2007 El Tour de Phoenix

The El Tour de Phoenix is a terrific amateur bicycling race held in Mesa, Arizona. Its longest route does a 74-mile loop around Red Mountain (a.k.a. McDowell Mountain), riding through Scottsdale, Fountain Hills, and the Tonto National Forest with some very beautiful scenery, especially up around Saguaro Lake.

I’d done this ride way back 2003 on a 1974 steel 10-speed (Raleigh Grand Prix) from my youth. Hardly a racing machine. I limped in at well over 5 hours, but thought the event was pretty fun.

Here is my 2007 accounting of the race, through the eyes of a true novice.

March 27, 2007 – Fours Days Before
March 28, 2007 – Three Days Before
March 29, 2007 – Two Days Before
March 30, 2007 – The Day Before
March 31, 2007 – Race Day
April 1, 2007 – Lessons Learned