Bisbee

Just a quick entry today. We rode out to Bisbee and back. My knee was feeling a little bit better today. There was a lot of climbing today, but the icing at rest stops (and once at a Burger King) was working well. I rode with my roommate, Ron, for the entire ride. We agreed that it would be a 'weenie' day since we both needed to recover. I was recovering from a hard ride yesterday, Ron was recovering from his 200km yesterday and to prepare for a time trial in Texas on Sunday. We ultimately rode a little harder than we had agreed to.

Ron has this crazy gearing on his bike that allows him to pedal at up to 50 mph before spinning out. The big gears are really only useful for descending and strong tailwind situations, but boy do they work when needed. Coming down from Mule Pass, I was out in front moving at 40+ mph. Of course, I can't pedal fast enough to apply power at that speed, so I'm just lying flat on the top tube and letting gravity do the work. Just as I look down to see how fast I am going, Ron blasts by pedaling that crazy gear. He was moving at just under 50 mph and still had enough gear to pedal. It was hilarious. Well, we thought so at the time.

The final 20 miles today has some brutal crosswinds, but we managed to avoid direct headwinds for most of the ride. So, I had my Bisbee coffee (a latte, actually) this week afterall. Tomorrow, it's back to Tucson, but we will be returning for Week 3 here in Sierra Vista on Sunday.

Photos

Sacramento Pit. Bisbee's, and Arizona's, first open pit copper mine.

Prison labor built Mule Pass.

Looking down from the top of Mule Pass. There are a few miles of downhill that cannot be seen from the top.

Ride Summary

Distance: 60 miles
Speed (avg/max): 16.2 mph / 44.5 mph
Riding Time: 3 hours 42 minutes
Total Time: 4 hours 48 minutes
Power (avg/max) 158 watts / 695 watts
Calories Measured at Wheel: 2,095
Heart Rate (min/max/avg): 101 bpm / 173 bpm / 150 bpm

Miles this Year: 1208