Wild Bill Breaks Out

Departing the self proclaimed Cowboy Capital of the West, Wickenburg AZ, was beautiful. With the sun shining and 58 degrees, Peter and I got an early start heading east out of this small town loaded with saloons. We aimed to beat the expected heat. The first half of the ride was on smooth pavement with a slight downhill grade. You couldn’t see it but you could feel it. With a gentle tailwind, we ripped through the remaining desert to Sun City at our fastest pace yet.

Too early for lunch, we decided to go the full distance (72 miles) and eat later. What we didn’t know was that the lights in Phoenix are not set for bikes. The last 30 miles took 3 hours, but we did traverse some nice suburbs of Phoenix and 100’s of Malls/Strip Centers. We also rode on a 13 mile bike path along the canal and some parks. Reaching the hotel and realizing we had a rest day after 6 days of riding was a relief. It finally reached 90 degrees but we were done.

We finished the first week safely. Here are some of the stats :

Miles: 423

Ascent: 12,023

Descent: 10,982

Blowouts: 1

Wrong turns: 2

Days of Sun: 5

Bad Jokes: 15 – all guilty.

Today was Bill’s Birthday and we celebrated by taking him to the world famous Pinnacle Peak Patio on the side of Camelback Mountain. We gave him an expensive birthday tie to wear – but this thrift store beauty was promptly snipped at the dinner table by the manager, who told Bill, “Cowboys don’t wear ties”. It was a soft blow to Bill’s ego, particularly as he was sporting his new cowboy boots. Great dinner outdoors with a live band playing everything from Roger Miller to Elvis Presley.

Here is the link to our map to date. Some have tried the “Watch course by video” which gives you a flavor for the terrain we are covering.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ca/-san-diego/708128663378393730