TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — It’s the most wonderful time of the year for Tucson bike shops. Owners are helping dozens of riders a week looking for a tune up before the race.
“This year the anticipation is there will be 8,000 plus riders, so ridership is up higher and about 60% of that is local," said Steve Morganstern, Owner of Bicycle Ranch. "Definitely we’ve seen an increase in business.”
Shop owners say repairs will take around 5-7 days to complete. So riders should check their moving parts before they get moving.
“It’s important to make sure the shifting is smooth and the braking is working well," said Dan Millis, a mechanic at Roadrunner Bikes. "These are safety things, it’ll make for a more enjoyable ride but it’s super important for safety.”
Mechanics say flat tires are dangerously common on El Tour.
“For the tires themselves, you're looking for physical cuts, you're looking for dry rot, if it’s been sitting for a long time it can be crunchy,” Morganstern said.
Out of state riders are shipping their bikes in to have them prepped, or renting out road bikes. Shop owners say they're running out of availability.
“We’ve got these Contend AR-1s really nice giant $2,000 that you can rent for $55 a day so people are definitely taking us up on that,” Millis said.
Of course once all the gear is prepped, it’s time to enjoy the ride.
“It’s not just about those riding, it’s about the whole community involvement,” Morganstern said.
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Perla Shaheen is a reporter for KGUN 9. Perla graduated in May 2020 from the University of California, Berkeley, where she majored in Political Science. Share your story ideas and important issues with Perla by emailing perla.shaheen@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
