Greater Arizona Bicycling Association
Where cycling is more than just riding a bike

HomeMt Lemmon Hill Climb 25

Mt. Lemmon Hill Climb

Date: May 2, 2025 6:00 am to 3:00 pm
Location: 4100 N. Harrison Rd, Tucson, AZ 85749
Distance: 59.6 miles

Now Offering a 3 Day Event Option!

Day 1: Friday May 2, the Main Event - Our supported ride up Mt. Lemmon with lunch back at the park

Day 2: Saturday May 3, Recovery Ride - guided and self guided rides to Mo Udall Park for a picnic lunch and ice cream social

Day 3: Scenic Rides - guided and self guided options exploring some of Tucson's finest rides with refreshments

Another new change: Event Jerseys!!

We've partnered with Mumu Apparel to bring you this great jersey for an additional $55 but we can only have the store open until February 24th so they can be shipped to you in time for the ride!
Order Your Jersey Now!

According to John Summerson, "The Complete Guide to Climbing By Bike", Mt Lemmon is 33rd on the list of 100 toughest road bike climbs in the US, with a rating of either "hors category" or "category 1" on the scale used to rank the climbs in European stage racing.

Yes, Mt Lemmon is right up there with the famous passes in the European tours: hardly anywhere else in the US can you climb so high for so many miles in succession. That's why, every winter, Tucson sees packs of riders in matching jerseys, many of them speaking languages other than English, booking up the mountain.

But because the road is so long, it's also very forgiving: the grade averages only 4.5% for 6600 feet of elevation gain over the 56-mile round trip, and the almost continuous 21-mile descent at the end is exciting without ever being terrifying.

If you haven't ridden the Lemmon in a while (or ever), GABA can help make it easy. You can minimize the weight in your pockets because we provide four SAG stops, about six miles apart, with fluids, munchies, and healthy carbs. In honor of the pie shop that once operated in Summerhaven near the summit, the uppermost SAG will serve a variety of pies. You can also opt to buy yourself lunch at the restaurants in Summerhaven or Ski Valley at the top. In case something goes wrong, GABA provides vehicular sweep support to help with mechanical problems or provide a lift.

If you're not interested in "easy", GABA can help with that, too. Round up a posse of your riding buddies, see how fast you can fly to the top, and enjoy a social stop to eat pie and swap lies before you charge back down.

Pima County Department of Transportation has required the Greater Arizona Bicycle Association to implement a “staged release”, no more than 5 riders at a time, from McDonald Park parking lot for all riders in large groups to the base of Catalina Hwy. Please be patient with our volunteers implementing this request from Pima County Department of Transportation.

REGISTRATION

Online registration closes at 10 pm on Wednesday April 30, prior to the ride.

Each rider is required to register. Fees are per rider, not per bike (both riders of a tandem must register separately.)

Be aware of the cancellation policy (on the registration page). You must login as a member and register online for the member price.

* February 12 - April 11
One Day on Mt. Lemmon - GABA Members $50.00/ Non - Members $70.00
All 3 Days GABA Members $70.00/ Non - Members $90.00

* April 12 - April 30
One Day on Mt. Lemmon - GABA Members $60.00/ Non - Members $80.00
All 3 Days - GABA Members $80.00/ Non Members $100.00

* Day of Event:
* NO DAY OF EVENT REGISTRATION

What your ride fee covers:
The fee covers all SAG food, to include a great assortment of Pies at SAG 4, lunch at the end of the ride, as well as supplies and volunteers. GABA also provides financial support and volunteers for various other bicycling activities and organizations. Among these activities and organizations are the Tucson Bicycle Classic, Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Bicycle Inter-community Art and Salvage (BICAS), El Grupo, Boys and Girls Club, The U of A Cycling Team, Ride on Tucson, Cyclovia, and our Bicycle Repair.

Ride Specific Information

Coming soon more specific information about each day of the ride! if you have questions, contact John Harrison, Ride Organizer through the Supported Rides email at supportedrides@bakegaba.org or Ginger Ververelli Co-organizer at dayrides@bikegaba.org