Globe Touring Without the Weight

Road bike touring is one of the best ways to see the countryside. With a good bike and decent roads, you can cover nearly as much ground in a day as in a slow-moving car. But, unlike auto travel, you can experience the outdoors -- smell the flowers and hear the birds sing -- plus you get a good workout.

I had been wanting to do a multi-day road bike tour for some time -- ever since my last multi-day ride several years ago in the Colorado Rockies. My friend Greg Armstrong and I did that trip the hard way: we carried all our gear and clothing in panniers strapped to our bikes. The mountains were beautiful, but pedaling all that extra weight up and down 13,000-foot passes took the wind out of our sails.

After that experience, we had both talked about doing a streamlined trip in which we mailed all our gear ahead and carried the bare essentials on our bikes. Finally, we put it together last March. After spending a couple of afternoons looking over various maps we decided on a three-day, 270-mile loop route through the center of the state.

The ride would begin in Globe and follow the historic Apache Trail to Roosevelt Lake and then continue north to Payson and the Mogollon Rim on state highways 88/188. After spending our first night in Payson we would follow Highway 260 along the Rim for 90 miles to Show Low. We would spend our second night in Show Low and return to Globe via Highway 77, through the spectacular Salt River Canyon.

Before leaving our homes in Tucson for the ride, we shipped what we would need for each night's destination, via UPS, to hotels in Payson and Show Low. By doing this, we would only have to carry a small amount of essential equipment, all of which would fit easily into the pockets of our jerseys. For only $6 per person, UPS took care of the extra weight.

It's late morning when we park the car in Globe and our pedals begin spinning. The first 20 miles ease by in less than an hour. Both Greg and I are on race-ready road bikes. Our machines have lightweight tires and are stripped down as if we are only out for an afternoon training ride. My bike weighs less than 20 pounds and Greg's is only slightly heavier. The first climbs come and go without any difficulty. Touring can't get any easier than this.

Thirty-five miles into the first leg of our journey brings us to the new bridge that spans Roosevelt Lake. It is significantly bigger and sturdier looking than the narrow road that used to take motorists over the top of the dam. Once past the bridge, Greg and I decide to stop for a snack. The view from where we dine is superb. The lake is filled to capacity, the surrounding hills are St. Patrick's Day green, and the sky is a tranquil blue.

We are making good time, and 25 miles past the bridge we decide to take another break. Our decision comes conveniently in front of the Tonto Creek Store in Punkin Center. Greg and I spend some time talking with store owners Fred and Sue Conway. They tell us that we are the first cyclists to stop in this season, and that they expect to get quite a bit more business from bikers as spring progresses. Fred also kids us about the terrain that lays ahead: it's 32 miles to Payson, and every inch of it is uphill.

Just as Greg and I are about to get back on our bikes and battle gravity, there is a loud explosion. My rear tire blew off the rim. Apparently, the warm afternoon sun heated the dark metal surface of the rim, causing the highly pressurized air to expand and blow the tire.

After spending a few minutes repairing the damage and calming Fred, who had come running out of the store because he thought he heard gunfire, we are on our way. In less than a minute, however, we stop again to look at an archaeological site that is being excavated just a few feet from the roadside. Greg and I had wondered about ancient Indian cultures when we passed the Tonto National Monument earlier in the day; now we see how rich this region is in archaeological history.

My thoughts about what life must have been like for the Indians who lived here 1,000 years ago are eventually overshadowed by my struggle to pedal uphill. The final 30 miles require a 2,000 foot climb, which is not an incredible sum, but our legs are tired and the sun has taken its toll as well.

Six hours and 87 miles from Globe, we reach Payson's Pueblo Inn -- a welcome sight. At the front desk, we check in (we had made prior reservations) and pick up our UPS packages, which contain a fresh change of clothes. All we can think about is a hot shower, a cold beer, plenty of food, and a restful night's sleep. The next morning, we find the UPS office and mail our stinky clothes back to Tucson. We then indulge in an all you can eat breakfast buffet at a place called JB's. After consuming mass quantities of pancakes and fruit, we walk around town to let our food settle before the day's long ride to Show Low. At the visitors' center, we learn that Payson got its start as a mining town back in the late 1800s, and it was named after a Chicago Congressman who helped the town get its first post office in 1884.

With our breakfast somewhat digested, we hit the road. Today's 90-plus-mile ride along Highway 260 will include a 12-mile, 3,000-foot climb to the top of the Mogollon Rim.

At mile post 281, just a short distance from the top of the rim, we stop to rest and shed a layer of clothing. It is a picture perfect spring day; the warm sun takes the chill out of the morning breeze, and below us, the Tonto National Forest is a beautiful, vast expanse of green.

We top out on the Rim a short time later and are surprised to see snow still on the ground in places. An orchestra of barking frogs adds to the atmosphere, performing in the small ponds near the town of Forest Lakes.

As we descend into Heber, I feel hunger pangs in my stomach. The incredible volume of food I had consumed earlier has disappeared and all I can think about is a big, overstuffed Subway sandwich. But as we cruise through Heber, there is no sandwich shop in sight and, in desperation, I begin to ask people on the street about local eating options. "Go to the Dairy Delight," says one friendly Heberite. Not being a big fan of dairy products, I'm skeptical about this little restaurant at the intersection of state highways 260 and 277. As it turns out, we are surprised by the menu and find a great selection of hearty meals and homemade pies.

After spending an hour and a half off the bikes to rest our weary muscles, we get back in the saddle to complete the 37 miles to Show Low. A slight tailwind and a couple of hundred feet of downhill help us on our dash to beat the darkness. "The miles are melting," says Greg of our steady progress.

Just as night falls, we cruise into Show Low and spot the bright yellow light of the Day's Inn sign, tonight's home. Once again, we check in at the front desk, pick up our UPS box, and proceed directly to eating and sleeping. It seems that only minutes have passed when the wake-up call rings at 7 a.m. Each of us crawls out of bed slowly and painfully. "Do we have to do this again?" I ask. An extended stretch makes things a little better for the tight muscles in my legs, but neither of us are very enthusiastic. We indulge in another large breakfast and then prepare to ride the remaining 90 miles back to Globe.

Despite our early start, we know we will be pushing it to complete this final stretch, which includes a challenging descent and climb through the Salt River Canyon. By the time we are rolling down Highway 87 toward Globe, a strong headwind is blowing. Pedaling into the wind is no fun, and the prospect of riding in these conditions for six hours is a dismal prospect.

Consequently, the descent into Salt River Canyon is not what we had hoped for. The wind is blowing so strongly that it prevents us from reaching the 50 miles per hour speeds we had anticipated. Instead, we barely exceed 30 miles per hour. The bottom comes quickly enough, however, and we are now faced with the endless climb out of the beautiful but steep canyon.

With the wind in our faces and gravity exerting its pull, we are barely going five miles per hour on these mercilessly uphill switchbacks. We have pedaled 240 miles in two and a half days and our legs are almost out of gas. I want my car.

Once we reach the top of the climb, we fuel up on the remains of our energy food -- Cytomax, Powerbars, and a pudding-like substance called Gu. The end is getting closer but I am beginning to wonder if we'll be able to make it before dark. Thirty minutes later, however, once the space foods have had a chance to take effect, we feel revived and begin to set a faster pace. Despite the blowing headwind, we are riding at a speed of 20 miles per hour again.

Finally, the Globe city limit sign is in sight. The day's 91-mile ride took only seven hours, one hour longer than we had originally planned. As we load the bikes on the car, I marvel at how perfectly this ride turned out -- despite the wind, which couldn't be predicted. The loop route is truly one of the most scenic multi-day tours in the state, and doing it with a minimal amount of weight makes it that much more enjoyable.

Trip Planner

Distance from the Valley: Globe is 90 miles away.

Getting there: To get to Globe from Mesa take Highway 60 east through Superior.

Accommodations: For lodging in Payson, contact the Payson Chamber of Commerce at P.O. Box 1380, Payson, AZ 85547; phone (520) 474-4515. For lodging in Show Low, contact the Show Low Chamber of Commerce at P.O. Box 1083, Show Low, AZ 85901; phone (520) 537-2326.

Tips: To find out about UPS shipping locations, call (800) 742-5877.

For more information: Tonto National Forest, 2324 E. McDowell, Phoenix, AZ 85010; phone (602) 225-5200. San Carlos Reservation, P.O. Box 97, San Carlos, AZ 85550; phone (520) 475-2343.