Who's riding in it?

I will be for sure. Hoping for a sub 5.5 hour ride this year!! I am also hoping the RBR.com kit is ready at voler in time to wear it too!!

Sending in my registration this week. I'll be driving down from the Santa Fe area. I am hoping to get one of my regular riding buddies there too. They have all bailed on me the last two years.

This will be my first. I have a motel room. Taking the wife and plan to do about 70 miles. What do I need to know?

~Al

... plan to do about 70 miles. What do I need to know?~Al

70 miles? Are you riding from the mass start and dropping out early? The shorter distances are 81 miles, 67 (I think) and 30-something. They have different starting points but have the same finish as the 109 mile route.

The first thing to do is read your ride packet carefully. It has lots of good info and the rules ARE enforced.

Early mornings in late Nov are chilly in Tucson. Bring at least knee and arm warmers. If your wife will be at the start you can wear a sweatshirt for standing around in the pre-dawn hour and pass it off to her before you start.

There are two sections where you have to carry your bike. At about mile 8 you have to cross a big sandy river bottom, and at about mile 65 is the hike through Sabino Canyon. If you have comfortable mtn bike shoes and compatable pedals for your road bike, use them. I plan to this year. Don't be tempted to roll your bike, stickers and goatheads abound. There always seem to be lots of flats in the few miles past the carries.

General info for anyone riding El TdT
If you are starting with the 7 AM mass start PAY ATTENTION TO THE GUIDELINES FOR LINING UP. The platinum section is for qualifying riders. The gold, silver, and bronze sections are self-selected according to anticipated ride times. Be realistic. If you can't ride a long century in about 5-6 hours (6-7 hours for women) don't bother to line up in the gold section. You will get run over by the racer wanna-be's who didn't qualify for platinum. Too many slowish riders fill up the gold section thinking they will get out ahead, but then are all passed within the first few miles.The first year I rode I cluelessly lined up halfway through the silver section, but still finished in gold qualifying time. Now that they have chip timing, how far back you start won't affect your total official time.

Most of all have fun! It's a great event, and the people are terrific. Aid stations are every 5-8 miles and run by local comunity groups. They will hold your bike and fill your bottles while you visit the blue room. Thank them profusely! And be sure to thank the dedicated city and county cops who help all along the route.

70 miles?
There are two sections where you have to carry your bike. At about mile 8 you have to cross a big sandy river bottom, and at about mile 65 is the hike through Sabino Canyon. If you have comfortable mtn bike shoes and compatable pedals for your road bike, use them. I plan to this year. .

Thanks for the headsup.
We'll be doing the 67mi route.
How much walking is involved? We do have mtn pedals and shoes but don't like using them. I don't like walking much and the wife doesn't like carrying her bike. We're old folks and she's very small.
We are use to goatheads and know how to stay clear of them.

~Al

The 67 mile start is just east of Sabino Canyon. Depending on how many riders hit the area when you are there it can take maybe 5-10 minutes to walk it. Last year there was quite a bit of water in the creek and they had plywood "bridges" across some places. I hear some riders really got held up there last year, but everything was moving fine when I went through. They promise to have more bridges this year if water is a problem. The creek has been completly dry in some years. You can wheel the bike ok at Sabino canyon, it's the dry wash at the beginning of the 109 route that is more of a problem.

Sure, you can make it in regular road shoes, I have. I just feel like being more comfortable this year.

2 1/2 months away, but I'm pretty psyched about El Tour this year.
This will be the 4th year in a row that my father and I will ride it together, and it always lands around my birthday (on my birthday last year) so that's even cooler.
We've both been doing the most training of any year this year, so we're looking in the 6 1/2 to 7 hour range including stops. As long as I avoid crampling, I'll be fine.

Also, enjoy the 67 miler this year, but try to do the 110-miler. It's soooooo much more of an experience with the mass start and the river crossing.

Also, enjoy the 67 miler this year, but try to do the 110-miler. It's soooooo much more of an experience with the mass start and the river crossing.

Doing the 67 mile ride with the wife. Do we drive to the start of the 67? Is there a sufficient parking lot? Do we also walk the river and canyon?

Thanks,

~Al

You will miss the river crossing, but still go through Sabino Canyon, it's a pretty nice walk.
Yes you can drive to the 67 mile start, but I don't know anything about the parking situation there. Remember, you will be quite a ways from your car at the finish. The shorter routes at El Tour have different starting points, but all end at the same finish as the fulll century route. I'm not sure what other out of town people do if they don't have a second car.

Go to the El Tour web site http://www.pbaa.com,
They have a route map, pdf file downloadable to Adobe Acrobat. It shows all the route starts.

You will miss the river crossing, but still go through Sabino Canyon, it's a pretty nice walk.
Yes you can drive to the 67 mile start, but I don't know anything about the parking situation there. Remember, you will be quite a ways from your car at the finish. The shorter routes at El Tour have different starting points, but all end at the same finish as the fulll century route. I'm not sure what other out of town people do if they don't have a second car.

Go to the El Tour web site http://www.pbaa.com,
They have a route map, pdf file downloadable to Adobe Acrobat. It shows all the route starts.

Thanks again, we're looking forward to the ride.

~Al