Despite the need to ride about 10 miles of Interstate 10, this route and our performance on the ride was one of our best days so far. After a week of daily riding and a rest day, all three of us felt strong doing a “comfortable” 81 miles with 2700 feet of ascent. Along the way we experienced riding on one of the best bike path networks in the nation, in and well beyond Tucson. I haven’t verified this, but we have heard pro cyclists come to this area to train in winter months.
You can read more about this network on the site, https://www.pima.gov/162/The-Chuck-Huckelberry-Loop
The Chuck Huckelberry Loop is a system of paved, shared-use paths and short segments of buffered bike lanes connecting the Cañada del Oro, Rillito, Santa Cruz, and Pantano River Parks with the Julian Wash and Harrison Road Greenway. More than 138 miles of paved pathways and bike lanes have already been completed with additional trails to come.
The Loop became “a real loop” in January 2018, when the County completed a connection on the south bank of the Rillito River Park between Glenn Street and Tanque Verde Road that connected the Rillito to the Pantano River Park. Connecting the Santa Cruz River Park with the Rillito, Pantano, Harrison Greenway and Julian Wash makes a complete circuit of 53.9 miles.
Our ride included a beautiful stretch of smooth pavement and scenic riding on Historic Hwy 80, providing us with amazing desert and mountain views. Finally we had to ride 10 miles of interstate 10, but miraculously had no flats! Of course lunch break included my third ice cream desert, this time it was a large turtle fudge custard from Freddy’s.
