Today was the third Sunday of the month, and that made it a Pedalfiles Bike Hash day. We met the hares, Bimbo by Day and Redheaded Woodpecker, at a dive bar on the south edge of Tucson, where we were joined by two other bashing couples: Half-Hash & Hasadick and Yoda & Appendage, and one harriette, Blonde in the Bush. After the requisite head start, we took off in pursuit of the hares.
We'd been promised virgin territory but apparently Yoda didn't believe the hares, because he rode north toward a part of town we've bashed almost to death. The rest of us actually followed trail, and what do you know, for once the hares weren't lying. We rode a 15-mile route through mixed industrial and residential South Tucson neighborhoods, most of the way along a fabulous bike trail I didn't know was even there. The trail wasn't in the greatest condition, and we had to dismount and walk our bikes through one part where heavy rains had deposited several inches of loose sand. The mystery bike trail ended near the VA Hospital in South Tucson, a tough neighborhood I know all too well, so I stayed close to Pick'n'Flick and Blonde in the Bush until we were back in a safer part of town.
A Pedalfiles first: two miles short of the beer check, Half-Hash and Hasadick snared the hares! Bimbo by Day and Redheaded Woodpecker, it seems, had used up all of their head start debating which way to turn at every intersection they came to. Hint for hares: scout trail ahead of time. It works, it really does.
Oh, back to Yoda. After we'd been at the beer check 15 minutes or so, our missing basher rolled in, accompanied by a latecomer, Trailing Dick. We're assuming until proven otherwise that Yoda was just riding around in circles, and was led in to the beer check by Trailing Dick.
From the beer check it was only three miles back to the start, but the hares spiced up the ride by taking us through some of Tucson's ritziest neighborhoods. And it turned out that the dive bar we'd started at was a pretty decent place. The owner had a patio we could park our bikes on, he didn't mind our barstool circle, and his wife served up some great home-made Korean food.
Next month's Pedalfiles Bash will mark our third anniversary. That means mismanagement is haring, which means Bimbo by Day (the GM) and me (the RA). We know where we're starting and ending; we have a month to figure out the rest. And I have a month to come up with a good sermon for the circle.
Any day there's a hash is a good day, but this day was exceptionally good!
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