TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) – Cyclists are getting back in the saddle for the Tour de Tucson and local businesses are stepping up to meet the needs of thousands of riders.

Many of them have already traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles to come here and this is an opportunity for southern Arizona to attract repeat visitors.

More than a hundred spaces with a variety of vendors filled the Tucson Convention Center exhibit hall Thursday to promote other events or to meet the immediate needs of cyclists preparing for Saturday’s ride.

List of road closures for El Tour de Tucson 2024

The event attracts businesses from across the city and visitors who have never seen Tucson before.

“You know, it’s a huge influx of dollars into the community for the size of the event,” said Geoff Ruffle, a new visitor to Tucson from Calgary.

Every year, El Tour attracts new people like Ruffle to the Old Pueblo. He found El Tour de Tucson on social networks and will stay all weekend.

“Although riding is the biggest part of the trip, it’s only a few hours each day and there are so many other areas to explore in this community that, you know, we’ll be busy,” Ruffle said.

“Now that El Tour is starting, it’s kind of the kickoff to our busy season when the weather gets nice and everyone comes back to Tucson and revitalizes business,” said Ryan Tiffin, owner of Copper ray cycles.

Tiffin has been in the bike business for decades and said only now are things returning to normal after the pandemic.

“Road cycling, I think in general, being a group activity has kind of declined and now it’s coming back and so we’re seeing a lot more road business in recent years,” Tiffin says .

But he knows that El Tour is almost always good for business.

“Typically it really picks up and always saves people’s ride or ride at the last minute when something goes wrong,” Tiffin said.

And visitors like Ruffle who come here once expect to come back next time for more than just the ride.

“We can go back (to Tucson) because how much cycling can be done here. So it brought us here initially, but it will probably bring us back just because of the city as a whole,” Ruffle said.

Ruffle said he was really impressed with the Chuck Huckleberry Buckle, which is a path that many cyclists take around the Tucson area.

Around 10,000 riders are expected at El Tour this year.

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