Originally hailing from Baltimore, Maryland, Tom now calls Tucson, Arizona home.
The 66-year old has been riding for a while, but only recently starting contributing rides to FulGaz after realising there was nothing from his own backyard.
Favourite rides in real life?
My favourite ride along a bike path is Rillito Pantano, which you can find on FulGaz, but out on the road, it’s “Eastside Tucson” which includes the ride to and from the Cactus Loop.
But, if it’s gravel you’re asking about, then Willow Springs as it has a network of gravel roads with more cows than cars as you can easily get 100+ miles in the area without ever touching any pavement.
Favourite FulGaz ride & why?
It is hard to identify a favourite. I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland so I am partial to Rick Norton’s rides. I love Larry’s ride and the Crabtree Falls ride. In fact, 40+ years ago as an engineer for the US Forest Service, I worked on the development of the Crabtree Falls hiking trail which Rick’s ride passes. Good memories. I ride the Centennial Park loop quite often for warm-ups and cooldowns. Finally, I enjoy the rides in Ireland, particularly the Flying Airport Loop.
How did you start filming with FulGaz?
After I subscribed to FulGaz and really enjoyed the app, I saw that there were no rides in Tucson and thought it would be cool to produce some rides. “A Taste of the Tucson Foothills” was meant to just be a demo, but it came out well enough to merit publication. I have quite a few more rides to record, but I am waiting for the winter crowds to die down so that there is not as much biking and automobile traffic. Mt Lemmon is the crown jewel of the Tucson biking scene. That is next on my list.
Favourite cycling memory?
I have many great cycling memories, but if I had to name one, it would be a 5-week self-supported bike tour my wife and I did in France in the summer of 1990. Each day started with breakfast in camp followed by coffee and croissants as we hit the road. Lunch would typically be a sandwich at a bar along our route of the day. As we approached our next camp, we would collect all the provisions we needed for the evening meal: a beer for setting up camp; fruits and veggies; tasty treats from the charcuterie; a loaf of bread from the boulangerie; and finally a bottle of the local wine. Life was good. Oh, and we also saw lots of sights along the way.
