Don't forget Winona...

There has been riding this week. When a fair amount of that riding has been on a Pugsley with so little air in the tires that it doesn't register on the floor pump's gauge, you feel it after a while. Especially 3 days in a row. Rolling resistance on a tire that big running that low is insane.

But man, the ride was smooth, and the traction, incredible.

However... I think I'll run the tires up to 5 psi. High enough not to kill me, low enough to still be bouncy.

But zero psi did net me some great views along the Arizona Trail on Monday.

Fisher Point from the backside. Walnut Canyon looks deep and dark from here.

Fisher Point from the view everyone knows, at sunset. Makes the whole ride worth it.

  

 It was a sort of stressful week at work, so some self-inflicted torture and punishment was in order. This really just means I wanted to ride a singlespeed.  My ride of choice for the day ended up being STeve, and we ended up riding FR128, a dirt road that runs more or less from Lake Mary Road to Winona, passing south of Walnut Canyon.

Hard to believe I'm looking over a canyon and a city at the mountains, yeah?

  The ride out to Winona ended up passing quickly, despite the mud I hadn't planned on, so I tacked on a bit of historic road to my ride.

Winslow, Arizona, and don't forget Winona!

   

After a few miles of old route 66, I came to my favorite piece of the road.

Padre Canyon Bridge, the original Route 66 bridge in this area.

They don't build them like this anymore.

 I decided to try to follow the original alignment up the opposite canyon wall, but lost it at the rim, next to I-40. Darn.

Hmm, those clouds are building. I had probably start heading homeward.

Ok, one last picture.

One thing I didn't realize is that Townsend Winona Road is also a part of Route 66, as is the old metal truss bridge that runs over lower  Walnut Canyon. The bridge is even on the register of historic places. All this cool stuff, and I've been past that bridge hundreds of times, and I never stopped, nor ever thought about the fact that I was on Route 66.

Well, I'll take care of that.

And then I rode across it.

Then I beat feet home, towards the darkening thunder clouds. I didn't get rained on, but I swore I was seeing funnel clouds at the cloud line, and the lightning show I got to watch as I rode across town was spectacular. But, safely home I made it, where, after a shower, Exe decided to take Su to a lake.

I wasn't gonna miss this.

"Yep, a rock."

"Screw you guys. To the Su Cave!"

Now, I have a choice to make. Next Saturday is the annual St. Mary's Food Bank Alliance Race, about the only race I do, because it's local, smallish and fun, and for a good cause.

Also next Saturday is a loop trail day. Also fun, I learn stuff every time, and I help build something that'll be around for a while.

I don't know which one I want to do more.

Mileage: 62.2