Tour de Tucson - Page 2

azpeterb · 11-02-2007

This will be my 10th year riding in El Tour, so I know the ride pretty well. I agree with the advice about lining up early and it is especially applicable this year because they are expecting 10,000-11,000 riders, a huge increase from the 8,000 of last year. The League of American Wheelmen is holding its annual convention in conjunction with El Tour, so many of those folks will be riding in El Tour, driving the numbers up. It will be crowded, so be careful, ESPECIALLY AT THE START! Hold your line, hope everyone else holds theirs, and you'll be fine. In one of the earlier posts someone made the comment that lanes are closed to car traffic, and this is really not the case with the exception of a few short stretches....you will be sharing the road with cars so be aware of them, as I have seen countless close calls with cars trying to get around the riders over the years. The roads should be in good shape, but the stretch on the south side (Los Reales, I believe) is full of pot holes every year and I don't know if this year will be any different, so be careful there. Oh, one more thing about the wait before the ride: they do have port-a-johns out there but I wouldn't wait past 6:30 to use one. Make friends with the people standing next to you while waiting and they will watch your bike for you while you make that last-minute toilet run. Plenty of food at the sag stops but only water, so like someone recommended, bring your powder with you to add to the water. Temps have been holding steady in the high 80's but hopefully it will cool off a bit during the next 2 weeks. I'll try to think of more tips when I check in here later.

pedalruns · 11-02-2007

THanks very much for all those tips, I hope those bathroom lines aren't too long...

Getting close, I'll be packing my bike up next week for shipping.... And I saw they have the new 07 clothing out!! Looks good, but don't know if I can afford a jersry, we'll see when I'm there if I can't resist!!

My Own Private Idaho · 11-02-2007

I said roads were closed, and some are. But not all. In many places the shoulder is coned off, or traffic is one-way only. But that in not universal. We all need to watch out for cars out there!!!

idris icabod · 11-02-2007

Another tip worth mentioning is to watch out for the rail road crossings at the end of Tangerine Road just prior to crossing under I-10. These run diagonally across the road and always take out a few cyclists every year who get their wheels caught up in them.

EasyAZ · 11-02-2007

I was on Los Reales last Saturday. It is one of the worst roads in Tucson. I guess it's just a part of the challenge. Either that or the fact that it's adjacent to a City Dump. Smooth roads are not a priority for dump trucks full or garbage I guess. Enjoying the thread. I'm doing 109 this year after doing 66 last year in my first tour. It's a blast. Just be careful. There will be plenty of slow, unskilled and oblivious riders. Sprint past them like a scalded dog and then give a sigh of relief as you settle into your groove. The washes can be quite sandy. I'm considering throwing surgical caps over my shoes.

dirtrodr · 11-02-2007

Nice, keep the info comin"

azpeterb · 11-03-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by My Own Private Idaho

The people are a real problem. That being said, I am doing it again this year. Many of the riders don't often ride in groups. The lanes used are closed to auto traffic, but often I saw 4-8 riders abreast, taking up the whole lane at 8-12 mph. If you don't get to the start early you will be passing people like that all day. It gets to be a joke. I was in that kind of traffice for 65 miles my first year. Last year I got an earlier start, got farther forward in line, and didn't have to pass so many people.

The support is good, but the stops have only water, so bring your own sport's drink powder. I didn't my first year, and suffered from lack of salt.

Bring something disposable to wear before the start, or have someone to take some warm stuff from you. It is cold standing around, but warms up quickly when the sun comes up.

I was referring to our statement, "The lanes used are closed to auto traffic", which might lead some to believe that they don't have to worry about cars during the ride. Drivers are generally cautious with the thousands of riders but like I said, I have seen many close calls and there have been instances where riders were struck by cars.

crj · 11-03-2007

My son has lived in Tucson for 4 years and I asked him about the "goat heads" in the washes and he didn't have a clue, so will someone fill me in? Thanks.

azpeterb · 11-03-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by crj

My son has lived in Tucson for 4 years and I asked him about the "goat heads" in the washes and he didn't have a clue, so will someone fill me in? Thanks.

"Goat head" is a type of thorn that grows all over the western U.S. They are very sharp and very strong, so they'll penetrate pretty much any kind of bicycle tire, even the Armadillo tires made by Specialized. I once made the mistake of walking my bike through a patch of goatheads....didn't realize what I had done until I found no less than 8 of them embedded in my tires. I wasn't very popular on that particular group ride!

When you do the river crossings in El Tour, you'll see most people carrying their bikes. It's a good idea, to avoid the goatheads and other thorns, glass, etc. that can puncture your tires.

blindzebra · 11-04-2007

Shortly after the start you make a left turn on to Grenada. This road is completely closed to traffic. However, most riders stay to the right hand side of the islands in the middle of the road. Riders that want to pass can ride in the oncoming traffic lane and can pass a ton of people who are still warmimg up from the start. I have done this several times in the past and have easily gotten from the front of the silver section to the platinum groups before the first crossing. Once I got in the platinum groups it was an easy wheel suck to sub 5:00. This is all perfectly within in the rules.

Hope this helps!

teoteoteo · 11-05-2007

Hey kids. I have a free trip to do this event if I want to go. How flat is the Hundy route? I am not in great shape but can do 100 if its flatter. Worth the trip? Fractured my wrist two weeks ago too, but am already doing 2.5 hours on the MTB with very minimal pain factor. Just in case maybe talk about the pothole/pavement factor just so I have the bases covered.

azpeterb · 11-05-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by teoteoteo

Hey kids. I have a free trip to do this event if I want to go. How flat is the Hundy route? I am not in great shape but can do 100 if its flatter. Worth the trip? Fractured my wrist two weeks ago too, but am already doing 2.5 hours on the MTB with very minimal pain factor. Just in case maybe talk about the pothole/pavement factor just so I have the bases covered.

The route isn't that difficult but there are a fair number of hills, most of which are fairly gradual inclines. There are 2 somewhat steep hills, one on the east side after the river crossing and another at about the 85 (or so) mile point, but they are quite short. I saw on PBAA's website that the total amount of climbing is a little under 3000 feet, so really not that bad when stretched out over 109 miles. The main challenges to me have been the wind and the heat on a couple occasions, and of course dealing with the masses of riders. Road conditions are pretty good overall, a few bumpy spots on the south and southeast sections but you can easily steer around the potholes if you keep an eye out for them. So, all things considered, I'd say go for it!

pedalruns · 11-06-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by azpeterb

"Goat head" is a type of thorn that grows all over the western U.S. They are very sharp and very strong, so they'll penetrate pretty much any kind of bicycle tire, even the Armadillo tires made by Specialized. I once made the mistake of walking my bike through a patch of goatheads....didn't realize what I had done until I found no less than 8 of them embedded in my tires. I wasn't very popular on that particular group ride!

When you do the river crossings in El Tour, you'll see most people carrying their bikes. It's a good idea, to avoid the goatheads and other thorns, glass, etc. that can puncture your tires.

Thanks for clearing that up!! I admit....I was really thinking of actual goat skull bones in the washes!!! haha.

dirtrodr · 11-06-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by blindzebra

Shortly after the start you make a left turn on to Grenada. This road is completely closed to traffic. However, most riders stay to the right hand side of the islands in the middle of the road. Riders that want to pass can ride in the oncoming traffic lane and can pass a ton of people who are still warmimg up from the start. I have done this several times in the past and have easily gotten from the front of the silver section to the platinum groups before the first crossing. Once I got in the platinum groups it was an easy wheel suck to sub 5:00. This is all perfectly within in the rules.

Hope this helps!

NIce- Im gonna need some way of getting the heck away from the major danger

stoli · 11-07-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by idris icabod

Another tip worth mentioning is to watch out for the rail road crossings at the end of Tangerine Road just prior to crossing under I-10. These run diagonally across the road and always take out a few cyclists every year who get their wheels caught up in them.

Don't forget that there is another set of RR tracks about two miles further up the frontage road!

I rode the complete course a couple of weeks ago. The stretch along Los Reales is still the worst -- full of potholes and patches. The frontage road along I-10 is also only marginally better. After the I-10 frontage road you hit Kolb. Riding alone it was no problem since I was able to ride in the smooth concrete gutter and avoid the chip seal; however during the tour I would not want to be penned in there. All in all, miles 18-25 are pretty rough, but then the roads are OK.

Someone asked about hills. The course is mainly rolling hills, except for the exit out of the second wash crossing. Once you leave the parking lot and turn left, you'll be on Snyder Hill, and it is pretty steep (my garmin says about 10%), but luckily short. Make sure you are in a low gear once you leave the parking lot!

My main concern is the heat. It's been well above average temp here. When I rode, I started at sunrise and it was 60, and when I finished it was over 90. If the heat is still on next week, I'll probably have to bring my camelback along since I really only want to stop once at the second crossing, and there is no way that 2 water bottles would suffice for me.

-=[doug]=-

edited to correct the slope of snyder hill

pedalruns · 11-12-2007

Well my bike has arrived in Tucson!!!! And I'll be joining it on Thursday... Now I just hope the wind is calm on Saturday and the rubber side stays down...

Looks like tons of people, scrolling thru the rider registered list... I'll be keeping in mind all the advise here.. Good luck to all and hope to read some race/ride reports next week.

azchris · 11-12-2007

I did a count on the registered rider list this morning and there was a little over 7,200 so far... lots more to come I'm sure.

azpeterb · 11-12-2007

Another word of warning: be very careful on Freeman Road! That is the nice downhill stretch just after you pass the Sahuaro Monument on the east side of Tucson. The road keeps getting worse and worse each year, and after riding on it this morning, it looks like it's more of the same this year. Lots of potholes, some unfilled and others very crudely filled but still hazardous to riders. The problem is that most riders go pretty fast down Freeman, and if you are in a pack it will be tough to avoid all of these potholes and cracks. I noticed that most of the trouble spots are on the right half of the lane, so you can at least reduce the likelihood of riding over the bad spots if you stay in the left half of the northbound lane....but there are still plenty of hazards in the left half so you'll still need to watch out. Be careful out there!

EasyAZ · 11-13-2007

Freeman is very treacherous if you can't see or aren't warned of what's ahead. Use etiquette and call 'em out as you'd want another to do the same for you. After Broadway until Speedway, Freeman gets really smooth and is a blast to fly over the rollers. Also, the last 20 or so miles on Silverbell is no picnic. It's not horrible, just poor quality surface. After 85 miles in the saddle, not a lot of fun.

dirtrodr · 11-13-2007

So I went over the map today following along with Mapquest, and I see 2 river crossings. Is this correct, just the 2?

EasyAZ · 11-13-2007

Just the two.

pedalruns · 11-14-2007

Will be there... I was excited to read that!! (this is according to the message board on the event website)

I wonder if his son will be there as well, I know they both did the Etape this year.... so maybe they will both be doing the full 109 miles, that would be cool.

azcycle · 11-14-2007

I bailed out due to complete lack of training and I waited way too long to register. I'm not going to pay over $100 to ride the Tour that I am not even in shape to do. Miserable way to spend $100.

I'll be out in the mountains trail-building! Good luck, everyone!

azchris · 11-14-2007

pedalruns, where did you see the Greg Lemond info? there was nothing in the local media today.

pedalruns · 11-14-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by azchris

pedalruns, where did you see the Greg Lemond info? there was nothing in the local media today.

I found it on the event website message board.... Here is a link to the actual thread: http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/fo...opic.php?t=948

The message board is located on the event website, just scroll down the list and you can find all the message board.... http://www.pbaa.com/!ETT/ETThome.html

They link under 'guest celebraties' is not even working though... I would figure they would want to advertise who all will be there.. but not much news at all???