Choices in Cycling

Peoria, AZ.  Brian Lamb, the founder of C-SPAN, says he has learned in his long career that people want choices.  Certainly that is evident in cycling.

Among the delights of Wickenburg, 66 miles nort of Phoenix, was connecting with a dozen or so touring cyclists who had come up from Tucson in the southern part of the state. They had ended their ride for the day and some were gathered in a motel parking lot around the trailers that carried their baggage and equipment.

The group was in the midst of a week-long ride organized by Pacific Atlantic Cycling (PAC Tour) in Tucson. They were serious cyclists who were expected to ride 60 to 90 miles per day and maintain a speed of 16 to 20 mph. This particular ride, the Cactus Classic, begins and ends in Tucson and includes a long journey in the low desert north as far as Wickenburg.  The cost of the ride was $1145, including double occupancy accommodation, two meals a day, and support. http://www.pactour.com

Lon Haldeman, PAC Tours founder, is a champion rider who has crossed the country by bike many times. He sees bicycle touring as steadily but slowly gaining popularity.

The Cactus Tour is quite a different undertaking from mine and reflects the choices available. In Wickenburg, which is on the Adventure Cycling southern tier US route, I saw smaller groups of two to four cyclists plus two travelers on recumbents. On my ride from Long Beach I did not encounter other individual cyclists, but I know they're out there.

The ride south on route 60 towards Phoenix was straight forward and enjoyable. The shoulder was wide and the weather sunny without wind.  The temperature did not rise above the high 50s.

With luck, I'll reach my destination of Tempe on Thursday. Wednesday's ride was a manageable 36-miles.

Blythe, CA to Brenda, AZ

Brenda, AZ.  There's an I Love Lucy episode from the 1950s in which Lucy and Desi stop at a motel that is so close to the highway that the lamp on the table rattles so loudly when traffic goes by that they can't sleep. My motel in the village of Brenda wasn't that bad, mainly because there were not that many vehicles going by at night.

When the rain came in at 6 p.m, luckily  I was inside the Buckaroo Restaurant, a half-mile down the road from the motel. I had hurried back to get inside before the Buckaroo closed at 7. There was neither a restaurant nor a store for ten miles.

It had been a longish day but a satisfying one. I was back on the road after a two-day hiatus and things went well. The day began in Blythe and continued the short distance east to the Colorado River that forms the border with Arizona. Given recent rains there was a considerable flow in the south-flowing river.

I wasn't sure how far I would get. My first target was Quartzsite, a small town on interstate 10 20 miles from Blythe. Riding along the shoulder of the interstate I took the exit for Quartzsite to get information for what kind of accommodation I might find farther on.  As I entered the lobby of the Super 8 motel I was surprised by the sign on its door.  It read, "If you're walking outside the motel be aware that this is the season that snakes wake up and are coming out. If you see one on the motel property, DO NOT BOTHER IT, but report its whereabouts to management."

Riding on, the wind had dissipated and there was no immediate threat of rain.  I continued on on the interstate and took the Adventure Cycling Association route that departed the freeway at exit 31. From there it was only five-miles northeast to Brenda where I spent the night. I was tempted to go on but gave up the idea when I learned there wouldn't be another motel for 30 miles.

The day ended with six-hours of riding that covered 45-miles.