Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Inc. is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit, tax exempt organization responsible for the production and promotion of five major cycling events-- El Tour de Tucson, El Tour de Phoenix, Cochise County Cycling Classic, Tour of the Tucson Mountains and Indoor El Tour -- as well as an annual Bike, Fitness & Health Expo, Wellness Conference, El Tour Golf Classic, El Tour Walk/Run and Kids & Family Fun Rides .

Each Perimeter Bicycling event raises funds for non-profit, charitable agencies. During the early years, the organization was known as El Tour de Tucson; with the addition of a second event -- Tour of the Tucson Mountains in 1986 -- Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Inc. was formed. Over the past 26 years, Perimeter Bicycling events have helped raise over $26 million for local and national charitable organizations.

Perimeter Bicycling publishes Tail Winds, a bi-monthly newspaper, and the annual Perimeter Bicycling Journal. Perimeter Bicycling is also a membership organization that sanctions world records in perimeter cycling and records the perimeter accomplishments of its members. All records and accomplishments are updated on an annual basis in Perimeter Bicycling Journal and TailWinds.

Founded in 1983, El Tour de Tucson is Perimeter Bicycling’s flagship event and the largest perimeter bicycling event in America. Held annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving, El Tour attracts thousands of cyclists from all around the world. Southwest Airlines’ in-flight magazine, Spirit (June 2001) named El Tour de Tucson “one of the premier organized rides in United States,” and Bicycling Magazine (October 2002) ranked El Tour as “one of the top three fundraising rides” in the country. Since 2005, Perimeter Bicycling has produced an annual Downtown Fiesta on El Tour day, bringing together cyclists, tourists and members of the greater Tucson community for a celebration of art, health and fitness.  

Perimeter Bicycling is dedicated to making Tucson/Pima County the nation’s best bicycling region. In 2008, the League of American Bicyclists (LAB) awarded the Tucson/Pima Eastern Region gold-level status for its commitment to providing safe facilities for bicyclists and its support for bicycling for recreation, fitness and transportation. To date, only Davis, California and Boulder, Colorado and Portland, Oregon have achieved platinum-level. Perimeter Bicycling along with volunteers and staff from the City of Tucson and Pima County continue to work together to garner top honors. Tucson’s bicycle-friendly reputation continues to spread: This fall, in its “Best Places to Live” article, National Geographic Adventure (October 2008) named Tucson as the “best town for cyclists” in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Perimeter Bicycling connects communities nationally and internationally. In the past three years, Perimeter Bicycling has cultivated relationships with Japanese event organizers and helps promote and support El Tour de Mt. Fuji and El Tour de Kusatsu, held annually, during September and April, respectively. Both events are modeled after El Tour’s perimeter concept “Cycling in Pursuit of Wellness”.

 

In addition to fund-raising events, Perimeter Bicycling has established three premier funds where businesses and individuals can support worthy causes within our community. Contributions can be made to any one of these funds by sending a check to Perimeter Bicycling Association of America, Inc., specifying your choice of fund. All donations are tax-deductible.

The Brad P. Gorman Memorial Fund helps with projects that make our streets safer, including establishing bike trails and         educating motorists and cyclists alike on sharing our roads.

The Matthew Preston Memorial Fund provides free and/or low-cost housing for University of Arizona graduate students studying health or medicine.

The Perimeter Bicycling Fund helps ensure the continuance of Perimeter Bicycling, its cycling events and associated projects, especially El Tour de Tucson. Contributions to the Perimeter Fund go to the promotion of all four cycling events which help raise funds for other worthy non-profit agencies as well as on-going education and advocacy efforts to promote safe cycling and a healthy lifestyle.

Our motto: “One learns more by going around than by cutting across.”