Tucson celebrates Cyclovia's 25th ride with cyclists of all ages

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The streets of Tucson belonged to cyclists on Saturday, as thousands of riders grabbed their bikes, their friends and their families for Cyclovia's 25th ride through the heart of the city.

The annual event is organized by Living Streets Alliance with a straightforward mission: build a city where the road can be shared safely.

For one full day, major streets close to cars and open to cyclists, skaters and pedestrians, giving Tucsonans the rare chance to explore their city at their own pace, without watching for traffic.

For some, it was a first-time experience. Leah Oritz, who rode out with friends Thomas Weiss and Andrew Kessler, said Cyclovia gave her a reason to discover parts of Tucson she had never seen before.

"We've never done [Cyclovia] before, so we're just seeing what's going on, checking out the sides of town we haven't been in before," Ortiz said.

Weiss said the event does something a regular weekend ride simply cannot; it takes the intimidation out of cycling in a busy city and makes the open road feel genuinely welcoming.

"I think it's important to get people more comfortable with taking advantage of Tucson because it's a very bikeable city, but it can be really intimidating, especially when you're around other people or cars," Weiss said. "So having events like these where they close off the streets really makes it more accessible for people to get more comfortable."

Dozens of vendors, including R.E.I. Tucson showed up to make sure no flat tire or faulty brake stood between a rider and a good day.

Bike Supervisor Johnny Yaiken said Cyclovia is a natural fit for the store — and for the community it serves.

"It's really good for the community, and it's also really good for the business as well," Yaiken said. "We come out, and we do free flat repairs, brake adjustments, derailleur adjustments, things like that to get the community back rolling here at Cyclovia."

For Yaiken, the business is almost beside the point. What he keeps coming back to is the crowd itself.

"So all walks of life, all types of community out here at Cyclovia celebrating life on two wheels," Yaiken said.

From toddlers on balance bikes to veteran riders who have been doing this for years, the energy on Tucson's car-free streets was hard to miss.