SDMB's LATEST NEWS:
Redwood Creek Greater Outdoors Project - Vote for the Arizona Trail!
As you know, last year we heavily supported the Arizona Trail for last year's
Redwood Creek's "Greater Outdoors" Project to win a $50,000 grant. We lost by a slim margin last year, but we're in luck as Redwood Creek is doing it again THIS year! So PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CLICK HERE, register (it's free) and vote DAILY for the Arizona Trail!
8-23-2010 Update
Rillito River Park Cleanup - September 19th
SDMB adopted a section of the Rillito River Trail and it's time again to head out and clean it up! Please bring a pair of gloves and meet at 7am near the covered basketball courts at Alvernon/River and Dodge. We are going to clear some brush back from the river on the South side and remove whatever trash we see. Please contact Dave Barger if you plan on attending, or if you have any questions. Thanks, and hope to see you there!
8-15-2010
August Last Saturday Ride - August 28th - Aspen Draw Shuttle
As summer wanes, who could resist a return to the classic pines of Mt. Lemmon? We're going to make a return trip to Aspen Draw, Saturday, August 28 - If there's a few people who are willing to drive, let's see how many shuttles we can muster. At least 2, maybe 3? More? If everyone has done the Meadow trail before, maybe we can forego for added runs on Aspen. If there are some wanting more of a challenge, they can break off to do Sunset... Let's all meet at LeBuzz (Tanque Verde & Catalina Highway) at 7:30am. Bring a Catalina Highway/National Parks pass if you have one. We can catch a bite to eat at one of the shops, or wait until we're done and hit Nimbus or Zona 78 on the return. Questions, e-mail Hank
Visit our friends at Way Out West
The Oasis at Way Out West is local bike-friendly Bed & Breakfast located near Catalina State Park, about 20-miles north of Tucson. Their property sits on a 3 acre private nature preserve. Enjoy sunset on the mountains, the hawks in aerial displays, a roadrunner's stare, all from a hot tub or rocking on the porch. Hike and bike right from their foothills doorstep into the Santa Catalina Mountain Range. They have full suspension Cannondale bikes for rent for the use of guests and the general public. Top-notch services, friendly folks, and incredibly reasonable rates. If you're in town and would like to experience Tucson from a mountain bike, don't hesitate to call CJ Vincent at 520.907.8735.
7-12-2010
July Last Saturday Ride - July 31st - Fantasy Island NIGHT RIDE!
Everyone is welcome for this beginner-friendly ride through Fantasy Island for a gorgeous night-ride! Bring a light that is sufficient for riding, with at least a 2-hour burn time. We will be riding a relaxed pace and ride whatever trails the group decides to do. Should be finished up by 10:00pm or so. Meet at the North Entrace at Harrison Road and Irvington Road (Google Map) at 7:00pm.
7-6-2010 Update
RIDE THE DIVIDE - Special Screening at the Loft - July 7th
The Loft Cinema is showing the Ride the Divide movie, @ 7:30 tomorrow, July 7th only. Everyone who purchases a ticket gets a raffle ticket at the door and has a chance to win some awesome prizes. Proceeds from the movie and raffle will be donated to Team Colleen. Team Colleen is a cycling group that promotes cancer survivorship. I hope to see everyone there!
SDMB June Last Saturday Ride - Aspen Draw
We had eight riders show up to enjoy the cool 72-degree weather on the top of Mt. Lemmon for the June Last Saturday Ride. Instead of shuttling like we normally do, we deciced to ride up the steep road from Summerhaven to the lookout. Due to an article in the newspaper about the historic fire lookout station, there were quite a few hikers on the top of the mountain. Interestingly enough, we didn't meet a single person on Aspen Draw trail... and the trail was in pristine shape! After the fun descent, we all enjoyed huge cookies at the Cookie House in Summerhaven. Overall, a great ride! More photos available here.
July's Last Saturday Ride will be a night ride at Fantasy Island!
5-18-2010 Update
May Last Saturday Ride - 50-Year Meander - May 29th
Rated a 2-3, B-C Meet at the cattle guard at the end of Golder Ranch Rd at 6:45 a.m., feet in pedals at 7 a.m. The group will ride together to the chutes via a varied route. After the chutes we will probably split in to 2 groups and the rest of the plan will develop from there. Optional brunch at the Sunny Side Cafe in Catalina after the ride. Contact Chuck Cook with any questions.
4-28-2010 Update
PLEASE READ and TAKE ACTION: This is a call to action to respond to a Wilderness proposal affecting our own Catalina Mountains and beyond. We have until this Friday, April 30th, to send an email to Erin Boyle, Assistant Forest Planner at to express our interest in keeping mountain bike access open for several trails around Tucson in the Coronado National Forest. So far they have received over 40 emails, but we need to get that number in the hundreds! Be sure to include your name and mailing address so you will be included in future open comment sessions. For more information, visit the forum topic at www.Tucsonmtb.com for details and sample letters.
4-21-2010 Update
New Belgium Urban Assault Recap
Thanks everyone who volunteered to help out SDMB by volunteering at the UAR this year. It was a huge success! Jackie pulled me aside when it was all said and done to say how great our volunteers are. First class all the way, I couldn't agree more!
The UAR has become one of our biggest fundraisers throughout the year. SDMB will receive a $2000 donation from Adventure Fit in exchange for our donation of time and expertise - a very nice gesture. Those funds along with membership dues and volunteer time go to support the only all volunteer Mountain Bike Trail Advocacy group in Tucson - your very own SDMB. Through SDMB, we work tirelessly to ensure our trails stay open to mountain bikes throughout Southern AZ. We also help a number of other great charities, such as the Arizona Trail Association, Trips for Kids, other clubs like El Grouppo, and many other projects. This year we sent a representative to DC for The National Bike Summit to rally for bike access on federal lands and will send a representative to Atlanta for the IMBA Mountain Bike Summit to mingle with IMBA and other mountain bike clubs throughout the country to learn from eachother.
We're always working to make SDMB better and to improve and maintain Mountain Bike Trail access throughout Southern Arizona. If you have any questions or want to get more involved, please contact Zach.
You can view the UAR results and photos here.
SDMB Tours Rosemont on Mountain Bikes On Saturday April 17th
Rosemont Copper hosted 18 riders from SDMB for a tour of the proposed mine site in the Santa Rita mountains. It was their standard property tour, but with a twist: instead of taking the tour van to the viewpoints, we rode our mountain bikes. After an hour long presentation by the Mine Manager, Fermin Samorano, we rode our bikes on a 12-mile out-and-back course mostly along the Arizona Trail. Fermin met us at the turnaround point with a cooler of cold water, where he pointed out the extents of the proposed mining activity on the landscape.
4-9-2010 Update
Ride of Silence - Wednesday, May 19th
Put it on your calendars: Wednesday May 19 is the date cyclists around the world will participate in the Ride of Silence to honor bicyclists injured or killed on the road.
In Tucson, the 9-mile ride starts at Reid Park at west side Ramada #22, at the Park´s northernmost parking lot on Country Club Road. Riders need to show up by 5:45 p.m. for light refreshments and send- off for the 6 p.m. start. From the parking area, riders will head south on Country Club Rd., west on 22nd Street, north on Tucson Boulevard, east on E. Elm St. which becomes Pima St., south on Columbus Blvd., west on 22nd Street, north on Country Club Rd., and turn into parking lot.
There's also a 7-mile Green Valley Ride of Silence, meeting in the parking lot at the Green Valley Recreation East Center at 5:30 p.m.for light refreshments before heading out at 6.
For more information, visit their website.
4-6-2010 Update
April Last Saturday Ride - April 24 - AZ Trail at Swecoville
Long option (25 miles) meet at 0730 (FIP) in the Davidson Trailhead parking lot a quarter mile, give or take, south of Three Bridges on Marsh Station Road.
Short option (13 miles, or you can turn around sooner for even less,with no shaming) meet at 0830 at Sahuarita Road and SR 83 (Sonoita Highway, I-10 Exit 281, then three miles south to Sahuarita Road junction). Expect the early bunch to roll up around 0840.Check out our Calendar for more details, and contact Mark with any questions.
May 29 - 12 Horas Salvando Vidas - San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico!
A 12 Hour Endurance Mountain Bike Night Race in Rancho "El Baviso", San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico Date: May 29th, 2010 Lap: 10 Kms LeMans Start at 5:00pm Categories: Solo, Teams of 2, 4, and 6 members. Both Male and Female. Each category must have at least 5 teams signed up. More information about the track or where to stay before or during the race can be requested from Jesus Frias at: Supercycles 2563 E. Ft. Lowell Rd. Tucson, Az 85716 (520)327-1441 (520)631-7998 supercycles@live.com
March Last Saturday Ride Recap
Vern took the lead on this LSR and a bunch of folks rode Bug Springs, Molino Basin, and Milagarosa!For those of you who missed it, you can check out the photos here.
24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Pics!
SDMB'ers joined the throngs of folks enjoying the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo with a good number of teams, including our own Catalina Brewing Company. The weather was amazing this year, and the event had an incredible turnout. A special thank you to everyone who volunteered and stayed to help clean up 24-Town. If you've never been a part of this fantastic event, make sure to mark it on your calendar for 2011! Check out the photos here.
SDMB January Rillito River Clean Up
SDMB adopted a section of the Rillito River Pathway this year. Headed by Dave Barger, a good group of SDMB volunteers went out and picked up garbage along the path. A VERY special thanks to all who took the time to help keep our little section of Tucson clean!
3-9-2010 Update
Bug Springs Trail Day a Huge Success!
Thanks to all the SDMB, SAMBA and TucsonMTB.com folks who showed up in force to help the Forest Service clean up and repair most of Bug Springs trail in the Catalina Mountains. While we didn't manage to get ALL of the trail, we helped repair quite a bit of damage caused by Mother Nature and the thousands of folks who use it. The Forest Service is very excited (as are we) about this new partnership and relationship building opportunity. We're going to "adopt" Bug Springs and Green Mountain and have work party days, so keep an ear out for future opportunities.
For those of you who missed it, you can check out the photos here.
3-4-2010 Update
Belgium Brewery Urban Assult is BACK!
Pick a partner and grab your two-wheeled steed for this pedal-powered urban adventure on April 18. A sense of humor is required, as you and your teammate cycle to checkpoints around town; at each checkpoint you’ll complete a funky obstacle course or task. Obstacles change from year-to-year and city-to-city, so just what to expect, but you can be sure there will be a few water obstacles to keep you cool as you make your way through town. This pedal-powered urban adventure delivers a cycling/obstacle mix sure to challenge and amuse cyclists of all ages and abilities.
The Urban Assult benefits SDMB, so we need your help! We'd love for you to volunteer and help make this event even better than last year! E-mail Zach to volunteer.
Check out the website for more details!
2-20-2010 Update
Bug Springs Trail Maintenance Day
MEETING Saturday, March 6 from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM at the LOWER end of Bugs @ milepost 7 on Catalina Highway. Please bring enough water, food, sunscreen and gloves to last the day. Tools will be provided. THEY NEED US TO RSVP: email Greg Sasek or call 749-7716 This is one of the first official opportunities to show the FS Tucson mountain bikers are a decent, caring, passionate bunch. Thanks, and hope to see you out there.
Kona 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Articles
Take a look at this Mountain Bike Action Magazine article and this Mountain Flyer Magazine article about our very own 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo!
2-15-2010 Update
February Last Saturday Ride - Pistol Hill AZ Trail - February 27th
We'll meet at the trailhead on Pistol Hill road at 9:00 am, FIP 9:15, to ride to the top of "the" hill to the South for the turn around. Trail description and directions here. We can put together a few rides if others are interested in going further to Three Bridges or ??? We can also have a nice beginner level ride to the North toward Rincon Creek. Let's talk it up and see if we can get a big group together. The weather is perfect and that trail is one of the most fun around! Contact Zach if you're interested in joining!
Epic Ride's 2010 Kona 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo was another huge success!
Todd Sadow and crew put on another astounding 24 HOP event this year. SDMB had a fantastic turnout in "SDMB Town" with over 40-folks camping and hanging out. It was also the grand unveiling of Hank and Brian's Catalina Brewery Company, and their "50-Year Beer" and "24 HOP" were very popular.
1-27-2010 Update - Holiday Picnic & Pictures!
Sorry for the infrequent updates, but we're still here! Our Holiday Party was a great success despite the cold wind and the lack of Jobie. Can't say for certain how many folks we had but the gift exchange was a hoot, many burgers and hot dogs were consumed, and we had a couple rides head out from the picnic area. Check out the photos in our online album!
January Last Saturday Ride on the 30th! Change of location!
Don't forget about our Last Saturday Ride coming up this Saturday the 30th. Instead of the posted 24HOP course, we're switching gears (sorry you single-speeders) and going to do the new Robles trail system! The IMBA (International Mountain Biking Association) folks are in town and we're going to show them a good time. C'mon out and join us!
Details: 9:30 a.m. - Meet for carpooling near Rudolfo's in the shopping center at the NE corner of Ajo & Mission. Google Map
1-07-2010 - The Rillito River Park Cleanup, coming up on January 16th, 2010!
Our adopted section goes from Alvernon to Country Club (the Racquet Club Bridge). On the 16th we will start at Dodge and clean up the wash to the edge of Brandi Fenton Park. I expect we will find some big items like shopping carts and sofas. And lots of little pieces of trash. For the most part, the path has been clutter free. But tackling the wash will be a much bigger task. Bigger job, bigger rewards. We are starting at 9am and will meet at the dog park at Dodge and the path.
1-03-2010 - The 2009 Holiday Picnic is upon us, coming up on January 9th, 2010! Rides for all levels followed by BBQ courtesy of the club and then the first annual regifting exchange! We'll be meeting at Tucson Mountain Park West and rides start FIP at 10am Food at 1pm, followed by gift exchange.
Directions: Take Speedway west and continue on it when it turns in to Gates Pass Road.Go over Gates Pass and when it deadends in to Kinney Road, turn left toward Old Tucson. Drive 1.4 miles and turn right in to the picnic area (Google Map). There is no official sign there, but there will be a SDMB sign of some sort. We hope to have the very last picnic area (0.8 miles from Kinney Rd) and I will have another sign there.Meeting time is 10 a.m. for the rides and we will eat between noon and 1 p.m.
Rides: There will be a few ride options from the beginner to the advanced. Advanced riders will be led by Graeme up and over Brown Mountain.
Regifting Suggestions: Any non perishible gift you received for Christmas that you don’t want
qualifies. If you did not receive anything like that, then buy something fun in the $5-10 range. Wrap all presents in newspaper instead of gift wrap, and no bows. The kicker is that there will be 3-4 nice bike related gifts hiding in the loot, so it pays to play. No stealing on this gift exchange(but mutual trades are acceptable).
Don't forget to take a look at this year's earlier events in the Year in Review page.
