El Tour de Tucson is one of the largest organized rides in America. With nearly 9000 riders on course it’s become a staple event for Tucson in the fall. Here are 3 reasons why you should consider riding in this event on November 17th, 2012.
#1 – November is one of the best times to ride in the desert.
Tucson is part of the Sonoran desert which is a hugely diverse, rugged and beautiful landscape. El tour crosses multiple washes (usually dry river beds) which have deciduous trees growing in and around them which creates an amazing contrast of the desert and big trees with changing leaves. The temperatures during this time are perfect with cooler evenings and warm sunny days. Lastly, the influx of winter vacationers and seasonal residents hasn’t hit full swing November which means less traffic and more of a laid back vibe in town.
#2 – For the competitive and non-competitve
El Tour de Tucson is not an official race and most all of the participants are riding completely for the fun of it, not caring when they finish, as long as they do finish and enjoy the ride. That said, there are plenty of fast riders to battle with and there are time goals built into the event that incentivize riders to keep up a fast pace for a better starting position for the next year. Many of the riders in the top 10 are professionals or elite amateur cyclists which means if you have it in you to go hard, you can be riding with some of the best riders in the country. Also, the massive crowd at the finish line gives all the more reason to dig a little deeper and sprint for the finish.
#3 – Cycling House Camp for El Tour de Tucson
We decided to build our first training camp of the season around El Tour de Tucson. Our camp will take place on the days leading up to El Tour de Tucson and will highlight many the rides that El Tour participants won’t be able to see on the official loop. We’ll be eating great food, riding and hanging out. Leading up to El Tour we’ll ride Mount Lemmon, Gates Pass and Madera Canyon among others. We’ll be sure to get a nice rest day in before the official ride on the 17th of November.
Contact us to learn more about our El Tour de Tucson Cycling Camp. We still have a few spots at camp.