The Tucson motorcycle app for Mt Lemmon and beyond

Straight answer: Rippin' has a handful of riders in Arizona and none of the Tucson classics are in the app yet. The only approved Arizona road so far is Tortilla Flat, up near Phoenix. Tucson's turf is unclaimed.

For a new rider on the app, that's the best possible start. Ride a loop through town and it's very likely new turf. Add Mt Lemmon, Gates Pass or Kitt Peak and your name stays on it. Post a bike night and it's the one riders see. Everything in the game is free.

The full guide, with a map and what to watch for, is the Tucson and Southern Arizona ride guide. For the rest of the state, see the best motorcycle roads in Arizona.

Plan any of these with the loop builder, then ride it with turn-by-turn inside Rippin' or hand it to Apple Maps or Google Maps. The Ride Wrapped recap at the end shows the map, miles, turf and points.

Tucson sits in a bowl with mountains on every side, which makes it a natural turf town. A loop out Speedway, over Gates Pass, along Kinney Road and back closes around a big piece of the west side. A loop around the Catalina foothills can claim the north.

Empty land is free to claim. Once it's yours, other riders have to ride a tighter loop through it to carve a piece away, and you can spend points to lock your best ground so it can't be touched. Squad turf counts for the crew. Read how Turf Wars works and see it on the live map.

Moto shops, cafes, bars and dealerships can become poker stops, so every rider who arrives gets a card. In a market this early, the first stops on the map get found first. Start on the partners page. Riders who want to get Tucson going can read about the ambassador program.

A cafe in Summerhaven, a shop near the foot of the mountain, a diner in Sonoita or a bar in Bisbee all sit where Tucson riders already stop. As poker stops, they turn a regular day ride into a hand of cards, and squads can string them into their own runs. Riders can also nominate a stop they love.

Tucson rides well from October through April. Summer is hot, but Mt Lemmon is right there, so Tucson riders have one of the easiest heat escapes in the state: ride up at dawn, have breakfast in the pines, and come down before the valley floor heats up.

Monsoon storms build most afternoons from mid-June through September, with lightning, flash floods in the washes and sudden wind. Plan to be home early. Our guide to riding a motorcycle in Arizona heat covers it, and the best time to ride in Arizona has the month by month view.

Southern Arizona is big and empty between towns. Fuel up before Kitt Peak, Sonoita or the run to Bisbee, and carry water. Rippin' sends weather alerts before you ride and riders flag hazards on the map.