RR: Five Rides in Tucson

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:

angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗

Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.

CC

Legs look a little skinny. are you ill? ;-)

but seriously, i always thought my legs were under powered, until i see what others have. i mean no
offence. you gotta figure too, big legs eat a lot. its like having a big V8 versus a little in-line
4 cylinder.

I bet any one of you could kick my ass on long rides, and i bet you go through less chain links than
i (broke my chain 4 times last year on climbs. perhaps it is time i get a new one).

Nice pics, and good looking terrain. Thanks for sharing.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Corvus Corvax thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:

angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗

Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.

CC

cool! funs sites to surf from too. About 15 years ago my hubby was doing some contract work on the
base there, and he had full access to base so we got to drive around in the plane graveyard there.

if you surf on the cherba.com site from some of the trail descriptions, he's got a pretty funny
rating system.

Technician thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:

angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗

Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.

CC

Legs look a little skinny. are you ill? ;-)

but seriously, i always thought my legs were under powered, until i see what others have. i mean
no offence. you gotta figure too, big legs eat a lot. its like having a big V8 versus a little
in-line 4 cylinder.

I bet any one of you could kick my ass on long rides,

anyone of us could probably kick you butt on a short ride too. 12 hours a day in front of
a computer?

penny

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Technician thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:

angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗

Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.

CC

Legs look a little skinny. are you ill? ;-)

but seriously, i always thought my legs were under powered, until i see what others have. i mean
no offence. you gotta figure too, big legs eat a lot. its like having a big V8 versus a little
in-line 4 cylinder.

I bet any one of you could kick my ass on long rides,

anyone of us could probably kick you butt on a short ride too. 12 hours a day in front of a
computer?

penny

no doubt. but on a short ride i can make up for it with power on the hills.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Very cool.. I would love to get back to Tucson and ride.. I was born there but haven't lived there
in MANY years.. Even before I used to ride I used to walk the deserts behind the Santa Catalinas..
You could walk all day and never see anything man-made.. It was great!

Danny

"Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:

angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗

Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.

CC

"Technician" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Technician thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
> Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:
>
> angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗
>
> Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.
>
> CC
>

Legs look a little skinny. are you ill? ;-)

but seriously, i always thought my legs were under powered, until i see what others have. i
mean no offence. you gotta figure too, big legs eat a lot. its like having a big V8 versus a
little in-line 4 cylinder.

I bet any one of you could kick my ass on long rides,

anyone of us could probably kick you butt on a short ride too. 12 hours

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

day in front of a computer?

penny

no doubt. but on a short ride i can make up for it with power on the hills.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Until Mr. Fixed-Gear himself Corvus kicks your ass. Ever looked at Lance's legs? Yeah, he's toned,
but they're not massive by any means: chez.comarm10.jpgOpen ↗

And don't try to tell me you could beat LA with "power on the hills" - that's what he's known for.

Size isn't everything... at least as far as legs are concerned 😉

Jon "Chicken legs" Bond

In article <R8dAa.723139$OV.669314@rwcrnsc54>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Technician" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

Technician thoughtfully penned:
> In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
>> Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:
>>
>> angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗
>>
>> Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.
>>
>> CC
>>
>
> Legs look a little skinny. are you ill? ;-)
>
> but seriously, i always thought my legs were under powered, until i see what others have. i
> mean no offence. you gotta figure too, big legs eat a lot. its like having a big V8 versus a
> little in-line 4 cylinder.
>
> I bet any one of you could kick my ass on long rides,

anyone of us could probably kick you butt on a short ride too. 12 hours

a

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

day in front of a computer?

penny

no doubt. but on a short ride i can make up for it with power on the hills.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Until Mr. Fixed-Gear himself Corvus kicks your ass. Ever looked at Lance's legs? Yeah, he's toned,
but they're not massive by any means: chez.comarm10.jpgOpen ↗

And don't try to tell me you could beat LA with "power on the hills" - that's what he's known for.

Size isn't everything... at least as far as legs are concerned 😉

Jon "Chicken legs" Bond

actually, it would be an honer to try. even if he toasted my [censored] from the start, i would enjoy
the moment.

Interestingly, does Lance ride off-road at all? could be interesting to try him on some trails to
see how he compares.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

"Technician" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <R8dAa.723139$OV.669314@rwcrnsc54>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Technician" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
> Technician thoughtfully penned:
> > In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
> > says...
> >> Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:
> >>
> >> angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗
> >>
> >> Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.
> >>
> >> CC
> >>
> >
> > Legs look a little skinny. are you ill? ;-)
> >
> > but seriously, i always thought my legs were under powered, until

i

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> > see what others have. i mean no offence. you gotta figure too, big legs eat a lot. its
> > like having a big V8 versus a little in-line 4 cylinder.
> >
> > I bet any one of you could kick my ass on long rides,
>
>
> anyone of us could probably kick you butt on a short ride too. 12

hours

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a

Quoted message said:

> day in front of a computer?
>
> penny
>
>
>

no doubt. but on a short ride i can make up for it with power on the hills.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Until Mr. Fixed-Gear himself Corvus kicks your ass. Ever looked at

Lance's

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

legs? Yeah, he's toned, but they're not massive by any means:
chez.comarm10.jpgOpen ↗

And don't try to tell me you could beat LA with "power on the hills" - that's what he's
known for.

Size isn't everything... at least as far as legs are concerned 😉

Jon "Chicken legs" Bond

actually, it would be an honer to try. even if he toasted my [censored] from the start, i would enjoy
the moment.

Interestingly, does Lance ride off-road at all? could be interesting to try him on some trails to
see how he compares.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Yes, supposedly once a week or so. He also does some races, mostly off-road biathlons. Last year, in
a biathlon where he got a flat, only two or three people managed to beat him. The winner? A guy on a
singlespeed. He actually was beating Lance before the flat, so he legitamately beat him. Sick.

Jon Bond

In article <8XdAa.723462$OV.668527@rwcrnsc54>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Technician" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <R8dAa.723139$OV.669314@rwcrnsc54>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Technician" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...
> In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
> > Technician thoughtfully penned:
> > > In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
> > > says...
> > >> Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:
> > >>
> > >> angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗
> > >>
> > >> Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.
> > >>
> > >> CC
> > >>
> > >
> > > Legs look a little skinny. are you ill? ;-)
> > >
> > > but seriously, i always thought my legs were under powered, until

i

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> > > see what others have. i mean no offence. you gotta figure too, big legs eat a lot. its
> > > like having a big V8 versus a little in-line 4 cylinder.
> > >
> > > I bet any one of you could kick my ass on long rides,
> >
> >
> > anyone of us could probably kick you butt on a short ride too. 12

hours

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

a
> > day in front of a computer?
> >
> > penny
> >
> >
> >
>
> no doubt. but on a short ride i can make up for it with power on the hills.
> --
> ~Travis
>
> travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Until Mr. Fixed-Gear himself Corvus kicks your ass. Ever looked at

Lance's

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

legs? Yeah, he's toned, but they're not massive by any means:
chez.comarm10.jpgOpen ↗

And don't try to tell me you could beat LA with "power on the hills" - that's what he's known
for.

Size isn't everything... at least as far as legs are concerned 😉

Jon "Chicken legs" Bond

actually, it would be an honer to try. even if he toasted my [censored] from the start, i would enjoy
the moment.

Interestingly, does Lance ride off-road at all? could be interesting to try him on some trails
to see how he compares.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Yes, supposedly once a week or so. He also does some races, mostly off-road biathlons. Last
year, in a biathlon where he got a flat, only two or three people managed to beat him. The
winner? A guy on a singlespeed. He actually was beating Lance before the flat, so he
legitamately beat him. Sick.

Jon Bond

beat him on a single speed? damn, that guy must have had some tree trunks under him.

So leg size i guess doesn't matter (or does it ;-) so a more appropriate scale may be the leg
press. I can do like 7 or 8 (can't remember, been a while) sets of 12 reps at 500lb (combined for
both legs).

but unfortunately, i never worked on speed. i think the last time i tried a exercycle with a cadence
meter on it i maxed at about 70 i think (again, it has been a while). i know at slow cadence, i can
pedal smooth and in circles, but at a fast cadence, i start to get unstable. knees start to flail
about, pedal motion causes a pronounced bounce, and then the 'ol gas gauge plummets. gotta work on
that i guess. maybe clipless would help. the Power-Grips i have don't fit over my shoes (they are
only size 13). maybe just getting some SPD compatible mtb shoes sometime would be a good upgrade as
they would be lightly smaller (thinner soles). that and i would be half way there should i upgrade
to clipless. Ahh well, all in the future. first i gotta upgrade my employment status.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Jon Bond thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Interestingly, does Lance ride off-road at all? could be interesting to try him on some trails to
see how he compares.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Yes, supposedly once a week or so. He also does some races, mostly off-road biathlons. Last
year, in a biathlon where he got a flat, only two or three people managed to beat him. The
winner? A guy on a singlespeed. He actually was beating Lance before the flat, so he
legitamately beat him. Sick.

Jon Bond

didn't he used to race off road? There's a great little video clip ( NIKE ad)of him taking a group
of roadies off the pavement and losing them one by one.

penny

"Penny S." <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Jon Bond thoughtfully penned:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

>
Interestingly, does Lance ride off-road at all? could be interesting to try him on some trails
to see how he compares.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Yes, supposedly once a week or so. He also does some races, mostly off-road biathlons. Last
year, in a biathlon where he got a flat, only two or three people managed to beat him. The
winner? A guy on a singlespeed. He actually was beating Lance before the flat, so he
legitamately beat him. Sick.

Jon Bond

didn't he used to race off road? There's a great little video clip ( NIKE ad)of him taking a group
of roadies off the pavement and losing them one

by

Quoted message said:

one.

penny

IIRC, that race was only a couple years ago. I think he does local Texas mountain bike races still.

Jon Bond

"Technician" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <8XdAa.723462$OV.668527@rwcrnsc54>, [email hidden] says...

Quoted message said:

"Technician" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

In article <R8dAa.723139$OV.669314@rwcrnsc54>, [email hidden] says...
>
> "Technician" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
> "]news:[email hidden]...
> > In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden] says...
> > > Technician thoughtfully penned:
> > > > In article <[email hidden]>, [email hidden]
> > > > says...
> > > >> Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:
> > > >>
> > > >> angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗
> > > >>
> > > >> Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.
> > > >>
> > > >> CC
> > > >>
> > > >
> > > > Legs look a little skinny. are you ill? ;-)
> > > >
> > > > but seriously, i always thought my legs were under powered,

until

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

i

Quoted message said:

> > > > see what others have. i mean no offence. you gotta figure too,

big

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> > > > legs eat a lot. its like having a big V8 versus a little

in-line 4

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> > > > cylinder.
> > > >
> > > > I bet any one of you could kick my ass on long rides,
> > >
> > >
> > > anyone of us could probably kick you butt on a short ride too.

12

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

hours

Quoted message said:

> a
> > > day in front of a computer?
> > >
> > > penny
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
> > no doubt. but on a short ride i can make up for it with power on

the

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> > hills.
> > --
> > ~Travis
> >
> > travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗
>
> Until Mr. Fixed-Gear himself Corvus kicks your ass. Ever looked at

Lance's

Quoted message said:

> legs? Yeah, he's toned, but they're not massive by any means:
> chez.comarm10.jpgOpen ↗
>
> And don't try to tell me you could beat LA with "power on the

hills" -

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

> that's what he's known for.
>
> Size isn't everything... at least as far as legs are concerned 😉
>
> Jon "Chicken legs" Bond
>
>
>
>

actually, it would be an honer to try. even if he toasted my [censored] from the start, i would
enjoy the moment.

Interestingly, does Lance ride off-road at all? could be interesting

to

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

try him on some trails to see how he compares.
--
~Travis

travis57 at megalink dot net megalink.net~farmersOpen ↗

Yes, supposedly once a week or so. He also does some races, mostly

off-road

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

biathlons. Last year, in a biathlon where he got a flat, only two or

three

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

people managed to beat him. The winner? A guy on a singlespeed. He actually was beating Lance
before the flat, so he legitamately beat him. Sick.

Jon Bond

beat him on a single speed? damn, that guy must have had some tree trunks under him.

So leg size i guess doesn't matter (or does it ;-) so a more appropriate scale may be the leg
press. I can do like 7 or 8 (can't remember, been a while) sets of 12 reps at 500lb (combined for
both legs).

Yeah, but do you weigh 135 pounds? Makes a huge difference. Also, brute strength really doesn't get
you all that far on bikes.

Quoted message said:

but unfortunately, i never worked on speed. i think the last time i tried a exercycle with a
cadence meter on it i maxed at about 70 i think (again, it has been a while).

Not sure what I max out around - been a while since I rode something with cadence. IIRC, it was
around 130 though, and I know I've gotten smoother since then. Skinny legs spin fast.

Quoted message said:

i know at slow cadence, i can pedal smooth and in circles, but at a fast cadence, i start to get
unstable. knees start to flail about, pedal motion causes a pronounced bounce, and then the 'ol
gas gauge plummets. gotta work on that i guess. maybe clipless would help.

Its more technique. Clipless makes it a tiny bit easier to spin, but not much - plus its one more
thing to think about.

Quoted message said:

the Power-Grips i have don't fit over my shoes (they are only size 13). maybe just getting some
SPD compatible mtb shoes sometime would be a good upgrade as they would be lightly smaller
(thinner soles). that and i would be half way there should i upgrade to clipless.

Um, SPD shoes have big lugs on them. They also have a stiffening plate. For normal pedals, you're
not going to get any closer, especially with entry level shoes. Maybe the super-high-end ones can
get you closer to the axle, but anything less is just more rubber.

Quoted message said:

Ahh well, all in the future. first i gotta upgrade my employment status.

Yeah, I'd say thats probably a good idea. And don't blow it all on bike stuff/computer stuff. Start
saving. I saved half the money I made working the last three years for "spending money" in college,
although I think about half of that and some of the other money I saved up went towards my tuition.
Either way, I ended up with about 1000 a year for my first three years at school. Granted, I spent a
lot of that on the new bike, but that's what I decided to spend my money on - I don't go out to
dinner that much (although i've got a competition going with a friend now, which means I have to
take a girl out on a date every week, or I owe her a sixer - works both ways. Should be fun!), I try
to use my dining hall meals instead of ordering out, I don't go to many concerts unless they're
cheap or free (but I've seen some amazing bands nonetheless - Virginia Coalition, Soulive, Joshua
Redman...), and so on and so on. Its nice to plan and dream, but don't let your dreams get too far
ahead of your means. Ride your bike, be happy with it. When you find yourself with enough money
saved up that you can actually do something with it, then decide what you want to do with it. If
it's still a new bike, well, more power to ya.

Jon Bond

Technician said:

So leg size i guess doesn't matter (or does it ;-) so a more appropriate scale may be the leg
press. I can do like 7 or 8 (can't remember, been a while) sets of 12 reps at 500lb (combined for
both legs).

Way off. If anything, leg size tends to work in the opposite direction. Try and find a picture of an
XC rider or a roadie with big legs (Djamolodine Abdujaparov excluded). Most are skinny whippets. Big
legs are generally for power and sprinting - bmx racing is the one discipline that immediately
springs to mind.

--
a.m-b FAQ: t-online.deambfaq.htmOpen ↗

b.bmx FAQ: t-online.debmx faq.htmOpen ↗

(Corvus Corvax) said:

Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:

angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗

Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.

CC

Nice, Bill The mind serves properly as a window glass rather than as a reflector, that is, the mind
should give an immediate view instead of an interpretation of the world.
:-]

"Danny" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I would love to get back to Tucson and ride.. I was born there but haven't lived there in MANY
years.. Even before I used to ride I used to walk the deserts behind the Santa Catalinas.. You
could walk all day and never see anything man-made.. It was great!

Dude, you'll cry. The place is being utterly destroyed by developers. Oracle Road is now miles and
miles of the most godawful sprawl you've ever seen. Sad.

CC

That really sucks then.. I lived out near Oracle for a time.. Nothing but a few homes and the missle
silos... Jack rabbits, rattlesnakes, scorpions, and the occasional tarantula.. The only place in my
life I have been that was so bright with only star light, that you could walk and see shadows of
things at night..

I really miss that place..

Danny

"Corvus Corvax" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"Danny" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

I would love to get back to Tucson and ride.. I was born there but haven't lived there in MANY
years.. Even before I used to

ride I

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

used to walk the deserts behind the Santa Catalinas.. You could walk

all

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

day and never see anything man-made.. It was great!

Dude, you'll cry. The place is being utterly destroyed by developers. Oracle Road is now miles and
miles of the most godawful sprawl you've ever seen. Sad.

CC

(Corvus Corvax) said:

Get to it before I exceed my bandiwidth limit:

angelfire.comTucson2003Open ↗

Fun, fun, fun. And lots of cactus.

CC

Nice, very nice! I love Tucson. If you two ever come down again and are up for a looooong all-day
ride, ring/mail me up. I've got several epics that come off the very tippy-top of the Catalinas, up
by the observatory, all the way down into the town of Catalina. 5-8 hour day rides, but they're
awesome adventures.

Take care,

Paul

Outside America: Mountain Bike America -- Arizona Guidebook available at bike shops, bookstores,
and online
(480) 756-2460 | (602) 370-7107 cell mountainbikearizona.commountainbikearizona.comOpen ↗

[email hidden] (Paul Beakley) wrote

Quoted message said:

Nice, very nice! I love Tucson. If you two ever come down again and are up for a looooong all-day
ride, ring/mail me up. I've got several epics that come off the very tippy-top of the Catalinas,
up by the observatory, all the way down into the town of Catalina. 5-8 hour day rides, but they're
awesome adventures.

Thanks for the offer, we might do that. I know I was drooling over Sanmiango Ridge (sp?), but that's
a definite shuttle ride, which would have been difficult to arrange. Not to mention that doing
hardcore backcountry rides without a lot of local knowledge and/or detailed prep can be a Real Bad
Idea. Especially in the summer desert...

Call me foolishly conservative.

CC

(Corvus Corvax) said:

[email hidden] (Paul Beakley) wrote

Quoted message said:

Nice, very nice! I love Tucson. If you two ever come down again and are up for a looooong all-day
ride, ring/mail me up. I've got several epics that come off the very tippy-top of the Catalinas,
up by the observatory, all the way down into the town of Catalina. 5-8 hour day rides, but
they're awesome adventures.

Thanks for the offer, we might do that. I know I was drooling over Sanmiango Ridge (sp?), but
that's a definite shuttle ride, which would have been difficult to arrange. Not to mention that
doing hardcore backcountry rides without a lot of local knowledge and/or detailed prep can be a
Real Bad Idea. Especially in the summer desert...

Call me foolishly conservative.

Not at all -- Sammie Ridge, Red Ridge, Canada del Oro -- all awesome rides, all scary backcountry
disasters in waiting. I'm working on how to include them in the next edition of my book, because so
much of the experience involves trail finding, scrabbling over deadfall, etc. Hardly anyone ever
uses the trails except for a few very hardcore riders willing to expose themselves to a lot of risk.
However, enough of us know the way that we feel comfortable taking along a few friends we feel are
able to handle the challenge.

Let me know next time you're coming to town. Hopefully not in the middle of summer! The final hours
of the rides end up in the 4000'-3500' range, and it's still godawful hot. :-{

p.Outside America: Mountain Bike America -- Arizona Guidebook available at bike shops, bookstores,
and online
(480) 756-2460 | (602) 370-7107 cell mountainbikearizona.commountainbikearizona.comOpen ↗