In that moment, I must admit, my idea of cycling in America as a mean to escape the glum British winter didn’t seem very smart. I had some misgivings to start with – the new tenant in the White House, the rhetoric against cyclists, being a foreigner with a funny name this close to the border – but I hadn’t factored what had just happened. My main worry about southern Arizona was shaped like a pick-up truck with a Confederate flag, not a mechanical I couldn’t fix.

Southern Arizona isn’t very charming at first: endless sprawl, interstates, nature ruined by man careless disregard.

But beauty is just around the corner: Saguaros, an unexpected nature and quiet. Even if it’s tiring to explore it by bicycle, it’s worth it.