The Options...

 ...for tomorrow's ride (yea, it got pushed out to Wednesday after discussing schedules with Meghan) all have to fit within these parameters:

• somewhere fun to ride for 2 1/2 to 3 hours..
• which will amount to mileage between 16 to 28, 30 miles
• temps in the 60's at least at start time ('cause we live in AZ and the tundra)

Let's roll into the routes:

The New Stuff in southwest Cottonwood

These trails are fairly new, machine-cut trails.  I know some of em' have been around a few years by now and link together some much older trails (that may / may not be cleaned up).  I have two options:

• start at the Ogden Ranch parking, climb up 6 miles, descend 5 miles... over a total 12 miles.  The climb is 1800+ feet so it is not an easy ride.  If I want more when I finish the first loop, I could flip around and ride it all in reverse... or do a second loop.
• start at the community college, climb the first trails they built to this new loop then descend that same first climb.  That first climb is over 9 miles long and that is just to get to the loop I mentioned above.  The total ride 30.4 miles with almost 3800 feet of elevation gain.  

I can hit the first option with little hesitation.  I even feel good about the 2nd loop.  The third option may be a stretch for me...probably stretching out closer to 4 hours.  The third option I just thought of is:

• Do the long 9+ mile climb to the new loop... and decide in the moment.  Maybe I set a time goal?  If I can climb the 9+ miles in less than 90 minutes, I go for the whole loop?  If I cannot, I turn around and soak up a 9 mile descent feeling fresher.  There is no way to lose.

Pine

...was on my list but the temps are not gonna hit 60's until 11am and while that still fits in the time window I have, Pine is part of a bigger goal later this year.  More on that later...

Tucson

...would be on my list but honestly, driving south to ride the more northern trails (Honeybee, Golder Ranch, etc) just isn't setting off any bells in my brain.  Besides, I do have trip planned for mid/late April to head down for a few days.  More on that later, too...

Prescott

...has so many options that fit:

• Up-n-back Wolverton Mountain always ranks high on my list even if it seems to an annual pilgrimage. (I say that BUT... I have ridden it three times... and not since 2023.)
• Ranch Trail is another one... and I have not been since 2020.
• Spence Basin is fun... but I often feel that place is 1) crowded and 2) a mystery to decipher the perfect route that isn't weaving back over itself
• the rest of west Preskitt is still fun... but again, alot of weaving.

The only factor deterring me from Preskitt is the fact that I will head that way more later in the Spring when it is still cooler... and Cottonwood will be HOT.

Black Canyon Trail

...never really leaves the table until the temps creep up past 90 here in the Valley.  It will be in the 80's on Wednesday as well... so perfect, really.  There are multiple spots to start from:

• Black Canyon City - I have left that trailhead and ridden in both directions.  Both are technically challenging and fun.  South means dropping down, deciphering how to cross the river and grinding up to the top to the saddle.  North means dropping down as well...and riding until the trail basically becomes old fire roads.
• Bumblebee - I could ride the dirt road to a good turn off (maybe even Antelope Creek again?) and weave back.  It's a mix of some of the BEST singletrack ever, some technically draining singletrack at the end... and some cow paths that just suck.  I did it a few years ago on the singlespeed and was limping brainlessly at the end.  Am I that strong right now?  Not sure.
• Cordes - the Copper Canyon Loop is awesome... and I think I did two years ago?  South isn't even an option.  The trail is basically rock-filled cow paths.

At this moment after typing all this out, two rides stick out:  the BCT - Antelope Canyon > Bumblebee ride I did back in February 2020... and Cottonwood, Option 3.  It is a hard call - tested FUN singletrack in warmer air... or NEW trails in warmer air.  I could sit here and layout the pros & cons but the reality is BOTH will be fun...

The results on Thursday morning!  Later.

The Rest of Last Week...

 ...drained the rest of the energy out of me.  The day after that ride at Browns on the Mach Wu was spent in the backyard pressure washing the patio.  There are these old-school porous bricks that look really cool but they trap everything over time.  When we moved in, the mostly shaded west side of the patio was almost black from years of neglect while the sun-soaked portions were brown & red.  After we moved in almost four years ago, I pressure washed them back to their original glory one Saturday.  

Around Fall last year, I noticed they were getting pretty rough again... but the key (in my brain) is to pressure wash on a hotter day so they dry out quicker.  With the heat wave that is still lingering with temps in the 90's, I spent five hours pressure washing the back patio and the front patio as well as moving yard furniture around.

Suffice it to say, I was tired that evening.  And on Friday.  Even Saturday morning was a struggle to get up and going but... I did.  The plan was to put 2 to 2 1/2 hours of easy pedaling, maybe hit a few climbs.  Having not been on the road bike in a bit, not for a longer ride, it was pulled down from the wall, aired up, stocked with two bottles and we took off.

Down into Paradise Valley, I was following a younger bearded guy who leered as I rolled up slow to 56th waiting for him to pass... but never waved.  Being very serious in his all-black kit with white socks, maybe he was intensely focused but more presumably too cool to wave back.  I catch him at the light while he tugs at sleeves and adjust his helmet...then I notice he is on a gravel bike.  Does this guy not realize the Belgian Waffle Ride is going on today?  Is he too cool for them, too?

We take off and just for shits, giggles and fun, I sprint up HARD onto his wheel... and coast, letting the annoyingly loud Industry Nine hubs scream a bit before backpedaling to ramp up the annoyance.  I won't sit here and tell you I tried to hang on 'cause I didn't.  My goal, as told to myself by myself, was to ride easy for awhile until I hit a hill.   

Even once I was on the first hill, myself was telling myself to just be cool.   Right on Northern, up Foothills to Hummingbird, the surprise was going easy was actually pretty easy.  My heart rate wasn't climbing too high... but damn, it was slow too.  The one main Strava segment says my time was 7:17...53rd outta 70 tries since 2017.  My heart rate never got outta Zone 3.

Even popping over the top was restrained.  As the last grind came into view to come over the top of Hummingbird, there are two guys chatting away but when they see me, they take off.  The 10 Barrel Brewing Guy is creeping down but Rainbow Jersey Boy is trying to slalom down the hill.  I blow by 10 Barrel with some trepidation 'cause I'm not sure what he'll do at the stop sign (he blows through too) but after I pass, the brakes are forgotten.  As I roll up on Rainbow, he glances back & mutters something.  I grin, say "what's up" and keep going.

Right on Mockingbird, down into Arcadia, my plan isn't to stay on Exeter too long.  Right on 56th and that long straight grind is ahead of me.  In my head, Phil Gaimon's YouTube video is playing... but my effort (even if I tried) was nowhere near as powerful as his.  Even keeping my heart rate in Zone 3 (barely), the power still averaged out to 238w... and my cadence averaged 60 rpm.  This SLLLOOOWW pedaling, leg burning practice would become a trend.  

Up, left turn, another up & then down.  The next climb WOULD be the Castle Climb if I were riding them in order... but nope, I am not going to.  The Castle Climb, for me, is slow as it is... and trying to go SLOWER and keep the heart rate low is... well, impossible.  Instead the path changes as I turn left and weave up the long way from the other side.  It is still STEEP and hard but it is more controllable.  

When it was all done, the averages were slow but in line with what I wanted:

• 4.7 mph 
• 48 rpm cadence
• 159 bpm heart rate
• 244 watts

All for 200 feet in elevation over 4/10ths of a mile...

It was still my 3rd fastest attempt... outta 3.  Even my fastest was still only 4:21 (vs. 5:07 on Saturday).  Maybe one day I will hit it harder, see what I can actually do.

Down the steep Castle portion which is always a bit scary - steep, tight and usually covered in sand.  Down to the bottom, right turn and across 44th.  Weave out to the churches and schools and up 40th.  For the first time since Wednesday my legs feel like they are "clear".  Even though the pace was slow, climbing 40th at a decent pace felt GOOD.  Weave into the climbs above McDonald, back down to 44th and ride the sidewalk into that pocketed 'hood south of Lincoln.  Cross Lincoln and catch Hillside... and that moment of "freshness" evaporates.  Hillside goes from smooth pedaling to labored to "ah fuck, how do I push the bike up this?"  (Even feeling that sluggish, I set my 2nd fastest time... 4:37 vs a PR of 3:52 back in 2017).

Weave back out to Tatum (dodging sightseeing Subarus stopped in the middle of the road), take the sidewalk back up to Desert Fairways.  The lower back tension that creeped in after the Castle, not Castle Climb is gone so when I come over the top of the Desert Fairways route, I let it go... and actually push it a bit.  Still not fast but fast-er.  (12th outta 43).

For the most part, the climbs are done.  The ride now resorts back to spinning out through the 'hoods back to the house.  30 minutes of pedaling along in high Zone 1, low Zone 2... but when once the bike was rolled back into the house, it was clear - I was cooked.  I poured a beer in while I sat there shedding socks.  I would end up on the couch later, taking a nap with Bea.

Did I accomplish what I wanted with that ride?  Yea... pretty much.  While the rides early in the week had not been incredibly intense, they did have intervals and they weren't long.  This ride was intended to have some hard moments to drain the reserves a bit but primarily I just wanted a longer ride, more than 2 hours at a slower pace.  The goal on the climbs was to learn to control my aerobic efforts while still mashing pedals.

The other accomplishment that only matters on paper is my elevation gain - this was the first time since 2020 that I put in over 11,000 feet of climbing in February.  2020, I had been on a tear... up until March 10th when I crashed HARD on my left shoulder (and even after that, I got in over 15,000 feet in March).  Mileage is better than average but nothing huge (238 miles).  The 21 hours on the bike in February was right in line but better than the average 19 miles.

What's up this week?  Squeezing out the most I can of the last few days of this heat wave.  It will stil the 90's today but the rest of the week will cool off.  A BIG part of me wants to head north tomorrow while most of the mid-elevation towns are hanging out in 70 degree air.  My only deterrence is... just committing to a long day.  A three hour sounds fun... driving 2 hours up and 2 hours back does not.  At least not to ride the trails I think I wanna ride.  Maybe my next post will be about sorting through the options  (write it today, post it tomorrow while I am out on what I choose?)

Later.