I'll admit it, I don't commute to work via bike. Shame on me. I really wish I could, but I live about 30 miles one-way from work & I often work my part-time job afterwards. It's not the distance, bike commuting in Phoenix is easy, flat and most can be done on canals or bikeways.
I've been a little curious about taking a day to do such a commute when I wasn't working my evening job. Today was that day as I was only planning on working a 1/2 day anyway.
I wasn't riding overly fast, the canals in the pre-dawn darkness were damp and slow, still drying out from a storm a few days ago. Plus, I wanted to take some pics along the way.
Early on, I ran into some mud crossing through a construction zone that I thought may end my ride. Thankfully the gears still worked and I kept pedaling.
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Dawn breaks over the Superstition Mtns. |
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It was a chilly 37ยบ at the start, a bit of fog at the Gilbert Riparian area. |
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Quite a few horse properties along the route. |
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Daybreak heading west. |
I was crossing Gilbert rd. when another rider merged right behind me, 'Hey, John!', I turned to look and it was Hunter on his way to work in Tempe. What are the odds? We rode the the next 10 miles or so before I had to split off towards South Mountain.
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Crossing I-10. |
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-Bej0HZXHjRI/UrjwcOtaE0I/AAAAAAAATLs/UkiS40k1EzE/s400/IMG347.jpg) |
Had to get a little singletrack in!! |
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Made it, just under 3 hours. |
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-V7BFtT4fgBM/UrjwdAN92YI/AAAAAAAATL8/FOWmiZ5Pih4/s400/IMG350.jpg) |
Arizona Grand Hotel & Resort near work. |
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/--sBwPhruSA8/UrjwduCT45I/AAAAAAAATMA/kgtncNSj8Ro/s400/IMG351.jpg) |
Nearby Mexican restaurant. |
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Nice canopy through Tempe. |
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Some protection against shanked/sliced golf balls. |
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-EykCWuIqYwM/Urjwfp_egMI/AAAAAAAATMc/hJKZ0WuDyV8/s400/IMG354.jpg) |
Western Canal artwork. |
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Some stretches were really straight. |
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-_Gxif4D_AYQ/UrjwgyYUoHI/AAAAAAAATMs/qew9rAsMRzg/s400/IMG356.jpg) |
Spraying concrete to cover the earthen walls. |
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uak-za6_fAA/UrjwhZrlAaI/AAAAAAAATM0/gtk9mhgKIR0/s400/IMG357.jpg) |
Cool solar array. |
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Same tracks that run near our house, just crossing here. |
![](//3.bp.blogspot.com/-F8Zty1xdT6E/UrjwikzScrI/AAAAAAAATNE/PuQpuQK4veg/s400/IMG359.jpg) |
Neat water fountain, but it wasn't running. |
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Downtown Gilbert. |
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Feeding time! |
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Riparian Preserve. |
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Nice spur trail through the Riparian preserve. |
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Agritopia. |
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Field of Dreams softball complex. Here's the Anaheim Angels mock-up. |
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San Tan Mtns getting closer. |
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-lv3DEvHx6B4/UrjwppchtQI/AAAAAAAATOg/ZjSEo3Z_myQ/s400/IMG370.jpg) |
Superstition Mtns. |
![](//1.bp.blogspot.com/-n7rEYLX6MFI/UrjwqVN9eRI/AAAAAAAATOk/Z3cq-i5vtrY/s400/IMG371.jpg) |
Picketpost Mtn. dead center. |
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South Mountain, that's how far I've come. |
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San Tan Mtns. almost home. |
![](//2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fg-622NIjjk/Urjwr0GarCI/AAAAAAAATO8/pOQceFrlh1Y/s400/IMG374.jpg) |
Some big fish in the canal. |
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On the left the McDowell Mtns look small, Red Mtn. on the right. |
![](//4.bp.blogspot.com/-Woo8mW5Xppo/UrjwtLp54DI/AAAAAAAATPM/QV2MLwTn3Q8/s400/IMG376.jpg) |
Pass Mtn. on the left, Four Peaks on the right. |
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Greenbelt under Germann Rd. |
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Back home, 59 mile day. |
Hopefully I can find a few more days to do this ride, it really was an enjoyable spin.
You wanna borrow my cross bike? You can cut 1.5 hours from that ride. ;)
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