Originally Posted by
Jughed
Great info in this thread!! Planning my trip for later this year...
Any good intel on quality - high quality - rental bikes? I've come to understand that many of the websites for rentals are all the same company, where you get directed to a storage unit and pick out a bike with no support - and the upkeep is questionable. I'm looking for decent road bikes that will be safe for descending Lemmon...
Looking at mid to late October. Any issues with the weather around this timeframe?
Planned rides -
-Mt Lemmon, to the tippy top!
-Kitt's Peak. Planned to start at Three Points and take 86. Google maps shows a nice shoulder all the way - is this road OK for the traffic adverse person?
-Some of the loop, then hopping over to a few loops around Saguaro
-And if I feel real sporty - Mt Graham from Swift Trail.
hitting kitt peak from three points has fast traffic, with good sightlines/straightaways, but not medium or heavy volume. seems like nearly every auto on that
road is a ford f150 truck or comparably-sized. that stretch to the az hwy 386/kitt peak climb start is doable but boring. understand if you prefer a warm up to
the actual climb vs just parking at the base of kitt and going from there. a bit of not insignificant climbing from three points. personally, have opted (twice) to just start
at the az hwy 86/386 junction at the base of the peak with a sizable dirt lot for parking and haven't regretted it. i'm also one of those weirdos that doesn't mind doing
2-3 shorter rides in a single day if i feel like hopscotching around an area. i'm nearly always pressed for time when on vaca in tucson so prefer to do the scenic stuff vs just
slogging thru miles. rides i would/have consider(ed) if doing kitt peak (just the summit and back from the base-24 miles) and down for another ride afterwards
(depending on commitments or lack thereof/weather/legs/where i'm staying) would be:
1. parking near the intersection of az hwy 86 and s. kinney rd. and heading nw on s. kinney road. early straightaways, then dips and wiggles with a little uphill.
low speed limits along with relatively mellow traffic + scenery. hang a right on w. gates pass rd. climb up and descend to the rollers of w. anklam rd.
a right on n. greasewood rd., then a left on w. starr pass blvd. right on s. mission rd. and then a right onto az hwy 86 and back to start.
2. same as #1 but continue on s. kinney past w. gates pass rd. and eventually hook up with n. sandario rd. right on n. sandario. right on w. rudasill rd.
left on n. tula ln. quick right on w. picture rocks rd. and enjoy the (mostly) descent. hang a right on w. ina rd and connect with the loop bike path just before reaching the
10 fwy. loop path to w. starr pass blvd or w. silver lake rd. and then a left onto s. mission rd. and a right onto az hwy 86 and back to start. this will more
than double the amount of miles as option #1.
3. same as #1 with hanging a right on w. gates pass rd. ascend to the top of the pass, take in the well-earned view and return same way. short and sweet.
4. noodling and toodling on the loop wherever.
these are some options before the actual return into tucson itself. doing the short sabino canyon (check the cycling restrictions/hours but worth it for an hour's effort)
or zipping crosstown to do at least two loops in saguaro national park-east unit (the west unit of the park has very little pavement and you get the vibe by doing #2).
again, depends on where you're staying, comfort/fitness levels and priorities.