The 31lst El Tour - bringing fun and color to Tucson!

The 31st El Tour de Tucson, the internationally acclaimed bike race, was held yesterday. Thousands of participants (including a 91-year-old first timer!) hit the streets and pedaled for charity. 

In honor of the race's participants I'm posting this image of Tucson's famous Bike Church. It is a shrine to bicyclists and a memorial to fallen bicyclists.  The unusual structure is 24' tall and is made primarily of bicycle parts. The colorful acrylic panels glow at night from solar lighting. Blessing Hancock of Skyrim Studio and Joe O'Connell, the talented sculptor of Creative Machines, built this with the help of local teens. (Note: Joe also created the fantastic Griffin sculpture on Scott Avenue.)

The Bike Church is on Main near Davis.
http://tucsoncitizen.com/art/2009/08/16/bike-sanctuary-inaugural-in-barrio-anita/

For fun El Tour videos showing yesterday's start and finish, click here.