[patirwin]

Actually Pat and Kathy are going down for the Tour de Tucson Expo in November to try and sell enough jerseys to pay for the short vacation. It's a road ride but I know we have plenty of roadies on this site, too.

Neither of us have been to Tucson. Have any of you done this ride? Have any thoughts on things to do in/around Tucson? Anyone doing the ride this year?

Any thoughts/ideas are greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Pat

 

[Valhalla]

Never done the road ride but there is lots of great mtb trails in and around Tucson).

The Sonoran Desert Museum is a must see and if you are into westerns, check out the Old Tucson Studios. Don't forget to try the prickly pear margaritas!

 

[Big Karma]

I did the 50-mile version of El Tour about 20 years ago. At the time, it was a large and extremely well-organized and supported event. I've heard it has only grown since then, so you should have plenty of potential customers.

The local media covered the event -- especially the 100-mile race -- and locals would tailgate beside the road to cheer for everyone that passed by. County sheriff's deputies controlled all the intersections, and it was SWEET to have a free pass through every stop sign and traffic light.

The Sonoran Desert Museum is definitely worth a visit. If you get caught up in all the roadie action and decide to ride some pavement, Mount Lemmon offers a great climb and a fun, fast descent. Have a safe trip!

 

[Weakened Warrior]

Pat, I lived there for four years before returning to AK. You should have great luck b/c I was talked to by so many people on that ride who had come from AK or visited or the grand kids...
The ride is fun. Blowing red lights with fifty other bikes is too cool.
Get access to a mountain bike. The trails there are tough and fun.
TUCSON TRAILS | Sonoran Desert Mountain Bicyclists is a great resource. All the trails are rated by hill climb difficulty ad technical difficulty.
Ride hard, bring water,
Adam

 

[Ak_Dan]

Love Tucson. I might even be down there by then myself and may have to look into this- I have not done the ride you are going for but have spent time in the city and there is significant bike infrastructure there although a lot of it is aging a bit. Most bike shops will have a bike map for a dollar or two. Tucson has managed to get most of its traffic on the larger, faster streets so at a glance it does appear very busy. However just one block off where most of the bike routes run its a completely different world and a very cool city to do by bike.
Plenty of MTB in the area also; Starr Mt trails, 50 year trail and the Sweetwater Preserve is a personal favorite. single tracks.com has a pretty good directory.
Downtown (4th ave) near the university dist is very cool with small eateries and art galleries. Lots of history here. If you are camping the Catalina Park north of town in Oro Valley is a favorite. Hotels along the Miracle Mile should be avoided, unless your really up for an adventure.

Terra Incognita: The Bicycle Church

 

[patirwin]

Wow Thanks!

Thanks for all the responses. At this point we don't plan to do the ride, only sell our AZ, NM, AK and our new collection of wordless jerseys. We hope to cover the costs of staying a few extra days on either side of the ride to play in the warm dry deset while the snow piles up back home.

They claim to get 9000 riders so hopefully we can outfit a few...

Let us know if you'll be in Tucson the week before Thanksgiving and we'll give thanks to the sun and longer daylight.

Pat

 

[Ak_Dan]

After watching the video that is something I am interested in being a part of. Plan is in motion and if it looks like I can make it there I will surely be in touch-

 

[seedub]

Might be fun

Drunkcyclist.com - Two Wheels. One Dark Lord.

Don't know if you've heard of these guys before. A couple of them are Tucson folks and seem to love bikes and riding without the pressure pressure or competition...