Toby is an alchemist of bike love, a wizard of cycling culture and a prophet of adventuring by bicycle. We’re so stoked to have him plying his trade managing our bike shop, building up new bicycles, servicing old ones and fine tuning our showroom in anticipation of the return of cool weather and a functional Toole street in front of our building.
Toby has been living the bike shop life since 2004, getting started at the Sports Basement in San Fransisco before relocating to Ventura. In 2010, Toby co-founded the Ventura Bike Hub an amazing community bike shop. Toby helped build this organization into a thriving and integral part of Ventura’s cycling community and it was a tough and sad parting of ways for him and his partner Benicia to move on to Tucson. But it is also a testament of what they built that they can move along and pass their leadership on to the next generation of HUB leaders.
Beyond bicycle wrenching and riding, Toby’s interests include surfing, restoring old cars and traveling with his family.
Bxbxbx is back! – July. 19, 2024
Breakfast by bike has been a fun evolution and a cool community event that we do here at the shop. Bxbxbx is a hosted offshoot of the fantastic #coffeeoutside movement sweeping the world. Breakfast by bike started off with a donut ride, than evolved into making pancakes for folks, than coffee than basic pancake art and has now evolved into multi color pancake art, sometimes our buddy Dan from lowball bikes comes out and makes eggs and salsa as well! It also has the hot month evolution (may,June, August and sometimes September) of making cold brew and picking up some donuts! I’m stoked to announce I just finished putting together our calendar for breakfast by bike for the rest of the year. Come out and hang!
Wolf Tooth Flat-Mount to Post-Mount Adaptor – July. 12, 2024
The other day I got the joy of installing a new Sram Apex 12 speed eagle groupset for a customers drop bar mountain build. I’m super stoked on this new gruppo because it can run a 10-52 cassette without modification. Don’t get me wrong I like the ratio kit, but the brakes are soooooo much better on the 12 speed apex kit. That leads to the next isssue- the kit is designed for a gravel bike so it comes with flat mount brakes. On a mountain bike it comes with post or is mount brakes- the calipers can be swapped for a cleaner setup (at a cost $$$) or in steps Wolf Tooth with these awesome adaptors: problem solved, money saved and the setup works flawlessly!
Recovering Tim’s Stolen Bike – July. 5, 2024
I had a pretty exciting start of the week this week. Woke up in the morning on Monday and saw that a friends bike was stolen the night before on fourth avenue near the shop. On Monday mornings we start a little later because we close late and i usually do my favorite thing, a meandering ramble around town with no destination or agenda except to get back to work in time.
So I meandered and cruised around keeping an eye peeled for Tim’s bike- I looked in all the usual spots to no avail, but made a double back to look at some cool architecture near downtown. I came back through our historic courthouse (where Dillinger was held in court) and lo and behold, someone was riding Tim’s bike! I rolled up on them and stopped and talked for a bit and let them know they were riding a stolen bike. They were chill so we talked for a bit and got them reimbursed.
Now Tim has his beloved, special, custom built, sentimental ride. The key takeaway is not to judge, it sucks and is violating when a bike gets stolen, buts it’s really just a symptom of sad times. And I’m stoked the individual(who was houseless) has some cash back in his pocket to get a new ride (we sent him to Bicas to get an affordable refurbished bike)
#Swiftbailout2024 – June. 28, 2024
Sometimes you make decisions regarding cancelling a trip to protect folks (flash flooding, lightning, wildfire) and sometimes you cancel/change plans when things just don’t work out if people don’t sign up or life gets in the way. It’s always a bummer because you didn’t get to ride. Leading up to the 2024 Swift campout (usually sunny and warm and sweltering here in town) we started an early monsoon season! We eagerly watched the weather and the chances for severe thunder storms come and go. After it was all said and done the risk of storms was hovering in the 40-70 percent (depending on which weather service you watch) and we decided to risk it.
It turned out to be the right call even though we had to cancel the camping. We still rode with 15 people and a dog, JoJo, and had an absolute blast. It was humid and warm as we pedaled up Mt. Lemmon. Four of us split off for the mountain bike route. It started raining on us as we were enjoying fairy houses on sunset trail. We started down a canyon trail called Marshall gulch to make out way to meet the rest of the folks in Summerhaven.
That’s when it started to get sketchy. Heavy torrential rains nailed us and we hiked and biked through the canyon over some narrow edges and small creeks and waterfalls. We hiked and biked our way back into town. We all gathered under a patio to get as dry as possible. People’s weather apps said it would stop raining in an hour. Then we waited another one and another one and another one… the rain continued to pour and the lightning continued. Everyone looked at each other and you could tell we were about done. With everything flooded and the risk of lighting strike high, we decided to ride back down the mountain towards home.
Turns out Tucson got a historic storm to replenish our quenched desert and it continued to rain all night on the mountain. Was I sad we didn’t camp? Absolutely. But was I happy I got to ride with rad folks? Absolutely! Even though we didn’t get to camp for the campout, my cup and our water basins were full.
Ode to feed bags – June. 21, 2024
One of my favorite bags for everyday/bikepacking is actually a frame bag. It’s incredible how much food, water, (narrow) groceries, sleeping pads, libations, tarps and/or other sundries or repair kits or whatever you can fit in there.
But one problem that arises from that is you lose the classic water bottle spots. In comes the “feed bag” to save the day. What started as a simple solution to hold my water bottle for quick drink access became my next favorite piece of gear. It’s the easiest and fastest way to grab water no matter what the terrain, you don’t have to lean down and reach down to grab it- you just chill, move your hand towards your stem and you are hydrated. Not only do they hold water, but everyday they hold my keys, headphones, camera, phone and snacks (not necessarily an any order).
Be sure to check out our rad section from Revelate Designs, Swift Industries, and Oveja Negra and the find the perfect one for your needs! I’ll never go back to a normal water bottle cage in the frame again!
Scorp season – June. 14, 2024
It’s about that time of the year that the scorpions all come out of hiding to do some hunting at night for summer snacks. Scorpions don’t usually come out until after sunset and it’s at least 75-80’ F out. One really cool thing about scorpions is that their exoskeleton glows under a black light. That makes riding or hiking around with a black light a special treat. Lots of people are scared of scorpions, but they are an amazing part of the ecosystem and usually hide out (even at night) and prefer to be left alone.
Into the Hot, Dark Night – June. 7, 2024
As it gets hot here (hitting 100* F or 38* plus for our metric friends) night riding becomes a crucial and beautiful thing. Once the sun goes down things cool down and the desert creatures breathe a collected sigh of relief. There is something incredible and being in shorts and hot when it’s dark- it feels so freeing like you could go anywhere and everything feels so new and different as you have limited visions. Cheers to zooming through the tunnels during my favorite time of year with my favorite people and animals.
R.I.P. Pepe – May. 31, 2024
I’m a dog lover, nothing makes me more stoked than when someone brings a dog into the shop. We call it the pet tax. You bring your pet in and we get to pet it! Usually it ends with tons of sloppy dog kisses (my favorite). There is no better love than the love of a dog. I digress- we came across this amazing, yet sad piece on a meander ride around town. It’s made of the dog’s fur and has rocks for eyes and nose. R.I.P Pepe, the goodest dog ever.
Duck comics – May. 24, 2024
I’m not sure who is doing this, but there is an awesome comic book artist posting these fun comics around town on the back of street signs. It’s fun to find different ones and they always brighten up my red light time. Cheers to the mystery artist and hopefully other folks continue to make fun interactive street art!
Biking to Tucson Pops Orchestra – May. 17, 2024
During this season there is a great local pop orchestra, Tucson Pops, that does free concerts in Reid Park. We always try and grab some friends and head down. We bring picnic supplies and wine and a big blanket to spread out on. It’s such a treat to have such a rad resource that is free and anyone can join and enjoy some music. What is even cooler is that they always include local talent. This one was international award winning guitarist Gabríel Ayala. Gabriel is a local gem and important person in the music scene locally. See ya out there! Next one is May 19th, than again May 26th. If you wanna ride with us, hit me up and come along!
#castlesoftucson – May. 10, 2024
Alright, it’s time to confess. I have an (un)healthy obsession with castle shaped houses in Tucson. I’m not sure what is weirder, my obsession or the fact that I have located 16 so far and hopefully will come across more on my meanders around town. A great example that was recently listed on Zillow has gone wild.
I’ve slowly been compiling a list of the castles with help of some rad friends and hopefully will gather more! In the near future I’ll publish a map/ride that strings the castles together. I’m also trying to convince our friend Ash to re-hash a previous castle ride that they did years back (I’m not the only one haha). And here’s another that was from my ride the other day, this one is known as the Mollhollan Castle just to give you a little taste. Who is building all these castles, and why? Believe it or not!
Palo Verdes Blooming – May. 3, 2024
Nothing makes me more stoked to ride than the drastic, sudden blooming of the Palo Verde trees here in town. One minute it’s kinda cold in the morning and the next you’re riding in t shirt and shorts and enveloped by beautiful and drastic yellow everywhere. The bloom signals the arrival of early summer and warmer weather and brings out all the cool insects. It’s amazing how all the sudden your instagram feed turns bright yellow as it is a right of passage for Sonoran desert dwellers to wallow in Yellow Sea. Imagine your whole commute or fun ride tunneling through this georgeus yellow tunnel!
Horny Toad – Apr. 26, 2024
Check out this Horny Toad that crawled onto my hand when offered a ride last weekend! I was cruising around a nature preserve with some friends when we had to take a little rest stop and meander. Saw this horned lizard cruising on the grass nearby and squatted next to it. I put my hand out and to my surprise it walked onto my hand and chilled for a few. Such a fascinating creature. I imagine it as a miniature stegosaurus!
Flower Power – Apr. 19, 2024
I’ve got allergies and it’s getting me! But it’s beautiful!!! Take a look at this field of Globe Mallow from a ride with some friends this passed weekend to the secret arroyo trails. It’s been awesome riding around and seeing all the flowers and creatures come alive with the warmer weather.
Pump track love – Apr. 12, 2024
Thank you to the person that has been giving the barrio jumps and pump track some much needed love. They create a much needed and rad space for kids and people to hang out, and hone their skills. Kids need a space to practice and explore with bikes. There’s also a new one opening up this month in Oro Valley. Stoked to go check it out. Can’t wait to see more of these spaces go in across town so folks from every neighborhood can access them.
extremecommutering – Apr. 5, 2024
It’s been a bit rainy and coldish here lately. It’s means I’ve had to ride in the rain with no fenders <gasp> because why would you ride with fenders when it’s usually warm and sunny and they just bang around and get bent. I’ve been thinking of all the folks that are coming out of their snow season and people that ride year round in the slush and grey and lobster mitts and bar yaks. How lucky i am to only slightly be uncomfortable a few days a year on my daily bike commute. Here’s an ode to y’all. May the sunny days be sunnier and warmth radiate on your skin. May the cars give you much girth and wave you through. Here’s a pic of me extreme commutering maybe 15 years ago beach style. (There was a random trampoline on the boardwalk on my way home from work)
Ode to before work rides. – Mar. 29, 2024
I’m going to preface this by saying I’m not a morning person. I’m lucky enough to get to commute by bike and ride with my kiddo in. On Mondays and Fridays we’re open a little later and it means I can have a chill morning to myself or go for a little ride. Here’s a snippet from riding up to Sentinal Peak “A” mountain here for earned coffee and breakfast with a view after a little climb up the road…
Behind the scenes. – Mar. 22, 2024
I believe strongly that no one is self made, it’s always about the people and the support structures around us that make or break people. It was a really cool opportunity to be able to host Swift Industries at our shop for their pop up and be able to ride with them this last weekend. It’s also really fun when we get to do something different and do the Swift Industries instagram takeover. I’m not much of a grammer, and the shop has been busy so it would have been tricky trying to do a good job and pull it off, but I’m super lucky my partner, Benicia is super rad and really good at making beautiful instagram stuff. We took the reins of the Swift Instagram in the A.M. and took them on a morning ride around downtown and to the barrio to grab some coffee, see some flowers and open the shop than take people on a beautiful sunset ride along the loop. Benicia made it such a beautiful and fun experience and the visuals were fantastic. Thank you so much Benicia for always being my rock and making my life better!
Deep breaths – Mar. 15, 2024
Got a chance to do a little trail time this weekend with my kiddo and a bud. Kiddo decided they weren’t into it anymore when we got out there, but I convinced them to push on and how sometimes being uncomfortable could be worked through and to try and focus on the present moment. After multiple stops and breakdowns and maybe 5.5 miles we took a long break and hiked to a beautiful spot with a wide view of snow capped peaks and took some breaths together. We chatted, we sat in silence, we enjoyed the view and then at some point maybe after 15 minutes it just kinda clicked. We rode on and finished the rest of the ride in flying colors and rewarded ourselves with some fast food on our way home. I mean it even happens to me sometimes when I’m out on my own. Sometimes struggles stick and sometimes we can work through it. Stoked we were able to work through it because it made for a wonderful day. Grateful for a little vitamin T.
Spring has sprung – Mar. 8, 2024
Lately on my rides and commutes I have been on the kind of meandering vibe. I’ve been soft pedaling around and taking different routes every few days. When I ride with my kid I’ve been encouraging the wander when we go on a cruise. What this is all meaning to me is that it’s warming up and I feel a bit more stoked to be outside ( I know it’s relative, but 50’ is cold haha). We’ve had some good rains lately and flowers are blooming. Here’s some poppies and my messy workbench- because it’s bike season here in Tucson and it’s not just the flowers that poppin- so is the shop! Come by and say hi!
On the Chill Ride – Mar. 1, 2024
Once a month our buddy Henley and his partner Katie offer to get folks together and do a little chill ride. The idea of the chill ride is cruise around and enjoy town casually with a bunch of friends and check stuff out. Sometimes the theme could be tacos, or paletas, or murals. The ride always starts at Presta Coffee a local shop and roaster that’s has fantastic coffee, than we’ll cruises out around town. This month we cruised to Tucson’s Tallest tree, Phina’s Tree. Read about it here. It was a nice cruise around downtown, the Santa Cruz River path and back into town to grab some delicious tacos and raspados from Taqueria Pico del Gallo. If you don’t already, give Henley a follow and hopefully see y’all out there!
Giving Some Love to Alexander’s Bike – Feb. 23, 2024
Bikes take us on all kinds of journeys- weather it be physical, mental or spiritual. This week I had the pleasure of working on my friend Alexander’s rad rig. It’s taken him on many physical journeys as well as healing journeys. Thousands of miles of sweat, pain and love have been pedaled out in this beautiful robins egg Surly Bridge Club. It constantly amazes me what bikes can do for us. Imagine if everyone rode everyday and just pedaled through thoughts. We had this conversation about how sitting in a car really changes your mindset and your vibe. So go get that fresh air, pedal through your thoughts and pain and heal. Pedal through those headwinds in life. Pedal through those headwinds on a ride and just keep pedaling.
KofA Leaverite – Feb. 16, 2024
One of my favorite things to do when visiting new and unfamiliar places is spending time just walking around and checking it out. I love seeing things left behind that tell a story of people that have inhabited or traveled through the area. This last weekend we cruised through the KofA national wildlife refuge, and we were lucky enough to camp right below a mining dump on the first night. The area was full of old glass, cans, containers, and other debris. Here’s where Leaverite comes in… it’s a term that usually refers to a common, worthless mineral that people don’t want, but for me it’s more of a personal philosophy about respecting the places I visit, not taking what isn’t mine, as well as preserving a place for future generations to visit. It’s very important to remember to respect indigenous sites and not visit those areas if they are sacred as well as to remember that many of these items are also protected by the archaeological and historical preservation act as well as the antiquities act. So what I do is check out the pieces left behind, whether it be pottery, glass, cans, equipment and I Leaverite there for others to find and check out. It’s really fulfilling to find these pieces and contemplate about the time period and the people that these items belonged to and think about their story and what life was like for them at that time. At this site we saw lots of manganese purple glass, thick bottles, plates and various other cans and containers. It was interesting to see a juxtaposition of items from 1880-1930’s as well as various can and containers left by visitors that dated up until the 60’s. Here’s a splattering of pictures of some leaverite that we saw this weekend. And remember, take only pictures and Leaverite there!
Tortolita Preserve Personal Preservation – Feb. 2, 2024
With an upcoming trip I’ve been trying to spend a little extra time on my bike to get ready (spoiler alert- it hasn’t really happened) sometimes life has a way of sidetracking and getting you in a different direction. Everyone in my family has gotten sick a couple of times in the last couple of weeks, but we did manage to make it out for quick little ride. We chose to take it easy and chose a smooth, swoopy 10 mile loop called Tortolita Preserve. My original plan was to ride home through another mountain bike area making it a 25 mile trail and 25 mile road day, but food poisoning the night before derailed (get it) that idea. End the end, those 10 miles of smooth swooping trails was what the soul really needed. Hopefully I survive the Gila River Ramble. Haha.
Ode to JoJo – Jan 26, 2024
JoJo the wonderdog.
Dogs make the world a better place. The same can be said for a bike shop dog- or cat for that matter. I’m really excited to be dog sitting JoJo Jenkins the wondedog. JoJo’s human is Nick Bardonnay, a friend who has been on some shop camping trips as well as put on many friends rides including Sarah Swallow’s Sky Islands Adventure series as well as Henley Phillip’s Chill Rides. You’d be surprised but I’ve seen JoJo run 16 miles! JoJo also nestles nicely into a backpack for those longer or unsafe sections. If you grab a bike JoJo will excitedly spin circles letting you know that he’s stoked to go on a ride. I’m pretty sure JoJo is about the perfect dog, come find out for yourself.
Used Bike Emporiam – Jan 19, 2024
A little known fact is that we will occasionally do consignments here at the shop. Keep in mind these are rare and only in special cases of a combination of our need and special bikes that fit our niche as well these are local sales only. But, also very rare is that we have multiple really cool bikes for sale here at the same time…
- Jones Spaceframe size Small custom build with Sram GX gruppo that is an ultimate bikepacking rig $4000.
- Jones SWB stock build size large with low miles, a dream machine for $1500
- 1995 Bontrager OR 17″ Handmade in Santa Cruz that is amazingly clean and original! $900
- 1994/5? Jamis Dragon Fly 17.5″ Handmade by Tim Teesdale in the USA out of the very uncommon aramet tubing and Ti Spokes! $750 $
- Really cool and classic Soma Saga Touring bike 54cm that sports 650b wheels and is ready to be loaded up! $800
Come by and check em out best deals out there in Toby’s Used bike emporium(J/K).
Ode to Night Riding – Jan 12, 2024
As we jump from summer/fall to winter, I want to reminisce about the pure joy of night riding in Tucson. Night riding holds a special place for me. During these seasons you can simply head out in t-shirts and shorts, not thinking of gear or layers and just pedal in any direction your heart desires. I have a kid and it’s the easiest time for me to make space for myself and get out and pedal. It’s super important during summer as an escape from the heat, but also becomes a special time to leave the busy shop in the fall and head straight out the door to some beautiful nature and space. I always feel it’s important to get in some vitamin nature when you can and just go out there and absorb it. There’s something about the stars and night sky that gives me direction, I have to remember this when I get too busy and remember fresh air is just a pedal away.