Last weekend I was in Tucson, Arizona for the annual El Tour de Tucson. Most people in the cycling circles call it just plain “El Tour”. It is the last big ride of the season. It is not a race per se, but, it is a big deal for all the retired cyclists and fast amateurs from all over the country. It normally draws a crowd that is close to 10,000!

Since so many recreational attend the event, Giant For Women decided to be a part of the huge registration EXPO. We had all the beautiful new bikes in the GFW 2009 line on exhibit. Needless to say we were a hit!

It was really nice for me to be in the GFW exhibit. I was excited about the general response to how great the bikes looked, but, one of the best parts was getting to meet so many women who were already riding our bikes, and to hear how much they loved them. It almost felt like a reunion!

So, back to the ride…. El Tour is 109 miles. It’s a long way to go, but the most challenging parts are the river crossings. They are dry, but can be very interesting when you combine having to try and ride through sand, and then run with your bike when you can’t ride anymore. Let me just ay that one of the reasons I love road riding so much is that I don’t like to walk or run! I especially don’t want to have to get off my bike and carry it from Point A to Point B! Call me a baby or whatever, but I am speaking the truth. Sometimes we have to know our limits

I got to the start super early, but I was shocked at how many thousands of people were already on the start line. The start is categorized by previous finish times or level of USA Cycling category. Luckily, because of my results in the past I got a coveted front line position. The biggest goal for non racers is to be in the Under 5 hour group from the previous year, and that pretty much guarantees a descent start position.

If you are planning on riding in an event like El Tour, and you are not a racer, you would be best suited to be riding a TCR or one of the new Avail road frames with endurance fit. Both of these will give you a great ride over the distance. In looking at how to approach the ride, try and find a group that you think that you can ride comfortably with, and try to all start together. Remember that your time is going to be dependent on the group that you are with, so try and match your abilities accordingly. You will always be faster if you work as a group and work towards a common goal. Also, having “teammates” will help you keep motivated during the day. It is inevitable that you will each go through a bad patch of time, and the camaraderie will definitely help to keep you going forward.

Most importantly, have a good time. The post ride chatter is always fun, and hanging out in the EXPO will be a big part of the day. Some of my favorite times are when my friends and I replay moments that happened during the day. Sometimes they were good moments, and often they were bad moments that become funny after the fact.

All in all I had a great ride, and met a lot GIANT owners… I’m already planning how to run the river crossings better next year!