This week of riding in Tuscon, Arizona with The Cycling House is a “let’s see how ready Smitha is to build on for the bike rides in summer in the Alps”.

The shakeout ride on Day 1 evoked reminiscences of a July day nearly three years past when we embarked from West Glacier into Glacier National Park. Back then, the sun blazed down upon us, and the elevation gain on the ride far exceeded our expectations. In contrast, today’s shakeout ride served as a genuine warm-up, primarily focused on testing our bikes.

Following a gravel segment featuring flowing water, we transitioned onto the roads of Tucson until reaching the base of the ascent to Mt. Lemmon. The road leading to the initial switchback was a seemingly endless, gradual incline until suddenly, the path veered upward along the mountainside. It was then that it struck me – this was indeed a formidable mountain. While Becky opted to turn back, reserving the climb for Saturday, I was determined to gauge the challenge. Strike a deal with the accompanying guide, I committed to tackling just an eighth of the visible climb to the next switchback (why precisely an eighth, I couldn’t say… it just felt feasible) and began ascending. Before I knew it, I had covered at least half a mile, if not more.

Mental notes to store away – the first part of the ride is climbable. It was slooooow grind on the lowest gear for me, but I believe I can climb it.

We ended the day with some wonderful Mediterranean dinner and a plan for the next day.

And because food photos are a must!