I love climbing.
So, when RideWithGPS presented a route that snaked through part of the Coconino National Forest, I jumped at the opportunity.
First, though, I drove into Cottonwood and stopped by Verde Valley Bicycle Company, where I picked up a fresh bottle of Orange Seal to take care of a flat rear tire. The guys at the shop were super helpful — maybe they’ll submit their story! 🙂
The skies were perfectly blue, but the wind was already starting to pick up by the time I began climbing out of Camp Verde.
Compared to Colorado, I didn’t encounter a lot of steep sections along my route, but there were some fairly long grinds that tested my resolve more than once.
By the time I reached my summit, the wind was side-gusting so bad that it almost knocked me off my bike several times. So, instead of continuing to the intersection of highways 260 and 87, I decided to turn around about 10 miles earlier than expected.
Still, Strava shows that I rode just over 44 miles, gained almost 4,000 feet of elevation, and burned 7,300+ calories. Which explains why I ate everything available when I got back. 🙂