I rolled into Tucson, Arizona for the Tucson T.O.T. (Trikes Optional Tour)—a laid-back, loosely organized ride where recumbent trike and recumbent bike folks (and even uprights) all kind of “congregate and go.” The big draw here is the Tucson Loop: about 93 km / 58 miles of desert scenery, bridges, underpasses, and long stretches where you can stay off the main traffic. I started from the Prince of Tucson RV Park with a simple goal: ride the entire loop in one day, keep a steady pace, find a coffee, and see who I’d bump into out on the path. But pretty early on, my rear wheel started doing that thing where you feel sluggish and you know something’s off—yep, slow leak. And of course my pump wasn’t holding air either, because why not. I ended up limping to Ben’s Bikes, swapping in a puncture-resistant tube (heavy, 5mm, and a real pain in the ass to install), grabbing a new pump, and losing about two hours just talking shop and wrestling the tire. After that, it was back to cruising—dry heat, monster cacti, a roadrunner “meep meep” moment, and some heavier thoughts about safety on trails. In the end, I finished the loop tired, cramping, chapped-lipped, and honestly happy—because that’s cycling: you never really know how the day will unfold.