I may give it a try this year - if so, I will be proudly anchoring the slow group.

That's the little thing about this ride: historically, there really hasn't been a slow group. The ride was originated by Joel Nelson as a Phoenix Consumers' Cycling Club (USCF racing team) training ride, so the pace has always been brisk. I wasn't on the first ride, but I was on the second ride and several subsequent. I moved to Tucson in 1985 and if I was in town I'd try to make it, but in those days of telephones and paper newsletters I often missed the group entirely as I started too early/late/wrong location. Since I returned to Phoenix and the availability of turkeydayride.com brought stability to the schedule, I've tried to make it most years, even if I'm not in prime (or any) shape, with my current count being 25 rides and 3 times driving the Mighty Truckasaurus as sag.

Getting back to the pace: We leave Uptown Plaza at 6:30 sharp and head down Central, skipping over to 7th St once we hit the light rail mess. The group is typically a tight racing pack - shoulder to shoulder, wheel close to wheel - it's presumed riders have racing experience, are experienced pack riders and bike handlers, and are comfortable in a tight group. The pace to and from South Mountain is what Joel and Phil categorize as "conversational" - if one can carry on a conversation at high wattage output. Actually, until the hill really starts around Southern, if a decent-shape rider can stay in the pack draft, it's not incredibly hard to keep up the pace. As the grade gradually increases, though, many of us find ourselves watching the pack pull away as we search for mitochondria and oxygen. Fortunately, the group stops at the old (second) guard house for about 10-15 minutes to socialize, use the restroom, and select their rocks, which gives us burned-out riders a chance to reinsert our lungs and slightly recover. Once the pack heads up the mountain, all bets are off - it's a full-out race fast event. My strategy for the last, um, several years is to apply maximum sustained wattage without veering into lung lock or nausea and just grind at that pace. When Joel ran the ride, everyone waited at the top for the last riders, but recently riders have only made a brief stop for depositing their entropy-mitigating rocks and then zoom back down. This typically means I see them just as I'm cresting the steep climb past Telegraph Pass, and discretion being the better part of valor and all that, I toss my rock, U-turn, and chase them, satisfied with my uphill effort. I've always been a confident descender, and I'm still not much of a braker, but even with my additional mass aerodynamic front I'm often passed by the young'uns. We then regroup at the guard house, do our bit to test the plumbing, and then back to Uptown Plaza at that same "conversational pace", which is much easier from the park to I-17 than it is from that point north. Regardless, a good time is usually had.

All this being said, if you want to proudly create a more-relaxed option, you're certainly welcome to do so, as there is no fee, organization, or governing body, and you may end up recruiting a number of burned-off stragglers or even thoroughly sane folk for your merry band. Just be aware that you may see the main mob going in the opposite direction prior to your achieving Dobbins Point due to their insane brisk pace. Perhaps this group may become a recurring part of the ride and attract those who want to carry on the tradition but are not quite motivated or physically able to replicate their past accomplishments or are just content to do the ride at a non-anaerobic pace.

I fully expect to see the "main group" heading north somewhere around Southern or Baseline while I am still heading south.

In terms of the ride itself, ten years is mere 1/4 of its existence. We'll have to keep this thread going for a while...

I just realized I have to show up just to see what bike Greg "Hamster" Sumrall will show up with this year. In recent years it's been a 70s Centurion flat-bar bike, a tandem, or even (I think) a cruiser. And yet regardless of the bike he just rides with seeming effortlessness as I pant and wheeze on my Raleigh Professional (the same bike I've been riding in the event since 1982).

Thank you RCMoeur for your historical insight on the Phoenix Turkey Day Ride! Let’s definitely keep the tradition alive, it really is a special event 🚴🏻

I’ve ridden South Mountain four times this year. Back in April, I took these shots at Dobbins Overlook. Here you can see the bike with the new headset. I replaced the original Campagnolo Nuovo Record headset with a Chris King 1” Gripnut headset. That change dropped over 100g off the bike and was the last of the original parts other than the frame and fork. It also looks better in Sotto Voce Black with the black 3TTT Record 84 stem as opposed to the original Silver.

Also seen here is the Land Acknowledgment Plaque that recognizes the deep history of this place. 40 years of Turkey Day Rides is a drop in the bucket compared to that!

The 40th Anniversary Phoenix Turkey Day Ride was a complete success! Rode the Tommasini Competizione again. Beautiful weather, great group of riders, and even though a grinch stole our donut holes at Dobbins, a kind lady provided back ups! The ride up was challenging as always but the return ride was a blistering pace. I tried to stay with the front group but was dropped multiple times, only saved by red lights slowing them down. Whew!

On the way through downtown, I stopped to snap this epic shot as the sun was rising, gotta love Phoenix at dawn! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I posted my ride report in the "Where Did You Ride Today?" thread. Successfully completed my 26th non-consecutive year.

Where'd You Ride Today? (New & Improved)

I'm no go for 2024.

Even though I had a good El Tour, I threw my back out on Monday (doing nothing, of course) and I just can't ride anything at the moment. Hope the ride goes well anyway. Carry a rock for me...

After a very wet finish to El Tour de Tucson, it seems I've got a nasty bug and my chances of riding in 2025 are about, oh, 3%. I would think that the ride will still go on, though, at the usual time, place, and mountain.

I plan to do the Phoenix Turkey Day Ride this year after missing last year. Weather looks good, 52 degrees at start, wind 2 mph out of the northeast.

It looks like it'll be a good morning for a ride, but after assessing my current health I probably wouldn't even make it downtown with my gunky lungs, let alone up South Mountain. Hope the ride goes well.