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Rides | Nutrition | Advocacy | Training | Style<br />
ONE SWEET ROAD<br />
With nearly 300 days of sunshine each year and<br />
more than 1,000 miles of bike lanes, Tucson<br />
is an ideal cycling city. Those are two reasons<br />
so many bike racers spend their winter here.<br />
Another one? The road ascending Mount Lemmon<br />
is one of the best climbs in America.<br />
Tucson’s Catalina Highway winds upward from<br />
town, gaining 6,000 feet of elevation over 27<br />
miles. Leave the heat and saguaro cacti behind<br />
as you ascend on a wide lane toward the summit,<br />
passing under igneous rock buttresses<br />
that radiate with the morning sun. The grade<br />
is manageable—just about 4.5 percent over its<br />
length—so the climb is taxing but not punishing.<br />
The descent, that’s pure sweetness. The<br />
gentle pitch means you can swoop from curve<br />
to curve without turning your pedals or squeezing<br />
your brakes. You don’t have to go fast, but<br />
you’ll want to. For more reasons cyclists love<br />
Tucson, turn to page 32.—LOUIS MAZZANTE<br />
Photograph by CHRIS HINKLE NOVEMBER 2014 • BICYCLING.COM 25
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