Cyclists/Mountain Bikers Are Turning To Tucson For Great Biking
Some of America’s best road, gravel and mountain biking is to be found in Tucson and Southern Arizona.
Canadians, young and old, are coming to Southern Arizona to enjoy wide roads, a 130 mile Tucson Loop car-free bike path and some of the best hill climb challenges in the world. Canadian cyclists
are loving Mt. Lemmon, Wipple Observatory, Mt. Graham, Madera Canyon and Kitt Peak.
“Cycling pros from all over Canada come to Tucson because of its predictable weather. Cyclists love the safety and hospitable cycling climate.
“I cannot think of a better place to go,” says
Paul Dixon, cyclist for the Ottawa Cycling Club.
The Tucson Loop Bike Path – America’s Top Bike Trail System
The Tucson Loop network of shared-use paths in metro Tucson connects the communities of Marana, Oro Valley, and South Tucson. The paved path has dozens of access points throught the metro area and people can walk or run and ride bikes, skates or horses for as much or as little of the 131-mile route as they like. No motorized vehicles are allowed. The car-free route provides access to parks, trailheads, bus and bike routes, restaurants, schools, shopping areas, and entertainment venues and is open from dawn to dusk. The Loop is the place for annual cycling events, including Loop The Loop, which in September kicks off El Tour de Tucson season, and Tour de Cookie in March.
Says, Ottawa Doctor James Lunney, “I travel to Tucson each year and there is nothing quite like The Tucson Loop bike path system. This bicycle path offers bikers of all levels great cycling opportunities.”
Cycling Resources:
TucsonLoop.org
tucsonloopbikerentals.org
Arizona Bicycle Association’s
bikeaz.org/tucsonloopbikepath
Tucson Loop Bike Rentals
https://www.tucsonbikerentals.org/tucson-loop-river-path-bicycle-rentals/
Tucson Cycling Maps
https://www.tucsonbikerentals.org/tucson-bike-maps/
Guide to Biking in Tucson
BikeTucson.com
Tucson Mountain Bike Tours
https://www.tucsonmountainbiketours.com/
Cycling Fourth Avenue/Fontana
At Epic Cafe on Fourth Avenue, there’s a great bike corral for your parking needs, but if you’d like to take a trip north from there, the Fourth Avenue/Fontana route takes riders to the Amphi neighborhood via a journey complete with public art, bike crossings and a great tour of Tucson houses. This is a fun place to take a cruiser or hybrid bike for a spin!
Cyclovia
It’s not really a “ride” per se, but Cyclovia Tucson is a love letter to a car-free existence in Tucson. It’s a community event, held twice a year in different locations. City streets are closed so bicycles can ride along a car-free route. B, booths are manned, beer gardens are grown, and pedestrians and bicyclists get a space to themselves for a day. It’s just a lot of fun.
Biking Mount Lemmon
Definitely not for everyone, the ride up Catalina Highway to Mount Lemmon is a workout for even world-class bicyclists. And don’t be surprised to see one (or a pack) of them fly by you a few miles outside of Le Buzz, the coffee shop on Tanque Verde that acts as a meetup space for the riding community. They might actually be heading out on the full 26-mile ride up to the top of Mt. Lemmon, gaining nearly 6,000 feet in elevation in the process. Again, it’s not for everyone, but it is a great gift to have this ride available and right outside of the city.
Top Cycling Resources:
https://bikeaz.org/bikemountlemmon/
Saguaro National Park East
It doesn’t get much more beautiful than this ride, as majestic saguaros surround you on the paved scenic route through this national park. It’s only eight miles, but it does feature some rollers, a steady climb and an experience you won’t soon forget.
Great Mountain Biking in Tucson
Tucson has over 40 top mountain bike trails for bikers of all abilities.
Top Moutain Biking Resources
BikeAZ.org
https://www.bikeaz.org/best-tucson-mountain-bike-trails/
Tucson Bike Rentals
https://www.tucsonbikerentals.org/mountain-bike-guide/
https://www.bikeaz.org/tucson-group-bike-rides/
HoneyBee Canyon Trail
https://www.tucsonbikerentals.org/honey-bee-mountain-bike-tours/
Best Road Biking in Tucson
Featuring top climbing road bike rides such as Mount Lemmon, Kitt Peak, Mount Graham, Madera Canyon and Whipple Observatory, Tucson is famous for serious and casual bikers.
Road Biking Resources
Arizona Bicycle Association
https://www.bikeaz.org/best-cycling-rides-tucson/
Group Rides
https://www.bikeaz.org/tucson-group-bike-rides/
https://bikeaz.org/bikemountlemmon/
Mount Lemmon Cycling Web Cams
https://www.bikeaz.org/mount-lemmon-tucson-web-cams/
Tucson Cycling Maps
https://www.tucsonbikerentals.org/tucson-bike-maps/
