Are You Going to Train All Winter Watching Old Cycling Videos?
Shhhh......Come Play Outside to Tucson, Arizona
This will be our 17th year offering early season tours in dry and sunny Arizona. Each week has a different theme for different types of riders. You can combine weeks to extend your cycling training season in Arizona.
Originating in Tucson, Arizona cyclists will enjoy the fine weather and roads in the southern region of the state. Each week includes breakfasts, lunches, sag stops, motels, Travel Shirt, and technical support.
Our Camp Jersey this year will feature our new classic team jersey from Voler (if you register before December 1st). The style duplicates the wool jersey that we have had around now for a few years. We decided to add a Voler fabric jersey. If riders register before Dec 1st, they will receive this jersey and have a choice of sleeve length and zipper style. (Sleeveless, short sleeve or long sleeve.) We will be able to order jackets so you may order a jacket instead of a jersey.
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Training Goals | Signup and Details
We will begin each tour from the Country Inn and Suites Hotel located 1/2 mile from the Tucson Airport. Your arrival hotel room is included in Tucson the day you fly in to Tucson. Your departure hotel room is included the last night of the tour before you fly home the next day. A hotel shuttle bus is available to bring you and your bike to the hotel. You will be able to ship and store your hardshell bike case at the Country Inn and Suites Tucson. Rider Packets and Travel Plans will be mailed around December 15th.
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Country Inn and Suites Hotel |  TucsonWeather Now |
The Country Inn and Suites Hotel will take your reservations should you wish to arrive early or stay over a few nights. Make those reservations early!
Whenever PAC Tour stays in Sierra Vista, Arizona - we will be staying at the Holiday Inn Express.
If you would rather not travel with your bike to camp - you have an option of renting a bike. Contact Jessie Menard of Cycle Tucson at www.cycletucson.com. They can put together a bike that fits you and will deliver and pick up the bike at the Country Inn and Suites.
This is an annual event first held in 1996.
| Hi Lon and Susan, I would like to thank you immensely for the great Desert Training Camp. It was awesome! After more than 30 years of cycling, it is easy to assume that there is not much more to learn. Not true. I learned things every day from both the presenters and the outstanding riders who attended the camp. I look forward to joining you again next year! Best Wishes, Dave M. |
| $1,095 based on double occupancy Single supplement $350 |
Arrive in Tucson (fly in), Saturday, February 18
68-89 miles per day to Wickenburg and back
Depart from Tucson (fly out), Saturday, February 25
This week of Camp is a fun week of riding through beautiful desert terrain. We will tour for six days in the flat lower desert west and north of Tucson. The weather is always warmer here and a good place for February training. Our out and back route offers flat to gently rolling landscape suitable for early season miles. We will eat breakfast and several lunches during the week at interesting local restaurants. This is a good tour to start your cycling season and break up a winter of indoor cycling.
2012 Itinerary
| Day 1 | Sat Feb 18 | Arrive in Tucson | Ride On Your Own |
| Day 2 | Sun Feb 19 | Tucson to Casa Grande | 84 miles |
| Day 3 | Mon Feb 20 | Casa Grande to Gila Bend | 68 miles |
| Day 4 | Tue Feb 21 | Gila Bend to Wickenburg | 89 miles |
| Day 5 | Wed Feb 22 | Wickenburg to Gila Bend | 89 miles |
| Day 6 | Thur Feb 23 | Gila Bend to Casa Grande | 68 miles |
| Day 7 | Fri Feb 24 | Casa Grande to Tucson | 84 miles |
| Day 8 | Sat Feb 25 | Fly home and depart Tucson | Ride on own |
The riders at this camp will range from beginner to experienced. All riders should be able to ride 50 miles in 4 hours with stops.
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Training Goals | Signup and Details
| $1,095 based on double occupancy Single supplement $350 |
Arrive in Tucson (fly in), Saturday, February 25
About 60-80 miles per day.
Depart from Tucson (fly out), Saturday, March 3
This is a new tour going on some different roads from Tucson to Nogales and back. This is a medium distance tour that is not as long as Mountain Week but slightly longer than Historic Hotels Week. We will be going on some of our favorite routes near Fort Huachuca and along the Mexican border. The terrain has several long grades of 6 miles at 4-6% including climbing Mule Pass into Bisbee. This is an interesting route that will challenge most riders with 4 to 6 hours of cycling each day.
2012 Itinerary
| Day 1 | Sat Feb 25 | Arrive in Tucson | 33-50 - On Your Own Ride |
| Day 2 | Sun Feb 26 | Tucson to Nogales | 75 |
| Day 3 | Mon Feb 27 | Nogales to Tombstone | 85 |
| Day 4 | Tue Feb 28 | Tombstone to Douglas | 67 |
| Day 5 | Wed Feb 29 | Douglas to Sierra Vista | 62 |
| Day 6 | Thur Mar 1 | Sierra Vista to Nogales | 66 |
| Day 7 | Fri Mar 2 | Nogales to Tucson | 75 |
| Day 8 | Sat Mar 3 | Fly home and depart Tucson | Ride on own |
The riders at this camp will range from novice to experienced. All riders should be able to ride 50 miles in 4 hours with stops.
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Training Goals | Signup and Details
| $1,295 based on double occupancy Single supplement $450 |
Arrive in Tucson (fly in), Saturday, March 3
Depart from Tucson (fly out), Saturday, March 10
Arrive in Tucson and saddle up for a tour filled with sizzlin' southwest history every day! The first day we'll ride 49 miles to the Old Sonoita Inn. This inn was built in the style of a horse barn to honor the famous race horse Secretariqt. Riders wanting to add 24 miles today can ride to the old Stagecoach Hotel in Patagonia and back for an afternoon ice cream treat. The following morning we'll head out on an easy 55 miles through the wine country of Elgin before spending an evening walking the wooden sidewalks of historic Tombstone.
On day three, we'll ride 47 miles to the hillside mining town of Bisbee. We will divide the lodging of our group between the Copper Queen and Hotel and Hotel La More. The first 25 paid entrants will stay at the Copper Queen Hotel. There's an optional side trip into Mexico to stop and smell the enchiladas.
The fourth day of riding is an optional 56 mile round trip ride into Douglas, Arizona to have lunch at the Gadsden Hotel. Then return to Bisbee for great shopping and things to see in the revitalized old town area. The final two days of this tour will follow the old stagecoach routes back through Tombstone and Benson before returning to Tucson.
This tour is for riders who are looking for a fun cycling holiday with less focus on training and fitness. It's the easiest tour of the PAC Tour Desert Camp format. You'll enjoy this tour more if you can average 10 mph to have more time to explore the old southwest along the way. If you want to train for racing and average faster than 15 mph you should not attend this week. Please consider joining a longer mileage week of Desert Camp.
2012 Itinerary
| Day 1 | Sat Mar 3 | Arrive in Tucson | 33-50 - On Your Own Ride |
| Day 2 | Sun Mar 4 | Tucson to Sonoita Inn | 49 miles |
| Day 3 | Mon Mar 5 | Sonoita to Tombstone's OK Corral | 57 miles |
| Day 4 | Tue Mar 6 | Tombstone to the Bisbee Copper Queen Hotel with an optional side trip into Mexico |
40 miles |
| Day 5 | Wed Mar 7 | Bisbee to Douglas for lunch and return to Bisbee | 55 miles |
| Day 6 | Thur Mar 8 | Bisbee to Benson | 45 miles |
| Day 7 | Fri Mar 9 | Benson back to Tucson | 55 miles |
| Day 8 | Sat Mar 10 | Fly home from Tucson | Ride on own |
The riders at this camp will range from beginner to experienced. All riders should be able to ride 50 miles in 5 hours with stops (10 mph average).
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Training Goals | Signup and Details
| $1,095 based on double occupancy Single supplement $350 |
Arrive in Tucson (fly in), Saturday, March 10
75-90 miles per day to the Chiricahua Mountains
Depart from Tucson (fly out), Saturday, March 17
This week is a cross between our popular Mountain Week with more time to ride the beautiful Chiricahua Mountains. The 15 mile climb to the Chiricahua Monument is considered one of the best roads in the region. You will spend 2 nights in Willcox and 3 nights in Historic Tombstone to customize shorter or longer routes if you wish.
Chiricahua Climb
by Charles Breer
There's no question that Chiricahua is a tough climb, but I would say that it has some steeper parts and some less steep parts, so it's not just a continuous slog (like Mt Ventoux in southern France). The first few miles are relatively gentle as the scenery starts to change from desert to more forest and you get your first view of the unusual rock formations. To break it up, riders can stop at the Park Service visitor center, which has bathrooms and interesting displays. The middle part of the climb is deep in a forested canyon, which can be cooler than on the desert floor. Sometimes, water is flowing in a small creek bed and you get more close-up views of the bizarre formations. The last few miles are a bit steeper, but still not as steep as parts of the Mt Graham climb from Mountain Week. This stretch is also very rewarding because of the expansive views and switchback road that clings to the hillside. Riders are back into the open at this point and you can see the twisting road up ahead. There is a nice parking lot at the top, surrounded by miles of rock formations, with interpretive displays and short hikes to overlook vista points. In sum, while this is clearly a good climb, I've rarely been on a climb that is as rewarding as Chiricahua and best of all, there is very little traffic. The descent is thrilling, but with excellent smooth pavement, so it takes only a fraction of time to get down.
2012 Itinerary
| Day 1 | Sat Mar 10 | Arrive in Tucson | 33-50 - On Your Own Ride |
| Day 2 | Sun Mar 11 | Tucson to Tombstone | 88 miles |
| Day 3 | Mon Mar 12 | Tombstone to Willcox (through Benson) | 75 miles |
| Day 4 | Tue Mar 13 | Willcox to Chiricahua and back | 80 miles |
| Day 5 | Wed Mar 14 | Willcox to Tombstone (though McNeal) | 85 miles |
| Day 6 | Thur Mar 15 | Tombstone Loop through Bisbee & Sierra Vista | 90 miles |
| Day 7 | Fri Mar 16 | Tombstone to Tucson | 90 miles |
| Day 8 | Sat Mar 17 | Fly home from Tucson | Ride on own |
This week is for experienced riders. All riders should be able to ride more than 50 miles in 4 hours with stops.
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Training Goals | Signup and Details
Call or email Susan at (262)736-2453 to make sure there is room before registering.
| $1,095 based on double occupancy Single supplement $350 |
Arrive in Tucson (fly in), Saturday, March 17
Based in Sierra Vista 60-100 miles per day
Depart from Tucson (fly out), Saturday, March 24
This week is for riders who want to ride long miles everyday, but stay at one location during the week. Daily rides can be customized for riders with specific interests. Evening cycling entertainment and programs will be provided on a variety of topics. Each day will offer longer and shorter routes with 60-100 mile options.
2012 Itinerary
| Day 1 | Sat Mar 17 | Arrive in Tucson | 33-50 - On Your Own Ride |
| Day 2 | Sun Mar 18 | Tucson to Sierra Vista | 84 miles |
| Day 3 | Mon Mar 19 | Coronado Loop | 60-100 miles |
| Day 4 | Tue Mar 20 | Mule Pass - Tombstone | 62-100 miles |
| Day 5 | Wed Mar 21 | Elgin or Sonoita Loop | 75-100 miles |
| Day 6 | Thur Mar 22 | South Bisbee Loop | 60-100 miles |
| Day 7 | Fri Mar 23 | Sierra Vista to Tucson | 90 miles |
| Day 8 | Sat Mar 24 | Fly home from Tucson | Ride on own |
The riders at this camp will range from beginner to experienced. All riders should be able to ride 50 miles in 4 hours with stops.
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Training Goals | Signup and Details
| $1,195 based on double occupancy Single supplement $400 |
Arrive in Tucson (fly in), Saturday, March 24
80 -100 miles per day, to New Mexico and up Mt. Graham
Depart from Tucson (fly out), Sunday, April 1
After descending for 5 miles, I took a picture of this sign... George M.
This point-to-point tour stays at different motels each night. Our route will loop around southeastern Arizona into New Mexico. This loop has become famous among veteran camp riders for the strenuous mountain climbs and variety of scenery. The four-hour climb up Mount Graham on Day 6 is one of the highlights of this tour. This is one of the most popular weeks of Camp and is limited to 50 riders.
Mountain Tour averages about 3,500 feet of climbing per 85 mile day. Most of the grades are long steady climbs of 4% to 6% for 2-3 miles. The terrain is not as mountainous as Colorado but there are more open grasslands. Mule Pass is the longest steady climb of 7% for 5 miles. The day up Mt. Graham has optional climbing going up and back to the summit. Mt. Graham is a 15 mile grade at 6-10% gaining over 5,000 feet. There are a few flat prairie sections for 10-15 miles but most of the climbs are constant rollers into the horizon. Most riders use a low gear of 39 x 25 or 36 x 23.
2012 Itinerary
| Day 1 | Sat Mar 24 | Arrive in Tucson | 33-50 - On Your Own Ride |
| Day 2 | Sun Mar 25 | Tucson to Sierra Vista | 83 |
| Day 3 | Mon Mar 26 | Sierra Vista to Douglas | 74 |
| Day 4 | Tue Mar 27 | Douglas to Lordsburg | 99 |
| Day 5 | Wed Mar 28 | Lordsburg to Safford | 91 |
| Day 6 | Thur Mar 29 | Safford to Willcox | 89 |
| Day 7 | Fri Mar 30 | Willcox to Tombstone | 103 |
| Day 8 | Sat Mar 31 | Tombstone to Tucson | 93 |
| Day 9 | Sun Apr 1 | Fly home from Tucson | Ride on own |
Mountain Week is intended for experienced riders. All riders should be able to ride more than 50 miles in 4 hours with stops.
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Training Goals | Signup and Details
The training base for riders attending Desert Camp is different than for riders joining our other cross country tours. Most riders are coming from winter climates. They are unable to ride outside during the three months before Camp. These riders can still arrive at Camp ready to ride. Here are some fitness goals:
Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Training Goals | Signup and Details