Ellie has recently joined our team as our part-time bike mechanic, to help us with our extra repairs and bike builds, especially during the busy season. Ellie grew up in Tucson where she began working with community bike projects in the early 2000’s. After spending many formative years in the Pacific Northwest working as a mechanic and in bicycle youth programming, she returned full time to Tucson in 2017. Since returning, Ellie has been an instrumental part of teaching and co-managing the amazing organization that is BICAS. Ellie remains involved at BICAS as well as working with after school youth bike clubs.
Ellie loves to get out on bikepacking and climbing trips with her buds all over the Southwest and beyond. We’re so excited to have Ellie sharing her depth of bicycle mechanic prowess and Tucson bike community knowledge here at Campfire Cycling.
Remembering Chama Charmer: Fallen Trees and Hot Springs – October. 7, 2024
Wherever you are, reading these tidbits, I hope you’re getting some fall colors nearby. We have to travel to higher elevation to catch much of the spectacular fall show but luckily there are plenty of options within a day’s drive. Last year at this time I took a short trip with some friends to bikepack the Chama Charmer route in northern New Mexico, https://bikepacking.com/routes/chama-ojo-caliente/. While we had to lift our bikes over at least 50 fallen trees in the first day, the reward was worth it. And any route that ends at hot springs is a real trea
A Perfect Seattle Weekend – September. 30, 2024
I took a long weekend for a quick trip to Seattle to catch up with some dear friends, visit the city I spent many formative years of my life in, and catch some fall colors and cool temperatures. And of course to pack in as much biking as I could. Thanks to Jason and Martina for the borrowed bikes and great times. First time mountain biking at Raging River. Despite the 2,400′ of vertical climb followed by a pedal-less decent, I was informed this was not downhill. Just a great time. Answering my request for a gravel ride on the Tolt Pipeline my friend Donald found an ideal 35 mile loop from Duval out and around Marckworth State Forest. And perhaps the most fun of all was joining my friend Jim for the 42 mile Dirty Chilly 2024 route around Bainbridge Island that utilizes just about every bit of single track that you could find. Such a creative route. If you’re in a place with cooler weather soak it up, we’re still deep in summer temps in Tucson but this trip has me feeling dreamy about summer rides, very in love with my friends, and in need of a rest day.
Advanced 2 Nighter: Lobo Lupes Upper Lollipop – September. 23, 2024
I joined in this past weekend for Campfire’s Advanced Bikepacking trip through the White Mountains of Apache- Sitgreaves National Forest, current and traditional home of the White Mountain and San Carlos Apache. I particularly loved riding through the “Montane and Subalpine Grasslands”, as described by Forrest Radarian, teacher and creator of El Lobo Lupus, a bikepacking route of which we followed 110 miles of.
I rode the bulk of the Lobo Lupus route in June, minus this section, and it was a treat to see the rest of the route and get a better sense of orientation in these mountains. We also rode by my favorite mountain biking trail, Los Burros, where I once saw my first wolf, told someone I loved them for the first time, and have shared many laughs in the nearby campground with dear friends. I chose to share a photo from one of those past trips, out riding with a friend who has inspired me on the trails. I hope to get out there with her again to spend more time appreciating these mountains by bike. Thank you to all the incredible role models I have that allow me to see place as part of the adventure biking community.
A Contribution to the Library – September. 16, 2024
This week Campfire received a sweet gift from a customer who had heard we have a building library of inspiring bikepacking books and journals and thought we might enjoying this one. Thank you for thinking of us! Beautiful photos. Come by for a visit, have a seat at our table, and peruse the new addition.
Matchy Matchy – September. 9, 2024
In a recent Tidbit I highlighted our staff’s matching Panaracer tires. This week I’d like to point out our excellent fashion and my new matching rubber with Josh and Toby, Adidas Five Ten cycling shoes. Soon you’ll hardly be able to tell us apart.
New Fork Seeking Cool Summer Mornings – September. 2, 2024
I recently replaced the fork on my El Mariachi just in time to return to some morning mountain bike rides as it cools off here. I neglected my old fox suspension fork for too long on this 10-year-old Hardtail but fortunately due to the kindness of our customers and a passed along fork, I’ve been able to continue riding it for the past year. However, the increased travel on the borrowed fork threw the geometry of my bike off a bit too much. With a brand new one now it feels great to have this running back in its original fit, plus some upgrades to be able to share a wheel set with my Salsa Fargo. Hoping for more cool and cloudy mornings like this one.
In Bike Mechanics, We Trust – August. 26, 2024
I’ve been loving our new shop set up, each of us getting to tailor our work benches to our needs. The project is still coming along but allowing us better focus to take care of all your bike’s needs. Thank you Park Tools for your vote of confidence. And don’t worry, we still like to poke our heads out to say hi.
cuties_coyoties – August. 19, 2024
Finally dropping below 100 degrees in Tucson which means cooler mornings for hikes and rides before I head to work. I rolled down the Santa Cruz river path the other morning enjoying some extra cloud coverage and the feeling of pedaling fast. Until I was slowed by the site of these two cute little coyotes taking a rest in the cool sand of the wash below. Moments later I spotted a heron in a pool of water left from the prior evening’s rain. Excited to be back out riding after a long, hot summer.
Panaracer Love – August. 12, 2024
Have we mentioned how much we love Panaracer GravelKing SK tires? In fact I’ve never met anyone who didn’t love them once they tried them. Pictured here is our staff bike parking area… pure GravelKings in a variety of sizes, set up tubeless or with tubes, they perform great in our desert environment. Fun for hitting the dirt roads, efficient on the city streets, so much that we all seem to commute on them. I’ve even ridden a bit of the Arizona Trail on these and had a blast. It’s a pretty cute line up of bikes too.
Birthday Bikepacking – August. 5, 2024
As we enter into August I’m reminiscing about some of my favorite bikepacking trips. Early August is my dear friend Becky’s birthday. We met many years ago through community bike projects and over the years discovered our shared love of adventure cycling, bikepacking, and mountain biking. While we don’t live in the same state, we try to meet up when possible for our birthdays to celebrate with some adventure. For a couple years in a row we spent becky’s birthday in Southwest Colorado. This photo was from a trip where we checked out an “exploratory route” that had us bush whacking down a mountain on a hardly existent trail, pushing our bike up scree fields, camping at high elevation in a lightning storm, and finally riding a beautiful section of the Colorado Trail followed by one of the most fun descent I’ve ever done. I hope for many more years of birthday adventuring together.
Reorganizing the Shop – July. 26, 2024
Lots of exciting reorganization happening in the shop this week. Supplemental electrolytes are a daily part of my life in the Tucson summers. We’ve got a bunch of options now for keeping you (and me) hydrated and energized for your rides.
Coworker Appreciation – July. 19, 2024
Taking a moment this week to express appreciation for my coworkers at Campfire and all the mutual support I see through the busy and challenging times. Candid moment of Jake fixing Toby’s neck pains. I love working with these two.
FUGA’s Summer Vibes Block Party – July. 12, 2024
A shout out to FUGA (Familias Unidas Ganando Acesibilidad, www.fugatucson.org) for their recent Summer Vibes Block Party. When I left work to head over to the block party to help out at the mechanic station where FUGA was offering free minor bike repair, I wondered if the event would be called off. Monsoon storms had been hitting all day across the city and we seemed to be directly in another one. However, when I rolled up everything was all set up, the music was playing, and the street was full of people wet and laughing. FUGA really does know how to bring the good vibes. Check out their twice a month community rides and other local activities.
BICAS Summer Camp – July. 5, 2024
Last week, I co-instructed a week long Summer Camp at BICAS (www.bicas.org), called Youth Earn-A-Bike. Our group of kids ages 9-12 worked hard all week refurbishing donated bicycles and learning about mechanics so they could take them home at the end of the week after a test ride through the neighborhood. Congrats to the campers and thank you to Campfire for accommodating my schedule.
Swift Campout… Tucson style – June. 28, 2024
The Swift Campout holds a special place in my heart. “Swift Campout is the annual, global call out to go bike-camping to celebrate summer solstice.”
Some of my earliest explorations in the PNW by bicycle were with my dear friends at Swift Industries. Our love for time spent outside in nature by bike has been the glue of our friendship across time and space. Campfire’s participation in this celebration brings to mind so many fond memories.
However, while they may be welcoming the summer in Seattle, we are deep in it in Tucson, where temperatures have been topping 100 degrees for a while now, and we’ve been tailoring our rides to early mornings and higher elevations. Who would have thought that this year’s campout would usher in our first big monsoon storm. We often look to the Catalina Mountains with anticipation to watch the first storms roll in, and there we were, atop the mountain in the heart of it.
In the end, I love a mis-adventure, a little unexpected, and how adaptable we can be. We may have ridden back down the mountain before any camping happened but I still had a blast riding with this sweet crew and getting to know everyone better while waiting out the rain on a porch. We’ll be back up there sooner than later.
Riding El Lobo Lupus – June. 21, 2024
Just wrapped up an incredible week riding at higher elevation on a modified version of the Lobo Lupus route in the White Mountains of eastern Arizona. I spent a good chunk of time in this area as a kid with my family and it was such a treat to greatly expand my awareness of and wonder of this region. We were a little too late season to truly beat the heat but it was worth it. Elk, pronghorn, deers, turkey, and even a wolf and bear graced us with their presence. I thought a lot about historical and modern fire management and land stewardship as we witnessed both the scars of major fires and the resilience of the land. There are so many loops in this route that one can tailor a trip to their time limitations, just be ready for a lot of climbing. 10 out of 10 would do again!
WZRD Build – June. 14, 2024
Thank you Morgan for the opportunity to work with such a beautiful custom build. Morgan brought us his WZRD frame (check out @wzrd.bikes) and a box full of perfectly selected parts. I love all the details on this bike, especially the fork. I hope this bike brings you so much joy Morgan!
RAR Discussion Group @Campfire – June. 7, 2024
Campfire had the honor of hosting a discussion group of Cyclista Zine put on by Tucson’s RAR chapter, @rar_tucson. Participants wanting to continue building community in cycling, even as temperatures rise and daytime bike rides become less practical/safe, gathered to read passages out loud from various issues of this zines and discuss responses, with a focus on inclusivity. Check out @cyclista_zine, a community bike zine that highlights “All bikes. All bodies. All stories.” or swing by the shop where we have a small collection.
Prospecting the Great Divide – May. 31, 2024
Congratulations Chris on your new Tumbleweed Prospector. This was a fun build and we wish you the best out riding the Great Divide.
Prescott National Forest – May. 24, 2024
Prescott National Forest is full of such fun riding. Spent my weekend in the area with a little kayaking, swimming, climbing, and biking. I was worried I might feel limited not having brought my mountain bike, but my Fargo handled just fine on all the fun flowy trails we encountered. Riding in the soft forests of Northern Arizona are such a treat following the often rocky and cactus filled terrain around Tucson. Can’t wait to get back to check out some more riding.
Desert Friends – May. 17, 2024
Getting ready for the summer heat and shifting my riding hours. The other evening a friend and I did an after hours ride up Sabino canyon, an incredibly pleasant 7.5 mile out and back climb that takes you past various creek crossings with sufficient water to take a dip in the evening heat. We passed a small tortoise on the way out crossing the road. Unfortunately not photographed, but here’s a photo of another favorite desert friend.
Happy New Salsa Day! – May. 10, 2024
We are professional “bike packers” indeed! Shoutout to Surly for providing my favorite packing materials to keep those bikes from moving around during shipping. Part of our weekly tasks in the shop including receiving, unboxing, building and fine tuning bicycles, then repackaging to get them safely to your homes.
Happy New Salsa Day! – May. 3, 2024
Happy New Bike Day LB! When we received our first Salsa Confluence at the shop my first thought was “wow, I can hardly tell it’s an e-bike.” Salsa’s new electric assist gravel bike is lighter than any I’ve lifted and has a sleeker look. I thought of a good friend who has been seeking ways to get out riding longer distances in the aftermath of an injury that has continued to pose challenges. It’s through this friend that I learned about the Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports handcycle team they trained with for El Tour de Tucson . I invited L.B. to come check out this new bike. They came in soon after for a test ride and returned with a huge smile on their face. It was so exciting to be able to join them for a first spin on some dirt roads, I could barely keep up. I’m excited to learn more about these bikes through their experience and feedback as well as to learn more in regards to how e-assist bikes are opening up more opportunities to adaptive riders.
The Mariachi Returns – Apr. 26, 2024
It has been 8 years since I first rode the Tombstone Hustle on my brand new Salsa Mariachi. It was a blast to return to this route on the same bike but this time in the wonderful company of the Campfire Intermediate Bikepacking crew. Everyone who made it out worked hard pushing through the heat. I noticed so much more this time around with the input of my fellow riders pointing out interesting road side attractions, plants, and birds and swapping stories of our favorite rides and routes. Hope to ride with all you again soon.
Team Building – Apr. 19, 2024
More team building activities this week as we corrected the rake on a fork for a beautiful custom build that Jake designed. I love how much we swap ideas in the shop, weigh in about decisions on projects, and loan a helping hand to support each other through the challenging repairs.
Feeding Ghosts – Apr. 12, 2024
5 years ago I got to participate in a 5 day group ride from Seattle to Portland via mostly Forest Service roads with 10 riders who were headed to the WTF bikepacker’s summit (precursor to the Radical Adventure Riders). I rode a lot with Tessa Hulls, artist/writer/adventurer, who just published a graphic memoir and it’s incredibly! Check out Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir
In the Dirt Screening – Apr. 5, 2024
Last week I attended an inspiring and thought provoking community screening of a new documentary film, In the Dirt, co-hosted by BICAS-WTF and @rar.tucson. “IN THE DIRT is a documentary film about a group of passionate Native American cyclists who attempt to bring the sport of mountain biking to the Navajo Nation, where no bike shops exist.” Check here for a screening near you or to stream the film. Proceeds from the event were collected to support Silver Stallion, a 501C3 non-profit that “provides free bikes for kids, free bike repairs, youth programming for kids, and race programming for kids on the Navajo Nation and surrounding communities.”
Ruta Shoutouts – Mar. 29, 2024
It’s hard to choose one thing to share from last weekend’s Ruta Del Jefe. I’m so grateful for the opportunity I had through Campfire Cycling to support the riders and this incredible event. Such a big shout out to the organizers for all their hard work and the evolution of this event over the years as one of the more informative and inclusive cycling spaces I’ve participated in. For all the tragedy caused by the border wall, RDJ helped ignite some sparks of hope, sharing successful bi-national conservation efforts and humanitarian responses in the borderlands, with an emphasis on coming together versus divisiveness. May we all bring some inspiration into our daily lives and commitment to long-term responses.
I’m hopeful that many of the connections made are only the beginning to future friendships. An additional shout out to the RAR.bay area chapter. They made it all the way out with nine riders who stuck together the whole route with incredibly supportive energy. It was so fun to see them out on the route, riding hard and celebrating at the end of the day. Thank you for the special zine you gifted us honoring your friend and sharing a favorite local route. This is what community feels like.
Back-to-Back Outdoor Festivals – Mar. 22, 2024
This week I’m feeling inspired and appreciative of the opportunity to participate in two back-to-back festivals based around two of my favorite outdoor activities. As I get ready to head out for Ruta Del Jefe this weekend with the Campfire team, I have a lot on my mind from a spectacular weekend spent in Bishop California for the Flash Foxy Climbing festival. Flash Foxy celebrates and provides resources for women and gender queer climber. One of their mottos is “creating space to be our full selves”. I gained so much confidence in my climbing skills and knowledge through a weekend of clinics, conversations, and practice in a supportive community. I’m looking forward to bringing my full self in all my identities to this weekend’s festival of adventure biking, education, community, and advocacy and to continue pushing against definitions of what it means to be a “cyclist”. Ruta del Jefe is not about how fast you are, how far you can ride, or ideas of what an athlete looks like, but instead an opportunity to come together through our shared love of riding bikes and learn more about the region we ride in. Thank you to all the organizers of these two great events.
RAR Tucson’s 1st Intermediate Bikepacking Trip – Mar. 15, 2024
A shoutout to the Tucson Chapter of the Radical Adventure Riders (RAR) who head out this weekend of their first Intermediate Bikepacking trip. With over 20 chapters, RAR is part of a “movement towards gender inclusivity and racial equity in cycling and the outdoors”. This weekend’s overnight trip is organized by and for women, trans, and gender expansive riders. Wishing the riders an excellent weekend and memorable time. Find a local RAR chapter near you.
Squeezing in those spring rides – Mar. 8, 2024
We may still have some snow capped peaks but it’s warming up fast out here! Squeezing in all the rides I can before the Arizona heat strikes back. I revisited a favorite route last weekend in the eastern foothills of the Santa Ritas. Highlight was the herd of some 20+ Pronghorn to cross our path!
1st AZT Adventure, 7 Years Ago – Mar. 1, 2024
This week marks the 7 year anniversary of my first time riding on the Arizona Trail. I had recently moved back to Tucson and was invited to join two friends to ride sections 15-17 of the AZT, from Freeman Road to Picketpost. Some may know this section as part of a popular bikepacking route named the Gila River Ramble. We rode it over three days with a generous pickup and shuttle ride from a friend at the end. In the short time of this trip I gained so much confidence biking loaded on singletrack, and also took a gnarly crash that resulted in a bent frame. I was able to straighten the bend back home and still ride this bike today… steel is real! This trip also marked a new chapter in my friendship with these two buds as we continued to meet up every year from our various home places to ride together. I’ve grown so much with these friends, shared so many challenges and highlights, and built so much trust which Is key to our riding relationship. It’s an ideal time of year to check out this route if you’re local, and hopefully you can do it with some of your favorite people.
Bikepacking Root’s BIPOC Grant – Feb. 23, 2024
Bikepacking Roots is raising money for their BIPOC Bike Adventure Grant Program. “For 2024, the grant program will focus on providing grants to BIPOC Community Leaders to host trips, develop gear libraries, and other community building activities.” Check out the cool work this non profit is doing around routes, events, clinics, and webinars to gain confidence in all things bikepacking, and donate what you can to the grant fund.
Ironwood Weekend Ride – Feb. 16, 2024
While it was disappointing that last weekend’ Sky Islands Adventure Ride had to be canceled due to weather and muddy conditions, I did get the chance to let the ground drain a couple days and try out a ride from earlier in the series that I had missed. I had a blast with one of my favorite riding buddies out in Ironwood. I’ve never seen it so green out there! I think we’ve got a super loom year on the way. Thank you Sarah Swallow for hosting these rides and especially for the incredible panel presentation last week where we learned better practices for respecting the lands we ride in and how to show up to protect the land, animals, and people we encounter.
Fargo Decision Finally Made!!! – Feb. 16, 2024
After half a year agonizing over the decision to purchase a new bike, last summer I decided on the Salsa Fargo and managed to snag the last in my size before stock ran out for the year. I’ve been slowly exploring the capabilities of this bike. This past weekend I decided it was really time to get it dirty and took it out for an overnight trip in the Galiuro Mountains. I was so impressed with its handling on steep and rugged surfaces, with the comfortable positioning for long days, and I finally got over my fear of overloading the carbon fork. With all the rain we’ve been getting this winter there were many stream crossings. Found out the Fargo even shifts well underwater! Couldn’t be happier with my decision.
Bike Club Joy – Feb. 2, 2024
Throughout the school year I have the joy of co-instructing a bike club with 2nd-4th graders from Ochoa elementary school as part of the programs offered through the John Valenzuela Youth Center in collaboration with BICAS and the Living Streets Alliance. In each session we practice new riding skills before heading out into the neighborhood to focus on road safety and interacting with one’s community and surroundings via bike. Many of our participants are learning to ride a bike for the first time as they piece together how to move between their favorite parks and family homes. Shout out to all the projects working in the community and with schools to build our youth’s confidence on and off the bike. Always the highlight of my week.
https://bicas.org/
https://www.livingstreetsalliance.org/
On the Odessey – Jan 26, 2024
Spent a weekend with visiting friends on one of Southern Arizona’s most popular routes, the Sky Islands Odessey. Check out the route at Bikepacking.com. They’ve got some great resources to begin educating yourself on the Borderlands and how to help care for the land as well as the animals and the people who pass through it.
Appreciating the Color Splash – Jan 19, 2024
My coworkers know well that I’m not usually drawn to bright colors. But sometimes our customers just really nail the perfect combo. With a full rainbow of color options to chose from, Raceface Chester pedals have been a popular option here at Campfire to give your bike some extra flare. Love what this customer did…
Stoking Out Jim! – Jan 12, 2024
Happy New Bike Day!
After struggling to find a hardtail in their size at a desired componentry level, Jim Mayerstein noticed online that Campfire had an XS Salsa Timberjack in stock a week before their visit to Tucson. I met them at the bus stop with the bike, one test ride and they were sold. Jim has been searching for a hardtail mtb in preparation for this year’s upcoming https://www.rutadeljefe.com/. This is the first year Jim will be joining from Mexico City to participate in the binational festival of adventure cycling that promotes education, community, and advocacy. Help Jim raise funds for their registration pledge by donating at https://www.pledgereg.com/4959/jimmayerstein.