Tucson Freewheelers - Gila Bend/Ajo/Sells Ride

Had another Tucson Freewheelers ride on Sunday.  They're a local riding club based in town.  I found them on the Meetup website.  Great for finding groups of people who share the same hobbies in your neck of the woods.  We were supposed to head up the state to visit Roosevelt Dam, but had a low turnout and the overall feeling was of trying to stay warm:)  There was a fifty percent chance of rain in Globe, AZ.  So we decided to change it up and make a Gila Bend-Ajo-Sells loop.  I had never seen this part of Arizona so I was looking forward to it.  These were my fellow riders meeting for breakfast.  I would rather have a smaller riding group compared to a large riding group.  It's a little more relaxed fun ride.

Getting ready to depart.

On our way to Gila Bend we passed through a small spritzing of rain.  Nothing serious.  When we got off of I-10 onto I-8 you could smell the freshly rain smell that only Arizona can give.  We stopped at the Space Age Restaurant in Gila Bend.

The rough and rowdy motorcycle gang.  The people in the restaurant gave us a wide berth.

The murals on the wall were a nice touch.

We pulled over in Ajo at the local town square.  It appeared to be an old train station, now dotted with closed down shops.  You could tell the recession was in full swing.  Right before we got here we passed through a state DUI stop.  This is the very first one I had been through.  I couldn't believe the number of cops that were there.  The officer that spoke to me just asked if I had been drinking and then handed me a pamphlet.  Seems they were forced to give them to everyone.  I had to spend a few minutes blocking traffic trying to jam the pamphlet into my jacket pocket with extra thick gloves on.

So far I'm really happy with the Bonnie.  It's a great bike to learn on and seems rock solid.  I'm going to give her a bath sometime this week.

I can't tell you how good the Turtle Fur neck warmer works on the rides.  Keeps the wind out and the heat on your neck in.  Strongly suggest you buy one if you want to stay warm on the ride.

Last shot of the day.  At a gas station in Sells.  You might be able to make out Kitt Peak buildings on that mountain in the distance.  A pretty famous observatory in Southern Arizona.

I put about ~320 miles on the bike.  Had a great time with good people.