This is the definitive list of all reoccurring group, shop, club, Meetup and Facebook rides as rated and provided by the Arizona Bicycle Association. For all Tucson club and group rides, arrive pedals in cleat 15 minutes before start times. Have your bicycle maintained and ready to roll. Group bike ride leaders are not there babysit. Note: Most club and organizations do not actively respond to email. For shop rides, be sure to call to confirm times. Shop rides are very reliable.
Cyclists love Tucson because there are daily group rides all year long. Make friends and discover the greatest biking destination in the world! If you need to rent a high end road or mountain bike check out tucsonbikerentals.org or Oro Valley Bike Rentals at bikeaz.org/orovalley-bicycle-rentals.
“I rented an awesome new bike. They delivered. AND they gave me the cell phone to a team leader who instantly responded to questions I had about where to bike. Wow! That is customer service!?“
– Jean Claude, Quebec
When: Contact group
Where: Vistoso Community Church
Distance: They offer 20 to 60 mile options
Type of Ride: Strong social riders
Contact: http://www.biketucson.com/group-rides-new1/orovalley-vistoso-cyclists/
Editor’s Note: Oro Valley is the best part of Tucson to go biking and this is an excellent group of people to ride with. Biking in Oro Valley gives cyclists the safest, widest bike lanes and the least traffic. This club takes riders on the Oro Valley side of the Tucson Loop bike path. They are the pride of road biking in Oro Valley.
Meet: Flagpole on the West Side of Old Main on the campus of the University of Arizona (Central Tucson)
When: Contact group
Distance/Time: 1 to 1.5 hours. Maximum 20 Miles
Type of Ride: Social ride
Contact: http://uacycling.com/
Editor’s Note: The University of Arizona Cycling Club offers daily road cycling group rides that range from social to highly competitive. These rides are considered the best in Arizona. This cycling group really offers something for everyone.
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Pickup/Drop off on The Loop!
When: Contact group
Where: Meet at Ben’s Bikes (Tucson East Side)
Distance/Time: 1 to 2 hours.
Type of Shop Ride: Social
Contact: ben@bensbikestucson.com
Editor’s Note: Ben’s Bikes is the top Giant dealer in Southern Arizona. This is a good casual ride and the speed will depend on the attendees. Ben’s is located on the Southeast side of Tucson near Vail and there is a lot of great road biking to be had there.
When: Contact group
Where: Udall Park, 7290 E Tangue Verde
Distance/Time: 1 to 2 hours
Type of Club Ride: Social
Contact: http://www.meetup.com/bikegaba/events/
Editor’s Note: This is a Great Arizona Bicycle Association group social ride. The Loop bike path rocks.
When: Contact group
Time/Distance: 15 to 25 miles
Type of Club Ride: Social
Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1147259775287516/
Editor’s Note: Night cycling in Tucson is awesome!
When: Contact group
Distance/Time: 2.5 hours
Type of Ride: Social-Competitive
Contact: Call Fairwheel Bikes
Editor’s Note: This is a more subdued, but competitive short version of their famous weekly Saturday Tucson Shoot 100 mile ride. Riders of all levels participate in this ride. Started over 40 years ago, the famous Fairwheel Bike is the top Tucson shop ride.
When: Contact group
Where: Diamondback Bridge in Ironhorse Park on the Aviation Bike way
Distance/Time: 15 to 25 miles
Contact: Damion Alexander
520-977-5664 text or call
Editor’s Note: Run by the mercurial realtor/multi-level marketer Damion Alexander, start times can be inconsistent. This is not a ride we recommend as participants have complained about sales pitches and some strangeness. This ride gives you plenty of elevation climbing.
When: Contact group
Where: Flagpole -West Side of Old Main
Distance/Time – 2 hours
Type of Group Ride: Fast
Contact: brownus_clarence@yahoo.com
When: Contact group
Where: Flagpole – West Side of Old Main – University of Arizona
Distance/Time – 12 to 18 miles
Type of Group Ride: Slow
Contact: https://www.facebook.com/groups/5833629539/
Editor’s note: This is a great group for regular bikers who just want to have fun. That’s right. Many of these people do not own spandex!
When: Contact group
Where: Vistoso Community Church
Distance: They offer 20 to 60 mile options
Type of Ride: Strong social riders
Contact: http://www.biketucson.com/group-rides-new1/orovalley-vistoso-cyclists/
Editor’s Note: Oro Valley is the best part of the Tucson area to go biking and this is an excellent group of people to ride with. There are some seriously good riders here.
When: Contact group
Where: Flagpole – West side of Old Main at the University of Arizona
Type of Ride: Strong – 40 to 60 miles
Contact: http://uacycling.com/
Editor’s Note: The University of Arizona Cycling Club offers daily rides and is the top rated road biking club outfit in Tucson. The Fairwheel rides are filled with serious amateur and even professional cyclists. The U of A ride has lots of young guys and older riders who are more relaxed..
When: Contact group
Where: University/Euclid
Type of Ride: Strong – 55 to 60 miles
Contact: Fairwheelbike.com
Editor’s notes: They ride strong, hard and fast.
When: Contact group
Where: Udall Parking Lot
Distance: Ride goes to the mile post 3 at Lemmon
Type of Ride: Casual/No drop
https://www.facebook.com/groups/579397565447522/?fref=ts
When: Contact group
Where: Roy Shoonover Trailhead, 7500 S. Kold
Time/Distance: 10 miles, social, no drop
Contact: http://www.meetup.com/bikegaba/events/
When: Contact group
Where: Flagpole -West Side of Old Main – University of Arizona
Type of Ride: Different route each week
When: Contact group
Where: Transit Cycles 100 S Avenida Del Convento
Type of Ride: Short, a few miles.
Contact: https://www.facebook.com/pg/TransitCycles/events/?ref=page_internal
Editor’s Note: Just grab a bike and show up. No need to be in too good of physical condition. Ride is run by Duncan Denny the owner of Transit Cycles. Good owner. When you see him, he looks like he is ready to pass a kidney stone.
When: Contact group
Location; 31.501495, -110.274078
Distance/Time: 10 miles
Contact: Sun & Spokes. 520.458.0685
Where: Flagpole – West Side of Old Main
When: Contact group
Editor’s note: Route is different each week.
Where: University and Euclid
When: Contact group
Editor’s Note: You had better be in shape! These guys can really move.
When: Contact group
Where: Bashas at Kolb
Distance/Time: 15 to 25 miles
Contact: Damion Alexander
520-977-5664 text or call
Editor’s Note: Run by the mercurial realtor/multi-level marketer Damion Alexander, start times can be inconsistent. This is not a ride we recommend as participants have complained about sales pitches and some strangeness. This ride gives you plenty of climbing.
When: Contact group
Location: Changes – call (520) 327-3232
Time/Distance : Changes
Type of Ride: Social-Competitive
Contact: Pbs074@performaneinc.com
(520) 327-3232
When: Contact group
Where: AJ’s Sunrise/Campbell
Time/Distance: 18 miles
Contact: timcarolan@mac.com 520 548 3624
When: Contact group
Where: Flagpole – West side of Old Main – University of Arizona
Time/Distance: 1 to 1.5 hours
Time/Distance: 20 miles max
Type of Ride: Social
Contact: http://uacycling.com/
Editor’s Note: Good social ride, but these are serious cyclists.
When: Contact group
Where: Le Buzz – 9121 E Tanque Verde Rd
Time/Distance: Le Buzz to Molina Basin
Type of Ride: Hammer Fest – Fast
Contact: JKG Strave on Facebook
When: Contact group
Where: Circle K on BST
Time/Distance: 16 miles
Type of Ride: Social
When: Contact group
Where: Vistoso Community Church
Distance: They offer 20 to 60 mile options
Type of Ride: Strong social riders
Contact: http://www.biketucson.com/group-rides-new1/orovalley-vistoso-cyclists/
Editor’s Note: Oro Valley is the best part of Tucson to go biking and this is an excellent group of people to ride with. We love that they offer ride options. This Oro Valley cycling club is one of the best organized road biking clubs in Arizona.
When: Contact group
Where: Starbucks on University/Euclid
Distance: 30 to 40 miles
Type of Ride: Social to fast – 2 hours
When: Contact group
Where: Viv’s Cafe at Tanque Verde and Catalina Highway
Distance: Ride up to Molino Basin on Mt. Lemmon.
Type of Ride: Social
Editor’s Note: This is a good social ride with a collection of solid cyclists.
Meet: Flagpole on the West Side of Old Main on the campus of the University of Arizona (Central Tucson)
When: Contact group
Distance/Time: 2 hours. 60 to 80 miles
Type of Ride: Strong and hard. This is considered a more “civil” alternative to the Fairwheel Shootout ride. Basically, you will see more regular, normal riders minus the PEDS. The pros and arch serious races favor the Fairwheel ride.
Contact: http://uacycling.com
Editor’s Note: The University of Arizona Cycling Club offers daily road cycling group rides that range from social to highly competitive rides are considered the best in Arizona. This cycling group really offers something for everyone.
When : Contact group
6:30 AM Sept 4 – Oct 22, 7 AM Oct 23rd – Nov 19, 7:30 AM Nov 20th – Dec 31st
Where: Euclid and University
Type of Ride – Hard, fast, ultra competitive, 60 plus miles
Editor’s note: This is the famous Fairwheel Bikes “Shoot Out” ride. Do expect a very large group, 100 plus riders and a very fast pace. For a slower ride there is a pre-shootout group that leaves from the same location 15 minutes prior to the standard Shootout. Pros and very serious riders frequent this shop ride. We recommend the UA Cycling Club ride if you want something slightly more chill.
When: Contact group
Where: Sabino Cycles – but can change.
Type of Ride: Generally around 30 miles and the route changes
Editor’s Note: This is considered the biggest beginner cycling ride in Tucson. Routes, times and locations vary.
When: Contact group
Where: TBD
Type of Ride: Some weeks, the pace on the road heats up (20+mph) and the distance stretches out (65+ miles). Other weeks, they like to get dirty on the beautiful gravel roads of southwest Arizona.