There may be better places to mountain bike than the southern passages of the Arizona Trail. And there may be better trip planning, guiding and support teams than HomeGrown MTB. But, frankly, it's hard to imagine either. In this world of constantly and casually used superlatives, I was somewhat cautious about embracing Tara's and Art's promise that 'we'll provide you with an experience you and your son will never forget!' But that's exactly what they delivered. I have rarely, in any of my life's endeavors, experienced the combination of competence and care, adventure and attention that these guys provided. Our bespoke itinerary was crafted not from the desk or sofa, but from hours of time scouting out routes and potential campsites, working on contingency plans if things turned out too much for my 11-year old son and his 48-year old dad to manage . They asked many questions, seeking to understand both our needs and our dreams. Down to an email from Art asking simply what I would like to drink sitting around an evening campfire. Big open skies, moons that shone so brightly that we woke up several times in the night thinking that someone was outside shining a flashlight into our tent. Starry, starry nights. Fully rigged camps, like oases waiting for us at the end of hard days riding. Relaxed and genuine conversations around memorable campfires, hours spent teaching my son new MTB tricks and absorbing his chirps in constant good humor. Spectacular and nourishing meals to restore and reenergize weary bodies. Our guide exuded confidence, calm, patience, a sense of humor and love for the trails. And as for those trails ... miles and miles and miles of rolling single track, punishing climbs and technical descents. All in all, HomeGrown MTB, you guys completely nailed it! We can't wait to come back! read more

I had never been to Tucson prior to this month when I traveled to the gem show with my girlfriend. After riding with Home Grown MTB, I'm planning annual trips from Tennessee to ride with them. The trails they showed me and the guiding they provided are that good. I signed up for a descent down Bug Springs and La Milagrosa, and even though my (un)fitness level didn't allow me to finish the whole ride, I still had a blast. Tara picked me and another rider up and gave us a great sense of what the area offers during the drive up Mt. Lemmon. She inspired confidence with the thoroughness of her pre-ride checks and guidance, and did so in a way that made us look forward to the ride. After we got on the trail, she kept my spirits up during some tough hike-a-bikes and did a fantastic job coaching us through the trail. Art flexed his schedule to make sure I wasn't stranded when I ran out of energy after finishing up Bug Springs, which I appreciated and allowed Tara to continue the ride with their other customer who was still good to go. They coordinated this adaptation seamlessly, and were excited to talk with me about what I had accomplished. Really top-notch experience, and can't recommend them enough. read more

Home Grown is a class act organization. We brought a HS group down to the desert for a mountain biking adventure and HG created an amazing experience for our students. They picked up/dropped off our group from/to the airport, transported us and our gear to our campsites, provided us with stoves, camp chairs, cook sets, coolers with ice, firewood, picked up our food we pre-ordered, arranged a cave tour, outfitted us with awesome bikes which were so well taken care off, coached us in mountain biking skills, guided us on various trails, set up trail snacks, shared knowledge on flora/fauna/area culture/trail advocacy - the whole trip was flawless. Our coaches were very experienced; Lindsay, Matt, Eric, Chloe and Colton were great with our students - they were kind, patient and supportive, giving clear coaching tips, providing positive feedback, AND THEY WERE FUN! They were willing to flex in our daily schedule depending on how our group was progressing on their skills. Thank you, Tara and the HG crew for everything you did for us during the week! Many memories were made and our students gained confidence in their biking skills. I am gushing with kuddos for HG, miss you guys! -Leslie from Seattle read more

Home Grown set up a fantastic family outing for us which included beginning/first time and intermediate riders. Our group included a 10 year old grandson and a papa in his early 70's (three generations)! We received excellent training on riding techniques and safety before departure. Our beginning, first time rider, had the full time support and instruction with one of the Home Grown guides. The mountain bike trail was through the beautiful Sonoran Desert with snow capped mountains in the background. The mountain bike experience was organized by Tara and our outstanding guides/instructors were Juan and Amelia. The registration and preparation for the outing was a breeze. Home Grown has all nearly new Specialized, well equipped mountain bikes. This company was careful to size and select the correct bike for each rider. They provided helmets, gloves and all of their equipment was in excellent condition. This outing demonstrated that with proper instruction, excellent guides and solid equipment all skill levels and ages can enjoy this fantastic activity! This company is capable of tailoring your outing for family, friends and team building events. Thank you Home Grown!! read more

Homegrown is the best. My brother, one of our buddies, and I have been looking for places to ride during the winter in North America (not in the snow!!!) and saw a bunch of stuff about Tucson on pinkbike. It seemed like TORCA, Home Grown, and in particular, Tara from Home Grown, were all over the articles. I contacted her and we set up a shuttle for one day while were there and a guided day out on the trails the next. Tara's communication was amazing. We knew exactly what we'd be doing and when. Everything was on time and exactly as she said it would be. Our guide, Matt, was awesome. We've never had a guided day on mountain bikes and I didn't know what to expect but it was awesome. Matt got us to the best parts of a trail network we had never been to (50 Year) and we tore it up all day with him. Matt was actually our shuttle driver the day before and he pointed out exactly where we should be going and what to look for along the way (we took off from Prison Camp and rode all the way back into the city with no issue). Thanks Home Grown. We'll be back for a full Lemmon Drop! read more

Wonderful experience renting from Homegrown MTB. Tara responded quickly and was very helpful. She is genuinely a kind person, as she even talked me though the local trails before I committed to renting a bike from HomeGrown. Some people will balk at the price of the MTB rental, but I can assure you it is worth it. The difference in price from HomeGrown compared to some other local rental places is made up tenfold when you know you can trust the bike you are on, you can trust the person who you are renting from, and you can trust the bicycle will be set up correctly to work for your height and weight, and will be mechanically sound. The money you spend here is supporting a business that takes pride in mountain biking and is not exploiting its customers for maximum profit. I rented a new Specialized Enduro full suspension bike to ride the Lemmon Drop set of trails and was so happy with the bike. I do not think you can rent this high quality of a bike in Tucson and you WILL need a bicycle of this quality to make it through some of the trails around the area. read more

Wow. Awesome. I'm still a bit speechless because it's hard to put into words how pleased I am with this experience. I have been riding Mt. Lemmon for a couple years and learning by riding with folks so I can execute these techy features safely and with confidence. My coaches were Matt and Kimber. Both of their approaches really stuck with me and I appreciated their patience. The fundamentals part of this course really established a good rhythm for the rest of the day. I was able to learn techniques that paid off on the trail. Able to accomplish techy stuff I usually walk. The coaches did not push me to do anything I was not comfortable with while still motivating me to get out of my comfort zone safely. I did features with ease that I usually walk. This clinic is a game changer for me and I plan on doing another one when my fundamentals start to get sloppy again. Tara was awesome, my coaches were super awesome and anyone from the HGB team I had the pleasure of dealing with were professional and respectful. I highly recommend this team. read more

Our family camped with Home Grown for four days over Easter. The experience well surpassed our expectations. Tara, Art, P-Nut, Matt and Ross are an exceptional team and everything from the bikes & trails to the food & facilities were top class. P-Nut and Matt quickly got the measure of us, finding trails that were tough but hugely rewarding. Tara, Art and Ross were wonderful camp hosts. So much thought and care went into making the Easter weekend special: cooking up delicious meals, giving the boys spins in the RZR, giving us parents time to sit & talk and even tracking down lost luggage (thanks United!). It came as a big surprise that Home Grown hasn't done many multi-day camping adventures. If you want to give your family an unforgettable experience and take your skills to the next level, all in resort-like comfort, give Tara a call. A final thought - the Home Grown team knows the terrain because they're doing the trail building that makes Tucson such a special destination. Supporting them feels good. read more

I would not hesitate to recommend Homegrown to anyone. I had lots of contact with Tara on the lead up to our trip. She was professional and helpful with the planning process. We hired Homegrown for 2 shuttle drops on Mt Lemmon. There was a mix up with the meeting point and the driver ended up half an hour late. We were happy to pay but there was no charge because of the mix up. Very professional! The riding itself is as good or better then anything else I've ridden. Beautiful scenery, rough and fast trails and not many junctions. We rode down from Bug springs as there was snow on the trails above that above that. A guide would be useful for some of the other routes or for riders who could use help with route finding. I can't wait to go again and ride the top half of the mountain! As a side note, Home grown are also stewards of the area and trails volunteering many hours to trail maintenance and advocacy. read more

There are some people who are great athletes. Others who are great coaches and yet still others who are great people. Tara is all of these! A one in a million kind of person. Incredibly talented on the bike and willing to share that knowledge with as many people as she can. Now combine this with her ability to bring together staff who are representative of her , all incredibly gifted athletes with the same professionalism and passion for the sport that she possesses and you have Home Grown Mountain Biking. My only regret is that I didn't discover her years ago as I struggled to improve my mtn bike skills repeating the same mistakes over and over again. If you are looking to improve your skills immediately she is your girl. If you want to meet other like minded people this is your go to company. Tara and the company she has created are a true gift to the mountain bike community. read more

I was in Tucson for a conference and wanted an AZ MTB experience. Contacted Tara at Home Grown MTB Tours which turned out to be the perfect choice. From start to finish, working with Tara to set up my ride, including a top of the line carbon fiber Specialized Camber 29, shuttle pick up from my hotel, and awesome guide (Juan), the experience was top notch. My expectations were exceeded which is often hard to do. Tara was very responsive and a great communicator about the specific details. I ended up riding for half a day on the 50 year trail, at the base of Catalina mountains. Juan, my tour guide, was a highly skilled mountain biker, passionate about biking and the environment, and knowledgeable about the native wildlife, plants and trees. Without hesitation I would recommend Home Grown MTB when in the Tucson area. Ask for Juan - you will have a blast read more

Tara and the Homegrown team made my experience riding in the desert something to talk about! I booked myself a full service package and was pleased with the ease of the booking process, communication with the team, and equipment provided. Tara was extremely easy to communicate with and she answered all of my questions I had. She was able to take into consideration my cycling experience and lined me up with a guide that made the experience wonderful. My guide Kimber was fantastic! She knew the trail systems well and was able to match my riding speed and comfort level. I'll admit I was nervous to ride on new terrain, but Kimber was able to coach me through trickier spots on the trails. Her encouragement and patience made the experience that much more enjoyable. Overall I highly recommend Homegrown when traveling to the Tucson area! read more

Dropped in to Tucson during the spring and reached out. Tara texted back and got me set up despite the short notice. Good intake process: phone call and online form. Guide confirmed by text the day before and then showed up a few minutes early. Guide was pleasantly inquisitive about my athletics during the drive and then did a nice job setting me up on the bike and doing some basic skills and safety overview. We hit the trails and the next three hours was a delightfully increasingly difficult ride seeing wildlife, flowers and amazing terrain and vistas. At the end, we munched on snacks and beer and recapped the ride and what we learned and experienced. Lots of encouragement and useful instruction coupled with easy going style and love for the sport and the environment. Couldn't have asked for better! read more

When Home Grown says they can deliver an epic ride they aren't kidding! Having ridden in some of the top locations in British Columbia and elsewhere I can say for certain that Mt. Lemmon delivers one of the longest and best descents I've ever experienced. Fast and technical trails that allow you to hang it out but keep you focused on line selection with every corner. Tara and the team at Home Grown put together an amazing experience that I won't soon forget, always professional yet "Home Grown" enough to feel that I was just out riding with buddies. My guide Juan Del Castillo was top notch and delivered an expert, fast paced ride that was beyond my expectations. I have no doubt Tucson and Home Grown can put together on of your best Mtb experiences from novice to expert. Highly recommended! read more

I called Tara at Home Grown Mountain Biking Tours Monday morning inquiring about tours and places to ride in Tucson. She sent us to the 50 year trail while she arranged a mountain biking tour for us. The following morning we rendezvoused with PNut, our guide and then we met up with Tara on Mt. Lemmon. Tara shuttled the 3 of us to Bug Springs and Prison Camp while describing the Tucson mountain biking culture as well as things to do in Tucson and great places to eat. PNut was a great guide, ensuring our safety while teaching us new skills, increasing our confidence and keeping us entertained. It was a great day and I highly recommend their tours. They know how to share their sport in a professional and fun way. I'm very glad we called them. read more

On our recent trip to Tucson the bike shop that we had previously used were not renting do to Covid. Luckily I remembering seeing one of Tara's Homegrown trucks last time we visited. Man I was so happy with Tara we were local so she dropped off the bikes just early enough I was able to get familiarized with them before heading out the next day.. She recommended based on our conversation hitting up the 50 year trail system which was on the far side of town but definitely worth the drive. My son and I had a great ride and the Stumpjumpers she rented us were incredible bikes and better the other bike we have rented in the past. I will definitely use Tara and HomegrownMTB on my next trip to Tucson they are great to deal with. read more

I have now completed 3 clinics with Homegrown and each has been exceptional. If you have the opportunity to ride with Homegrown at the AngelFire Ladies weekend in New Mexico it is life changing. A weekend full of downhill riding with excellent coaches and like minded ladies creates an atmosphere of pure adrenaline. It is incredible the amount of progression that can be achieved at these events. This event caters to beginning and advanced riders. It is unique. It is worth every penny. I have also attended the Mt Lemmon clinic with Homegrown and had an incredible experience. These ladies clinics push your boundaries in a safe environment. I highly recommend these clinics for any ladies wishing to grow their skill sets. read more

This is the second time we rented from Homegrown. The first was two years ago, when my son and I signed up for an MTB tour/ coaching session. The bikes were in flawless working condition, and the guide/coach was completely awesome. What a great introduction to Tucson Mountain biking while we were on vacation. This time we just needed to rent one bike, and working with Tara at Homegrown was great. The bike was perfect, it was dropped off and picked up in a way that made things very easy for us. The bike itself was a full carbon well equipped bike. It worked great, including taking it on some awesome trails in Tucson and Sedona. Really upstanding group of people and service. Highly recommend. read more

I recently visited Tucson for the first time and a friend recommended an outing with Homegrown. I am SO glad that I did not one but two guided rides!! From start to finish, the customer service was friendly and top notch. I couldn't have been happier with my guide, Kimber, who was fun to chat with, attentive to my needs and completely in tune with my riding level.and interests. The bike was such a sweet ride that I would have happily purchased it if I could. Perfectly tuned and dialed in, it made for a great experience on the trails. I would happily go out with HomeGrown next time I'm in town and would highly recommend if you're looking for a top-notch riding experience. read more