The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Tucson Spring Warm-up

March 21st to March 28th

Ride Director: Albert Meerscheidt
Ride Co-Director: Bernice Tannenbaum
Report by: Keiko Ohnuma

Thirty riders fantasized about sunny Arizona in springtime as they signed up for the six-day “Tucson Spring Warm-up” tour from their homes in the chilly north and east. Little did they know that Tucson would deliver all that and more, greeting them with a triple-digit heat wave that shattered records across Arizona during the week of the tour. Ride leaders Albert Meerscheidt and Bernice Tannenbaum felt their own temperatures rise with the forecast as the week approached, given that the trip had been designed around pleasant 70-degree averages for leisurely viewing of urban murals and sublime desert landscapes. As it was, they were encouraging ride start times as early as 6:30 a.m., and handed out tube-sock “necklaces” to fill with ice at rest stops to prevent expiring before noon.

            The group included a mix of long-time BAC members (one of whom protested that he had done “only three BAC tours”—so far this year) and first-timers, including one or two who were on their first bicycle tour ever. Whether from long experience or enthusiastic innocence, the group gamely hit the pavement each day often before breakfast, collecting “grab-and-go” bags provided by the hotel staff to roll out while temperatures remained deliciously cool. As a fixed-base tour, participants could choose each day whether to do the recommended ride with a tour leader, another route from among the 28 offered, or no ride at all. Cyclists took advantage of this flexibility to sort themselves into impromptu groups each day, ranging from clock-watching races to beat the heat, to what-me-worry restaurant tours lasting well into the afternoon, to air-conditioned visits to Tucson’s museums.

            On two occasions, tour leader Albert Meerscheidt went above the call of BAC duty by undertaking SAG responsibility for rides starting at remote locations. One of these was the iconic ascent of Mount Lemmon, rated among the nation’s top ten road-bike climbs. At an elevation of 9,200 feet from sea level, this summit is reached by a smooth paved road favored by the area’s many professional and amateur cyclists, whose lean physiques glided past us on the pleasant grade averaging 5 or 6 percent for 28 miles. Twelve of the group’s sixteen riders who attempted the climb made it to the turn-around at Windy Peak, a climb of 4,200 feet, while two intrepid cyclists crushed the 7,000-foot climb to the summit. All were overjoyed to see Albert offering ice water, snacks, electrolytes, and encouragement at a DIY rest stop en route.

            Other routes enjoyed by the group included Saguaro National Park East, home to the iconic cactus people; Sabino Canyon; Catalina State Park; the botanical gardens at Tohono Chul; and the urban murals for which Tucson is known. Many of the rides took advantage of the city’s Loop trail, 130 miles of car-free pavement that help make Tucson a favored cycling destination.

            Beyond the bike, naturalist and co-leader Bernice Tannenbaum led the group on an evening bat walk to witness hundreds of Mexican free-tailed bats emerging from their roost under a bridge for the evening moth hunt. Musicians Bill Tamayo and Bo Florendo provided live music poolside on several evenings, and the group’s cameras captured wildlife including roadrunner, quail, hawks, snakes, and the iconic boar-like javelina lounging near a hotel pool. From the warm generosity of the hosts to the city’s feverish welcome, this BAC tour ended up being as hot as they come.