Cochise Classic Bike Race - Douglas AZ

This is the start of the 92 mile bike race down in Douglas Arizona. It's called the "Cochise Classic". This is Jon's 2nd year in a row riding and Derek's first year. Rick's done this race probably 10 times. They all did well Jon coming in 13th overall and Rick and Derek probably 9 minutes behind him.
Here's Jon still smiling on the ride.
Jon and Ivette at the end of the race. Ivette and I passed off food and water bottles while I drove the whole course. It was tedious driving and sometimes down right dangerous trying to maneuver in and out of cars and bikes. I'm getting too old for this kind of stuff!!
Another one of my chores after the ride. Derek doing a deep stretch.
Every one hashing over the race. Something bike riders tend to do after every ride.
On our way home we saw this cute doggie side car called "Hawgdog". They were darling.

Tour De Phoenix

On Your Mark - Get Set - GO!! The start of the Tour De Phoenix. Rick handing off a water bottle to Jon going up the backside of Usary Pass.
Jon came in just under 3 hours after a 70 plus mile ride. He got platinum and that was his goal.
A great ride and happy ending.
The next generation rider.
Jon and Bryce happy it's over. Bryce is our hometeacher and came in 6th overall!

Top of Shea Blvd. scenic view of the West Valley.
Mesa's finest helping keep the riders safe.


Ivette -- Jon's better half. The best part of the ride - lunch at Ned's Crazy Sub.
Congrat's Jon...job well done.

Tour De Tucson - Nov. 22, 2008

This is the big kahuna of all bicycle races in Arizona. This is the race where you train all year for.
109 miles of hills, bad roads, backed up traffic, bike accidents, lots of people cheering you on, crazy bikers with funny helmets, lots of police telling you where to go in more ways than one, riders from all over the world, some professional riders to the weekend warriors. 8,500 riders they said this year signed up. All you could see was a sea of colors streaming past you. Rick and Jon signed up to ride this year. It was Jon's first time and Rick couldn't remember how many times, maybe 7. We got down to Tucson Friday afternoon and signed in at the Convention Center. The whole center was filled with bicycle displays wanting you to buy or see the newest gadgets for bikes or taste the newest energy bar or drink to make you go faster. Rick had a meeting a 6:30 p.m. that all the Platinum Riders were to attend. These are the faster riders who get to go ahead of all the slower riders. They talked about the course and a policeman told them they would be out in force watching for anyone who was riding over the yellow line, and would give out warnings and citations if not obeying. This race is very competitive. All the riders get computer chips to put on their ankles to see who they are and what time they got when they crossed the finish line. The race started Saturday morning at 7 a.m. at the Convention Center. Some people started lining up at the start at 4:30 a.m. We got there about 6:30 and got into a pretty good position in the middle of the platinum riders. The excitement and energy was incredible. There was a group of about 5 people from Japan riding in it. I tried to speak to them but they couldn't understand English. Ivette and I walked back to the hotel after the race started and cleaned up the room and then we got a call from Jon that said he was sick and throwing up and to come get him. About an hour later we found him and he said he must have drank too much energy drink at the start. He usually reserves that drink during the middle of a long bike ride. It didn't agree with him and he just felt bad. So we picked him up and then went out to find Rick and see if he needed any more water. We caught up with Rick at about mile 75 and he was looking strong and in a good position. We passed off some needed water bottles and then helped another fellow bike rider who ran out of steam and drove him back to his hotel which was our hotel too. Rick's time could have been better if his legs hadn't cramped up again. That has happened to him before and he has learned not to push it and just back off. He still got a good time and we were all proud of him that he did so well and finished without too much trouble.

No Room at the Inn

Rick, Jon (our son) and his wife Ivette and I spent the weekend down in Douglas Arizona for the Cochise Bicycle Classic. We got down there a little late around 9 p.m. only to find our hotel had already given away our room and the hotel was totally full. We had just driven through a hail storm in Bisbee I thought our windshield was going to crack it was coming down so hard. Luckily we were driving our Nissan Titan Truck that has four wheel drive. The wheels were starting to loose traction from the ice forming on the road. Imagine we just came from 100 plus degree weather and now we are slipping on ice. We were all tired and worn out and a little scared. Now we had no place to sleep. Douglas is not a real big town, only a mile from the mexican boarder. I didn't want to be out in the cold. Rick had heard that all the rooms in town were full because of the bike race. But we took a chance and headed to the only other hotel in town. The Gadsden Hotel, which is posted as being the Last of the Grand Hotels. Built in 1907 it looked it. But we gave it a chance and Rick must have looked forlorn and they let us stay in a room that was already reserved but the man hadn't shown up yet. It also only had one queen size bed, but Rick snatched it up out of desperation. We unloaded all the bikes and headed to Wall Mart to buy a blow up mattress and blankets for Jon and Ivette. It turned out they had the more comfortable sleeping arrangement. We were all thankful for anything at this point. The hotel is known for being haunted, especially in room 333, but we luckily got room 242. The only spooky thing that happened in our room was a huge grasshopper landed on Ricks back as soon as we entered the room. But there is a log where people enter supernatural weird experiences that happen to them while staying at the hotel. Past guests include Eleanor Roosevelt, Lee Marvin, Shelly Winters,...... Wow!! It is even told that Pancho Villa road his horse up the Italian Marble Staircase. There is an authentic Tiffany stained - glass mural which extends 42 feet across one wall of the massive mezzanine. Each pillar is decorated in 14K gold leaf - worth $20,000 back in 1929. Many movies have been filmed in this old hotel, one "The life and times of Judge Roy Bean". I loved it and had a very peaceful sleep, ghosts and all. Rick and Jon battled the wind the whole 98 mile course that took them through the old mining town of Bisbee and around some beautiful mountains and prairies. The old west still exists, only on bicycles instead of horses. A few of our bike club "Brumby's" came down to get in shape for the Tour De Tucson, which is coming up in November. Rick and Jon are thinking about doing that. Ivette and I had a fun time chasing after our husbands in the truck and catering to their every whim, which was usually just a water bottle here or a banana there. But they were very appreciative of our efforts and we felt we were needed. But it was a great sacrifice on my part since I missed getting to see my new little grandson who was born the day we left....10/10/08.