There are some die-hards like this guy - who cycle up Mt. Lemmon in Summerhaven Arizona all winter long! There are also several professional cycling teams that train here in southern Arizona during the winter months because of the nice weather. And if you are lucky you have seen Lance Armstrong take advantage of the Mt. Lemmon hill if he is in town!
But for the average cyclist like myself, we hang up our cycling cleats until the snow melts on the mountain and around this time of year, begin to make our way down the Brad Gorman Memorial Highway, aka, Catalina Highway on Tucson's northeast side toward mile post "0" at the base of Mt. Lemmon. (Brad Gorman was an avid cyclist and a long-time Tucson Realtor who was hit by a car and died on this stretch of Catalina Highway. Pima Country dedicated this road to his memory and to remind us all to "Share the Road".)
On Friday May 8th, the Greater Arizona Bicycling Association (GABA) kicked off the first cycling event of many that all lead up to the 2009 El Tour de Tucson. I was there along with my best cycling friend, Jenn, as we worked our way up the hill!
For those that missed the event - no worries! Here are some tips if you are a first-timer up the hill that will get you going from MP 0 to 24!
Start early! The sun comes up before 5am and by 8am it's hot!
On your first venture up - set a small goal. The first mile is steep, but don't give up - just go for it!
From there - if your legs aren't rubber - you can make it all the way to MP 3 or Babad Do'ag Vista outlook.
If you are on a road bike and a fairly good cyclist - you should average about 10 minutes per mile. Less in some spots that - believe it or not - are flat and a little down hill.
The next few weeks you should aim for Molino Basin, between MP 5 and 6. Following that, a good benchmark would be MP 9 around Seven Cataracts overlook. Right around there, things start to cool off making the rest of the trip up easier!
There are many stops along the way to take breaks and some parts of the ride are easier than others. Beyond Windy Point, or General Hitchcock, from MP 12 to 14 is the toughest, steepest part of the hill. If you can make it those two miles - you can make it the rest of the way!
As you near MP 23, near Mt. Bigelow Road, you'll start to really feel the cool air and from there - it's downhill into Summerhaven.
If you have a really good friend or someone else with some time on their hands - ask them to sag you. They can meet you at your "goal" points giving you extra water or food or help if you get a flat tire. This is especially important if you plan to ride all the way to the top for the first time.
Some say, the best part about riding to the top is riding back down. I don't! This is my weak point! I've ruined bike brakes and burned the rubber off tires trying to go down this hill. Never being successful, if I plan to ride beyond MP 10, I usually ask a friend to pick me up for a ride down or I leave a car at our Summerhaven Cabin the day before and drive down after my ride.
While you are at the top - don't forget - you can eat at the new Mt. Lemmon Cookies and Cabin where they serve fresh baked pizza and paper plate size cookies! There is also the Mt. Lemmon Cafe that serves up a variety of hot sandwiches, chili and pie.
In a nutshell, you have all summer long to ride the 25 mile hill! It's a great training ride for any cycling event you are aiming to do! Every Sunday morning, around 6am, you can connect with a group of cyclists that meet at LeBuzz Cafe parking lot - they welcome anyone and ride at all different paces - from race to "turtle" speed! Just take your time, bring lots of food and water and enjoy! And if you get to the top and need a ride down - call me - I just might be there and will be happy to help you out!
Upcoming Tucson cycling events to train for:
Cochise Classic on October 17, 2009
Indoor El Tour de Tucson - November 14th - 21st, 2009
2009 El Tour de Tucson
Gabrielle (Kamahele) Rhind - 2009. If you want to reprint parts of this - just email me for my permission rhindohana@msn.com. Buying or selling Tucson Arizona Real Estate? Click info@gabriellerhind.com and let me know how I can help you! Or visit www.BuyMyTucsonHome.com
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