Route 66 (miles)

Rode the big, square loop: Highway 90 north to 82, west to 80, south to 90, west back home; a total of about 66 miles. Other than a persistent headwind on the southbound leg, conditions were perfect. I stopped to photograph the jellyfish clouds during that stretch.

Trip stats: 65.6 miles in 5:03 (4:11 moving); track at everytrail.com.

Fairbank Fifty

It's not a full 50 miles, more like 48-and-a-quarter, but it's a pleasant ride. I made excellent time thanks to a nearly windless day, but I failed to record the GPS tracklog. Next time.

Sierra Vista Classic Loop

I haven't done a long road ride in quite awhile, and with the notion of participating in the Sierra Vista Bicycle Classic rattling around in my head, it seemed like a good idea to assess my blacktop endurance. So today I cycled most of the SVBC course, covering a 62-mile loop to Bisbee and back in 5:09 (4:31 moving). Tour de France cyclists are not losing any sleep over this, I know, but I felt pretty good about it all things considered: 30+ pound bike with 47c tires and cargo rack, and 20-mph headwinds on much of the return trip.

With less than a month to go before the event, there's not a lot of time for training. Best bet might be to do a few more rides with the stem and/or bars inverted to get accustomed to a more aero position.

Looking at the map and cue sheet, SVBC riders will go through rather than over the Mule Pass Tunnel. Probably a good idea, given the current state of Old Divide Road:

 

I didn't take too many pics today, but I couldn't resist snapping this sign, located on the south side of the Mule Mountains along Highway 92:

Sunday Morning Ride: Ramsey Intervals

Highlights: Cold morning, about 48° when I left the house around 9a.m. Took the road bike (D440, "City" tires) up to Ramsey Canyon to ride the rise from the Brown Canyon trailhead to the turnaround. Practiced standing climbs. Used middle gear (4) on steeper portions and went for a smooth, steady climb staying below aerobic threshold. Coasting back to the starting point is fun on the slick tires--hit 35+ mph without pedaling.