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11-05-09 - Annual "Earn the Right to Pig-Out" Thanksgiving Ride!
November 26, Thursday (Thanksgiving). 3-B, 12-15 miles. We'll hit the west side of Tucson Mountain park and ride a couple of hours to make room for all that turkey. Meet at 7:30 a.m. at Bianchi's parking lot, NE corner of Speedway and Silverbell, or 7:50 at the parking area G9 on Gates Pass Road. Email Jon if you plan on attending.

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10-26-09 - Holiday Party/Gift Exchange Announced!
Our 2nd annual Holiday Party, Rde, iPicnic, and Gift Exchange is revving up to go! Check out the details on our Events page.

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RACE ACROSS THE SKY - TUCSON SHOWING - OCTOBER 22nd! On October 22nd, experience a One Night Event in movie theatres nationwide featuring the debut of “Race Across the Sky” – a documentary covering the 2009 Leadville Trail 100 bike race, one of the most intense endurance races of all time – and hear candid conversations with Lance Armstrong, Chris Carmichael, Dave Wiens, and other elite and amateur cyclists who overcame extreme challenges to participate in this grueling race. In addition to the panel discussion from elite cyclists, listen to extraordinary stories from amateur cyclists who will move and inspire you. Stories include a Leadville woman who was critically injured training for the 2008 Leadville Trail 100 and came back to compete this year; a 45+ year old man who has competed in the Leadville Trail 100 for 15+ years, and a woman struggling with MS. Shot and shown in high definition, witness breathtaking aerial views as the camera crew follows the competitors biking over 100 miles of dangerous mountain terrain through extreme climate changes ranging from heat to hail and rain to snow, two miles above sea level. You can view the trailer andbuy tickets for the Tucson showtimes here.  C’mon out, get a bag of popcorn, and watch this amazing movie on one of the world’s most grueling mountain races!

10-13-09 October 31st's Last Saturday Ride - Tucson Mountain Park West!
Burn off some calories before you plunder all your kids Halloween candy! Overall this ride will be at the intermediate level (2-B); but there will be a couple options for riders somewhat above or below that level. Distance should be about 6-8 miles. Meet Chuck at parking area K-16 which is the where Gates Pass Rd. dead ends in to Kinney Rd. near Old Tucson.  If we have filled up that area, backtrack up Gates Pass Rd to another parking area and ride down to K-16.  Meet at 8 a.m. Please let Chuck know if you plan on making it. Hope to see you there!

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10-13-09 October 31st's Last Saturday Ride - Tucson Mountain Park West!
Burn off some calories before you plunder all your kids Halloween candy! Overall this ride will be at the intermediate level (2-B); but there will be a couple options for riders somewhat above or below that level. Distance should be about 6-8 miles. Meet Chuck at parking area K-16 which is the where Gates Pass Rd. dead ends in to Kinney Rd. near Old Tucson.  If we have filled up that area, backtrack up Gates Pass Rd to another parking area and ride down to K-16.  Meet at 8 a.m. Please let Chuck know if you plan on making it. Hope to see you there!

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10-5-09 September Last Saturday - Recap
What a great turnout! We had 15 folks show up for the fantastic weather and great singletrack out at the Golder Ranch/50-Year Trails. A few started from Catalina State Park and met us at the Golder Trailhead, where we got rolling before the heat hit. A couple new riders to Tucson (welcome!) and a couple who hadn't ridden the 50-year at all. Martha, our fearless leader, led us from the trailhead over through the Chutes and then up Middlegate and back around.

Below are a few photos from the event and the rest can be seen here. If you have any photos of the event to share, e-mail them to the webmaster.

Keep an eye out for October 31st's Last Saturday Ride - TBA!

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9-9-09 September's Last Saturday Ride - September 26th - Golder Ranch/50-Year
September's Last Saturday Ride will be taking place at the Golder Ranch/50-Year Trail. Those present will dictate what trails we ride. We will break into two group to accomodate varying riding levels if needed, with Jobie heading up to the more technical Upper-50 area, and Martha leading the lower "Chutes" group. Time is FIP (Feet in Pedals) and ready to go at 7:00am sharp. We will meet at the Golder Ranch Trailhead.

August's Last Saturday Ride - Recap
asdfasdf We had a good turnout for August's Last Saturday NIGHT ride at Fantasy Island. Eight riders, a few of which were new to night riding. The weather was perfect and the pace easy. We saw quite a few jackrabbits, lots of field mice, and were shadowed by a very vocal pack of coyotes for a short time. Sorry, no pics... it was at night!

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8-13-09 New Photos added to our online album
We uncovered quite a few old SDMB photos from 2000-2006 (including the originals from which we created this fun animation from) and uploaded them to our Webshots album. Hop on over there and check out some of the memories!

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8-13-09 August's Last Saturday Ride - August 29th - NIGHT RIDE at Fantasy Island!
Have you experienced the thrill of mountain biking at night? The trails that you've become accustomed to take on a completely different life in the beam of a headlight. August's Last Saturday ride will be taking place at Fantasy Island and starting 7:00pm, August 29th, "Feet-in-Pedals" at the North entrance (Irvington and Harrison). This will be a beginner friendly, no-one-left-behind ride, and distance will depend on who shows up and what we want to do. Come prepared with water, and a light of at least 15watts and a 2-hour burntime. The club has ONE light we can lend out for the ride, so please contact Graeme to reserve the light.

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7-31-09 July Last Saturday Ride Recap - Aspen Draw on Mt. Lemmon
Once again, we had a great turnout of folks that wanted to beat the summer heat and ride some cool forest singletrack on Mt. Lemmon. Thirteen guys and one brave gal showed up, and despite some exciting lighting/thunderstorms and rain showers, we managed to get three full runs on Aspen Draw trail. A few spills and thrills, but thankfully no permanent injuries.

Below are a few photos from the event and the rest can be seen here. If you have any photos of the event to share, e-mail them to the webmaster.

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7-25-2009 - July Last Saturday Ride - Aspen Draw Loop!
We're going to beat the heat by heading up the mountain again for July! We will meet at Le Buzz Coffee Shop (Tanque Verde & Catalina Hwy) at 7:00am to arrange shuttles up the mountain (Mount Lemmon pass will be required on vehicles heading up the mountain). We will leave one vehicle in Summerhaven, and shuttle riders to the top, where we will do the Aspen Loop Trail, returning and shuttling for at least 2-3 runs.  While this is a moderately strenuous (some climbing) and technical (some tight switchbacks and a few log obstacles), it's all rollable and much cooler than the valley floor!  NOTE: because it is monsoon season, we are starting early - in the event of inclement weather, the ride may be shortened or cancelled. Contact Hank if you plan on attending.

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6-23-2009 - New Trails Added to the Trails Section
Take a look at our three newest trail descriptions... Green Mountain, Bug Springs, and Prison Camp/Molino trails. All fantastic rides up on Mt Lemmon!

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6-22-2009 - Redwood Creek's "Greater Outdoors" Project Update
As you know, SDMB had been driving support and votes to help the Arizona Trail win Redwood Creek's Greater Outdoors Project's $50,000 Grant to help complete the trail. Although we led the contest by a wide margin for most of the contest, the New Orlean's voters caught up fast and passed us in the last week. We want to extend our sincerest congratulations to them. The results can be seen here. Thanks to everyone for your votes!

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6-16-2009 - June Last Saturday Ride 6/27 - Tucson Mountain Park!
For June, we're going to meander around in Tucson Mountain Park, a popular destination for local riders. TMP has a little bit of everything... rocky descends, smooth singletrack, technical areas, climbs, and some great views. It's starting to heat up so we'll have an early start with FIP (feet in pedals) at 7 a.m. at the main parking lot and expect 3-hours or so of ride time. Map and Ride description here. Remember, all SDMB social rides are beginner friendly and no one is left behind. If there will be speed demons among us, we can always break up into groups based on skill level. Contact Graeme if you're planning on riding with us.

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6-8-2009 - May Last Saturday Ride - Aspen Draw on Mt. Lemmon
Howdy folks, well we had another great Last Saturday Ride at Aspen Draw on Mt. Lemmon with 11 or 12 riders. We left Le Buzz Coffee Shop around 8:15, dropped cars at Molino and met at Summerhaven at 9:15 to drop more cars for shuttling. Meadow has a nice rolling start, to the log roll, then through the only flat spot in the Catalina's - a nice grassy a meadow at the top, then the trail gets tricky, lots of rocks, roots, tight switchbacks, fallen trees, it's a fun short drop to the fire-road with incredible views. A quick climb back by the cars and the ski lift to Aspen Trail. It is truly all down hill from here. Aspen is fully rideable with some steps, water bars, tight switchbacks and roots. Not too bad, steep at times. The trail is in good shape. We encountered a few hikers on a busy Saturday but we stopped or slowed and everyone was friendly. No one seemed to mind sharing the cool temps one bit.

After aspen, we rolled down Turkey Run Rd. to the cars for a second shuttle. Round two was mostly the same with a couple detours to see the sights. The Lemmon Rock Fire Lookout Tower is the oldest active Fire lookout in AZ. We left the bikes at the Wilderness boundary and walked a couple hundred yards for the incredible views of Wilderness of Rocks. As we approached the small
(200 sqft) cabin at the top, we were graciously welcomed in for the 2-minute tour and fire science lesson with Glynn Thompson. He's about the nicest guy you'd ever meet, well worth the trip.
Here's a story in the Weekly about the lookout and Glynn.

Three of us left after the second run, while the rest shuttled down to Prison Camp for the grand finale to Molino. Everything worked out great, the weather was a perfect 75-80 ish degrees
with some clouds and the threat of rain which never materialized. Only one casualty, an OTB on Meadow resulting in a split lip.

Below are a few photos from the event and the rest can be seen here. If you have any photos of the event to share, e-mail them to the webmaster.

5-18-2009 - Lee's Bicycling Summit Trip on MBAA Web!
As you know, our very own Lee Blackwell made the trip to Washington, DC for the Bicycling Summitt. The Mountain Biking Association of Arizona posted his thoughts in this great article. Take a few moments to give it a read. If you're not already a member of MBAA, we encourage you to join!

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5-12-2009 - May Last Saturday Ride - Aspen Loop Trail on Mt Lemmon!
Don't forget about May's Last Saturday Ride, due to take place up in the cool upper elevations of Mt Lemmon! Aspen Loop is a short but super-fun, worthwhile ride. Take a look at the ride here. Block out 4-hours or so on the morning of Saturday, May 30th for this great ride. We'll be meeting in the parking lot in front of Le Buzz Coffee Shop on the NE corner of Tanque Verde and Catalina Hwy. at 7:30-7:45 am to head up the mountain by 8:00 am. We can figure out cars and ride vs shuttle arrangements then, depending on who all shows up. Should be loads of fun! Contact Zach if you're going to attend.

Tucson and some SDMB members are mentioned in the June 2009 Bike Magazine!
Head to your local newsstand and pick up the latest copy of BIKE magazine. Inside you will find a great article on Southern Arizona Mountain Biking and our very own Mark Flint, Jobie Gross, Scott Morris, and others are mentioned. If you catch them on the trail, maybe they'll autograph your issue, eh?

SDMB Cinco de Mayo Dos Ride/Party = Food, Fun, and Freakin' Awesome Trails!
We had nearly 40 folks show up, bringing bikes, kids, and dogs to enjoy the 2nd annual Cinco de Mayo ride! Brian Vance generously hosted yet again, and the potluck-style grub was perfect. A huge amount of tasty dishes were consumed by everyone after their sweet ride at Sweetwater, only a couple miles from Brian's front door. Folks also enjoyed the Ninja Trail, a short loop Brian built around the perimeter of his property, complete with jumps, log-rolls, tabletops, and teeter-toters! It was especially entertaining to watch/hear riders' reactions to a special hidden treasure Brian stashed along the trail: A 6' long rubber rattlesnake!

A special thanks to Todd at Epic Rides for donating water bottles, which we used to water the plants at the Sweetwater trailhead.

Below are a few photos from the event and the rest can be seen here. If you have any photos of the event to share, e-mail them to the webmaster. Thanks, and see you again next year!

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4-23-2009 - New Belgium Urban Assault was a Huge Success!

A good number of SDMB-folk both volunteered and participated in the kick-off Urban Assault thrown by New Belgium Brewery. Despite the negative spin the local media put on it, the event was NOT about drunken bicycling. We are very proud to have been a sponsor for this, and we invite New Belgium back anytime! Click on the photos below or here to see the rest.

You can also download New Belgium's UAR Report. (300k PDF)

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4-6-2009 - Fantasy Island Celebrates 10-Years Today!

Possibly Tucson's most well-known trail - Fantasy Island - celebrates 10-years today! It's been the center of quite a bit of controversy and it's still around, thanks to the hard work of many dedicated folks. The battle to develop the land is on hiatus due to our down economy, but the war is far from over. Why don't you take a few hours and take a spin to celebrate?

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4-1-2009 - Help the Arizona Trail Win a $50,000 Grant!

Please help spread the word so the ATA can win a $50,000 grant that will help build the Arizona Trail! Tonight (Wednesday, April 1st) at midnight EST voting will start on a competition among five finalists to win a $50k grant.

Find out how to vote here...

3-28-2009 - March Last Saturday Ride - Bug Springs

Brian Vance led a group of 20-or so riders of all skill levels up Mt Lemmon to partake of the Bug Springs goodness. Despite the painful hike-a-bike, the swooping, fast downhill afterwards had smiles plastered on all faces. As Brian wrote himself:

Great ride today! There was about 20 of us. Lot's of bug springs newbies, all seemed glad to have done the hike-a-bike for the pine trees and views payoff. Several folks played on the rocks up top, everyone rode most of the trail down, very fun group today! Glad to have met several new people, and to ride again with the not-new people. Hope to see you out on the trails again soon!

Report (what I know about):

• One witnessed car wreck on the way to Le Buzz.
• One torn tire, shot blok pack booted.
• One cracked frame (probably done before this ride).
• One endo, no pain.One crash, bloody arm and a pretty deep hole on the knee (sorry, no pics).
• One nude trail runner.
• One beer each for after the ride (well, almost. some sharing happened)
• One pitcher of Dos Equis Amber at El Molunito before we floated the keg
• One too many bowls of salsa
• A couple tired dogs and lots of happy riders at the end.

Take a look at these sample photos from the ride, and don't forget to look at the rest on SDMB's online photo album.

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3-7-2009 - Bicycling Summit in Washington, DC

Our own Lee Blackwell was recently sent to Washington, D.C. to attend the League of American Bicyclists and IMBA Bike Summit. It was a very educational and eye-opening event. We encourage you to read Lee's own account of his journey there. Special thanks to SDMB, Epic Rides and MBAA for paying Lee's way.