John  Farr  Memorial Desert  Double  Century

Saturday,  April 19,  2003

Ride Organizer:  Suzanne Couvrette, (520) 358-3466

Registration Time:  Starts at 5 AM.

Ride Starting Time:  Riders must be on the road by 5:15 AM

Sunrise Time:  5:50 AM.

Starting Point:   To be announced after you register.

Two Options:

This year, we offer the "traditional" loop through the Tohono O'Odham Nation for a Double Century, plus an out and back option for a Double Metric Century.

Terrain: The course is fairly flat, except for a few long gentle gradual climbs, for example to Sells and to Quijotoa, and over a couple of small hills between Quijotoa and Arizona City.  The final 50 miles are totally flat.

Course: The Double Century course is a giant Loop, going west on Ajo Rd. towards Three Points; then continuing west gradually climbing to the base of Kitt Peak, a majestic mountain looming above you at 6,875 feet high! After you crest (the base, of course!), it is downhill to the town of Sells, elevation 2,360 ft.  Now you can see the outline of Baboquivari Peak, a sacred mountain to the Tohono Indians, elevation 7,730 ft. towering above all the other mountains.  Along the way, enjoy a lush desert in full bloom with a great variety of wildflowers!

After Sells, continue west and down for a while, then gradually climb to the town of Quijotoa, elevation 2, 024 ft.  Here, riders will turn north and cycle in fairly flat terrain with mountain ranges in the distance, with little traffic and good pavement.

A turn east takes you through the small town of Arizona City.  Then, the course returns south east towards Tucson, via Eloy, Picacho and Marana back to the starting point.

Safety concerns: At 5:15 AM on April 19th, 3 days after the full moon, the moon will be bright enough to help you see the road.  However, a helmet, a front light and a rear reflector are mandatory, as you'll be riding in the dark for about 35 minutes. The reason for the very "early" start is to make it possible for all riders to finish while there is still daylight.  If you have not finished by sundown (6:55 PM), we will pick you up.

RELAY TEAMS

GABA-Tucson is welcoming riders who want to participate in our centuries and our double century as a Relay Team.  This will allow more riders to participate in longer events, as they will pedal shorter distances for now, and hopefully, return next year ready for the whole distance.

Relay teams could be single bicycle riders, tandem riders, handcyclists, recumbents, etc.  The number of riders in a team can vary from 3 to 6 or more.

Requirements:

1.  Relay Teams must send their registrations in ONE envelope all at the same time.

2.  Relay Teams must arrange their own transportation as they alternate from one rider to another.

3.  Relay Teams will pay as follows:  The first two team members will pay the full fee for the ride; the 3rd and 4th team members will pay 1/2 of the regular ride fee; all the other team members will pay 1/4 of the regular ride fee.

4.  Relay Teams will only be accepted for centuries and double centuries, and not for any other shorter rides.

Ride Fee: 

Day of Event: 

Please sign up early enough to make the ride leader's job easier!  We need to know how much food to buy!

Registration Form

This form is in Adobe Acrobat Format (PDF). You must have Adobe installed in order to download them, click HERE if you need to install Adobe first.

Included in your fee:

1. Several SAG STOPS along the course including a Lunch Stop, staffed with smiling volunteers;

2. Full vehicle support along the 200-mile route, ready to pick you up in case of physical or mechanical failure;

3. Course map with distances and location of sag stops/stores.

Volunteers are needed and appreciated!  If you can help, please contact Suzanne at 358-3466.

GABA-Tucson Cancellation Policy as Adopted by GABA-Tucson Board