Tom the Bomb
iMTB Rockstah
It looks like Tucson will be in the mix this early this month. I have never been there and will be riding with fellow squadron leaders. gimme what ya got please.
TTB
TTB
Trails, trails I need riding suggestions for Tucson!
- Thread starter Tom the Bomb
- Start date
pperrelle
iMTB Rockstah
Let me know what you find out. I'll be there between Christmas and New Years and plan on bringing a bike. I've never ridden there either.
rossage
iMTB Hooligan
I gotta find my copy of Cosmic Ray's Arizona trail guide. I used it to find some good stuff out there...
SnakeCharmer
iMTB Hooligan
Tucson is AWESOME!!!
There are a few different zones to ride.
In the North area:
My number one favorite in the Tucson area is the 50 Year Trail system. The lower part is fast XC with some small tech features thrown in. You pass by The Chutes right at the base of where the climbing starts. Tour the Chutes then get back on route to enter Upper 50 Year trail. This is where the real fun starts, IMO. Its a slow paced, often steep, narrow/twisty/turny ST through a cactus forest and up/over/around Monzo granite boulders. LOVE THAT STUFF!!! But there is much more if you do your homework that gets you higher up into the fun stuff. Connected trails in the area are Rattlesnake, Cowboy Slickrock, Gem, Tank, Cherry Spring. This is an out-n-back/lollipop.
Across the highway is the Honeybee trail system. This is mostly fast, smooth XC but the upper reaches has some serious tech. You HAUL ASS coming back down!!! It's a hoot! This is an out-n-back.
In the Southeast area:
AZT. I suggest riding the Pistol Hill to 3 Bridges and back section. Good stuff and a great sample of what the AZT is all about. This is an out-n-back.
Mt Lemmon GNAR-GNAR:
It starts way up high and the higher you are, the gnarlier it is but I suggest the Bug Spring/Prison Camp section of the AZT. This is hairy, crazy, super tech in many sections along the way. Make sure that you have big giant balls for this one. Pads strongly recommended. To get to the Bug Spring trailhead, you will need to push your bike up the steepest trail on planet Earth for about 1/4 mile. It's a shuttle ride or get dropped off and picked up at the end.
Use Trailforks to plan your routes.
There are a few different zones to ride.
In the North area:
My number one favorite in the Tucson area is the 50 Year Trail system. The lower part is fast XC with some small tech features thrown in. You pass by The Chutes right at the base of where the climbing starts. Tour the Chutes then get back on route to enter Upper 50 Year trail. This is where the real fun starts, IMO. Its a slow paced, often steep, narrow/twisty/turny ST through a cactus forest and up/over/around Monzo granite boulders. LOVE THAT STUFF!!! But there is much more if you do your homework that gets you higher up into the fun stuff. Connected trails in the area are Rattlesnake, Cowboy Slickrock, Gem, Tank, Cherry Spring. This is an out-n-back/lollipop.
Across the highway is the Honeybee trail system. This is mostly fast, smooth XC but the upper reaches has some serious tech. You HAUL ASS coming back down!!! It's a hoot! This is an out-n-back.
In the Southeast area:
AZT. I suggest riding the Pistol Hill to 3 Bridges and back section. Good stuff and a great sample of what the AZT is all about. This is an out-n-back.
Mt Lemmon GNAR-GNAR:
It starts way up high and the higher you are, the gnarlier it is but I suggest the Bug Spring/Prison Camp section of the AZT. This is hairy, crazy, super tech in many sections along the way. Make sure that you have big giant balls for this one. Pads strongly recommended. To get to the Bug Spring trailhead, you will need to push your bike up the steepest trail on planet Earth for about 1/4 mile. It's a shuttle ride or get dropped off and picked up at the end.
Use Trailforks to plan your routes.
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rossage
iMTB Hooligan
evdog
iMTB Rockstah
Agree on Tucson being awesome. Tons of options and variety depending on conditions, location and how much time you have.
Stuff up top on Mount Lemmon is probably snowed under right now otherwise Lemmon Drop is one of the best rides in Tucson. You should be able to do Bug Springs to Prison Camp to La milagrosa. Fun, chunky shuttle ride. Bugs might have snow on it as well, but it shouldn't be an issue. I'd consider this ride a must do.
I'll second Snake charmer on 50-Year Trail being a fun trail system with some big rock slabs higher up. A guide would be useful here. Honeybee is as described but if you want something bigger and chunkier, you can ride up into the Tortolitas. A CCW loop or lollipop up Ridgeline trail, down Wild Mustang, down Upper Javelina, and west to east on Wild Burro would be a fun technical adventure with a backcountry feel.
A few other rides I've liked:
24 Hour old Pueblo course - pretty far north but fun trails. The Painter Boy/Bones loop is a raw, more technical side loop for variety. This is marked as "Fortified Peak" on trailforks. North of Hwy 77
Arizona Trail south of Tucson. The section Snakecharmer mentioned is good. Sections from Helvetia Rd up to there are good too. You can do a long point to point or out and back.
Sopori Trails off Hwy 19 south of Sahuarita. Fun, relatively unknown and raw trail system, lots of options.
Fantasy Island. The Fullerton loop of Tucson. Locals will poo poo it, but its a fun ride if you are close by and only have an hour. I've only done it as a night ride - perfect for that.
Sweetwater - haven't done it myself but its supposed to be fun, scenic easy desert riding.
Brown/Tucson Mtn Park. lots of options, some are chunky some are flat/easy.
Casa Grande trails. Smaller system right near I-8 / I-10 interchange.
There is also riding in Phoenix near I-10 if you want to break up your drive - Dog Bone/Skyline near Hwy 85 and of course SoMo near I-10 / Hwy 60
Homegrown MTB sometimes does Mt Lemmon and AZT shuttles. With a big enough group you may be able to set something up with them. http://homegrownmtb.com/events/
Some trail systems are on Arizona State Trust land and you need a permit. This includes 50 Year, 24 Hr course, Fantasy Island, maybe some others. You can buy individual or group permits here: https://land.az.gov/faqs. Though it doesn't happen often you can get a ticket without a permit.
Stuff up top on Mount Lemmon is probably snowed under right now otherwise Lemmon Drop is one of the best rides in Tucson. You should be able to do Bug Springs to Prison Camp to La milagrosa. Fun, chunky shuttle ride. Bugs might have snow on it as well, but it shouldn't be an issue. I'd consider this ride a must do.
I'll second Snake charmer on 50-Year Trail being a fun trail system with some big rock slabs higher up. A guide would be useful here. Honeybee is as described but if you want something bigger and chunkier, you can ride up into the Tortolitas. A CCW loop or lollipop up Ridgeline trail, down Wild Mustang, down Upper Javelina, and west to east on Wild Burro would be a fun technical adventure with a backcountry feel.
A few other rides I've liked:
24 Hour old Pueblo course - pretty far north but fun trails. The Painter Boy/Bones loop is a raw, more technical side loop for variety. This is marked as "Fortified Peak" on trailforks. North of Hwy 77
Arizona Trail south of Tucson. The section Snakecharmer mentioned is good. Sections from Helvetia Rd up to there are good too. You can do a long point to point or out and back.
Sopori Trails off Hwy 19 south of Sahuarita. Fun, relatively unknown and raw trail system, lots of options.
Fantasy Island. The Fullerton loop of Tucson. Locals will poo poo it, but its a fun ride if you are close by and only have an hour. I've only done it as a night ride - perfect for that.
Sweetwater - haven't done it myself but its supposed to be fun, scenic easy desert riding.
Brown/Tucson Mtn Park. lots of options, some are chunky some are flat/easy.
Casa Grande trails. Smaller system right near I-8 / I-10 interchange.
There is also riding in Phoenix near I-10 if you want to break up your drive - Dog Bone/Skyline near Hwy 85 and of course SoMo near I-10 / Hwy 60
Homegrown MTB sometimes does Mt Lemmon and AZT shuttles. With a big enough group you may be able to set something up with them. http://homegrownmtb.com/events/
Some trail systems are on Arizona State Trust land and you need a permit. This includes 50 Year, 24 Hr course, Fantasy Island, maybe some others. You can buy individual or group permits here: https://land.az.gov/faqs. Though it doesn't happen often you can get a ticket without a permit.
SnakeCharmer
iMTB Hooligan
Yes, La Milagrosa is another non-stop techy treat. An exhausting type ride.
Tom the Bomb
iMTB Rockstah
I gotta find my copy of Cosmic Ray's Arizona trail guide. I used it to find some good stuff out there...
Oh ya I have one too! I knew we were on the same page!
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Tom the Bomb
iMTB Rockstah
Oh yah been doing some recon on these trails . You hit it on the head Mike thanks.
Tom the Bomb
iMTB Rockstah
Oh yah Ross baby! Have had that one on the list for quite a while. Combine that with the half lemmon drop @mike O did and we are going to Rock the Casbah!
Tom the Bomb
iMTB Rockstah
hill^billy
iMTB Rockstah
Wow! This is sounding very promising!
hill^billy
iMTB Rockstah
I second this remark!
Tom the Bomb
iMTB Rockstah
Ok so where would be the best place for lodging to access these trails?
SnakeCharmer
iMTB Hooligan
That's a good question because Tucson is huge and the riding is spread out all around it so be ready to drive around quite a bit. There is lodging all over the place. It's newer and more modern up in the Oro Valley (near 50 year/Honeybee) area and fairly ghetto in the middle of the Tucson Valley.
hill^billy
iMTB Rockstah
Newer sounds better than the other word every time.
Tom the Bomb
iMTB Rockstah
We will be riding all over too. Mt Lemmon, south mountain, 50 year trail etc.