BellBreaker. Heard about it years ago, did it in 2020, right before the pandemic set in and everything changed for a year or so. Nate who set it all up from BlueDog cycles has moved on to Los Angeles and Jenna and Steve from Transit picked up the torch and put something on IG back in December and I go "sure .. why not"
So we got the route, packed up the bike and drove to Paul's house to park my car and then ride over to The Hop Shop for a 5:30 am cold morning start. About a dozen or so of us at the start and around 5:40 off we went. Down the Loop, along Campbell, down Ina, La Canada and up the Loop towards Oro Valley.
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| Hop Shop getting read to go |
Decided to grab a quick something from the QT, stopped for 5 minutes and back on the Loop. Then I heard a little different noise from the bike. Stopped, spun the pedals backwards and still heard it. Looked for something in the chain, didn't sound like that. Tried to figure out what to do and got on and the noise was gone. Well that stuck in my mind for a while.
Ran into Sarah and Ed as we went under the Big Wash bridge, we were fairly close to each other through most of the HoneyBee trail section, then on the PowerLine road out toward an electrical station off AZ 79. Someplace north of that I ran across Deidra. We rode along 79 for a bit, then met up with a couple of the guys doing it and we continued.
Someplace out there, I dropped back, riding by myself. I kinda like that, I don't have to try to keep up. We had a really cool section through desert north of Freeman Road and east of 79, and then finally, finally got to 96 Ranch Road.
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| Crested Saguaro along 96 Ranch Road |
Someplace out there 96 Ranch Road turned into Barksdale Road, didn't quite realize that and I was a little confused, having ridden Barksdale years ago going to Florence. I ran into Julie H out there and another lady, they were out for a day ride from Florence and rode with Julie until Freeman Road.
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| 96 Ranch House |
Happy to get to Willow Springs Road ( finally ), and then 18 miles or so to get to Oracle. A little past 24 hour town, I ran into Damion A. as he was driving to 24 Hour Town and he took my photo. It was getting dark and colder. Totally dark by the time I hit AZ 77.
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| Took a while to get here |
I rode up to the Biosphere turnoff, and on that quiet pavement I heard the noise in the rear of my bike again. The more I thought about it the more I thought it was something in the hub. Turned onto a dirt track that is mostly under a power line that was going to keep us off the highway. Darker and much colder and pretty tired, I decided that I wasn't going to make an open restaurant in Oracle and bagged it for the night on the side of the trail.
Moon was bright, stars were out and cold. Glad I took the sleeping bag liner. I actually slept pretty well. Nibbled at a sandwich I had during the night and woke up at 6:30 or so. Packed up a wet tent and rode/walked towards Oracle. Got to the Mexican restaurant and huevos rancheros ... you can't believe how GOOD it tasted. Food when you are starving hungry is so amazing.
Rode a little bit towards American Avenue towards the Circle K and decided the hub issue needed to be dealt with rather than continuing so I bailed. I got onto 77 and was doing pretty good until Oracle Ford and the freewheel quit .. turn the pedals, the cassette turns but the bike ... she no go forward!
Pulled over, pedaled backwards some, loosened and retightened the thru bolt and the whole thing seemed seized up ... put some pressure on it and it started working! Go on, rode to Tucson and got my car with a face full of wind on the way back.
Taking the wheel to a shop tomorrow to have it looked at.
