2023 Just North of the Border 600km Brevet

 Ride Report

Javelina Rocks at Saguaro National Park

To qualify for Paris-Brest-Paris this summer; 4 brevets of increasing distance must be completed in the event year, each under its own time limit.The 200, 300, and 400 kilometer distances are in the books for me and only a 600km is left to ride. Mike Sturgill combined two existing routes in Southern Arizona, Just North of the Border 400 and the Madera Canyon 200 for this 40 hour event.

Mike Sturgill gives the rider brief

14 riders gathered at the El Con Mall Starbucks in Tucson for the start at 0600. 8 were riding the 600 and 6 had selected the 400. Attendance on these brevets typically declines as the distances get longer. This year, many riders were able to complete their 600 requirement for Paris in December (the PBP qualifying year begins on October 1), so a number of Arizona riders already have their 600 in the bag. 

It was great to see some familiar faces as the riders gathered for the recap of last minute instructions and rider brief from Mike Sturgill (Regional Brevet Administrator for RUSA). Stephen Kinney and a several other fast men from Alberta Canada and Brian McGuire from Phoenix were lined up for the 600. Tom Altemus from Tucson, and an 'old racing buddy', Doug McLerran from Illinois were ready to go for the 400! The sun is about to come up, let's get going!

Paul Danhaus at Rincon Mountain Lookout

We rolled out and, as is my custom lately, I drifted back to the end of the group. I was a bit surprised to be joined by Paul Danhaus. I first met Paul at the 2008 Shenandoah 1200 somewhere in Virginia. He is an accomplished long distance rider (RAAM) and a wonderful person. He lives in Wisconsin, and winters in Yuma Arizona practicing veterinary medicine. He and his wife Jennifer often ride a tandem on Arizona brevets.

We had a chance to catch up as we headed toward the Saguaro National Park. Even though we were at the back of the pack, traffic lights on Broadway were holding up the fast riders, and we caught them several times during the first few miles.

In any case, it was a chance to catch up. Paul had a serious run-in with an unleashed dog last year that ended his Coulee 1200 early. Shortly after recovering from that serious incident, he fell victim to an unseen road crack that threw him again, "adding a few more broken ribs to his collection." He was not yet comfortable piloting the tandem with Jennifer and was riding the 400 at a recovery pace. Once we turned off Broadway the fast guys disappeared up the road and we enjoyed each others company to the Saguaro National Park.

Mike Sturgill, Doug McLerran and Tom Altemus

We rode together through the park and Paul dropped off as we made our way to the Chevron station in Vail. Tom and Doug were there getting ready to head out. Its the last stop for water for 30 miles (25 of it uphill) before reaching Sonoita. They rolled out shortly after I arrived and was able to grab some supplies and a picture!

Old Sonoita Highway

Its a 20 mile steady climb on AZ-83. A narrow and sometimes busy two-lane highway. This year, Mike added the Old Sonoita Highway to the route that replaced the first 6 miles of AZ-83 with a nearly deserted alternative. The road surface got rough in places, but it was a great route.

Tom leads the group

I played a bit of leap frog with Tom and Doug until we settled in to the real climbing on AZ 83. We stayed together to the top and the climb past the Border Patrol checkpoint on the way to Sonoita. We rode at a comfortable pace and were able to share stories, only interrupted by the the noise of passing traffic!

Snow on Mt. Wrightson in the distance

My two-speed bike

After the Border Patrol checkpoint, it is 10 miles of downhill rollers to Sonoita. Normally a section to really make up time after the long climb. Just clearing the top of the first roller, a hear/feel a pop in the real derailleur and I'm stuck in the climbing gear. I dropped off the group thinking my derailleur cable had snapped. I parked the bike near a handy road sign and dug out the repair kit with a new cable.

 

I tried to pull the old cable and it wouldn't budge. It was intact, but a spring in the derailleur was not. About that time Paul Danhaus rides up and stops to check on me. I tell him the bike is done and I planned to head back to Tucson, and asked him to let Mike Sturgill know I would probably be heading back. 

There was cell service there, and I called Mike Cox at Curbside Cyclery. He confirmed it was not repairable. He said this was only the second time he had heard of this failure over many years as a mechanic! SRAM derailleurs default to the largest cog and Mike suggested I use the limit screws to try to move the chain "one or two gears down" to make the bike more ride-able. His trick worked, I was able to get the chain from the 34 to the 27 tooth rear cog. The front derailleur was fine, so now I had a two-speed.

I sent Mike Sturgill a text saying I was headed back to Tucson and turned around and started to head back, and it actually was not too bad riding the two-speed, then I had an idea. What if Debby could bring another bike to Tucson. I would complete the next 300km on the two-speed then change to my old Canondale for the last 200 to Madera Canyon. I confirmed with Mike that plan was within the RUSA rules (no support allowed between controls), and decided to head to Elgin and decide then to either continue or abandon the ride.

Road to Elgin

Elgin Information Control

Lured into a false sense of progress by a strong tailwind, I make Elgin in good time and decide to continue the ride! In the 50/27 combination I could spin at about 100 rpm and hold about 15-17 mph on the flats and faster on downhills, or with the wind. Dropping to the 34/27 I could handle climbing the moderate rollers.

Mike's control at the Longhorn in Tombstone

The gravel section in Tombstone

All smiles and making progress

I roll into Tombstone and Mike welcomes me to the control. I am about two hours ahead of the close time and about an hour behind Tom, Doug, and Paul. I make it a quick stop and continue on toward Bisbee.

Mule Pass above Bisbee

The tailwind is now a cross wind, but manageable as I make my way to the steep climb to Bisbee. My derailleur was cooperating but I was not looking forward to doing the climb in the 27 cog. I decide to risk messing with it and adjust the screws to put it back in the 32 cog. I head up noticing that miles on the two-speed have taken a toll on the legs. Its not an easy climb normally, but today it was more difficult than usual, even with a slight tailwind.

I reach the top at Mule Pass just as the sun was setting behind the mountains, and at 6000 feet, the temperature dropped dramatically! I put on layers and tried to adjust the derailleur back to the 27. It dropped only one gear to the 30 and would not go further. Ugh!

Closed

The Market Cafe is normally a wonderful place for dinner, but its closed. Its 30 miles to Sierra Vista and I have food and water on the bike, so I press on though town.

Its not a stick-up, its cold!

Lowell Arizona Time Warp

The route leaves town and detours through Lowell Arizona. Most the town was overcome by the nearby open pit copper mine. All that was left was main street, and it has been restored to its 50/60s glory!

The terrain is gentle long rollers to Sierra Vista. Its dark and cold and with the rear stuck on the 30 cog, my 100 cadence only yields about 13 miles per hour, and my pace slows considerably. What was really frustrating, is that I could see Paul and Tom's taillights in the distance. I would make slight progress on the climbs, but they would disappear on the descents! I make Sierra Vista before the McDonald's closed and had a hot dinner. I put on my 250 wool layer and head back out. Its another 35 miles back to Sonoita and I get there about 1 am. Mike is waiting, like a guardian angel, with food and hot ramen. I am still about 2 hours before the close time but really hurting. 

The temps dropped into the low 30's; and felt much colder from the wind chill on the descent. Normally put the bike in 50/11 gears and bomb down the hill under full steam. Rolling down, not pedaling, there was no way to generate heat, other than get on the brakes to slow down and/or pedal against the brakes to stay warm. Obviously it took much longer to get down than normal.

Cold and fighting off the sleep monster, I roll into the Vail Chevron about 0400 to warm up. I was toast and decided to try to get a Uber to the finish. One pops up, but it cancelled and no others were found. I pressed on for the last 20 miles and finally reached the hotel control stop in Tucson at 0604. 24 hours of two-speed riding and cold did me in. Even though Debby and her sister Kathy drove to Tucson Saturday with a back-up bike and put it in my room; I did not think I could get the backup bike ready to ride (it was on a hook in the garage with flat tires and no pedals), get cleaned up, sleep a few hours, and finish the remaining 200km before the cutoff time at 10pm on Sunday. I pulled the pin and set the alarm to wake up an hour before checkout time at 11.

The bike is at Curbside getting a new derailleur and I'm browsing the RUSA site looking for another 600!

Steve Atkins

Click here for GPS data

PAC Tour 600km Brevet

Pre-Ride Report
March 27-28, 2015

Painted Rock Road in the Tucson Mountains

Carlton van Leuven and I pre-rode the PAC Tour 600km the weekend prior to the event. Due to extreme heat in the forecast, we decided to start the event Friday evening knocking off the 200km loop first, catching some zzzz's then hitting the 400km to Tombstone and back.

We rolled out of Tucson at 5 pm Friday, with temperatures in the 90's. After a few false starts with my new Garmin 810 computer we left the rush hour traffic behind and headed into the Tucson mountains.

Riding into the sunset!

Happily as we passed through agricultural areas around Marana, the temperature dropped a few degrees to make the riding much more comfortable. Winds and traffic were light and we made great time to the first control at the Marana Circle K.

Alfalfa + water + dry air = cooling!

The internet connection was down in the store, so it was a cash-only. Luckily the cash registers still worked so we could get receipts for our brevet cards. I explained our riding plan to the clerk as I tried to purchase a pen (to enter control times on the brevet card), but it would not scan after several tries. The clerk was more than happy to give me his, mentioning that he also cycles to and from work every day!

New Garmin 810

Rolling out of the control, we headed north on the world-famous I-10 Frontage Road of Brain Damage. In earlier years, nearly all the Arizona Brevets included this stretch of unremarkable, rough, and mind-numbing road surface. Luckily, with the new calendar of events, tonight's encounter was brief, and with an exit on Park Link Road, it was behind us in less than an hour.

I-10 Frontage Road

The climbing begins here, and other than a short descent on the Pinal Parkway it continues all the way to the next control in Oracle. After getting receipts, reloading bottles, and putting on some layers, we pointed our steeds for the steep downhill to AZ 76 and the road to San Manuel. The San Manuel control is at the top of a hill in town and includes a large convenience store with a Subway inside. We didn't stop for dinner, but some patrons noticed our night riding gear and wanted to hear all about the adventure.

The route backtracks a bit, then takes Webb Road back to Oracle. It was payback time for the steep 1000 foot descent, so we settled into a steady pace, having the entire road to ourselves nearly all the way to Oracle. We stopped again at the Circle K in Oracle for a final reload. The next 35 miles would be generally downhill back to the control in Tucson, and we covered it in an hour and a half!

We rolled into the Super 8 at about 0200, about 9 hours into the event. Certainly not a blistering time for a 200km, but with most of it in the dark, and 5,600 feet of climbing, we were both feeling spent. We stowed the bikes and walked to the McDonalds to get some chow, only to find out the dining room was closed. We returned to the room, grabbed the van, hit the drive-thru and enjoyed hash browns and Egg McMuffins while we prepared for Day 2 back at the room.

Day 2 - Gates Pass

We had about 5 hours before the control closed, so we decided to sleep until 7, then head out. We both awoke at 0630, effectively getting about 3.5 hours of sleep. Grabbing a light breakfast of coffee and biscuits/gravy we were back on the bikes about 0720, 20 minutes behind the control close time. The next control was only 23 miles away, so we would need to make it a straight shot. We were soon on the climb up Gates Pass. Many local cyclists were out enjoying the cool early morning temperatures and when we crested the Pass, we had an open road with no vehicles on the descent. We pulled into the next control with 20 minutes to spare and topped off our bottles. The next official checkpoint would be in Sonoita, so we settled back into our pace.

Breakfast on the go

The temperatures started to climb as we traversed south Tucson on Sahuarita Road. We stopped at the Houghton Road Market, last water until Sonoita, to refill and grab a spare water bottle. With the temperature climbing, and no cloud cover, we knew it would be a hot one going up the 13 mile hill!

My Garmin was recording over 100 degrees and it felt hotter. We had a slight tail wind that was helpful, but also created times when even with our forward momentum, there was no air movement and the sweat poured everywhere!

5000 Feet and still hot!

With the climbing and the heat, it took over 7 hours to cover 90 miles and 5,500 feet of climbing to the control in Sonoita. We enjoyed the tables in the shade took a nice break at the Sonoita General Store. We knew the control would be closed on the return trip, so Carton purchased a gallon of water and stashed it behind the store.

The run from Sonoita to Tombstone is mostly downhill, and with a nice tailwind we made good time and arrived in Tombstone about 2 and a quarter hours later. Little did I know, but Carl was feeling bonked and suffering greatly. He was concerned about making the last 200km back to Tucson and decided to abandon the ride in Tombstone.

I continued to the official control at the Circle K to grab some calories and reload. The sun was still a couple hours from setting, so after a 30 minute dinner break it was back on the road.

Dinner at chez sidewalk in Tombstone

Sunset with about 8 hours of riding to go!

The Lasagna sounded good, but it did do a little talking on the way back to Sonoita. Rolling in about 9pm the stores were closed, so I reloaded with the stashed gallon of water. Carl had texted that he had a ride back and would meet me at the hotel in Tucson.

It is about 10 miles of climbing rollers to the top of the big descent to Sahuarita road. Finally hitting the top, I zipped up and started down. About half-way down, my Garmin gave the low battery warning. I plugged in the external power source from my 400, but it would not charge and display data at the same time. Luckily, being familiar with the route it was not a big deal. So I turned off the computer so it would recharge and made my way to Sahuarita.

The McDonald's in Sahuarita has a 24 hour dining room, so rolling in after midnight, I was happy to enjoy a chicken wrap, fries and a Coke in comfort!

With just one climb and under 40 miles to the finish, I was ready to get this one in the bag. The lack of sleep was starting to catch up with me. On the climb up Helmet Peak Road, I would 'see' the stop sign just ahead signifying the end of the climb, but it would simply disappear into the distance. Finally reaching the top, I found myself starting to nod off on the smooth descent along Mission Road. When the city lights came into view, it was less disorienting and easier to stay awake.

The last fifteen miles of the journey was on the broken pavement that is Silverbell road. No problem staying awake on this pave section, constantly dodging potholes and pavement breaks. I rolled into the Convenience store next to the Super 8 at 0320. I loaded up on Strawberry Milk, cheese, and hard boiled eggs for some post-ride recovery food. Carlton was up and offered to run to get some food, but all I wanted to do was shower, and grab some sleep.

We checked out a few hours later, had a 'proper' breakfast at the local IHOP, and headed back to Phoenix with plenty of time to make the Palm Sunday Mass! It was a great weekend, I only wished that Carl's stomach would have not gone bad for the last 200km, so we could have finished together.

This ride completes my 8th Super Randonneur  (200, 300, 400, and 600km brevets completed in the same year) and qualifies me to enter the 18th (my 3rd) Paris-Brest-Paris 1200km that will be held in August this year!

Steve Atkins

Tombstone Wine Country Brevet of 600km

Ride Report
April 12-13, 2014

I'll take this one!

Pre-ride

Most brevet riders would be all packed and ready to retire early for a 600km brevet. That would be most riders, your humble correspondent just barely had the van packed and ready for the trek to the start in Marana Arizona. With Michael arriving home from college, and my boss hosting a party at his home the night before the event, my night before the ride was spent enjoying the party with Debby, admiring RG's car collection, then running off to the airport to pick up Michael. I was in the sack just before midnight.

Day 1

Carlton runs the preride brief

For a 0500 start, the alarm went off at 0315 for the 1.5 hour drive to Marana. Heading down the I-10 I realized I had not packed a headlamp, important gear to be able to repair a tire or read a cue sheet at night. I pulled into the Love's truckstop and found one that would work. Soon I was back on the road to the Cortaro Road Exit. Pulling into the McDonalds to use the restroom, I recognized Carlton's (our RBA and Trail Boss) van in the parking lot. About 10 riders had assembled around the outdoor tables. This would be the start of the event! The weather was balmy, but with only a few hours sleep, it was already feeling like Day 2!

Patrick and Tom descending Gates Pass

After the pre-ride brief and lengthy discussion about loose dogs in Sierra Vista, we were off at 0500. A small group of 3 formed at the front (Patrick Rinckey and Tom Baker) and we were off down the historic cobble section that is also known as Silverbell Road. We quickly reached Sweetwater and started the climb up and over Gates Pass. It was nice to climb this section with fresh legs. Several brevet routes go through here, but normally Gates Pass is later in the ride. Also, being just after dawn, winds and  traffic were light and we had the road to ourselves. In a blink of an eye we were rolling past the Desert Museum and into the first control at Three Points/Robles Junction.

Carl manned this control, note the flag!

Carl rolled in just as we arrived. We were able to check in and reload without having to head into the store. The wind was blowing hard out of the southwest, a heavy headwind right on the nose. We took 1 mile pulls and congratulated ourselves when we could pull a mile in excess of 10 mph! Yes, it took hours to cover the 23 miles to the right turn to Arivaca.

Its easy to take pictures rolling at 11 mph!

With the turn to the east, the pedaling was easy and we covered the next 7 miles of rollers to Arivaca in short order!

Baboquivari Peak

The volunteer fire department had set up a rummage sale across from the mercantile store and lots of folks were out and about on this sunny morning. We reloaded our bottles and Tom picked up a small flat of strawberries. First time for me on a brevet, delicious! We rolled out together, and with a nice quartering tailwind, and generally downhill terrain, we covered the next section quickly and at our own pace. Normally, heading west toward Aravaca on this road is a sufferfest. Now we knew why, heading east with a tailwind and a slight descent we soft pedaled almost all the way to the I-19. Patrick rolled off the front, and Tom and I regrouped at a Border Patrol checkpoint and were able to work together for the turn south, back into the wind, and on the shoulder of I-19. Not a high point: heat, wind, and traffic.

Downtown Arivaca!

After hunting and pecking through the Mercado, we finally found the control at Tubac and had a light lunch. Patrick was there and left shortly after we arrived. Back into the wind for another 12 miles of heat, wind, and I-19 frontage road. Between Rio Rico and before entering Nogales, thankfully the route turns east on AZ 80. The route headed up to to the Arizona Wine Country, the traffic lessened, and the wind switched to a tail/crossing tail. The desert gave away to lush riparian habitat and grasslands. This section was spectacular and well worth the suffering on the I-19!

Riparian area just outside Patagonia

Historic site just outside Patagonia

Family shrine hewn into a cliff near Patagonia

Tom dropped off on the climb to Patagonia, and we regrouped at the general store to check in and enjoy a light meal. I was sorely tempted to head into the Wagon Wheel Saloon, but an extra hour here would translate to an additional hour of night riding. So it was a Sobe drink and a can of Campbells Cream of Potato Soup served cold on the sidewalk outside the market!

Riders check in, but do they check out!

All day I had been looking forward to the run from Patagonia to Tombstone. The views are spectacular and the road surface is good. The elevation is over 4000 feet, and with the wind still strong out of the west, it was easy to hold 20-25 mph nearly the whole way to Tombstone.

Finally - High Plateau Tail Winds

Normally, I would stop and reload at either Sonoita or Mustang Corner, but with the wind and the great meal in Patagonia, I was able to continue non-stop for 50+ miles to Tombstone!

Cochise Stronghold, from the road just outside Tombstone

Arriving at dusk, I put on layers and reloaded at the Tombstone control, The direction of the course changed, but I figured that the winds would tamp down with sunset. Nope, I was stuck with them all the way to Sierra Vista!

The route continued through Tombstone and climbs all the way to Bisbee. About 10 miles out of Tombstone, Sierra Vista comes into view, about 20 miles away. It was a mental challenge to continue toward Bisbee, with the sleep stop slowing disappearing into the distance behind  me!

The route enters the mountains and the real climbing begins. Finally reaching the top, soaked from the work, and now descending into the cold, I stopped and put on all the layers just between the tunnel and historic Old Town. The control was a few miles further up the road. By the time I rolled in to the control I was shivering uncontrollably! I jumped into the store, poured a ton of sugar into a hot coffee, purchased a can of beans and a chocolate milk. The convenience store clerk was happy to have some company, so I enjoyed my picnic on the floor in front of the coffee machine.

I packed up, bought a chap stick, and headed back out. It was still 28 miles to the sleep stop, normally about 90 minutes of riding, but the wind continued and it was 2+ hours to the control in Sierra Vista. Carlton drove by a few miles out of town and was at the hotel when I rolled in about 20 minutes after midnight.

I was feeling the effects of being on the bike for the last 20 hours with only 3 hours of sleep Friday night. I checked in and found Carlton in the brevet room. He mentioned that Patrick had arrived about an hour earlier and Tom had suffered numerous flats and was at his hotel in Bisbee. Patrick heard me stumbling up the hall and asked what time I was planning on leaving. Normally I would take a 3-4 hour nap, then head out about before dawn, but I told him I was going to leave after dawn and try and grab 5-6 hours of sleep. I walked to the IHOP restaurant and loaded up on eggs, hash browns, and orange juice. I skipped preparing my bike for Day 2 and simply showered, put on my compression gear and crawled into bed at 0130.

Day 1 - 258 Miles, 20:16 hours, 11,054 ft climbing

Day 2

I had set the alarm for 0700; but woke at 0530 and decided to get moving. I grabbed some coffee in the lobby and returned to my room to pack up and leave. Patrick was rolling out of his room as I returned. With the sun up, I put my reflective gear and spare lights back in my drop bag. I checked out, left my drop bag with Carlton and rolled out under a cloudless sky.

Just a few miles from the hotel, the route enters the Ft. Huachuca Army base. Several of my friends have been stationed here, but this was my first time on the base. After checking my ID, I was cleared to pass.

Historic Buffalo Soldier Gate

The base is nestled at the foot of some spectacular hills that reminded me of the Solvang area of California. It was an enjoyable way to start the day. The route included a series of steep rollers, but with great views and perfect weather I soon reached the West gate and exited the fort.

Heading toward the West Gate at Ft. Huachuca

Leaving the base, the route enters the Coronado National Forest. The road surface was unpredictable, with lots of broken sections. Add many sharp turns, grazing livestock, and cowboy vehicles, this was a section to stay alert.

Off  the base, near Elgin AZ

Rolling into the control in Sonoita, I was surprised to find Patrick still there. He was taking a long break. I went into the store to get some food and when I came out Carlton rolled up to check on us. We rolled out together and soon were at the last Border Patrol checkpoint on the ride. We stopped to check a clicking noise on Patrick's bike. He thought it was his pedal cleat. We remounted and started again, but Patrick decided to stop and totally remount the cleat. He told me to go ahead, so I rolled on figuring he would catch me in Sahuarita at the next control.

The next 30 miles to the Sahuarita control would go by quickly, dropping 2000 feet back to the desert floor. The wind was back out of the southwest, but with the gentle downgrade, it was easy to take.

Sahuarita Road, Helmet Peak in the distance

The last control is a large convenience store in Sahuarita. I enjoyed some soup and chips before reloading my bottles for the last 38 miles to the finish. Carlton sent me a text mentioning that Patrick had to DNF (did not finish) because the clicking sound we heard was his crank arm failing on his bike. We were lucky he found it before the descent on AZ 83!

Helmet Peak road is about 6 miles of 3-4% climbing and went by easily. Reaching the top it was back on Mission Road with a slight tailwind all the way to Congress Ave in Tucson.

Cactus flowers on Helmet Peak Road

I was not looking forward to the last 10 miles to the finish. After all the rural riding with no interruptions, and great views, it was stop and go with heat, traffic lights, and rough road surface until reaching the Marana city limits. Added bonus: The wind shifted and was coming hard out of the northwest for the first time all weekend!

I reached the finish in just under 9 hours for a total brevet time of 34 hours 10 minutes. Carlton was there with some hot pizza and an O'Douls! I completed the requisite paperwork, thanked Carlton for putting together a fantastic route, and headed back to Tempe. After unpacking and cleaning up, Michael (home for spring break) delivered me to the Newman Center in time to catch the 9 pm Mass for Palm Sunday!

Day 2 - 116 miles, 8:52 hours, 4,512 feet climbing

Steve Atkins