Swift Campout… Tucson style – June. 28, 2024
The Swift Campout holds a special place in my heart. “Swift Campout is the annual, global call out to go bike-camping to celebrate summer solstice.”
Some of my earliest explorations in the PNW by bicycle were with my dear friends at Swift Industries. Our love for time spent outside in nature by bike has been the glue of our friendship across time and space. Campfire’s participation in this celebration brings to mind so many fond memories.
However, while they may be welcoming the summer in Seattle, we are deep in it in Tucson, where temperatures have been topping 100 degrees for a while now, and we’ve been tailoring our rides to early mornings and higher elevations. Who would have thought that this year’s campout would usher in our first big monsoon storm. We often look to the Catalina Mountains with anticipation to watch the first storms roll in, and there we were, atop the mountain in the heart of it.
In the end, I love a mis-adventure, a little unexpected, and how adaptable we can be. We may have ridden back down the mountain before any camping happened but I still had a blast riding with this sweet crew and getting to know everyone better while waiting out the rain on a porch. We’ll be back up there sooner than later.
Riding El Lobo Lupus – June. 21, 2024
Just wrapped up an incredible week riding at higher elevation on a modified version of the Lobo Lupus route in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. I spent a good chunk of time in this area as a kid with my family and it was such a treat to greatly expand my awareness of and wonder of this region. We were a little too late season to truly beat the heat but it was worth it. Elk, pronghorn, deers, turkey, and even a wolf and bear graced us with their presence. I thought a lot about historical and modern fire management and land stewardship as we witnessed both the scars of major fires and the resilience of the land. There are so many loops in this route that one can tailor a trip to their time limitations, just be ready for a lot of climbing. 10 out of 10 would do again!
WZRD Build – June. 14, 2024
Thank you Morgan for the opportunity to work with such a beautiful custom build. Morgan brought us his WZRD frame (check out @wzrd.bikes) and a box full of perfectly selected parts. I love all the details on this bike, especially the fork. I hope this bike brings you so much joy Morgan!
RAR Discussion Group @Campfire – June. 7, 2024
Campfire had the honor of hosting a discussion group of Cyclista Zine put on by Tucson’s RAR chapter, @rar_tucson. Participants wanting to continue building community in cycling, even as temperatures rise and daytime bike rides become less practical/safe, gathered to read passages out loud from various issues of this zines and discuss responses, with a focus on inclusivity. Check out @cyclista_zine, a community bike zine that highlights “All bikes. All bodies. All stories.” or swing by the shop where we have a small collection.
Prospecting the Great Divide – May. 31, 2024
Congratulations Chris on your new Tumbleweed Prospector. This was a fun build and we wish you the best out riding the Great Divide.
Prescott National Forest – May. 24, 2024
Prescott National Forest is full of such fun riding. Spent my weekend in the area with a little kayaking, swimming, climbing, and biking. I was worried I might feel limited not having brought my mountain bike, but my Fargo handled just fine on all the fun flowy trails we encountered. Riding in the soft forests of Northern Arizona are such a treat following the often rocky and cactus filled terrain around Tucson. Can’t wait to get back to check out some more riding.
Desert Friends – May. 17, 2024
Getting ready for the summer heat and shifting my riding hours. The other evening a friend and I did an after hours ride up Sabino canyon, an incredibly pleasant 7.5 mile out and back climb that takes you past various creek crossings with sufficient water to take a dip in the evening heat. We passed a small tortoise on the way out crossing the road. Unfortunately not photographed, but here’s a photo of another favorite desert friend.
Happy New Salsa Day! – May. 10, 2024
We are professional “bike packers” indeed! Shoutout to Surly for providing my favorite packing materials to keep those bikes from moving around during shipping. Part of our weekly tasks in the shop including receiving, unboxing, building and fine tuning bicycles, then repackaging to get them safely to your homes.
Happy New Salsa Day! – May. 3, 2024
Happy New Bike Day LB! When we received our first Salsa Confluence at the shop my first thought was “wow, I can hardly tell it’s an e-bike.” Salsa’s new electric assist gravel bike is lighter than any I’ve lifted and has a sleeker look. I thought of a good friend who has been seeking ways to get out riding longer distances in the aftermath of an injury that has continued to pose challenges. It’s through this friend that I learned about the Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports handcycle team they trained with for El Tour de Tucson . I invited L.B. to come check out this new bike. They came in soon after for a test ride and returned with a huge smile on their face. It was so exciting to be able to join them for a first spin on some dirt roads, I could barely keep up. I’m excited to learn more about these bikes through their experience and feedback as well as to learn more in regards to how e-assist bikes are opening up more opportunities to adaptive riders.
The Mariachi Returns – Apr. 26, 2024
It has been 8 years since I first rode the Tombstone Hustle on my brand new Salsa Mariachi. It was a blast to return to this route on the same bike but this time in the wonderful company of the Campfire Intermediate Bikepacking crew. Everyone who made it out worked hard pushing through the heat. I noticed so much more this time around with the input of my fellow riders pointing out interesting road side attractions, plants, and birds and swapping stories of our favorite rides and routes. Hope to ride with all you again soon.
Team Building – Apr. 19, 2024
More team building activities this week as we corrected the rake on a fork for a beautiful custom build that Jake designed. I love how much we swap ideas in the shop, weigh in about decisions on projects, and loan a helping hand to support each other through the challenging repairs.
Feeding Ghosts – Apr. 12, 2024
5 years ago I got to participate in a 5 day group ride from Seattle to Portland via mostly Forest Service roads with 10 riders who were headed to the WTF bikepacker’s summit (precursor to the Radical Adventure Riders). I rode a lot with Tessa Hulls, artist/writer/adventurer, who just published a graphic memoir and it’s incredibly! Check out Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir
In the Dirt Screening – Apr. 5, 2024
Last week I attended an inspiring and thought provoking community screening of a new documentary film, In the Dirt, co-hosted by BICAS-WTF and @rar.tucson. “IN THE DIRT is a documentary film about a group of passionate Native American cyclists who attempt to bring the sport of mountain biking to the Navajo Nation, where no bike shops exist.” Check here for a screening near you or to stream the film. Proceeds from the event were collected to support Silver Stallion, a 501C3 non-profit that “provides free bikes for kids, free bike repairs, youth programming for kids, and race programming for kids on the Navajo Nation and surrounding communities.”