Social Ride on the Loop

February 3, 2025

Last Saturday my Bocce game companions told me about a group at the RV park that meets every Monday to ride the Loop. We should give it a try. It's always fun to meet cyclists.

Mike Paradis coordinates the group and explains the routine. We're meeting at Christopher Columbus Park to start riding on the Santa Cruz River Park, the west side of the Loop. It's very much a Ride-your-own-ride deal. You go out 45 minutes in either direction at whatever pace you like, then turn around and come back. Afterwards everyone drives to Famous Sam's for lunch.

I'm concentrating on getting all the time and location details down, but am distracted by Mike's name. My family name is also Paradis. My grandparents grew up in Quebec and raised their family in Maine. We pronounced it sort of like the French way ... Paradee...

When Mike introduced himself he said Paradis with a 'dis' that rhymes with 'kiss.' There must be thousands of people named Paradis in North America. I'm sure plenty of them say it like Mike does, but it's an unfamiliar sound, and an effort to say it right when I introduce Mike and Barry. I'll try to get over it.

When we get to the parking lot/meetup point, a dozen or so people are there with all kinds of bikes... e-bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes, an upright e-trike, and of course Barry's recumbent. People are pedaling out on the path as we unload.

Mike is here with his wife Carol, daughter Jen and her boyfriend Jason, who told us about this ride at the Bocce game. We're all ready to go about the same time and ride out together, north on the Santa Cruz River Park.

Carol on the e-trike in front, Jason and Jen.

Carol moves right along on the e-trike. She tells me about how she had difficulty with balance on a traditional bike. This trike has kept her out on the bike path. On the path we typically see more recumbent trikes than the upright kind she is riding. It's great that people have choices for a bike with more stability.

Ten minutes in there's a long dithery restroom stop and I'm getting antsy. If we're going to get any kind of exercise in before it's time to turn around and get back for lunch, we'll have to move along .

Barry and I take off on our own. It's fun to go hard at it for awhile and just see how far we can get. North of the Sunset Road bridge we turn east and ride up the Rillito River path. I'm thinking we can shoot for the giant archway/sculpture/people counter at the Rillito Racetrack, but we run short on time and turn back three miles sooner. There's still plenty to see.

On the Sunset bridge, blinded by the light

I think it's so cool we can breeze right past I-10 on this underpass to connect with the Rillito River path

Grafitti on the other side of the highway

The bridge on La Cholla Boulevard. I guess those could be stylized cholla plants.

This is new - bridge construction that will connect Sunset Road east and west of I-10. Eventually it should reach the Sunset bridge we ride over with the beautiful silver sunbursts.

Barry spotted the coyote trotting along beside us just before the turn for the Sunset bridge.

Back at the trailhead there are some new faces in the group. They must have started before we got there. I guess the key to connecting with more of the group on the ride is to get there early and be ready to go.

A few more show up for lunch at Famous Sam's, 17 in all. They're a friendly group with lots to talk about between cycling and RV life.

We'll have to hit some more Monday rides and get to know more of these folks.

While talking with Mike I mention what I've learned about my family history and pull up a photo about our potentially common lineage. It's the monument to my ancestor, Pierre Paradis, a French emigrée to Quebec in the 17th century. The monument stands on the land he farmed in the 17th century on Ile d'Orleans, an island in the St. Lawrence River. It declares Pierre to be the "Ancestor of all the Paradis in North America."

Mike absorbs the information about his likely French heritage graciously. In any case, he'll always be a Paradiss.

This is at least my third CB journal in which Pierre Paradis has made an appearance.

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Today's ride: 14 miles (23 km)
Total: 279 miles (449 km)

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