GABA's Update November 2002 

"El Tour"

Training Ride Schedule

Continuing though November, GABA-Tucson is offering Training Rides for those  planning to ride in El Tour de Tucson.

These rides are designed to gradually increase the riding distance and endurance, familiarize you with the El Tour route, let you practice your ride strategy and ride with others with the same riding skill level. 

With the exception of the organized Century Ride listed below, there is no cost for the training rides.  Note:  Organized Centuries are fully supported with 3-4 SAG stops with good food and support on the road!

All training rides begin at Grant & Silverbell; see below for dates & times. Information about the  Tom Mix Century can be found on page 2, or on our Web site, www.bikegaba.org. Ride Leader: Wayne Cullop, 290-4321 or pwcullop@comcast.net

El Tour Bike  Patrol  Still Needed

for El Tour XX

Bike Patrol are experienced cyclists who make the commitment to ride the "El Tour" route assisting cyclists with mechanical and first aid, as well as offering encouragement.  It is not a race for Bike Patrols.

Bike Patrols must have a current certification, good for 2 years. Sessions run 2 hours. As Bike Patrol, your $55 El Tour registration fee is waived, but a $15 processing fee (Paid before 11/9) is required to cover cost of T-shirt, medical supplies and support on the route.  For more information, call PBAA, 745-2033.

Poker Run Ride Leader Needed!

Two years ago, the club tried resurrecting the once–popular Poker Run Ride. The turnout was a pretty good, and those who attended had a great time. Everyone won something, thanks to generous donations from bike shops around the city.  

We would like to be able to offer this ride as an annual GABA event, but we are in need of a ride leader for it to happen in 2003.  If you think that this is a ride you would like to cultivate, or at least get “up and running” once again, please contact Pam Cullop, 290-4321 or pjcullop@comcast.net and I will be more than happy to fill you in on how to make it happen.

Bike Swap Volunteers Meeting

Thursday, Nov. 14 at

Brooklyn Pizza 534 N. 4th Ave (north of 6th St)

at 6 PM

Many volunteers will be needed on Saturday, Nov. 16th!  Early risers may volunteers to help with traffic controls and set up.  Others will be needed throughout the morning to handle many different tasks.

And, for those who could devote a little more time, Greg Yares, Swap Organizer, needs you too!  Planning, advertising, as well as many other things too numerous to list here, to make this event a great success!

Do you know how to get a TV camera to come to the Bike Swap?  Please help us give more publicity to our event!

If interested, please call Greg at 323-9020 as soon as possible.  Or e-mail him at yares@dakotacom.net.  Greg needs to know ahead of time that he can count on you!

GABA's Annual

Holiday Season Pot Luck Party!

This is your Personal Invitation

to join other GABA members

in this festive event!

 - Monday, December 2, 2002 -

7 PM to 9 PM

At the Pima County

Medical Society Building

5199 E. Farness

Join us for our annual Holiday Party where we share good food, awards presentation and ride stories!  Also learn how we share our love for bicycling with others this Holiday Season.

Bring your favorite covered dish to accompany the turkey and ham provided by the Club.  Choose to bring a vegetable/side-dish, bread/rolls, stuffing/potatoes, gravy or appetizers; or any desserts of your choice! Beverages will be provided.

A special Appreciation Program is planned, including the Club Members Award Ceremony, which will include several awards such as Volunteer of the Year, Ride Leaders of the Year, etc.  Join us in showing appreciation for all those who have helped make this Club one of the best!

If for any reason you're not able to bring a dish, please come anyway and enjoy the camaraderie of the event!  We'd love to see you all there! Everybody welcome!

For more information. Dick Schaffer, 326-4807, or bikeschaf@aol.com

Silverbell Century

Sunday, December 8, 2002

Options for 100 or 65 miles

Ride Leader:  Dick Schaffer

Join us in our annual Post "El Tour" Holiday Ride, AKA the Silverbell Century!  This year, we offer it free!  But, note that there will be NO sag support and NO sweep support.  So keep those legs spinning and have fun at whatever pace you desire!  Just bring your own "survival" food and plenty of water. There are several convenience stores along the course to provide you with additional food & drink if needed.

The course follows the Rillito Bike Path west for 3 miles, turning north on La Canada towards Oro Valley. Continuing north on Oracle Rd., it loops thru Rancho Vistoso, back south to Tangerine Rd.  From there, west we go, enjoying a great long downhill and continuing west on Avra Valley Rd.  Now that your legs are warmed up, you can really crank those gears past the cotton fields and the airfield! 

65-milers will turn around near Avra Valley Airport and ride east back to the beginning.

100-milers will continue west up a long, gradual climb to the site of the old "Silverbell" town which has now vanished!  Great views from the top of the hill!

All riders return via Airline Rd. over the north end of the Tucson Mtns to the start.  See route map for details

Starting point:

Both options start and end at the eastern end of the Rillito River Bike Path, on the EAST side of Campbell in St Philip's Plaza.

Sign Up Time:  at 8 AM.   

While no fee is required on this ride, all riders must still sign up for liability reasons.

Sign in and pick up your Route Map and rider's instructions. Riders can start riding west on the Bike Path under Campbell Avenue as soon as they're ready to go.  All riders must start no later than 8:30 AM!

Helmets are mandatory.

Ride organizer: Dick Schaffer, 326-4807 or bikeschaf@aol.com Volunteers needed to help at sign up time.  Anyone who wants to ride as Bike Patrol is also very welcome!, Please call Dick if interested.

Thursday, November 6th

Pre "El Tour" Safety Workshop

Join Dick Schaffer at 6:30 PM at Himmel Library, 1035 N. Treat, for a rap session about riding with 6,000 fellow riders!

We'll talk about training, effective cycling tips, roadway positioning, and keeping your engine, legs, wheels, shoulders and butt happy throughout the ride. 

Food provided. Call Dick, 326-4807 or bikeschaf@aol.com, ahead of time, so he can plan on how much pizza/sandwiches to get!

Recovery after a Hard Ride

By Richard E “Rich” Corbett, Certified Cycling Instructor and El Tour de Tucson Bike Patrol Director

As we continue to train hard for the 20th  El Tour de Tucson, it will be quite helpful to know the basics of recovery, for those times when we have completed a ‘hammering hard’ training ride, and don’t want to ‘crash’ for the rest of the day. But first, lets look at how we are powered, as we can better guard against ‘crashing’ if we understand athletic nutrition.

What Makes you ‘Tick’

"Metabolism" refers to the various chains of chemical reactions that our bodies use to produce energy. There are two ways metabolism acts. "Anaerobic" reactions are those that do not require air or oxygen, using instead oxygen atoms that are bound up in caloric fuel.  "Aerobic" reactions are those that require an oxygen supply.

Anaerobic metabolism provides instantaneous high-energy output for brief periods, from a few seconds to a minute or two.  A 100-yard dash or sprint finishes in a pro bike race are examples of anaerobic metabolism.

Aerobic metabolism, on the other hand, provides a lower energy output for a longer, sustained effort like a marathon or century ride. Both metabolic ‘pathways’ are involved at some level in every muscular effort; what changes is the relative emphasis placed on one or the other.

A chemical called ATP ultimately powers all muscular movement.  The body makes ATP in the muscle cells using either carbohydrates (in the form of glucose), fat (in the form of fatty acids), or protein (in the form of amino acids).

Glucose is stored in your muscles and liver in the form of glycogen (which is just a long chain of glucose molecules strung together like beads).  The body breaks down glucose in two stages. 

The first stage is the anaerobic reaction, and converts the glucose into a substance called pyruvate.  If oxygen is not available, the pyruvate will be converted into lactic acid and two units of ATP.  In an anaerobic effort, the lactic acid accumulates in amounts greater than your body can metabolize, which is what produces deep muscular aches or burning after an all-out sprint.

The second stage is the aerobic reaction.  If enough oxygen is available, most of the pyruvate produced in the first stage will not be broken down into lactic acid, but will instead be oxidized to produce 36 to 38 units of ATP, resulting in much less muscle fatigue, and much more muscular fuel.

The body can also use fat, in the form of fatty acids, which can be broken down aerobically for energy.  The advantage of this is that even the thinnest of us have enough stored fat to fuel hundreds, even thousands, of miles of cycling, so burning fat for energy will conserve the limited supply of muscle glycogen.  However, you can't run on fat alone; metabolizing fat requires that significant amounts of carbohydrates be burned too. 

The use of fat in exercise is maximized at lower intensities, typically below 70% of VO2 max.  At this level you may be able to get as much as 40% of your caloric energy from fat.  But it takes 30-60 minutes of continuous exercise to activate the enzymes that mobilize stored body fat into the bloodstream as free fatty acids.  Also, lactic acid buildup from anaerobic efforts will inhibit this mobilization process.  So too much intensity, too early in an exercise session or event will keep you from being able to use fat for fuel.

The body can also use protein, in the form of amino acids, for energy, but will usually do so only when carbohydrates are unavailable, such as when fasting or on a severely calorie-restricted diet.

The average 150 lb. male has about 1800 calories of stored carbohydrates, located as follows:

Muscle glycogen                          1400 cal

Liver glycogen                      320 cal

Blood glucose                                   80 cal

When muscle glycogen runs out you "hit the wall" -- extreme muscular fatigue making you feel like you can't ride another 100 feet.

When liver glycogen is depleted you "bonk" -- you feel woozy, your thinking becomes difficult, and your will to go on disappears.  In extreme cases seizure is possible.  Liver glycogen is used to maintain blood glucose level, which is directly related to mental processes, since brain cells can't burn fat or protein, but must have glucose to function, and don't have local stores to draw on.

CARBO LOADING

Assuming that you've trained properly, the best way to ensure success in an endurance event like a century ride is to maximize your reserves of muscle glycogen.  The way to do that is by carbohydrate loading.

Endurance training increases the muscles' glycogen capacity even without following a high carbohydrate diet. The average American gets 50% of their calories from carbohydrates.  Glycogen storage is maximized on a diet that raises this to 70% of calories from carbohydrates.  This doesn't mean eating more calories overall, but rather eating less fat and protein and more carbohydrates instead.

High carbohydrate foods include cereal, bread, pasta, beans, rice, potatoes, corn, pancakes, of course with only small amounts of butter, margarine, or oil. It also includes fruit and vegetables.  If you choose mostly refined carbohydrates (white bread, white pasta, white rice) you will get fewer vitamins and minerals, so a vitamin supplement may be required.  Carbo loading may not be appropriate for those at risk of heart disease, diabetes, or high blood triglycerides.  If this is you, seek medical advice.

Once you're on a high carbohydrate diet, the next element of carbo-loading is ‘the taper’.  Begin to reduce the amount and intensity of exercise two weeks prior to the big event, all the way down to little or no workout for two or three days prior. 

"Active rest" is encouraged:  easy walks, a little dancing, light yard or garden work, or an easy cruise on the bike. Maintain the 70% carbohydrate diet.  Drink lots of water and avoid alcohol.  Your glycogen tank will be full to the brim for your big day.

The term "Glycemic Index" is a measure of how quickly  the energy in a food is absorbed into the bloodstream. 

HOW TO "NOT CRASH"

Now that you understand how your body produces energy output, we can look at specific ways to avoid ‘crashing’, or hitting an energy ‘low’, during, and especially after, an intense exercise effort. Remember, if you want to feel okay after your ride, you must eat (and drink) properly during  your ride.

During your ride, high glycemic index foods (rice and potatoes are two of the best – many energy products use rice) will get into your system faster. Consuming 50 to 75 grams of carbohydrate (200 to 300 calories) per hour while exercising hard will significantly increase your stamina.  For example, two large bottles of energy drink, or one large bottle of energy drink and an energy bar, along with a bottle of water, will provide this level of energy renewal.

Drinking enough, but not too much, requires experimentation on your part. 12 to 16 ounces of water, 30 to 60 minutes before you begin exercise is needed. Then, for most reasonably conditioned cyclists, 16 to 32 oz of water per hour during moderate to hard exercise will be sufficient. If energy drink is used instead of water, more liquid must be taken, as it is required for digestion of the food contained in the energy drink.

AFTER YOUR RIDE

After your ride, continue consuming high glycemic index foods.  Immediately after completing your workout, the enzymes that make glycogen are most active, and foods consumed have the greatest potential to replenish your muscles.  The first 15 minutes after the workout is especially important, continuing for as much as two hours.  Eat 200 to 300 calories of carbohydrate, such as an energy bar. Some additional protein (contained in many energy bars) will enhance glycogen replacement during this period. Be sure to drink 24 to 36 oz of water (not soda) to assist in this recovery.

Good luck with your training and in the big event – El Tour de Tucson XX !

Basic Drafting &

Pace Line Skills

By Richard E. "Rich" Corbett, Certified Cycling Instructor and El Tour de Tucson Bike Patrol Director

As we near the 20th El Tour de Tucson, reviewing basic drafting and paceline skills is important, as most of the crashes that happen on El Tour result from cyclists running into each other, and most of these are when someone's wheel touches a wheel in front of them.  So, read on, and be safer!

DRAFTING - riding closely behind the rider who is in front of you.

Start out by staying within one bicycle length of the rider ahead.  Once you feel confident in your bike handling skills, and know the riding habits of the person you are following, you may close the gap more, and ride within one foot of the person ahead of you.

Drafting saves you energy - this is very important over long distances!  A person riding in a paceline will use 25% less energy for the same speed compared to someone riding alone.  Riding in the center of a pack boosts this energy savings up to 30-40%!

Looking at it another way, drafting allows you to go 2-4 mph faster than you can or will alone, for the same energy expenditure.

PACELINE ETIQUETTE

Because a paceline involves several cyclists riding single file at higher speeds, often with less than 12 inches between wheels, everyone in the line has certain responsibilities to everyone else in the line.  Let's look at what these are:

1.  The lead (front) rider gives hand signals (mostly) or calls out verbally to point our road hazards to those behind. Each following rider sees the signal and repeats it for the riders behind him, on down through the end of the line.

2.  The lead rider maintains a steady pace, one that keeps the line moving briskly and prevents it from breaking up.

3.  The lead rider pulls or rides at the front for 30 seconds to 5 minutes, depending on the difficulty of the pace and terrain, and on the lead rider's strength.  Do not pull longer than is comfortable, or so long that the pace drops.

4.  When ready to drop off the front of the line, the leader looks over his shoulder to see that the path is clear, signals left, and moves to the left of the line. The leader then (and only then) slows down, drifting to the back of the line.  When even with the last rider in the line, he begins to pedal more briskly, and pick up speed.  When his front wheel is even with the hub of the last rider's rear wheel, he begins moving slightly toward the last rider, and when the last rider passes, he quickly and smoothly moves behind him, into his slipstream.

5.  The rider assuming the lead checks his speeds as the old leader drops off the front, then maintains the same speed.  He does not speed up or surge forward to replace the old leader - doing so disrupts the line.  He also checks his clock or cyclometer to know roughly how long he should pull.

6.  Watch the shoulders of the person ahead of you.  This will help keep you aware of potential problems or changes ahead of you in the line.  Do NOT watch their rear wheel!

7.  Ride a steady pace.  Do not abruptly accelerate or decelerate with someone riding just inches behind you!  If you slow abruptly and someone brushes your rear wheel, you will stay up but the rider who touched your wheel will fall.  You don't want to be responsible for bringing down the rider behind you!

8.  If you must slow or stop, signal this to the riders behind you (arm down and back with open palm toward the rider behind), or if you can't take your hands off the bars, call out slowing!  or stopping!.  Signal all turns as well (straight arm pointing in the direction of the turn, either right or left).  Everyone in the line behind you should repeat your signal as they. too, slow, stop or prepare to turn.

9.  Riders in the paceline should separate a little as everyone prepares for turns or stops.  Cyclists should separate enough so everyone can see where they're going, and there is no danger of touching wheels or running into someone.

Grand Canyon to Mexico Tour

Reflections

by Pam Cullop, 2002 Ride Chair

If you have read any of the articles leading up to this tour, you might recall our planning process, and some of what we were expecting to offer to this year’s 23rd Annual Tour participants.  Well, for the most part our expectations were realized with some exceptions…

It was my assumption that we would have clear and sunny days, along with nice warm weather – in fact, I thought it might be too hot considering the unseasonable, and above-average temperatures, we were experiencing in the weeks prior to the ride.  As luck would have it, a cold front swept through the state just in time to put a “damper” on the first 3 riding days for virtually everyone of us!

We were initially lulled into a false sense of good-weather hopes on  Saturday in Phoenix, where we met to begin the transportation process.  Bikes were loaded into a moving van; baggage was loaded into our Baggage Truck if you were a “camper”; on into the belly of the charter busses if you were a “moteler”; passengers boarded the charter buses with sack lunches provided by the Tour, and reading material donated from Arizona Highways, PBAA and GABA  (of course).  It was a beautiful morning, and aside from an incomplete boarding list, thanks to my printer (hey, I have to blame something) all seemed to be going extremely well.

Once on the road, I noticed that the wind seemed to be picking up, and the 15-passenger van I was driving was not the piece of cake I remembered driving in past years.  Helen Greer and I made a quick stop in Flagstaff to try and produce a better set of “lists” for the Packet Pick Up later that day, and before we left Kinko’s, realized that  rain clouds had covered the sky – where were my long pants? 

Hopefully, this was a temporary cloud and by tomorrow the sun would shine again.  From what I was later told, the rain cloud managed to open up just as the bikes were being unloaded at the Grand Canyon RV Park and everyone had to duck for cover.  Great way to introduce new comers to Arizona!

The first day at the Canyon was a sightseeing day – and as luck would have it, the wind was a bit on the gusty side.  Several of the Ride Crew Members spent that day preparing for the week ahead.  During the afternoon, the SAG 3 team, Mary Callesen and Marge Schoonover, the Baggage Driver, Barry Callesen and I drove over to the campsite (Grand Canyon RV Park) to put out drinking water and organize the 24’ truck, which was to carry a combination of bags, water, food and supplies for the week, when Mary noticed a tent belonging to one of our “campers” lying on its side.  Luckily, it was filled with the owner’s duffel bags, keeping it from tumbling its way into oblivion, while the wind whirled about. 

Our first attempt to upright and secure the tent did not entirely solve the problem, the duffel bags must have weighed the required limit, but were not enough to hold the tent in place.  The tent had not been staked down, so we resorted to tying the tent to a picnic table with some rope from the truck, which had been brought along for emergencies.  Luckily all of the other tents that were flapping wildly in the breezes, had stakes in them as we only had so many tables and so much rope, but we did not have a hammer.  So, we looked around for sturdy rocks and started pounding.  What a team we were – running around the campground trying to secure tents – it would have been hilarious to see on video! It’s good to know that those “just in case” items really do come in handy on occasion.

Then came the morning of the first ride day – Monday, September 30th.  BRRRRR, it was so cold that morning that I kept hearing accounts of “…frost on my tent” as people slowly started to appear for breakfast, wearing layers upon layers of clothing to fend off the chill in the air.  Foolishly, I left home without any gloves – thankfully a kind-hearted cyclist by name of Patty Gillingham, lent me a pair.  She insisted, saying that since she had fingered biking gloves to keep her hands warm, I was welcome to use them as long as I needed.  “Thank you”, Patty!  Once the morning chill gave way to the sunny, blue skies and the temperature warmed enough to change from long pants to shorts, life was once again good.

Mo (Melissa) Kitchen, our bike mechanic was on the job bright and early.  She was always busy; I don’t really know when she rested.  Quite often you would see both she and her husband, Mike (when he was not riding – which is what he signed up to do) working in earnest to repair another bike to “road ready” condition. Mo and Mike turned out to be an extraordinary asset to this tour!

Our week-long ritual had begun: Each morning at 5:30 AM, I enlisted the help of Dick Woolf (SAG 2) to help me haul a 5-gallon thermal coffee urn filled with hot water, from our host hotel or restaurant location to where the baggage truck was located.   After helping me lug the jug, Dick went to take his morning shower, and eat breakfast with wife Fella (pronounced Feela) – or just take a breather, before they headed out to their designated SAG location for the day.

Roy Schoonover, Co-Chair for 2002 and Tour Chair for 2003, and Helen set out each morning about 5 AM to mark the route for the day.  The days start exceptionally early for the Route Scouts!  I could be wrong, but I believe most mornings they made several coffee stops in order to keep their “personal motors” running.  But thanks to the “Dan Henry’s” they laid down, and the wonderfully descriptive Route Guide put together by our own, “General Flunky” – Wayne Cullop, the route was generally clear and direct, and efforts of all concerned were greatly appreciated.

Barry had the baggage truck opened up every morning before Dick and I would get there with the hot water.  The three of us were quite a team setting up the table and eats for those who did not require a substantial breakfast.  As the week wore on, Mary (Barry’s wife) and Marge (Roy’s wife) were kind enough to come out and lend a helping hand.  It was sure great to have the impromptu assistance, and quite appreciated.  It is good to note here, that these lovely women still had an afternoon SAG to run, and sold club ride wear each evening –whew!

Radar and Sharon Matt (SAG 1), the “old timers” of the group – not in age but experience – (this being Tour #4 for them), were always up bright and early and ready to start the day.  Radar assisted Mo with bike repairs as needed – he never forgets to bring along his tools for just this reason, it is nice to know that the back up service is as reliable as the primary.  Sharon’s medical talents were put to the test during the tour, when the “cold day” happened (coming attractions). I know she took her “don’t question me” persona and kept anyone from needing further medical assistance.  Dick and Fella revealed after the Tour, that they “pumped” Radar and Sharon for SAG advice during the week, and it must have paid off because everyone ran a superb operation!

Massage Therapists, Ken Brecheisen and Laura Dituri, have agreed to come on every GABA Tour for the past 12 & 8 years, respectively.  This dynamic duo generally sleeps on their massage tables!  Nearly every morning, somewhere around the campsite, you will notice a large bundle on top of each massage table. 

At some point during the breakfast rush, you might notice a face appear from the folds of a bundle, it may only be for a few seconds, especially on cold mornings, and then all you see again is the bundle.  A short time later, Laura will saunter over and greet us with a sweet “good morning”, and occasionally grab a little bite to eat or a pour herself a cup of juice.  Before the morning meal is put away, Ken will typically appear in bike attire, ready to take on the day.

Although Laura is in triathlon training, she prefers to ride when the weather is warm, like it is in her new hometown of Isla de Cozumel, Mexico, in the Caribbean Sea. Ken, being from Broomfield, Colorado, and bike athlete extraordinaire, doesn’t mind the cold and loves the hills, makes himself right at home in the cooler, northern climbs of Arizona.  They prefer to strike a balance by riding during the early part of the day and working the latter. Massage scheduling is handled throughout the day, while one rides, the other will   either “man” a water stop for the Tour, or hang out somewhere near a SAG, adding names to the evening’s list of clients.  Hey, it works for us and it works for them – Teamwork!

Once the baggage was all loaded and everyone had left for their destination – riders included, it was up to me to pay all of the bills before leaving town and start the “sweeping” operation from the rear.  Helen and Roy would return to “sweep” in the front after marking the route till the end of the day.

Barry drove the baggage truck each day from one SAG stop to the next and onto the day's end host location, to unload and set out the afternoon “Social Hour” goodies (salty stuff and sodas).

All of this is subject to change – as changeable as the weather – I might add.

Then came Tuesday - the day from Gray Mountain into Flagstaff.  Being the last person out of town (and driving a truck), I guess I didn’t realize how windy it was until I turned into the Wupatki-Sunset Crater Loop.  “Geesh”, I thought to myself – “it seems kinda windy here”.  And it was!  So windy in fact, that several riders started flagging me down because they were running low on water or wanted a ride.  The wind was really drying them out.  This was supposed to be a relatively short day (66 – miles). Plans were that SAG 1 and SAG 2 crews were going to shut down on time, so that the 5 of us could make a trip to SAM’s club to restock our food supply to carry us through the remainder of the Tour. 

But once I saw what was happening with the water situation, and the surprise need for more SAG support, I decided it was best to keep Radar and Sharon on the road to assist with the “sweep” detail.  Having the early SAG, they had less food to contend with inside their van, they had a bike rack, and Radar could handle a wrench if need be.  No need to ask twice, veterans that they are, off they went to keep our riders out of harms way for the remainder of the ride. 

Dick, Fella and I stayed until SAG 2 closing time (actually later). We had planned to make a fast trip to town and get the shopping done before dinner.  That plan was altered a bit, when we were also pressed into SAG support service to the hotel. Dick and Fella also had a bike rack on their van, so they were able to take 2 passengers at a time, I could take more in the truck.  Before leaving Sunset Crater Park, I only had one rider, but that number increased after we made a quick stop at SAG 3 to see how things were going with Mary and Marge.  Let me assure you, these winds were not for the faint of heart! People were pedaling downhill! 

I later learned that 45-mile per hour winds reported for that day.  Mary and Marge were soon to close up that SAG Stop, and Roy was back out on the road making sure that everyone got safely into Flagstaff. After Dick, Fella and I made a quick SAG Stop at the hotel, we hurried over to get the shopping finished and get back to the hotel for redistribution of the food before it got dark, but not before it began to rain!  To be honest, I am not sure who was exhausted more that night – the riders who had to battle the winds on their bikes, fighting Mother Nature’s attempt to tip them over all day, or the Ride Crew’s battle to keep the riders safe and sound.  But the most amazing thing was, that despite the cold and wind, the smiles did not fade.  And as we all began to dig into a heaping plateful of oven-roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, dressing and gravy, a common refrain was often repeated, “it was an adventure”!

Then came Wednesday!  The morning was drizzly, cold and breezy.  Riders bundled up and braced themselves for a chilly morning on the bike.  After our ‘breakfast service’ was over, and the last rider was on the road, Mary, Marge and I thought we might eat a bite together before starting out for the day; when my cell phone rang.  I could barely make out the familiar voice of Jess Guaderrama, "good buddy" from Orange County, CA.   But through all of the static, I could tell this was a call of distress! 

I could not understand what location he was trying to direct me to, however I knew I needed to leave straight away.  This was to be a long day – 95 miles to Payson, so we had Ken and Laura set out water at the Lake Mary

Boat Landing.  I don’t think anyone needed water that morning, but they certainly needed shelter.  Forget the small talk – we all hopped in our vehicles ASAP.  When I got to the water stop, I found 16 people huddled together in the men’s “out” room! 

Those that appeared to be nearing hypothermia, I hustled into the truck, turned on the motor and blasted with the heater set on HIGH!  Shades of The Old “wet” Tour as Radar now refers to the 2000 Tour of the Old West.

Luckily I was able to speak with Helen by phone in between mountain static. Instructions were immediately given for she and Roy to abandon marking the route past SAG 2, but rather to head back up the road for Sweep assist.  When they arrived at the Boat Landing, we piled 19 riders into the 15-passenger van (don’t tell the rental company), to get them down to the Happy Jack Lodge (SAG 2) location.  All the bikes were left for later retrieval. 

Helen and Laura remained at the landing to watch over them and for any wayward riders.  I proceeded on down to the Mormon Lake Viewpoint (SAG 1) to see how Radar and Sharon were doing, hoping the entire time, to see a break in the weather.  Alas, the Gods did not grant my wish.  There were several cyclists crammed inside of Matt’s van, and several others trying to eat something with the chilly, wet wind whipping at them.

 Someone told me, that after SAG 2, the weather was clear from Happy Jack down to Payson – so my new objective was to get as many bicycles and their riders to the Happy Jack Lodge.  This prompted my decision to cram 7 bikes into the back of my husband’s standard bed, Chevy truck, with the riders crammed into the front and back seats of the king cab.  Just as we were turning into the driveway, I noticed with a sense of relief, that Roy was heading back up the hill to pick up another van full of cold and chilly riders from SAG 1.

I was amazed with the events that were unfolding at the lodge.   The wonderful new owners, Janet in particular, was brewing pot after pot of steaming coffee, making and serving hot soups to a hoard of cold and soggy riders, in the “Closed” café, and in general - “Saving the Day”.   Without her generosity, we might have been in a real jam! 

Dick and Fella, donned in stocking caps, gloves and warm coats stood, steadfastly by the SAG van outside, under the covered awning of the lodge, directing the questioning newcomers to the indoor amenities.  Barry was gulping down a sandwich, as I was instructing him to hurry on down to the hotel, unload the truck as quickly as possible, and get back up to the boat landing to pick up the bikes.  A group of 6 or 7 jumped in the truck with bikes in tow, to assist in the unloading process – and to get the heck out of the cold! 

Back up the road, I ran into Marge and Mary  and asked them to Sweep Only, for the remainder of the day – no need to set up SAG 3 – only had to ask once!  Stopped at SAG 1, most of the riders had been taken down the road with Roy’s return, leaving Sharon and Radar with only a handful to take down the road from that point.  Again – assist in the Sweep, and since Mo and Mike happened to be there “Would they please stay with the bikes and wait for the baggage trucks return after the run up to the lake”?  Fortunately, they agreed, leaving me free to go back to the boat landing to relieve Laura, so that she could get into town where massages would be needed.

As soon as the baggage truck arrived, Helen, rider Gene Morrissey, Barry and I got 15 or so bikes loaded in no time flat.  We let Gene have his way with the bike placements, and it was a good decision – he packed them in like Sardines.  Thinking that SAG 1 would have fewer bikes, I was shocked to see at least again as many as at the landing – short order work for Gene, Mike and Helen! 

Now I knew we had the majority of the bikes in the truck – onto SAG 2, surprise again!  The same number –if not more – again.  By now it was 4 PM – closing time at the Lodge.  I could  not imagine how we were going to fit all of those bikes into the truck!  It all came together in a moment of desperation.  If the lodge closed, who would be there to watch the bikes, how long would it take us to get back to them, would it be too dark to work???? 

Too may questions to contemplate – only one possible solution!  Somehow, we needed to get all the bikes and remaining riders into the vehicles we had at the lodge.  One full baggage truck – we squeezed more bikes in, and even laid some on top of other’s handlebars and saddles.  In the back of the Chevy – we could squeezed seven if small – Dick & Fella’s van – held 2 on the rack – Mo & Mike’s pickup bed was already full, but I think they did carry some bicycle parts as I had a bike in the Chevy with no front wheel – Ta da – we did it! 

One last stop on the way into town was at the Strawberry Lodge.  It had become another layover spot for the riders!  As the day progressed, soggy riders were shuffled from Happy Jack to Strawberry. This accom-plished two things: Firstly and most importantly, it got everyone closer to the end of the road: Payson, hot showers, dinner and rest!  Secondly, it brought the business to the Strawberry Lodge that had been promised them.  When Roy and I scouted the trip last June, we made a special point of stopping in to ask for extra Strawberry Pies on that day, and we didn’t want disappoint the Lodge or the riders who had their heart set on a piece of pie or two! 

Finally we were in town!  The minute the baggage truck came to a complete stop, a group of washed and warmly dressed cyclists suddenly appeared from nowhere. An assembly line was formed, and one by one, bikes were handed down from the truck into a pair of waiting arms.  This man would wheel a bike to a location on the hotel brick wall as another man would take his place in line and repeat the process until each bike was removed – it seemed to take a matter of minutes! I was amazed with the efficiency at which this task was completed.   After the big truck had been emptied, they started unloading the Chevy – child’s play to say the least. 

By now, the rain had ceased. Appetites were growing as well as anticipation of the meal ahead!  For the umpteenth year (a long time) the Ladies of the Eastern Star, have filled our hungry tummies with our favorite – Swiss steak, mashed potatoes, gravy & green beans.  The non-meat eaters were treated to Vegetarian Chili over rice this year, which was a new entrée for them, and I didn’t hear any complaints.  Homemade cake and sherbet was served for dessert, along with copious amounts of hot coffee all around.  There sure is nothing like a good homemade meal to soothe the ravages of a cold and miserable day. 

At the evening Rider Meeting, a local historian regaled us with some interesting facts and tales about Payson and the surrounding area.  He told a few jokes and generally entertained us for over a good half hour.  Later, after going over the next day’s route, Wayne took a show of hands to find out how many actually rode the entire route from Flagstaff – only 3 out of 85 riders were able to somehow keep warm enough, to finish the ride.  Amazing!

On Thursday, the storm front finally moved out, and we had clear, sunny skies and nice warm temperatures for the remainder of the tour.  Yahoo!  This is what we wanted our tour participants to experience  - Arizona weather!

Now that the sun was out, big smiles began to appear.  I know that I was much happier.  The weather even got a little too hot for some (guess they weren’t natives)!  The day into Miami seemed pretty uneventful, until I discovered that we had “lost” a rider.  I double-backed 2 or 3 times looking for him, but to no avail.  Turns out, that somehow he got turned around leaving SAG 1, and rather than following the route on Hwy 188 towards Roosevelt Lake, went back out on the Beeline Hwy and took the route we used last year.  He later confided to me, that he rode for about 22 miles before realizing that something was terribly wrong!

He should have seen a SAG van, or another rider by now – so he must be going the wrong way!  So, he made his way across the highway and rode back for a bit longer. But this was going to take forever; he figured he needed to flag down a motorist and see if he could get back to where he started before the day ended.  Fortunately for him, a series of kind-hearted men got him to SAG 2, just as everything was being put away!  I was happy, I could now proceed forward, he was happy, he was no longer lost, Dick and Fella were happy, they could close down the station 2 hours after the posted time, and life was good again!

Friday’s ride into Tucson was yet to come.  107-miles, a long day to be sure – but the sun was shining, the skies were blue, all of the support vehicles had extra water on board, and we were ready for the day.  A wonderful man by the name of Norm Martin from Tucson, AZ, contacted me shortly before the beginning of the tour.  Seems he volunteers his time, his van, his CB and mechanical services for events of his choosing.  Norm, we love you! 

He did the sweep from Miami to Tucson – stayed behind every last rider – never took anything for granted – always smiling – wouldn’t even let us buy him dinner.  I am not going to say that we couldn’t have done the road patrol without him, but it sure did ease the tension knowing there was a completely dependable and caring individual assisting us.  Everyone made Tucson before dark, save one lone rider! 

Turns out he had a flat tire, and insisted that Norm allow him to finish all of the miles by himself for the day.  We were truly happy to see this road-weary traveler appear in the lobby of the Ghost Ranch Lodge, as Roy had just decided to abandon his dinner and go find our New Yorker buddy.  Hooray, he was safe and sound – tired and weary – but safe and sound, and we could finally all enjoy our meal! 

After dinner was over, we conducted our traditional “Creative Contest Award” ceremony.  The contest rules and voting sheets are passed out early in the tour with the Rider Packets.  The rules are simple: vote for a fellow cyclist (Ride Crew is exempt). 

We refer to the awards as “Creative” when we truly mean for that the prizes are "creative"!  For instance, the prize for “Best Sunburn” was an AZ visor and After Sun Lotion; the prize for “Wildest Party Animal” was a Saguaro Cactus antenna cover, well – you get the idea.  Anyway, it is fun to see who is selected from the riders, and to see if we have figured out whom they might select. 

Every night during the week, we had a lot of give-away items.  Helen had made the rounds of local bike shops before the ride, asking for donations to the Tour.  We were amazed at the generosity.  In particular, we want to thank Ralph Phillips from Fair Wheels, Mac & Kate Graham of Sabino Cycles, who donated several water bottles and lots energy food products, and Richard DeBernardis of Perimeter Bicycling for donating a huge stack of last years El Tour de Tucson tee-shirts.  These contributions and those from several other bike stores around Tucson gave us an opportunity to have some fun each evening after dinner, with awards being given for such things as:  Who rode the entire route from Flagstaff to Payson?” Who can tell us how many species of birds there are in the Grand Canyon?  How old does a Saguaro have to be before it grows its first set of “arms”? 

And of course we hid numbers under seats in Tucson, and acknowledged several singular feats such as: Gene Morrissey for Sardine stacking the bikes; Fritz Brace, Clarence Wittenstrom and Marilyn Stoutenburg for packaging and alphabetizing all of the rider name/bike badges and Route Guides on the trip from Tucson to Phoenix. All October birthday riders got a water bottle, and the list goes on.  Once I got into Tucson, and we still had gifts left to award, I divided the loot evenly among the SAG Staff – so they could make awards presentations of their own choosing the following night at the Farewell Mexican Buffet Banquet.  It was a lot of fun to see what they came up with…

Saturday morning, the last day of the Tour, and I was already feeling a little melancholy!  Where did the week go?  Here we are, about to wrap up the end of the week, and for me, the end of a 4-year adventure as Ride Chair.  Even now, it is hard for me to accept. This has been a way of life for me since 1998, when I worked the Tour as SAG 3.

This year, I met "return rider", Phil Stein.  Phil and I got to know each other on the last day of that tour because he was so frustrated with his bike.  He had gotten 4 flat tires the last day into Nogales. One not far from the start of the ride, and his day just had kept going from bad to worse!  By the time he had reached my Stop, he had gotten another flat – and I had nothing there for him to repair it with so that he could finish the ride!  He just had to SAG in – boy oh boy – he was not a happy camper! While looking for the campsite in Nogales, we ended up in the heart of the border-town district.  We had a heck of a time trying to find a place to turn around, it seemed that all of the streets were one-way or blocked! Obviously we figured it out, but that is our past-shared experience! 

There were several others who had been on more than one of the past tours – those from 1999, our Route 66 Tour, recalled the scorching heat out of Lake Havasu up into Oatman (112 degrees) – Sharon had her hands busy that year keeping several riders from experiencing advanced symptoms of heatstroke!  Ride Wear for that tour was a jacket, which seemed like a pretty silly idea until the morning out of Prescott, when I saw nearly every cyclists wearing it as they rode on towards Camp Verde that day.  What a sight – the yellow jacket with a depiction of the Arizona State Flag prominently displayed, it was an exhilarating feeling!  I have seen that jacket worn by more than one rider on every tour since then. 

In 2000, the Old West Tour as I have previously mentioned, was a very soggy adventure.  The brightest and prettiest thing about that trip until we reached Safford was our colorful pink and blue jersey, designed by Chris Salcedo (much to the dismay of our more “macho-male” ride crew). Having new ride wear each year, is a great way to identify past participants – and allows me to bask in the pleasure of knowing we must be doing something right!  I can’t leave this tour behind without mentioning the self-appointed “Posse”.  This band of fun-loving cyclists formed a bond on the 2000 Tour, and has returned for the last two years, to add that touch of “western flavor” to the Canyon experiences. 

Last year, and my first trip from the Grand Canyon, good buddies from past tours showed up: Ian and Anya from Canada; Jeff from KS; Chantel from VA; Gary from CO; La Ree from CO; Jess from CA; Fritz from AZ; Clarence, from IL and Lynn from WA – what fun to be joined by so many old friends! 

Many of this same group joined us again this year, as well as our Oregonian compadre, Dennis Krakow (veteran of 4 tours) and his lovely wife Jackie, who was along to ride tandem with him this time, the Sing brothers, the Chricton brothers, and Dick from CA, Milo from NJ…the list goes on and on.  Its no wonder I was feeling so sentimental!

The ride for this day proved to be mainly uneventful – which was good – especially since Norm was on the job once again from Tucson to Nogales. Although, when I stopped in at SAG 3 that afternoon, it was obvious they were having a difficult time keeping the bees from taking over the snacks, and stinging everyone there!  I was witness to a “stinger removal” from cyclist Charlie Morris’ ear.  It was enough to send me scurrying on down the road I’ll tell you.  I don’t think I am allergic, just not inclined to like the pain that could be inflicted from those little buzzers.  Hats off to Mary and Marge for holding their ground and waging war against them by using open cans of soda and other sweet things to lure them away from the main course on the table.  I know that once the weather warmed up, SAG 2 and Sag 3 had been in this same fix more than once at various locations along the route, but this was the worst I had been witness to! 

At day’s end, everyone gathered at the Super 8 Motel for the Farewell Banquet.  Mariachi music began to play around 6 PM, while folks began taking their seats in the dining room.  The musicians were young, energetic, and delightfully entertaining. After the music and meal had ended, Sharon took the floor as the final night’s emcee.  Wayne stayed in Tucson so that he could lead the El Tour de Tucson Training Ride the following day, and Sharon stepped up to the challenge of the task that had been his all week. 

I managed to haltingly say good bye to everyone; Roy took a few minutes to invite everyone back and to spread the word that next year’s tour will be the same route, same fun; Barry managed another joke and presented an award to his helper for the day, Joan Faller; the SAG staff presented the awards to various cyclists for various reasons: dances, songs, hats, bee stings, ribbons, helping, and more; the Posse had an award for J