In Tucson: rest day

January 21, 2020

It’s raining this morning. Rachael has a sore throat, and thinks she may be getting a cold. What a fortuitous pairing of events - it makes the decision to declare a rest day easy to reach. We’ll hunker down a bit, attend to a few errands, and await developments on the health and weather fronts.

Not much activity to report for the day, which is great. We were both due to just hang out a bit anyway, and we’re feeling lucky that we’re here in Tucson with no requirement to actually do anything for the next few days.

The rains ceased a bit before noon, and we each went out on errand/light exploration runs. Rachael pedaled off to the nearby bike store to see if she can get her damaged brake hood replaced. This is another holdover from our mistreatment at the hands of Mo and his incompetent crew at San Diego Bikes (where else can you go to have the brake pads installed backwards, twice)? We can’t tell what happened with the brake hood, but they apparently stripped it out somehow when they replaced the brake cable. The hood won’t stay in place now. You can twist it into position, but after a few miles it starts slipping to the side, jams the cable, and interferes with shifting. We’ve been stopping to readjust the hood every five or ten miles ever since we left San Diego, which does get a bit old.

The LBS couldn’t help her because they didn’t have the right part in stock, so they sent her across town to Fair Wheel Bike. They weren’t sure that they could help her either, but after much discussion among the energetic staff and a customer they decided that in fact they did have the right hood, and set to work. Along the way they noticed that Rachael’s gears had been misadjusted (thank you again, Mo!) and took care of that also. And, while she was waiting she decided this would be an excellent time to pickup a new cycling shirt.

Aah! Like getting relief from a toothache.

A sneak preview. We’ll need to wait for a shirtsleeve type of day to see it in action though.

My ride was focused around a trip to the Amtrak station to get tickets for our ride to Benson next Monday. Along the way I poked around downtown for a bit and grabbed some lunch until the station opened at 1:45. Afterwards I took a short ride along the nearest section of The Loop, Tucson’s landmark 50+ mile long trail that completely encircles the city.

About that 1:45 opening time. Tucson has quite limited Amtrak service. The Sunset Limited comes through on its route between Phoenix and New Orleans, but it only runs 3 days a week. The station hours are limited based on the day’s schedule, and there’s no eastbound (morning) train today. Fortunately for us, the schedule to Benson is perfect for our needs - it runs on Monday, the day we were planning on leaving town for this loop; and it departs at 9:30 in the morning, which is more or less ideal.

About taking bikes on the Sunset Limited. The website lists three options: roll-on, by reservation if a slot is available; boxed; or folded, as carry-on. With so many possibilities, I feel optimistic when I walk up to the counter. Helen though is not encouraging. She checks to see if roll-on space is available, but says it’s not. I suspect she’s wrong about this, and there’s a problem with the Amtrak website - it always says zero slots are available, regardless of day. Perhaps though.

So you’ll want to box them then, she asks? Oh, wait - you can’t do that either. Benson is an unstaffed station, so we won’t be able to access the baggage car. Sorry, I guess you can’t take the bikes on this train.

I inform her that the website lists a third option, for folding bikes. She’s never heard of that, but says that wouldn’t work either because it’s an unstaffed station. We’ll staff it, I say - we’ll just tote them on and off the passenger car as luggage, as the website says we can. She’s sceptical, but gets on the phone to consult with a higher authority. Yep, you’re right she agrees with a smile a few minutes later, and sells me the tickets. $13 each, no charge for the bikes.

Our homey casita, on University. A very typical looking structure for this neighborhood.

Rattler-riding roadrunner, with bicycle.

With a horned toad bringing up the rear.

Horned toad with salmon? Did salmon ever make it upriver to Tucson?

Ride Em’ cowboy! Monarch, king of the old west.

Putting your leftover frames and gears to work.

One benefit of last night’s rain is that you get some interesting street effects.

One of severable noteworthy bronzes in El Presidio Park, opposite the old courthouse.

In El Presidio Park. What is this wrinkly thing?

On The Loop, the long cycle route that encircles the city. Here we’re on the northwest side, following the Santa Cruz River.

There’s not much bird life today in the shallow, trash strewn Santa Cruz River, but there was this killdeer.

The bird action was mostly in the greenery along the river. This one puzzles me. With that stout beak it looks like a finch, but not one I recognize. Maybe it’s an unusual/seasonal coloration for a pyrrhuloxia?

We ended the day with a drive over to the east side to The Loft, Tucson’s attractive independent film center, for a light meal of tamales, a Kilt Lifter (a Scottish ale from Four Peaks Brewing, the brewery we liked in Tempe), and a showing of Little Women. It’s a tale you may have heard of, about four sisters in Concord. Rachael enjoyed it much more than she’d expected, as she for some reason had thought it was a filming of The Waltons.

No video today, but Rachael wishes she’d taken one of the crew at Fair Wheel Bike store as they buzzed around taking care of her needs. She came back raving about them, declaring it her new favorite bike store.

Ride stats today: 11 miles, 200’; for the tour: 1,160 miles, 61,300’

Today's ride: 11 miles (18 km)
Total: 1,160 miles (1,867 km)

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Jen RahnGlad you found some competent mechanics!

Maybe they could go teach a class at Mo's shop?
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