Tucson, Arizona

Manville Road is a popular time trial route in Tucson as part of the Big Square training route (I like to call it Big SquareS because I add on a couple of other squares to the traditional). Basically it is one big square of flats roads that you can just get into your aerobars and hammer out intervals. Personally, I just love the road sign that reads “Manville Rd” what is better than a long flat road through the desert named Manville? If you travel down Manville, you will understand while it is a fitting name. Not much going on, a few modular and mobile homes, some dirt and sand, and one crossing of the Arizona Canal Project for some water.

Monday, I took Stuart Hayes on his maiden voyage down Manville and sure enough he saw his first coyote cross Manville Rd right in front of us. A coyote really is an interesting sight in the desert. You almost always see them alone. They look skinny and starved, and you know they are fighters living out in the desert hunting for food. It is the classic tale of the coyote and roadrunner and you know if the coyote wants to live he must catch the roadrunner.  The coyote crossed the road in front of us and turned to look straight at us if to say, “This is the real desert, where only the strong survive, welcome to Manville!”

As we continued our ride on Manville, we passed a famous illegal alien smuggling trail down Amway. I once spotted a whole line of illegals handcuffed on the side of the road with a couple of supped up Bronco Border Patrol vehicles blocking half the road. It was here on Amway Rd that Stuart proved he made the journey past Manville, by displaying his self secured manhood and serenading me with an impromptu version of “Lady in Red”. It went something like this:

TJ in Red

Is cycling with me

Cheek to cheek.

I can’t help but laugh! The final square of Manville is the Avra Valley Rd and Stuart and I stopped at the shop for a nice slice of homemade Pineapple Upside Down Cake before continuing home back towards Tucson. Avra Valley is a fairly busy road with a big shoulder for cycling but most of the shoulder is really tore-up and filled with desert debris (not good for punctures). With a big, but tore-up shoulder, cyclists tend to ride towards the white line and while most cars give you plenty of room there is the occasional jack ass who likes to buzz you on purpose. One such large pickup truck buzz prompted a quotable Stuart Hayes “They’re wankers out here…the drivers. It’s because they live in the desert and they hate their lives.” It made me laugh but I also thought there is some truth to people being a bit angry and frustrated spending all day in 97* heat. I suppose that is all part of the long journey down Manville Road.

Work Hard,

TJ