2020 2-200km Brevets!

Just another beautiful day in the desert!

The 2020 Arizona Brevet Series kicked off with 2-200s in January this year. A new route combination, the Sears-Kay Ruin 100/Bartlett Lake 200 were both Permanent routes, but Mike Sturgill dusted them off and they were approved as Brevets for the 2020 calendar. Always nice to explore a new route, thanks Mike!  The Saguaro Lake 200 ran two weeks later and both events featured 100k options for those just getting their legs off the couch. Hey a 200 is so nice, let's do it twice!!

Sears-Kay Ruin 100/Bartlett Lake 200 January 4, 2020

Steve Atkins, Mike Sturgill, Jennifer and Paul Danhaus

25 riders assembled in the King Coffee parking lot in North Phoenix. It was great to see old friends Brian McGuire and Paul and Jennifer Danhaus at the start. Mike Sturgill, the Arizona RBA would be the trail boss for the event and Rashid Khan and Jennifer Moore pre-rode the course and would be helping out at the controls.

A bit nippy at the start!

Mike provides the pre-ride brief

We rolled out as the sun crested the horizon with temperatures in the low 40's. The temperature would drop to 34 in the open desert before starting to warm to a perfect winter afternoon!

Riding with the Bullshifters

The 100 and 200 riders took off together and a group of about 8 riders formed as we headed up and north toward Seven Springs Road and Bartlett Lake. The group works well together and at a reasonably brisk pace. The route passes the turnoff for Bartlett lake and the gentle climb is replaced with sharp twisty rollers.

After the EOP heading to the Sears-Kay control

A few miles past the Sears-Kay turnoff, the road turns to gravel indicating its time to make a u-turn and its back through the rollers and into a beautiful morning sky!

Mike, Rashid Kahn and Jennifer Moore at Sears-Kay

The Sears-Kay turnout is quite tricky with smooth pebbles over rough pavement. No worries, the group makes it up to the picnic cabana and the first control. Mike, Rashid, and Jennifer spring into action signing cards, filling bottles, and distributing goodies! Starting to feel the chill, its a quick reload of the bottles, grab a handful of 'tots and head out toward the Bartlett Lake Turnoff.

The final descent to Bartlett Lake

The next check point is at the Marina about 1700 feet below the turn off. But somehow, there is about 900 feet of climbing to get there! Boat traffic was light and the temperatures were finally starting to climb.

Reaching the Marina store/restaurant checkpoint, my bottles and pockets are still full. No need to buy anything, just get the clerk to initial my brevet card and I can be on my way. A group of club riders leaving the store offer to share their water (they bought a gallon and used about 1/2). No need, thanks, and its into the store. Greet the clerk with a smile and ask her to initial my brevet card.  She hesitates, and asks what it is for. I think she is joking so I say, "its nothing, you are just signing your lifetime allegiance to the Communist Party of Arizona." She stares back in horror!

"Oh no, no, just kidding. Really I am on a bike event and this is a checkpoint where I need to get a receipt or a signature to prove I was here." I show her the official brevet card and she seems unconvinced. "Look, I'll just buy something if you don't want to sign." She says, "No, I'll sign, but I just need to make sure its OK with my boss." Off she goes to the restaurant to find the boss. What seemed like 20 minutes later, it was actually only about 3, she comes back and says, the boss says its OK. I show her where to sign and warn her that another dozen or so riders will be coming through behind me, and they are not members of the Communist Party!

Near the top of the first climb leaving Bartlett Lake

Leaving the store, the route doubles back and the climb/descent/climb/descent/climb out to the lake area starts. Other 200k riders from the event are heading down to the checkpoint. I wave and hope they will have better luck at the control!

Road to New River

The 200km route rejoins the 100km route at Cave Creek Road and continues through the towns of Carefree and Cave Creek. Heading west on the Cave Creek Highway the 200km route departs again and heads north on 7th Avenue toward New River. The gentle westward descent is replaced with a gentle climb through nice Sonora desert. The route rolls through 'town' and the control is at a convenience store/gas station just off the I-17 freeway.

The road to Lake Pleasant

Jennifer and Rashid are there with the control set up in the parking lot. Jennifer needs no convincing and signs the brevet card right away. Refill the bottles, strip off some layers, grab a snack, and its back on the road toward Lake Pleasant and the finish about 35 miles away.

The rural landscape gives way to the planned communities in Peoria and North Phoenix. Finally, its urban riding with lights and traffic along Deer Valley Road before rejoining the outbound route at Cave Creek Road for the last three miles to the finish.

Arriving at the Coffee King strip mall, Mike Sturgill has set up the control at the Subway store. Spoils of the ride; the entry fee included a 6" Sub, chips and a drink. Yes please! Plenty of time to catch up with Mike, and compare notes on retirement, before packing up to head home and put this one in the books!

Thanks Mike for putting this new ride on the calendar!

Click here for Bartlett Lake GPS data

 

 Saguaro Lake 100/200 January 18, 2020

Mike provides the pre-ride brief

Another chilly start as 16 riders gathered for the Saguaro Lake 100/200 in the Safeway parking lot in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Roger Peskett and Gerry Goode were up from Tucson and it was great to see them at the start. This event was 'lightly' supported with only one volunteer, Dave Jordan, staffing the control at the top of Usury Pass.

We roll out onto Fountain Hills Boulevard for a series of short steep rollers before joining Shea Boulevard and finally the Beeline Highway. The group shatters on the rollers and three riders go off the front (Mike, Roger, and Ezekiel Escamilla). Trying to catch on, but getting caught at several lights on Shea, the group finally comes into sight, stopped at the Beeline light. Jumping on the pedals, the light turns green and I just make it through and tack onto the back of the group accelerating down the Beeline.

Settling in to recover at the back of the line, we roll down to Fort McDowell and the cold air that awaits at the Verde River bridge. Whether it was watery eyes from the cold (Garmin reads 32F), or simple inattention, suddenly its Whack/Whack/Hiss! Pinch flat from hitting debris in the road, ugh. Rolling to a stop the rear is flat and I pull over to quickly change the tube. The rest of the field rolls by (all checking to see if I was OK), and in about 5 minutes a fresh tube is in and I remount the bike. The bike feels wrong, and I realize the front is also flat. No worries, I packed two tubes, so another 6 minutes to change that one and its finally back on the road.

With two flats, there is no chance of catching the lead group, so I settle into a tempo pace and enjoy the scenery and beautiful Arizona morning. I get to say hello to Gerry Goode and other riders again heading toward the Bush Highway turnoff. A group of riders are on the side of the road, just past the turn-off, but flash they 'Thumbs Up' sign so I continue on. Later I would learn that one of Bullshifters had a heavy fall that ended his ride ;-(

The Usury Pass climb was nearly complete, when .. Bang! No, not the normal gunshots from the nearby gun range, this was a blowout. The road is smooth, and with no more tubes, I decide to ride the flat tire to the control. Luckily Dave set up the control just around the bend, so it was only 3 tenths of a mile on the flat tire. Even better, he had a spare tube!

Settling into one of the chairs, I inspect the tire. There is a small cut in the sidewall that the tube had pushed through and blown out. Dave says, sorry no spare tires! No worries, an old Powerbar wrapper kept in the repair kit is the perfect 'boot' to place between the tube and tire for a sidewall cut. It takes a bit longer for this repair but soon its complete.

Gerry Goode and Dave Jordan at Usury Pass

Great to see Gerry back on a ride

Gerry was surprised to see me again, but we had more time to catch up. Years ago we were riding together on the Arivaca 400, and he showed me a great coffee shop just outside of town with great coffee and even better home made pie! He is a strong rider and quite a gentleman.

Booted sidewall cut, it held for the rest of the ride!

Bush Highway near Saguaro Lake

After a long stop it was back on the road for the loop to Power Road and back to the Bush Highway to retrace the route back to Fountain Hills. With no spare tubes and fingers crossed, the ride back to Fountain Hills was mostly downhill and uneventful!

Rolling into the parking lot, there are no other riders, but a commotion of emergency vehicles (not related to our ride) and Saturday morning grocery traffic. After a quick reload of supplies (including a fresh tube I threw in the car, 'just in case') and change of layers, I roll out and start the climb out of Fountain Hills to Scottsdale.

The route avoids Shea Boulevard via a bicycle easement through a gated community, then heads north and up to Carefree. This is a popular cycling route and there are many cyclists along the road.

The town of Carefree

Rolling into the control in Carefree, I pick up some water, an apple juice, and a receipt at the control. The route heads out of town on Cave Creek Road and it is packed with cars and pedestrians. Its the annual Carefree Wine Festival! Good thing it was a wine festival, and not a beer festival, otherwise the temptation would have been to stop and join the festivities!

With only a short climb up Dynamite Road, the route is generally downhill from Carefree to the finish in Fountain Hills. It also includes the big 9 mile descent on Rio Verde road and the final rollers into Fountain Hills. Arriving at the Safeway, I pack the bike, slip into some dry clothes and head for the Burger King for a late lunch and a receipt for the brevet card!

Thanks Mike, 2 200s are better than one, and a great way to start 2020!

Steve Atkins

Click here for Saguaro Lake GPS data