Thunderbird Paseo (59th Ave.) and New River Trail
Date: Sunday, May 16, 2010
Time: 4:30-6:00 pm
Route: From my home (63rd and Peoria Avenues), north on 63rd to Sweetwater, east to 59th Avenue, north across the Arizona Canal and Paseo bridge, then west on the bike path along the Thunderbird Paseo. Cross under 75th Avenue, and the trail parallels Skunk Creek going west, then turns south along New River, to Northern Avenue.
Weather: Moderate breeze, 87 degrees, hot sun.
Riding Surface: This is a safe and easy ride. Bike paths along 63rd and Sweetwater, 1/4 mile on the sidewalk to Thunderbird Paseo, then paved bike trails the entire way. It's almost a non-stop route in the city, which at times feels like you are in the desert away from a lot of civilization. No shade except for underpasses.
Miles: 17.8 miles round trip. The route can go longer, but the river was swollen and wouldn't allow me to cross over on the west side.
Duration: 1 hour, 16 minutes.
My speeds: Averaged 14.1 mph, maximum 24.1 mph.
The Story:
This is my "go to" route. It's easy access from my house, little traffic on the streets and dedicated bike trails along the Paseo and New River. It's getting warm here in the Valley of the Sun this time of year, but I hadn't been riding in two weeks, and felt the "urge to surge"! (Ok, "surge" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's faster than walking or running!) I did do my share of perspiring on this short route.
It's a little less than three miles from my house to the bike trail. The ride along the Thunderbird Paseo is on the north side, with some short downhill rides which allows me to scream underneath the overpasses, only to climb very short hills to get back up to the trail. Earlier this year, with all the rain we've had, I wasn't able to cross onto the trial because the Paseo had turned into Lake Thunderbird, and stayed that way for a number of weeks. The water has completely subsided, but evidence of the high waterline is clearly visible.
Along the route, the trail splits into "mini-rollers" that provide alternates for biking on the downhill slopes. I always ride on these, as it provides me some variety along the otherwise straight and flat path. At 75th street, the path goes underneath and resumes on the south side of the wash. It is at this point that Skunk Creek joins the Paseo. The creek is contained by a culvert at this point, and often there is a good flow down through the drainage. Today was no exception. In fact, the water was high and the creek was running fast. Across the creek, between 75th and 83rd Avenunes, there's a great view of Peoria Stadium, where the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners have their Spring Training facility.
Up until about a year ago, the trail ended just short of 83rd Avenue. Now, the path goes underneath 83rd Avenue and the 101 Freeway, to surface on the east side of New River, where Skunk Creek dumps into it. I was a bit surprised to see so much water in New River, which looks more like "Old Dry Gultch" most of the year. I presume this is from snow melt and recent rains up in the north central part of the state. The path crosses underneath Olive and Glendale Avenues, and crosses to the west side of the river. However, the water was so high that just short of the 9 mile mark on my ride, I decided NOT to try to brave the water, even though it was only an inch or two deep. There was good reason for my decision.
On a similar ride earlier in the Spring, New River was in a similar condition. The water didn't SEEM to be flowing that fast, and certainly wasn't very deep. So, being the brave, adventurous (stupid?) pioneer that I am, I decided I would ford the river on my bicycle.
The going was slow. I had no idea that the resistance of the water would provided so much resistance to my skinny tires. But, feeling fairly sturdy and confident, I pressed on. The path curves to the right and crosses the river. What I discovered was that, as the river flows over this concrete portion of the bike path, it leaves a very thin layer of silt, mixed with moss, algae and other non-tractable material. As I turned the corner, the seemingly gentle current raged into a veritable tsunami (at least that's what it felt like!), and because I had ZERO traction, my bike went flying out from under me at a speed which I rarely attain even on a steep downhill run. My shoe clips disengaged, and I found myself soaked literally from head to toe! Fortunately, there was little damage to my bike, and I was able to continue on. I ended up with a bruise on my hip the size of a baseball. Given that experience, today I decided that wisdom was the better part of valor, and turned around to head home.
Under the 101, I decided to stop in the shade. I was definitely feeling the effects of the sun, even though it was starting to get lower in the sky. I had avoided several cottontails crossing my path, and had raced a quail down the trail (until he thought he'd embarrass me and take flight). A small desert mouse zipped the opposite direction at one point. Except for the din of the wheels of cars and trucks on the pavement above, the scene was tranquil. Skunk Creek here is narrow, with trees and lush vegetation thriving in the shade of the underpass. It made for a pleasant pit stop.
A moderate breeze blew into my face on the rest of the way home. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm "riding," not "racing." When this realization comes over me, I abdicate my superhero complex, and enjoy the ride (in spite of the slowing caused by the elements).
I could tell the toll that not riding for two weeks had on my conditioning, as well as the effects of the warmer weather. In less than two weeks, I'm hoping to go north and ride to the Grand Canyon. Perhaps I should get in a couple more training rides before then!
Time: 4:30-6:00 pm
Route: From my home (63rd and Peoria Avenues), north on 63rd to Sweetwater, east to 59th Avenue, north across the Arizona Canal and Paseo bridge, then west on the bike path along the Thunderbird Paseo. Cross under 75th Avenue, and the trail parallels Skunk Creek going west, then turns south along New River, to Northern Avenue.
Weather: Moderate breeze, 87 degrees, hot sun.
Riding Surface: This is a safe and easy ride. Bike paths along 63rd and Sweetwater, 1/4 mile on the sidewalk to Thunderbird Paseo, then paved bike trails the entire way. It's almost a non-stop route in the city, which at times feels like you are in the desert away from a lot of civilization. No shade except for underpasses.
Miles: 17.8 miles round trip. The route can go longer, but the river was swollen and wouldn't allow me to cross over on the west side.
Duration: 1 hour, 16 minutes.
My speeds: Averaged 14.1 mph, maximum 24.1 mph.
The Story:
This is my "go to" route. It's easy access from my house, little traffic on the streets and dedicated bike trails along the Paseo and New River. It's getting warm here in the Valley of the Sun this time of year, but I hadn't been riding in two weeks, and felt the "urge to surge"! (Ok, "surge" might be a bit of an exaggeration, but it's faster than walking or running!) I did do my share of perspiring on this short route.
It's a little less than three miles from my house to the bike trail. The ride along the Thunderbird Paseo is on the north side, with some short downhill rides which allows me to scream underneath the overpasses, only to climb very short hills to get back up to the trail. Earlier this year, with all the rain we've had, I wasn't able to cross onto the trial because the Paseo had turned into Lake Thunderbird, and stayed that way for a number of weeks. The water has completely subsided, but evidence of the high waterline is clearly visible.
Along the route, the trail splits into "mini-rollers" that provide alternates for biking on the downhill slopes. I always ride on these, as it provides me some variety along the otherwise straight and flat path. At 75th street, the path goes underneath and resumes on the south side of the wash. It is at this point that Skunk Creek joins the Paseo. The creek is contained by a culvert at this point, and often there is a good flow down through the drainage. Today was no exception. In fact, the water was high and the creek was running fast. Across the creek, between 75th and 83rd Avenunes, there's a great view of Peoria Stadium, where the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners have their Spring Training facility.
Up until about a year ago, the trail ended just short of 83rd Avenue. Now, the path goes underneath 83rd Avenue and the 101 Freeway, to surface on the east side of New River, where Skunk Creek dumps into it. I was a bit surprised to see so much water in New River, which looks more like "Old Dry Gultch" most of the year. I presume this is from snow melt and recent rains up in the north central part of the state. The path crosses underneath Olive and Glendale Avenues, and crosses to the west side of the river. However, the water was so high that just short of the 9 mile mark on my ride, I decided NOT to try to brave the water, even though it was only an inch or two deep. There was good reason for my decision.
On a similar ride earlier in the Spring, New River was in a similar condition. The water didn't SEEM to be flowing that fast, and certainly wasn't very deep. So, being the brave, adventurous (stupid?) pioneer that I am, I decided I would ford the river on my bicycle.
The going was slow. I had no idea that the resistance of the water would provided so much resistance to my skinny tires. But, feeling fairly sturdy and confident, I pressed on. The path curves to the right and crosses the river. What I discovered was that, as the river flows over this concrete portion of the bike path, it leaves a very thin layer of silt, mixed with moss, algae and other non-tractable material. As I turned the corner, the seemingly gentle current raged into a veritable tsunami (at least that's what it felt like!), and because I had ZERO traction, my bike went flying out from under me at a speed which I rarely attain even on a steep downhill run. My shoe clips disengaged, and I found myself soaked literally from head to toe! Fortunately, there was little damage to my bike, and I was able to continue on. I ended up with a bruise on my hip the size of a baseball. Given that experience, today I decided that wisdom was the better part of valor, and turned around to head home.
Under the 101, I decided to stop in the shade. I was definitely feeling the effects of the sun, even though it was starting to get lower in the sky. I had avoided several cottontails crossing my path, and had raced a quail down the trail (until he thought he'd embarrass me and take flight). A small desert mouse zipped the opposite direction at one point. Except for the din of the wheels of cars and trucks on the pavement above, the scene was tranquil. Skunk Creek here is narrow, with trees and lush vegetation thriving in the shade of the underpass. It made for a pleasant pit stop.
A moderate breeze blew into my face on the rest of the way home. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I'm "riding," not "racing." When this realization comes over me, I abdicate my superhero complex, and enjoy the ride (in spite of the slowing caused by the elements).
I could tell the toll that not riding for two weeks had on my conditioning, as well as the effects of the warmer weather. In less than two weeks, I'm hoping to go north and ride to the Grand Canyon. Perhaps I should get in a couple more training rides before then!
Beautiful day for a ride. We should get together and ride some time. My endurance has improved since our last ride.
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