For those not fortunate enough to be there, a normal day in camp consisted of breakfast, which included a debate over the strength of the coffee, a brief recap of “who woke who up at what time last night”, and a cul-de-sac meeting in preparation for the 10 am ride. The daily rides were then followed by a jump in the pool or hot tub, a quality dinner, and a social hour lasting until it was time to go again. Perfect!

The rides were led by Rick Nord, aka Uncle Rick or Mr. Sunshine, our local guide and team friend who was more than familiar with the local terrain and its challenges. Uncle Rick led us up to Stagecoach Pass in Carefree, Arizona, on day one, which was a relatively easy ride that proved to be a nice warm up for what was to follow. Day two had the team rocking their shiny new kits on a 70-mile ride, which included a scenic stretch along the Sonoran Desert Parkway. This was a well-paced ride which proved to be a nice lead into the real work for the following day.

The day three ride into Bartlett Lake was as rugged and brutal as it was beautiful. We were greeted with a headwind at the entrance into the lake  The team broke into groups and set into the work of surviving back-to-back-to-back-to-back climbs that let you know where your legs were (or were not). By the generous assistance of Bill Mason, the team had a SAG support waiting at the bottom near the lake which proved to be most beneficial, as the local store located at the lake was no longer in business. PB&J’s on rye bread never tasted so good! Bartlett was conquered and even managed to give up a precious Strava leader board position to our own digitally over-driven monGO, Joe Kleidosty .

Dynamite (a local road that just keeps going up) climb and Dynamite ‘around the mountain’ (around McDowell Mountain) routes wrapped up days four and five, as some riders opted for recovery routes and milder paces to soothe the mid-winter legs of this Shawnee, Kansas-based team, sponsored by Keen Wealth Advisors.

Quality teamwork was reflected in every aspect of our week together: from lending a mate with a push up a steep incline to everyone taking pulls on the front, no matter how spent we all were. From the relentless fixing and changing of flat tires to the community after-ride maintenance groups. From the shuttling spent riders home to the meal preparation and cleaning.  It was obvious that each member of Big D Cycling was there to help each other out.

This winter camp was a great way to strengthen relationships, while also logging those very important base miles.  Based on the experiences in this camp, we are optimistic we will have many podium finishes and have fun doing it!

Special thanks to Bill Mason and Bill Wells for safely making the trip to and from Scottsdale, AZ, transporting our steeds and gear on the team trailer.