Tucson, Arizona Bike Tour
- Ansel Adventures
- 21 hours ago
- 2 min read
We loaded up the car with our bikes and touring gear and headed off to Tucson, Arizona. A local bike shop was putting on a bikepacking tour. Camp Fire Cyclery, located close to downtown Tucson, invited 36 bicycle touring cyclists to join them for a 64-mile, round trip weekend to Colossal Caves State Park. Everyone’s bicycle were a little different. They were all configured differently; touring, gravel, mountain, hybrids, full suspension, rigid, aluminum, and steel bikes. Each person carried a different setup for their gear, from minimalist to bringing everything including the kitchen sink. One thing we have learned over the years, everyone does it a little differently, but their systems works for them.
Our route took us on several of the bike trails in Tucson as we headed out of town. We rode next to a military airplane grave yard which was located close to Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. On 2,600 acres, there were over 4,000 retired U.S. military aircraft. We learned the planes are stored here because the dessert climate prevents corrosion. The planes are utilized for parts and future usage.
After several miles, the route turned to gravel roads. We were glad that we had switched our normal touring tires to 700 x 42 knobbies. The road was quite sandy and rocky in some places and the extra traction came in handy. The Arizona Trail, a mountain bike trail that runs south to north through the entire state of Arizona, paralleled part of the route.
Back on paved tarmac, there was a three-mile climb entering the park. We plotted along enjoying the views of the saguaro cactus and the sunbathed hillsides that were starting to turn red in the late afternoon sunlight. Once inside the park, we were back on gravel for the final mile to our group campsite. We pitched our two-man tent and setup camp. Firing up the backpacking stove, we enjoyed a hearty meal of rice and chili, along with some chicken tenders. The warm meal filled our bellies as the temperature started to drop. Donning our down jackets as we sat around the campfire. The group told stories of their travels, adventures, and future plans. It was fun to be hanging out with like-minded people. By the sound of things, everyone was going to have a busy and fun summer. Looking up, a million stars sparkled against the pitch-black sky. It was so quiet and still. It reminded me that this is one of the reasons why we like to bicycle tour. There is nothing like riding our bikes into the backcountry to commune with nature. Like the song says, “I get a peaceful easy feeling”.
After a good night’s sleep, we woke to temperatures in the mid-30s. It warmed up a bit after the sun’s rays cleared the surrounding hills. We heard the sound of quail off in the distance as we packed our tent.
As we started riding back to Tucson, we would follow the same route, but we still kept our eyes on our Garmin computers and the GPX file. The route looked a little different riding it in reverse.
Back at Camp Fire Cyclery, we said our good-byes to our new friends. We hope our paths cross with them again. Until next time…
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