Sunday June 28 - Mountain View Park

The park restrooms are open in Scottsdale (well, at least they were last week), so let's head up the Dreamy Draw and wend our way over to Mountain View Park on Sunday. Don't forget to bring a mask and a snack for our stop at the park. And plenty of water, it's going to be another scorcher.

Sunday June 21 - Tempe Town Lake

Sorry this is so late, but I had the week from hell at work. Pulled two all-nighters. Not fun.

So anyway, I am sorely lacking in miles, and since there are bathrooms and sinks for washing, seems as good a place as any. Route will be the one I was trying to do last Sunday, which evaded my work-fogged brain.

Route will be up the Dreamy Draw, then across on Doubletree to Mockingbird and Invergordon, meeting Gary on Indian Bend. He's got a route to show us.

Remember to bring a mask, and a snack for our stop at the lake if you are so inclined. As long as work doesn't explode tonight...

Sunday June 14 - On The Road To Nowhere

As the pandemic in Arizona seems to be making an unwelcome comeback, I've been rethinking the Sunday ride thing. I am not prepared to die for a cup of coffee. 

There will be no destination this week, or for the near future until the infection rate decreases. I should be there at the usual time, but we'll figure out a route at the park. 

Please bring a mask with you, in case of flat tires, jammed chains or heaven forbid an accident.

Sunday June 7 - Dreamy Draw/Mummy Mountain/AJ's

See the schedule on the right, I have destinations for both the 3's and 4's now.

How about the 3's do a ride up the Dreamy Draw, and take the usual 54th St. route over Mummy Mountain. Then a stop at AJ's at Camelback and 44th St., as they have a bathroom, coffee bar, and an area outside to chat (in order of importance!). Be sure to bring a mask with you if you plan on entering the store.

I rode down to Granada this morning before work, to check out the water line construction. Looks like they started trenching in 20th St. recently, but the park is still open. We should probably discuss where and when to move our meeting spot if necessary as construction progresses.

See ya Sunday!

Sunday May 31 Club Ride

Richard and the 4's intend on going to Oink Cafe this Sunday. And as I stated earlier, I am busy yet again with work this weekend, so if any 3's show up you'll be on your own.

Now for the good news: it looks like all of June I will be available to lead on Sundays, but July it's back to work every weekend. So any suggestions for places to ride to in June, and may have a chance to have an open bathroom nearby, let me know.

The Phoenix Parks and Recreation department online says that while all city park bathrooms are closed, those at trailheads are still open, so I will try to construct routes accordingly.

See ya June 7th!

May 24 - Tempe Town Lake Ride

This weekend, the PMBC board sent out this communique (which most of you should have received):

Following the COVID-19 shutdown, the PMBC Board met on May 16, 2020 to discuss Governor Ducey’s decision to reopen Arizona's restaurants and other public facilities to decide what this means for PMBC. We have decided to follow his directives with regard to what our Club offers to its members and guests.

We encourage everyone to educate themselves on the risks involved by reading an article that we found to be very helpful, The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them. Following this, we are leaving it up to our Ride Leaders to decide whether they would like to lead group rides. Ride Leaders may or may not choose to include the option of dining at a restaurant and they may or may not choose to join in the dining fun, should it be offered.

No one should feel pressured to do anything that they don't feel is safe to do. The Club is not endorsing, nor is it discouraging, any policy with regard to the use of any public facilities by anyone. If your fellow riders choose of their own free will to have lunch inside a restaurant, that's OK. If you choose not to join them, that's your choice, which is also OK. You are responsible for your own safety when participating in Club activities.

The 4's group will be resuming their normal rides with a restaurant visit.  As the leader of the 3's,  I do not feel comfortable sitting down and spending any length of time in an enclosed indoor space. So this Sunday May 24th, I'll be leading a ride to Tempe Town Lake. Bring your favorite snack with you for when we take a break somewhere safe. 

I would ask all of you to bring a face covering with you- not necessarily for the ride (but if you want to, by all means!), but mostly in case of flat tires or roadside repairs where you might have to get closer to someone. 

It should go without saying, but if you don't feel well, please don't come. And if you have recently been on an airline flying tube of death, perhaps you should be quarantining for 14 days. 

So, there you go. I look forward to seeing any of you who may venture out Sunday. After two months of weekend work, I am seriously jazzed to get out of the house!

Saturday Drive in the Northland

Last Saturday, cabin fever forced Gary and I, the wives and the girlfriends out for the day. We figured it would be safe to stay in our own cars, and go enjoy a beautiful day. Headed up to Payson, through Strawberry, Camp Verde, Cottonwood, Jerome, Prescott and home. 

We stopped at the overlook a mile uphill from Jerome, and enjoyed a picnic lunch in the chilly mountain air. Just as we were finishing up, a Phoenix car club arrived coming the opposite way with a couple million dollars of hardware. We drooled over the cars, and they warned us that once we got over Mingus Mtn, we'd run into some snow(!).

It was a great day until it wasn't. My car sputtered to a stop on the 303, about 25 miles from home. AAA came to rescue us, and they flatbedded the car home. Bad alternator says my mechanic, which makes sense as none of the old receipts show any alternator service. 

Here's a few pics from the day, click the photo to embiggen: