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.
Ellie’s Next Chapter – October. 30, 2025
Hope all of our locals were able to join for last weekend’s Cyclovia. Twice a year the nonprofit Living Streets Alliance (LSA) organizes this incredible event where cyclists, pedestrians, and anyone who wants to walk, roll or meet in the streets can enjoy miles of car free streets full of neighbors, friends, great food, and fun activities.
This was my second time helping out at one of the activity hubs. It was also a special day for me as I begin my work with LSA. I’m excited to announce that next week I start as the new Safe Routes to School manager, but also shared with a heavy heart as I will not be seen as much around Campfire. It’s been a joy wrenching here for the past three years and I guarantee you’ll still see me popping up in the shop and at events as much as possible.
Thanks to all my incredible coworkers and our great customers. You’ve made it really fun.
Art on the Move – October. 24, 2025
At last week’s FUGA (@fugatucson) community ride, we spotted our friend Monique Laraway’s (@revolta_art) new artwork featured on several TUGO bike share bikes — and they look amazing!
Keep an eye out for these rolling works of art around Tucson. They’re a beautiful blend of cycling and local creativity.
👉 Read more about the project here.
When in Doubt, Jake It Out – October. 18, 2025
Kudos to Jake once again as our mechanical and problem solving wizard. After the handle to our spoke threader cracked off last week during use I was in search of a replacement. In a matter of minutes Jake came up with an even better idea that not only fixed but improved our tool using what we had around.
Handlebar Hitchhiker – September. 28, 2025
Did you know that doves like to find a cozy place to roost when the sun goes down? Apparently my handlebars were looking really nice. I walked my bike over to a tree with this little passenger before I finally got it to move on to a new location.
GravelKings South of the Border – September. 22, 2025
As promised, here’s more from my recent trip to Mexico. I was so glad to have my bike along for some incredible riding—through the city, up a volcano, and across gravel roads that wove through farming communities who welcomed me onto the land they work so hard to maintain. And once again, my Panaracer GravelKings came through as my go-to, most versatile tire.
Bike!Bike! in Mexico City – September. 16, 2025
I got to spend last week in Mexico City attending an event that has grown out of a movement for community bike spaces that provide access to bicycles as sustainable transportation as well as empowering knowledge around maintenance to keep everyone safely rolling. Expect a series of “tid-bits” coming your way from this incredible week.
As one of the most populated cities in the world I’m always fascinated by how much infrastructure the city has for moving people around to where they need to go, from bike lanes and new electric buses, to cable cars that take you above the city. I’m proud to know some of the people who have helped push for the implementation of these things and grateful for the “transportation tours” they’ve given me.
Through Jake’s Lens – September. 10, 2025
If you look closely through Jake’s binoculars, you might just catch a glimpse of rain drifting over the Santa Catalinas. From his bench, he’s got a front-row seat to the kind of view that makes you pause and take it in. Not a bad spot to sit, watch the sky, and hope for a little desert rain.
No More Curb Hops – September. 04, 2025
While biking home from a mobile bike repair event I helped with, I found myself on an old route I used to take when commuting to work. In the past, I would cross at a very efficient crosswalk only to end up on a sidewalk, where I could either hop a curb into a sometimes chaotic parking lot or turn left onto a busy street to work my way around the lot. I won’t even get into the debate I used to have with myself while riding about whether it was actually safer to stay on the busy street.
I was thrilled to see that they’ve finally finished this connection point, providing a clear path for bikes to safely cross a major street and continue forward with ease. I believe bike commuters are often the first to discover the best routes from point A to B, and it’s always rewarding when the infrastructure catches up. Great work Tucson!!
Raising the Bar (and the Bikes) – August. 28, 2025
I’ve got to pause and share just how grateful I am for our new electric power lift shop stand. In the era of e-bikes, this thing is a total back saver. Last weekend Jake and I were able to service two e-bikes side by side—no heavy lifting, no sore muscles, just smooth work all around. Huge thanks to Campfire for making this upgrade happen!
JoJo’s New Treadquaters – August. 22, 2025
I know we all were disappointed that our shop cat didn’t stick around long. But as many of you know we are blessed by our regular visitor JoJo the dog, who is basically also kind of a cat. So it was about time we built him a cat tree and offered him some new perspective on the shop. He really likes cave-like protected spaces, I think our tire tree served this need. Jojo you are truly the best.
Back to the Basics: WFR Recert– August. 16, 2025
I recently spent a weekend up in Flagstaff for a wilderness first responder recertification course. I’ve made sure to re-certify every 2 to 3 years since I was initially sponsored some 12 years ago to get my WFR while leading youth on bike tours across the Pacific Northwest.
I highly recommend these courses for anyone who spends a good chunk of time in the outdoors. The weekend was packed with studying and scenarios but I did squeeze in some birding and a nice ride along the rim of Walnut Canyon. Forested single track is such a treat for me coming from the desert. I am already making plans to get back up there with my bike as soon as I can.
Donuts and Games at Breakfast by Bike – August. 10, 2025
Jake and LB found a fun new bike game at last week’s “breakfast by bike”. With our end destination at the splash pad in my neighborhood I had the honor of picking up three dozen doughnuts for the group. Which really just meant I got to roll in to applause. Thank you La Estrella for the best doughnuts around and to everyone who made it out to the monthly ride and breakfast.
Bringing the Bounce Back – August. 04, 2025
When was the last time you showed your suspension fork some love? I took on a fun mid-week project servicing an old Fox fork—swapped out the seals, refreshed the fluid, and brought it back to life. It’s always satisfying to keep the older rigs running smooth. Don’t let those vintage mountain bikes collect dust—give them a little care and they’ll keep shredding for years.
Airplane parts for Jim – July. 28, 2025
I took a spin around Seattle through some of my favorite places to ride. Years back I took a ride with a friend who had just moved to Seattle and is a huge nerd for all things transportation. When we rode bikes past the train yard where airplane parts were being transported they freaked out with excitement. Caught the same sight on our ride. This shot is for Jim.
Recapping My Sea to Sky Adventure – July. 21, 2025
It was a great escape from the heat to take a week off up in Squamish BC for some rock climbing and a 2 night bikepacking trip following the Sea to Sky trail up to Pemberton. I reached my goal of jumping in at least three bodies of water daily and sampled all my favorite July berries.
Even got to watch someone bungee jump from a bridge the route cuts over. This photo features a particular section I loved that hugs the rock wall on a single track while giving a stunning view of the river valley and train tracks dropping below you. And it’s an out and back so I got to do it all over again noticing things from a new perspective.
If you’re curious about exploring this incredible route yourself, check out the full Sea to Sky Trail guide here: bikepacking.com/routes/bikepacking-sea-to-sky-trail.
Biking British Columbia – July. 14, 2025
I’m off this week biking the Sea to Sky trail in BC. Stay tuned for some follow up stories next week!
Master Wrapper Jake – July. 07, 2025
For those who didn’t know, Jacob is a master wrapper. Always a treat to see what new colorful highlight Cayce wants to add to his bike.