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Arizona Sonora bike tour

Summary

Southern Arizona: Azure skies, endless vistas hemmed with 10,000-foot peaks. Names out of a medieval fantasy: the Chiricahuas, the Dragoons, Catalinas, Rincons. This is the land of Geronimo, Cochise and 250-year-old saguaro cactus, where the sweet scent of desert creosote flower fills the air. Wildlife is prolific, from coyote to javelina, desert tortoise and rare birds. Bike sun-drenched roads. Hike through heart-stealing landscapes. Visit boutique wineries. Explore the fascinating Arizona Sonora Desert, Saguaro National Park, (East and West), the "Sky Islands", Coronado national forest, Bisbee, Kartchner Caverns and plenty more.

Road bike

6 days

451 km / 280 mi

$ 3,400.-

Sonora Desert, Saguaro National Park.
Wine tasting
Kartchner Caverns tour

Deposit for this tour is 25%

Gallery

Details

Type

Road bike

Duration

6 days

Level

Easy

Support

Guided

Daily distance

60-80 km / 37-50 mi

Total distance

451 km / 280 mi

Lodging

Deluxe, full board

Luggage transport

Daily luggage transfers

Bicycle

Included

Dates

01 Oct 2023 - 06 Oct 2023
08 Oct 2023 - 13 Oct 2023
15 Oct 2023 - 20 Oct 2023
22 Oct 2023 - 24 Oct 2023
29 Oct 2023 - 03 Nov 2023
05 Nov 2023 - 10 Nov 2023
12 Nov 2023 - 17 Nov 2023

Start dates Oct. 15 and Nov 5 are guaranteed

Start

Tucson

Finish

Tucson

Airport at start

Internationale luchthaven Tucson

Airport at finish

Internationale luchthaven Tucson

Prices Please note the prices are subject to change depending availability

Price per person / please note the prices are subject to change depending availability

The tour price per person

$ 3,400.-

E-bike

E-bike Fastroad E+ EX Pro

$ 200.-

Optional

Single supplement

If you travel alone a single supplement is charged. With some group tours you can avoid a single supplement by sharing a room with another rider.

$ 918.-

Itinerary

Included / Not Included – lodging

Day 1: Get oriented at the desert museum before cycling through colossal cacti in west Saguaro National Park.

Shuttle to the marvelous Arizona Sonora Desert Museum in time to see the Raptor Free Flight show while your guides prepare your bikes. Cycle quiet roads through West Saguaro National Park and Tucson Mountain Park from McCann Loop Rd to Gates Pass. Shake hands (metaphorically speaking!) with towering, some claim mystical, saguaro cacti – undisputed icons of the Sonoran Desert and a universal symbol of the American Southwest. Once in the city proper, we avoid the hectic streets by pedaling part of “The Loop” – Tucson’s delightful network of over 100 miles of urban shared-use paths. Cycle on The Loop to Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, or Hacienda del Sol, where we will spend the next three nights.
Meals: L, D. Distance: 49 miles, Elevation +2,336 ft / -2,207ft

Day 2: Cycle rural roads, paved paths and the “Cactus loop” in Saguaro National Park .

Today, we begin our ride at Le Buzz Café, a popular staging location and hangout for local cyclists. Follow rural roads on the outskirts of Tucson, stopping here and there to take in views of the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains to the north and east. Explore Saguaro National Park East on the 8-mile Cactus Forest Loop takes you on a cruise through the rare saguaro forests of this area. Some folks say they could do this loop all day long – and indeed, many take the time to ride it in both directions! Following a gloriously gourmet picnic lunch, ride back to Loews on The Loop, or hop in the van to shuttle if you wish. You may want to save time for a visit to the marvelous Tucson Day Spa, located onsite at Loews Resort or Hacienda del Sol. Dinner is on your own tonight.
Meals: B, L. 44 miles or less. Elevation +2027 ft /-1604 ft (or less)

Day 3: Spectacular Mt Lemmon.

Tackle all or part of the climb up Mt. Lemmon today. There are plenty of van support options if you don’t want to do the whole thing, and the mountain is worth a visit for a hike on your own even if you don’t plan to ride.
Rising almost 7000 feet from the valley floor, Mt. Lemmon is well-known as one of the premier bicycle climbs in the U.S. Tremendous views begin almost immediately as you ascend from cactus country on the valley floor up into the land of wildflowers, pines – and eventually – subalpine forests. In terms of biological diversity, cycling up Mt. Lemmon is the equivalent of riding from Arizona to southern Canada. Suffice it to say, it’s a different world on top on Mt. Lemmon any day of the year. Keep an eye out for transitory waterfalls and hidden canyons with goblin-like hoodoo rock formations as you ascend. Spring visits may feature wildflowers in bloom and fall visits may feature colorful aspens and maples. We are confident you won’t see a more fascinating range of habitat and ecology on any other 30-mile bicycle ride. Mt. Lemmon is truly a one-of-a-kind gem!
Meals: B,L,D 26 miles (one way) with lots of support options. Elevation Mt. Lemmon climb (one way): +5,717 ft / -251 ft

Day 4: Visit Kartchner Caverns, a stunning limestone cavern system and stay at an Inn known for its diversity of birds and butterflies

After breakfast we shuttle to Kartchner Caverns for a tour (admission included) of what lies beneath the desert. The world-class cave formations here are considered to be some of the best of their kind in the entire world. First discovered in the early 1970s, the cave was kept a secret for over a decade (to protect it) until, in 1985, Governor Bruce Babbitt secretly left the state capitol with two bodyguards and spent three hours crawling through tight passages to reach the cave’s showcase chambers, including the Big Room, Echo Passage and Cul-de-sac Passage. Kartchner Caverns finally gained official Arizona State Park status in 1999. Have lunch after the tour and then shuttle south to Hereford for a two-night stay at Casa de San Pedro, home to over 355 species of birds and hundreds of butterflies. Settle in at the hotel, enjoy the pool, chase birds and butterflies, or go for an easy ride in the area before enjoying a family-style Mexican dinner with us tonight.
Meals: B, L, D. Lodging: Casa de San Pedro
Distance: variable Elevation: variable

Day 5: Cycle in the " Sky Islands" to a mountain reservoir

Today holds plenty of surprises, as well as a total change of scenery! The first surprises are the vineyards of the Sonoita and Elgin areas of Arizona, south of Tucson. The rich soils of this region are almost a mirror image of those in Burgundy, France. The second surprise is the scenery of the “Sky Islands” high country. We say farewell to saguaros and hello to hillsides covered in manzanita, Gambel oaks, sycamore and yucca. Our route – a locals’ favorite – follows a twisting, traffic-free road to a refreshing mountain reservoir in Coronado National Forest. There is plenty of great riding here for you to enjoy as much or as little as you wish.
Meals: B, L, D. Lodging: Casa de San Pedro
Distance: 48 miles. Elevation: +2,367 ft / -2,368 ft (or less)

Day 6: A bicycle "brothel," a border wall and bohemian bisbee

Shuttle to Naco – a tiny town cut in two by the USA/Mexico border for a look at “The Wall” – before we begin pedaling to artsy, bohemian Bisbee, home to the Copper Queen Mine, source of some of the world’s highest-grade copper ore. If copper isn’t your thing but vintage bikes are, you won’t want to miss going for a metaphorical spin down a memory lane of hand-made lugged frames and the simplistic elegance of friction shifting that is the “Bicycle Brothel” bicycle museum in Bisbee – otherwise known as “retro-grouch” heaven. And yes, we use the term affectionately. After all, some of us owned, rode, and loved these beauties when they were state-of-the-art! Spend more time in Bisbee (lunch is on your own) or make the 6-mile round trip to Mule Pass before we load up and shuttle back to Tucson.
Meals Breakfast
Distance: 12 -18 miles Elevation +1,721 ft / -996 ft or …+1,021 ft / -296 ft

* This is a general itinerary. Tour itineraries are subject to change based on the group, available accommodations and other unforeseen circumstances such as the weather, local conditions, government intervention, that may affect the quality of the trip and/or safety of the participants. Please view this itinerary as an outline as to what to expect on this tour.

Included:

Lodging
Included: All breakfasts, 5 lunches and 4 dinners.
Included wine tasting, Kartchner Caverns tour.
Road /hybrid bike, (E-bike rent possible)
Luggage transfer.

Not included:

Night before and after the tour.
Flights to and from the tour
Gratuities guides

Lodging

Loews Ventana Canyon Resort,
Casa de San Pedro
The hotels, Inns, and B&Bs we use are always among the finest the area has to offer. Our smaller group sizes(max. 13) allow us to stay at some award-winning places that can’t handle groups of 25 or more. We work closely with the innkeepers to make sure they understand your needs and ours, whether that is having a place to store your bike, an early morning breakfast or a convenient place to park the van, they are as committed to your vacation experience as we are.
Lodging is based upon two people to a room with a private bath. If you’re traveling solo on any of our trips, we’ll assign you a roommate of the same gender and often of the same age bracket. There is no extra charge if we can’t find you a roommate, even if you sign up the day before the trip starts. You can guarantee yourself a private room and bath if you pay the Single Room Fee. Occasionally a room with two beds consists of one bed plus a rollaway bed or sofa bed.

Vaccine or test: A negative Covid test will be required within 72 hours of departure for all non-fully vaccinated guests. or Proof of a completed Covid vaccination course can be used in lieu of a Covid test. A "completed Covid vaccination course" means that the guest has had 1 or 2 shots (depending on vaccine brand) and has completed the 2-week waiting period post final shot.
All of our guides are fully vaccinated.

Map & Routes

Map

Satellite

Bicycle

A road or Hybrid bike is included in the price,

E-bikes

are available for an extra fee.
Prior to your bike tour, we request your height in order to choose the right frame size for you. (If you have a fit sheet or sizing information on your personal bicycle, you are welcome to send that to us, and we will do our best to match your geometry and specs.) On the first day of each bicycle tour, your guides tweak your bike fit to make sure you are as comfortable as possible. If they can’t get the fit just right, we typically carry a couple of extra sizes. We try to make sure we have the right size and type of bike you need to enjoy your cycling vacation.

Giant Defy ADV 3

Choose the longer route. Climb higher mountains. This all-new endurance road bike is purpose-built to help you tackle long-distance road rides in all types of conditions. It’s smooth, it’s efficient, and it’s fast.
Ride farther and faster with an all-new composite frameset that’s engineered with endurance geometry and built-in compliance. Handcrafted with Advanced-grade composite material, it’s engineered with tube shapes that are optimized to absorb road shocks and vibrations. And the frame is still stiff in all the ways that matter—for pedaling efficiency as well as steering and cornering precision. It’s made with a specific carbon layup to give it just the right feel. And for added control, it features integrated disc brakes with flat mounts and 12mm thru-axles. The D-Fuse Seatpost and handlebar system also help reduce road vibrations, adding to its smooth, compliant feel on the road.
Components: Giant Conduct disc brakes, Shimano Tiagra groupset, 50/34 cranks, 11 x 34 cassette, Giant S-R2 tubeless wheelset 700x28c

Hybrid / flat Bar Road bike

The perfect balance of road bike speed and city bike versatility. Built on a lightweight ALUXX SL aluminum frameset, this new flat-bar road bike puts the rider in a comfortable position that’s smooth and efficient. The fast-rolling 700c wheels and vibration-absorbing composite D-Fuse seatpost help smooth out rough roads. The fast-rolling 700c wheels can accommodate large tires up to 32c, perfect for tackling rough roads with confidence and control, while integrated ergo bar ends keep your hands comfortable on longer adventures. Powerful disc brakes give you added control in all types of weather, and easy-to-use rack mounts make FastRoad SL a smart choice for commuting, fitness riding and weekend adventures.
E-Bike Thrive E+ EX PRO
With THRIVE E+ EX PRO, you get an all-access pass to speed no mater what your fitness level
Designed with Liv’s 3F Design Philosophy, Thrive E+ EX Pro is the first road E-bike built specifically for women. Get up to speed fast with the new SyncDrive Pro motor that provides a natural, yet powerful, E-bike experience. The new motor also features a Smart support mode that automatically adjusts the support level based on your ride. PedalPlus 6-Sensor Technology translates six measurements about your riding and adds the perfect amount of power at just the right time for a fast and fluid ride quality. The EnergyPak Smart 375 battery is so sleek, you’ll have your friends looking twice to know it’s an E-bike.