ORO VALLEY, Ariz. (KGUN) — It’s no secret that Tucson is a sprawling city.
Despite that, many locals take advantage of the region’s great weather by grabbing their helmets and bikes and exploring the city.
"Back then, we didn’t have iPads growing up, so my bike was my iPad," said Emilio Perez, a cyclist and employee at Trek Bicycle.
Every May, thousands of Americans like Perez leave the car keys at home and opt for a bike during National Bike Month.
"It’s a huge health factor there," Perez said when speaking about the benefits of using a bike. "Being out in your community on these trails. With your friends, with your family. It’s a great time. There’s so many benefits to it."
Tyler Morganstern is also a cyclist, who said, "So I’ve always grown up riding bikes."
Morganstern’s job at his dad’s bicycle shop, Bicycle Ranch, keeps him pretty busy these days.
However, he says when he is biking, he enjoys using the city’s existing infrastructure, such as the 130-mile loop, to discover new parts of the city.
"You can see anything from the warehouse district to downtown to literally around Tucson," he said. "It’s paved, it’s maintained, it is just a nice way to get out there without having to worry about cars."
The importance of the loop and other cycling infrastructure can’t be understated; a recent study from Axios revealed Tucson has the second-highest number of cyclist deaths per capita in the U.S.
Perez feels "Tucson’s doing great" with its efforts to improve bicycle infrastructure. However, he feels "there’s more room for improvement."
While per capita data can often be misleading, cyclists like Perez and Morganstern hope the city continues making improvements while urging drivers to be more aware.
