelon!Thank You Sean!
Today we started with an amazing 12 mile downhill. Much of it was on I-8. Bicycles are allowed to ride on the shoulder on California interstates. The shoulders were very well maintained and wide. I felt very comfortable riding on the interstate.
About 9 miles into our ride today, and over 100 biking miles since we left San Diego, we finally exited San Diego county. It’s a huge county.
Note interstate in distance which I soon traversed.
The picture below shows the wide shoulder we rode on. By coincidence, our tour group van and trailer came by at the time I stopped to take a picture.
Zoom in to see the Adventure Cycling van and trailer. My luggage is on board and will make it to the next stop before me!
After the big downhill the ride flattened out and we again rode along the Mexico border for about 30 miles through the desert. After many miles Chris said to me, I’m getting bored on this ride. I thought to myself “not me”. This is why I’m here, to experience all of this country. After getting to Mexicali, CA, we headed north to Brawley where we are spending the night inside a church hall. No tents tonight!
Along the way, I found Tom’s Hay Farm. Some of our riders behind me stopped there to ask for water and met Tom. He gave them water and dates!!See mountains in distance we came over the first two days and notice the long straight road we were riding along the Mexico border.
Did my title get your attention? Keep reading. But first, don’t worry if I don’t post everyday. We had no reliable internet or cellular service at our campground last night, so I’m catching up now.
Our ride on Day 3 was another uphill ride with 3,930 feet of elevation climbed. It was a good ride with a lot of scenery and mountain views and then flattened out along the Mexico border on our way to the campsite near Jacumba, CA.
The first section of the ride was scheduled to include about 10 miles on I-8. After 4 miles, a cop stopped the rider in front of me (Chris) and told him we could not go any further because of construction ahead. After a long discussion, we were instructed to exit the interstate and make a loop that added about 3 miles and some more hills. But all was good as it was a scenic detour that we enjoyed.
After the big climbs on this route, we went over Tecate Divide, and then rode down near the Mexico border to Jacumba which is right on the border across from Mexicali, Mexico. We rode within about 200 yards of the Border Wall.
Anytime we see Divide, Pass, or Summit we know there’s a big downhill ahead. This is about as close as I got to the Mexico border wall. More border wall near Jacumba.
Here’s the snake in Jacumba’s community park
Snake vs Tom
What is a goathead? It’s a dried pod from a vine that has spikes that look like goat horns. They can easily cause a flat tire on a bike. After visiting the snake, I noticed a goathead in my bake tire. I pulled it out and air started coming out, but the sealant inside my tire worked and stopped the leak. Disaster avoided!
Finally, our tour group had an amazing view of a SpaceX rocket launched from Vanderburg Air Force base. Margaret and I have seen these rockets from Phoenix but no others in our group had seen this before. What a way to end a great day!
We started the day with the traditional wheel dip. We dipped our back tire in the Pacific Ocean at Dog Beach park in San Diego. On Nov 23, I plan on dipping the front tire in the Atlantic Ocean.
Tom at the Pacific Ocean Dogs can run off leash on the beach hereMy riding group. Note dog photo-bombing us.
Today’s ride was a good one to start, with lots of trails and good bike lanes. At 43.8 miles, it was less than our overall average ride of 60 miles, but it was mostly uphill and we climbed 3,570 feet of elevation. The weather today was good for riding. It was mostly cloudy at the start and then some sunshine in the afternoon with a high about 70.
We are at a campsite near Alpine, CA. Today I pitched my tent for the first time on this trip and all is good. I’m in my tent as I’m writing this now. Tonight’s low is expected to be 60 so a perfect night for my first night in the tent. Oh yeah, a slight chance of rain tonight…
One of our riders, Felix, did not have as good of day. He had 5 flat tires! But he changed them all, stopped at a bike shop along the way for help, and made it all the way to the campsite. He was in good spirits at camp after a rough start and a long day.
Margaret and her sister, Nancy, drove me from Phoenix to San Diego this morning. They are staying the night in San Diego so they can see me start the ride at the Pacific Ocean in the morning.
I’m staying with the ride group tonight at the SameSun hostel. Two sets of bunks in a small room. I got assigned an upper bunk…great…I might enjoy my tent more tomorrow.
We had our orientation meeting this afternoon, ate a meal cooked by our tour leaders (rice, sautéed veggies, and chicken), and discussed the route we are taking tomorrow. So far so good. We start riding tomorrow morning at 8:30. I still have 3080 miles to go!
I started to get to know the other riders just a little bit. More to come on that, but I wanted to note that Felix lives in Scotland and came the farthest to ride this tour.
The biggest challenge for the group was trying to get everyone’s phone contacts as seen below.
Mark, Roy, Brent, Tour Leader Tammy, Tour Leader Simona, PatDale, ChrisTogan, Felix, Dana
Hey blog readers, get ready! Two weeks from today, I’ll be meeting my tour leaders and the rest of the riders in San Diego. I completed a 64 mile training ride today. I am ready…my bike is ready…my camping gear is ready. Let’s do this. I’ll start daily posts on September 26 when the group gathers in San Diego.
Tom's Excellent Adventure 