Want to escape the cold and discover one of the nation’s hot spots for biking? Sue and I like Tucson, Arizona for January temperatures in the 60s and 70s and for the area’s hiking and biking trails. We sampled The Loop, a 60-mile-plus paved bike path around the city that took us through desert cactus scenery. We bought inexpensive Trek hybrids at a great shop here; road bikes would work well on The Loop, but we plan to ride unpaved paths later this year. (We walk the mountain paths around Tucson.)

Spectacular Seguaro cactus forests climb nearby mountains that offer hundreds of miles of hiking trails, many open to bikers. I will share more of Sue’s photos on future posts.

It was tough to give up our Giant 90s-era hybrids that Sue’s parents rode around Europe and the USA. But their weight and the pull of new technology finally drew us to updated bikes. We donated the Giants to Bicas, a Tucson warehouse and workshop that connects bikes to people in need. Mom and Dad would approve, I am sure.