March General Meeting
Thursday March 13th 2025 at 7pm

Catalina United Methodist Church
2700 E. Speedway Blvd
Tucson AZ, 85716 

Location on Google Maps

Bicycling Across Southeast Asia
 

At our March meeting, Don Erickson will share his adventures of cycling through Southeast Asia.

In 2024, Don recruited 9 other riders to join him on this 2 ½ month self-organized and self-supported tour of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.

The route started in Hanoi and continued down the length of Vietnam, across Cambodia, and along the SE coast of Thailand. Experience the bustling cities of Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh and Bangkok; Buddhist temples and Vietnamese war memorials; Angkor Wat, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; colorful street markets and tasty cuisine; and the wonderful people encountered along the way.

Meetings are held in the H230 conference room at the Catalina United Methodist Church at 2700 E Speedway Blvd (southwest corner of Speedway and Treat). Parking is directly across from the church in their parking lot on the other side of Treat Ave.

You can come a little early and socialize with other GABA members. And, non-member guests are welcome

Finally, if you or anyone you know might have some bicycling adventures to share at future GABA meetings, please contact the program coordinator:

Barry Weiss at bdweiss@arizona.edu. 

The MeetUp Link is here

Catalina United Methodist Church
2700 E. Speedway Blvd, Room H230
Tucson, AZ 85716

Click here to view this location on Google Maps.

Mt. Lemmon Hill Climb

May 2 - 4, 2025

Now a 3 day Event!

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

Mt Lemmon Hill Climb 25

Thank You to all that pre-ordered a jersey. We are looking forward to seeing everyone out there in May!
Join some of our training rides for the event, find them on MeetUp!

Here's a sneek-peek of some upcoming events

Announcements will be sent out by email and on Facebook/Instagram

when registration opens, see you out there!

GABA EVENTS

E-Assist Etiquette
Bob Willman

GABA’s goal is to support all types of active riders. We are in a transition period where the ratio of e-bikes to analog bikes is increasing, and it is our goal to make this a seamless transition. As we age, and want to continue participating in group rides, some of us will transition to an eBike or eTrike (both henceforth referred to as eBikes). So, the question arises,” Are eBikes allowed on GABA Rides?” The answer has several levels.

The first level of yes or no is from Greater Arizona Bicycling Association. The answer there is yes, ebikes are allowed on GABA rides.

The second level of yes or no is from the ride leader. Most ride leaders allow eBikes on their rides. And some ride leaders will sometimes allow eBikes on their rides depending on the type of ride they are leading. So, if the ride posting does not exclude eBikes, eBikes are allowed on that specific ride.

The third level of yes or no is the eBike rider and how well they ride with the group. Ebike riders should maintain the ride leader’s pace and avoid disruptive actions. So, if you are riding an eBike you need to blend in with the non eBike riders not the other way around. Before you join a GABA ride on an eBike, are you familiar with how your eBike handles? Can you maintain a constant speed or are you constantly speeding up and then slowing down, making it extremely difficult and dangerous for the riders behind you to maintain a constant pace. Please practice with your new eBike on several rides prior to joining a GABA group ride or you may be asked by the ride leader not to participate in his future GABA rides.

There are good and some not so good bike and Ebike riders. I asked one of our particularly good and considerate eBike riders to help with a list of “Suggestions of Etiquette for Riding with a Group on an eBike.”

• Zooming along on an eBike is lot of fun, but your riding should not adversely affect the comfort and safety of other members of the group. You may still want to have friends at the end of the ride.
• If you really want to zoom, do it on your own or with a group of other eBikers.
• Try riding your eBike so that no one knows that you are on one.
• Try to ride within the group, as you would if you were on a regular bike, not using your power to stay up front.
• And if the Ride Leader tells the group to ride at their own pace, don’t desert your friends.
• When climbing up hills, be particularly respectful of those riders on regular bikes; this means not zipping by them, and, preferably, not passing them while spouting snide remarks.
• If you must pass another rider, let them know, and do not do it at high speed.
• Try to pedal with the same cadence as those around you; zipping along while barely pedaling might still be exercise, but it is not being a member of the group in good standing.
• As much as possible, avoid the use of throttles. They may be needed at startups on heavy bikes, but to others it may seem like you are riding a motorbike not a bicycle.
• Again remember, try riding your eBike so that no one knows you are on one. 

Looking for a Day Ride?
Check out our MeetUp page!
We have social rides, scenic routes and even training rides!
Mt. Lemmon Hill Climb Training rides are starting, join one now!
Join a Bike Repair here also!

GABA Wants You...for the Supported Rides Group! Join the Supported Rides Group and help GABA make the magic of the Supported Rides program happen!

Have fun and make new friends while helping your club be the best it can be and learning from one of the best-supported rides teams in the country. No experience necessary!

Supported Rides is responsible for coordinating and organizing the Century and Overnight Rides for GABA. These rides and events are the pinnacle for this organization. Having someone new with new energy and ideas for Supported Rides would be great for GABA and the Tucson community.  This position is open to more than one individual.

The Supported Rides Coordinator is a Board member position. The Supported Rides Coordinator is responsible for the direction of Supported Rides and will contribute to the success of GABA.  If you’re interested in becoming a Supported Rides Coordinator, please contact John at supportedrides@bikegaba.org or Matt Harmon at president@bikegaba.org.

GABA has a monthly newsletter, Paceline, available to both active GABA members and nonmembers. If you would like to receive this wonderful update on GABA happenings, please click this button. Paceline