Tucson MTB Riding

[HenryA]

Had a nice time in Tucson a few weeks ago. The attached photo is from Honey Bee Canyon, north of town. It was about 85 degrees that day and could not have been a more welcome change from our dreary winter at home.

We rented a couple of completely satisfactory Trek hardtails from Broadway Bicycles. I recommend the shop highly. Had several excellent meals as well. Tucson is a great winter break.

Here is a little info on the ride:
https://www.mtbproject.com/trail/5400693/honeybee-canyon-loop

[Fatty]

Love Tucson. Great place to visit. Did you get a chance to ride Fantasy Island?

[Jaybee]

I first found cycling 15 years ago living in Tucson. Never knew until I left how good I had it.

Also a good word for the MTBProject app, which has helped me find a good ride in several locations as I travel around for work.

[lzuk]

Had a close call with this fellow at Honey Bee. Love the area!

[Bob Ross]

Only been mountain biking in Tucson once; my wife cut a hairpin corner too tight and fell into a cactus, and we spent the next three days pulling thorns out of her legs! So now we just road bike there.

But +1 for Broadway Bicycles. Between them and CycleTucson there's no shortage of excellent rental bikes available. (And Sabino Cycles is a pretty nice shop too, though they don't rent.)

[HenryA]

We did make it to Fantasy Island for a brief warm-up our first day there. I was going back for more the next day but SWMBO experienced a work schedule change that over complicated riding for me that day. I rode all over Fantasy Island last year. Its pretty amazing to have such a nice riding area right in town.

And yes, there are sharp things in the desert. I seem to have to relearn that every trip. This year it was one of those thorn tree looking things, Crucifixion Thorn I think. Ran right into a dried up crusty one. Damn, boy that hurt!!

Last year it was a Cholla - still have a mark from that one.

[CSBArizona]

Tucson riding is fantastic, both road and mountain. For beautiful, relatively low key riding, check out Sweetwater Preserve on the west side. (I live across the road and ride my cyclocross bike on the least technical trails at lunch.) If you're ever in town with a cross bike, maybe I can show your around--

Also nearby is the excellent Starr Pass trail system-

Chris

[CNY rider]

Timely thread for me, we were there on vacation 3 weeks ago.
I did some riding at Tanque Verde Ranch while the ladies were all riding horses.
I thought it was spectacular.
So different from eastern style mountain biking.
I had a VERY close encounter with a barrel cactus while cutting around a corner. Luckily the foot I unclipped planted and held because I was within inches of straddling that sucker. Would have been very ugly. I was picturing a scene in an ER saying "one in a million shot, Doc."