The Torch Ride's Eve

So this Saturday I will take my first organized ride since I stopped riding some five years ago. Every time I am going to take a ride like that the anticipation starts mounting way before. Getting the bike ready is a ritual. It has to be washed and shined, then I have to decide what to wear depending on the weather. The ride for me starts very early as I have to ride from Avondale to Mesa, and I usually like to get there at least an hour before kick stands go up. That means jackets and sweaters are required, the problem is that the ride ends at Bike Fest and by the time we get there it will probably be hot.

The problem is BikeFest requires lots of walking, and who wants to be carrying leathers and sweaters for the next two or three hours. I have to figure something out before Saturday.

This is going to be the only escorted ride for Arizona Bike Week. The beauty of this is that we have police escorts that block all traffic so that the long line of bikes (around 2000 are expected) go through the streets. We never stop. Now the ride begins in Mesa and ends in Scottsdale, that is quite a few miles of pleasurable riding.

This particular ride will benefit Special Olympics Arizona! and I will be more than happy to participate. So, hopefully I will be able to capture some images of the event on Saturday. If I do I will be more than happy to share them with you.


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