Adventure Town: Tucson, Arizona

Moab may rule the singletrack scene, but for road biking, the Southwest hot spot is Tucson (pop. 529,770), a former mining town sandwiched between Saguaro National Park and five mountain ranges. With more than a dozen local cycling groups and 475 miles (764 kilometers) of bikeways, there's a group ride nearly every day; and recent city policy dictates that bike lanes be included on all new roads and reconstructions. "We've had a steady push for the last 30 years to make Tucson more bike friendly," says the city's full-time bicycle and pedestrian coordinator, Tom Thivener. Come November, the mercury dips to a mild 74 degrees (23 degrees Celsius) and the pros blow in to train. (Lance Armstrong used the 26-mile [42-kilometer] log from town up 9,157-foot [2,791-meter] Mount Lemmon as a Tour de France primer.) Off the saddle, head to University Boulevard, where the college contingent and south-of-the-border flavors spice up an otherwise ocher Old Town. Tucson averages 350 cloud-free days a year, so grab a margarita at one of the outdoor pubs and soak up the sun.


Weekend Scouting Trip

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WHERE TO PLAY: Pedal in Lance's tracks on the 26-mile (42-kilometer) ride up Mount Lemmon, or hit Fantasy Island for 19 miles (31 kilometers) of looping desert singletrack on the east side of town ($30 for a one-day bike rental; www.fairwheelbikes.com). Climbers can tackle the six-pitch, 5.8 Moby Dick route in Coronado National Forest's Cochise Stronghold (www.fs.fed.us/r3/coronado). Hike among anthropomorphic hoodoos dappled with chartreuse lichen on Chiricahua National Monument's seven-mile (11-kilometer) Heart of Rocks trail (www.nps.gov/chir).
 
WHERE TO EAT AND DRINK: Cyclists fuel up for Mount Lemmon climbs
with white-mocha coffee and fresh-baked baguettes at Le Buzz Caffe (www.lebuzzcaffe.com). Wind down with margaritas and Mexican fare at Mi Nidito; their spicy chile relleno was a favorite of President Clinton when he dined here in 1999 (www.minidito.net).
 
WHERE TO STAY: The 1919 Hotel Congress houses two hopping watering holes ($59; www.hotelcongress.com): Cup Café for breakfast burritos and joe, and Club Congress for live music and beer. Plusher adobe Arizona Inn is landscaped with citrus gardens ($219, includes mountain bike use; www.arizonainn.com).
 
Want to Live Here?
HOT PROPERTY: One of a new crop of energy- and water-saving houses in eco-conscious Tucson, a three-bedroom, 1,700-square-foot home (158-square-meter), just 15 miles (24 kilometers) from Saguaro National Park, is listed at $315,000.
 
REAL ESTATE LOWDOWN: For $200,000 you can land a condo in
the spa-studded Catalina foothills or a three-bedroom house in the popular Civano district. Tucson's median home price is $239,000.
 
THE LOCAL ECONOMY: Home to research facilities for the National Optical Astronomy Observatory and to the University of Arizona, Tucson is a major hub for high-tech jobs, including electronics development and missile production. And within city limits, the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base employs 9,600.







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