Can I Ask You a personal question?

mareblu

ALl I can tell you is OOOOOUUUUUUCH!!!!!!!!! No way I will live there!!! Here I am complaining of merely 100 degrees and you say what? 111????

NO grazie, I stay in northern CA.

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mareblu

Cool. I am sure Tucson is just as hot isn't it?

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mareblu

Patch70 are you in Australia? If so, is it winter over there? and, have you heard what happened to the Australian women cycling team in Germany?

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patch70

Terrible news about the women's cycling team in Germany. Truly awful for their families and friends. It also hits anyone who cycles with the feeling of "could the same happen to me?"

Yes, I am in Australia and we're suffering through a pretty cold period right now. As with other comparisons of weather, it is all relative! Generally 4 - 13 degrees Celsius (39 - 55 degrees F). Pretty chilly on the fingers & toes riding to work. Heading briefly to New Orleans soon so looking forward to warmer weather there.

azdroptop

Looks like we are from the same neck of the woods. Where about in town do you live? We live out In Mesquite Ranch. Went for a double out at the monument tonight and it was nasty and the temps were 100 to 102! Dry heat. LOL. I love when people use that line.

MountainPro

he is an HR director, i have never met one of those who could speak proper english yet...

i have regular 'meetings' with my companies HR dir...usualy as a result of arriving at work 3 hours late several times a month...

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HARD
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MJtje

No.......

alienator

We live in Oro Valley. If I had it to do over again, instead of picking an apt. in area with a good elementary school, I'd pick an apt in area with a favorable prevailing wind. More often than not, when riding home, the wind is in my face. Very demoralizing when the temps are high.

jhuskey

I don't speak "Proper English" Pro. I speak and type American. "Hillbilly American " to be specific.

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Sobriety is over rated!

mareblu

Question: What do you call the sight of a plumber under the sink with his pants creeping down, exposing his crack?

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azdroptop

I ride out Oracle a few times a month out to Biosphere or into Saddlebrook now. Just discovered Ocotillo Ridge a few weeks back. Jumped on with a few guys, much better riders than me, and they took me up the climb(11% or so). Looking forward to doing it again soon.

You are right about the wind over there. I think it may be as bad as our East side wind. No matter time or day the wind is in my face heading back into town when I ride out there.

alienator

Ok, where's Ocotillo Ridge? Mapquest doesn't seem to helpful, on this. 11% sounds tasty.

I particularly like the Gates Pass ride: over the pass heading west to Old Tucson, then turn around and cross the pass again. Methinks I read somewhere that the climb headed to the east has portions around 12%. Or maybe my memory is disfunctional. At any rate it's a good grunt, and it can be topped off w/ a couple of laps up and down A Mtn., on your way back into town. Methinks that as far as effort goes, Gates Pass is a bit more "grunty" than Mt. Lemmon.

I'm weighing buying a cross bike just so I can do a Mt. Lemmon loop....up Catalina Hwy to Summerhaven, or thereabouts, and then down the dirt road, on the north side, to Oracle. That's be a great ride.

azdroptop

Your Idea for a Mt. Lemon ride sounds sick!

Ocotillo ridge is in Saddlebrook on the Nothern side of the developement if memory serves. We basically rode in straight back headed South for awhile then back North and there she was. It not very long but nasty. I would have to agree with you that heading East on Gates is at least 12%. That last bit is nasty. I've never done A mountain. As for Lemon I believe the avg. is around 5%, but for heavy guys like me it's perfect. (I weight 188ish) I just checked the mile or so climb in the East Monument the other day-9 mile loop-and it is 7+% back there.

alienator

A Mtn is short...1.5 miles or so one way....but it's ok for laps. It's nothing terribly challenging. You're right: Saquaro Nat'l Park East is great ride. It's got lots of nice ups and downs, although you need to watch the first big downhill once past the entrance. At the bottom of this downhill bit is a decreasing radius--and a tight radius at that--right hander. One of the rangers said they've had one bike fatality there, and a couple of cyclists have ended up in body casts. Ouch.