Living in the AZ mountains it is often a challenge to find routes that aren't so stratospheric that one spends 3/4 of the time just grinding up hills. And in the winter I get sweaty climbing that much only to risk frostbite on the descents. Shedding clothes, putting them on, etc.
Driving 45 - 60 miles south lands me in the desert flatlands. Getting there means I have to traverse mountain switchbacks that make the commute very time consuming.
More important, however, is the issue of safety. Many of the roads have literally no shoulder or massive rumble strips that consume the shoulder.
From the solitude of the desert to the relative busy-ness of the local roads that offer good safety.
Here are a few roads that are local, safe and not nose-bleeders.
Prescott to Interstate 17 and Back - 50 Miles and 2500 Ft of Climbing
144 Miles 8600 Ft of Climbing (Well, this one may be a bit of a nosebleeder) Riding the course in reverse (south to Kirkland) can help to reduce the sweat-freeze-sweat factor a bit.
And THAT is about IT for flattish training routes nearby.
No comments:
Post a Comment