[no one in particular]

Greetings my hot weather friends! Here in Ithaca, NY I think we have yet to break 90 F this season… No, our problem is the freakin' rain. We have had very few dry days of late. But oh well, that is not the point of this post.

I am going to be in Tucson on business from 9.12 to 9.23. While I will be working on the weekdays, I am totally free to explore the local singletrack on both Saturday and Sunday (9.18 and 9.19). So, I am looking for some advice from you locals. I think it would be too much trouble to bag up my Sugar for the trip, so I need to find a place that rents bikes. I will bring my own shoes/pedals, hydration pack, helmet and such, so all I need is a FS XC or Freeride bike. I did find this, but I would like to get some advice from someone in the know before I start calling aimlessly. Next, I need a place or two to ride. Hopefully some pretty technical trails within 30 min of Tucson. Of course I have looked at the trail reviews but everything looks great. Any advice that you folks could offer on that would just be grand.

So, if anyone is feeling generous, step up and help an outsider with:

1. Place to rent,
2. Place to ride!

 

[SunDog]

Wow Abe

Way Out West and Arizona Bicycle Experts in Tucson both rent good bikes.

Ask there for ride info and also check out SDMB.org and SAMBA .org for more trail info and weekend ride schedules.

Also drop a line before heading out and maybe some one will be free to ride with you if the club or shop rides don't work out.

Louis

 

[Noelg]

Check out www.SDMB.org

It's an excellent website for/by riders in Tucson. The site has everything from trail rating, pics, topos and descriptions to movies and a calendar of group rides going on down there. There's also a helpful list of things for visitors.

You can always drive up here to Phoenix to ride South Mountain but there's PLENTY to ride in Tucson as well.

It'll still be H-O-T in Sept. so keep that in mind.

 

[[email protected]]

I have rented from ABE for a friend that came in to town and was happy with the bikes they had to choose from. Also check here for trails to ride:

Local rides

It is just a little web site I have for people that do not know the local trails. Also email me when you are here I can take you out on some of the local trails.

sean

 

[wurensh]

Definitely go to ABE, Mike will take care of you. I'd also agree with the visit to sdmb.org - depending on where you're staying will somewhat dictate what trails you want to focus on - if you're going to be anywhere near the NW side of Tucson, you *must* do the 50-Year Trail network. You could spend both days out there and hit everything imaginable. If you're more in the deep central or SE side of town, then Fantasy Island will be your best bet.

Also concur with the idea of posting here again just before you head out - there are likely many riders here who could hook up with you.

And, September isn't that bad... the monsoons are generally in their their final poof, so it tends to be "drier", which helps to make it feel not as bad. If you have a light, bring it too for a golden opportunity for a beautiful night ride!

Hank

 

[no one in particular]

Thanks to all so far for the helpful responses! I'll be putting together a more comprehensive response over the next day or so. I will include what I have found out about renting and such.

If you have a light, bring it too for a golden opportunity for a beautiful night ride!

Thanks for the reminder. I bet night rides are brilliant there and I have just the set-up for it. Since I am staying on the south side I will probably try to hit the great north side trails during the day. I may try to do an after dark ride, maybe on Friday or Saturday at Fantasy Island if I can find anyone to go with me (unfamiliar territory + alone + dark = recipe for bad, bad things).

 

[no one in particular]

Here I am, Tucson! -eh, this "dry heat" is not all that bad after all... So, uh, it looks like there is a small chance of hurricane induced rain for the weekend. Man, I would be so, so bummed if that turns out to be the case.

Anywho, in case there is no rain I am planning on two or three weekend rides. I have found that SuperGo has some pretty good bikes and I am planning to "demo" (that is their term for rent, though if I buy a bike in the store I get the "demo" price off of the purchase) a bike from them. It'll likely be an Epic or a Giant VT2. Both of 'em are great bikes, but I think I would prefer trying out the VT2, especially on this terrain.

I plan to do three rides. I'm picking up the bike at 9 and would like to be at some trail (maybe north of the city?) system at 11ish. I want to get in 15 miles or so by sometime early in the afternoon. I then want to do a night ride (possibly at Fantasy Island?) on Saturday evening starting at about 7 or 8. For Sunday, I have to be leaving the trail system by 4 (in order to have the bike back at SuperGo by 5), so I should get an early start (at least by noon) on Sunday as well.

I would very much like to ride with someone on any or all of these rides. I know that I want Fantasy Island to be one of my rides, but I still must choose two other trail systems (Milagrosa looks good, so maybe that is one of them). As I said, I would enjoy riding with some locals. If these locations and times look decent to you and you wouldn't mind dragging some out-of-towner around on your ride, please respond by PM so that we can get together.

Also email me when you are here I can take you out on some of the local trails.

It has been a while since you typed the above. Is the offer still good? Is that still the best method to reach you?

Thanks all!

bd

 

[wurensh]

BUmmer Bummer BUMMER! This weekend is the Tour of the White Mountains race/ride (about 4 hours drive north of Tucson)... I'm going up on Friday, and won't be back until Sunday... BUMMER BUMMER BUMMER!

I would recommend going to "www.sdmb.org" - there is a calendar with formal rides offered up for this weekend (though I don't recall if we have any - several folks are heading up to TTWM). You can always send an e-mail top one of the "contacts", and let them know you're here, with e-mail address, and they/we can post to our internal list serv (without membership, you won't have direct access... sorry, a bureaucratic thing). Or... from the same web page, you can get GPS maps/directions to all o fhte best trails. Fantasy Island is a good choice, and I would *strongly* recommend Golder Ranch/50-Year Trail as the other. Both are very popular, and in a worst-case scenario, you can show up at the parking area and you won't have to wait long until you can hook up with someone to take you on a tour of the area (you can likely judge the quality of the ride by the bike being ridden, though not always the best indicator - a guide if nothing else).

Any other weekend....

Enjoy being here!

Hank

 

[papajohn]

I know that I want Fantasy Island to be one of my rides, but I still must choose two other trail systems (Milagrosa looks good, so maybe that is one of them).

Just a comment on La Milagrosa. It is one of the roughest technical downhills in the entire area. Perhaps you are super skilled and would eat it up, but it really would be better to have more bike than that VT2, and it would be VERY wise to wear armor. Beyond that, it is not a trail to ride alone, because it has so little traffic that help will not likely happen along.

Finally, it is a trail that I wouldn't want to take a demo on. I would like to feel really good and familiar with the bike, and if you can ride that VT2 down La Milagrosa and still return it to Supergo in a condition they will accept, I will eat my helmet.

John W.

 

[YuriB]

Just a comment on La Milagrosa. It is one of the roughest technical downhills in the entire area. Perhaps you are super skilled and would eat it up, but it really would be better to have more bike than that VT2, and it would be VERY wise to wear armor. Beyond that, it is not a trail to ride alone, because it has so little traffic that help will not likely happen along.

Finally, it is a trail that I wouldn't want to take a demo on. I would like to feel really good and familiar with the bike, and if you can ride that VT2 down La Milagrosa and still return it to Supergo in a condition they will accept, I will eat my helmet.

John W.

Don't let John scare ya - La Meligrosa is one of the best rides around and I've never ridden it on anything other than a hardtail. I have to agree that riding it alone is not a great idea the first time. If you go further up the mtn there is always aspen draw and the meadow loop wich will put you in the (semi-burnt) pines

 

[Evil Patrick]

I'll be there!

10/16 thru 10/23

WOO HOO!

Wife and I will be riding all that good chit! She's a "machine". We're doing:

Butterfly to Crystal Springs and up the fire-control road. (That thing hurts!)
Fantasy Island (for an easy day)
Soldier, Molino, Milagrosa.
Chiva Falls upper loop
Meadow / Aspen Draw
The Chutes!
Starr Pass (for an easy day)

I'm jacked! Done this every year for the last 9 years. I'm still jacked!

Evil Patrick

 

[papajohn]

La Meligrosa is one of the best rides around and I've never ridden it on anything other than a hardtail.

Okay, Yuri has a point. If you are REALLY good, you can ride any trail on any bike. The last time I rode Blue Dot in Flag which the locals loudly proclaim as such a castrating trail, a guy with me cleaned as much or more than I did and he was on a rigid single-speed!

I personally can ride down Telegraph Pass or Geronimo with only a couple of dabs, but most times down La Milagrosa are a blood-letting for me, and I know every inch of the trail!

My advice to the potential visitor still stands. If he can ride La Milagrosa on his rented demo and still return it without the Supergo people asking what the hell he did to it, I will eat my helmet.

John W.

 

[Paul B]

My advice to the potential visitor still stands. If he can ride La Milagrosa on his rented demo and still return it without the Supergo people asking what the hell he did to it, I will eat my helmet.

Better pick a tasty helmet.

p.

 

[YuriB]

Better pick a tasty helmet.

p.

And a venue where we can watch the show ;-)

 

[Evil Patrick]

If Telegraph Pass is a "test"

I've got video of my wife cleaning that.

We're gonna clean Milagrosa as well. And the video will be rolling!

BIO!

 

[papajohn]

I've got video of my wife cleaning that.

We're gonna clean Milagrosa as well. And the video will be rolling!

BIO!

Pat, you have obviously ridden La Milagrosa and alot more many times, plus it sounds like your wife is a stud as well.

I would never suggest that Telegraph Pass was a test for the likes of burly riders like yourself.

I was simply addressing "No One in Particular" who was considering riding La Milagrosa for the first time ever, on a rented cross country bike, and suggesting he rethink his plan.

Incidently, if "No One in Particular" cleans La Milagrosa on his VT2, I expect Yuri to bring salt & pepper, and Paul B. to bring mustard & ketchup, so I can gag down every bite of my Giro.

 

[Evil Patrick]

Not that it will happen...

...but just imagine how good of a footer to a video a "helmet eating session" would be!

ROFL!

 

[jdub347]

10/16 thru 10/23

WOO HOO!

Wife and I will be riding all that good chit! She's a "machine". We're doing:

Butterfly to Crystal Springs and up the fire-control road. (That thing hurts!)
Fantasy Island (for an easy day)
Soldier, Molino, Milagrosa.
Chiva Falls upper loop
Meadow / Aspen Draw
The Chutes!
Starr Pass (for an easy day)

I'm jacked! Done this every year for the last 9 years. I'm still jacked!

Evil Patrick

Butterfly/Crystal Springs pretty much sucks (at least in my opinion). I did it about 2 months ago and it was pretty overgrown and washed out with quite a few fallen trees across it. Of course this was on a rigid SS, so it will be more managable on a geard FS bike.

 

[papajohn]

...but just imagine how good of a footer to a video a "helmet eating session" would be!

ROFL!

It's all up to No One In Particular! If he can come through for you on La Milagrosa, I will let you film the "helmet consumption" and give you rights to it for your video.

John W.

 

[Paul B]

My advice

I recommend a nice, robust red -- I'm thinking an Aussie merlot or Argentine malbec -- for Giro and Louis Garneau, and a sweeter American white (Berenger zin?) for Bell and Briko.

Just because he's about to eat a helmet doesn't mean he can't be civilized about it.

p.