Local entrepreneurs Zander Ault and Heidi Rentz, of Patagonia, have been successfully promoting the region as a top destination for gravel bike enthusiasts. On Nov. 4, as part of their vision for promoting ecotourism in eastern Santa Cruz County, they hosted their 4th annual Spirit World 100 gravel bike road race, part of a three-day event organized by the couple who hosted an estimated 400 visitors in Town over the long weekend.
Bikers had a choice of riding a 50, 80, or 100 mile course, all of which took them through the San Rafael Valley. The 50-mile course took riders out Harshaw Rd. to Lochiel and the Mexican border and then east to Jones Mesa before looping back to Patagonia. The 80- and 100-mile courses followed the same route but, instead of looping back across Jones Mesa, continued further east to the base of Montezuma Canyon in Cochise County. The 100-mile course included a trip up and back to Canelo on the Canelo Pass Rd.
The race started on McKeown Ave. with Patagonia Volunteer Fire and Rescue Dept. Chief Zay Hartigan driving a truck in front of the cyclists to the intersection of Harshaw Rd. and Harshaw Creek Rd. where the race began in earnest. Ault explained that this is done to get the riders warmed up and to ensure a “neutral start” for the race. 124 contestants in the 50-mile race, 38 in the 80-mile race and 101 riders in the 100-mile race completed the course.
On Thursday evening, Oct. 31, the couple hosted a fundraiser dinner that raised $23,000 for the Arizona Trail Assn. The Patagonia Lumber Company, a bar and music venue that Ault and Rentz developed and recently sold, was the site for this dinner and for meals throughout the weekend, as well as an after-party and concert Saturday night.
An event of this size requires a lot of planning. “In order to pull something like this off, it takes permitting by the town of Patagonia and by Santa Cruz County and Cochise County, as well as approval from, and review by, the Sheriffs’ offices, the Coronado National Forest, Sonoita Elgin Fire District, Patagonia Volunteer Fire and Rescue Dept. and Border Patrol,” Ault said. “If we don’t properly manage it, any of the entities can say, ‘No thank you.’”
The Spirit World 100 is not the only event on Ault and Rentz’s calendar. Last month they hosted the “Guajolote Gravel” ride, a 48-mile loop and cookout for 25 people. On March 1, 2025, they are organizing “Daydreamer,” their first running event. 100 participants can choose between a 50K, 30K, or a 10K race along the Arizona Trail outside Patagonia. This will be a fundraiser for the Patagonia Recycling Program.
On top of that, the couple operate the Cyclist’s Menu, a guiding and outfitting company that, for the past ten years, has been offering cycling camps in the U.S. and internationally. “That’s our bread and butter,” Ault said. This year they are planning cycling camps in Patagonia, California, Montana, Italy, Spain, and France.
The couple have been professional guides for the past 20 years. An addition to the crew is their two-year-old daughter Burch who travels with them on their trips, along with Rentz’s mom who watches the baby while her parents are working.
In addition to running the Spirit World 100, hosting their cycling camps, and developing the Patagonia Lumber Company venue, Ault and Rentz have also bought a property in Patagonia that they converted into a small hotel that can accommodate up to 18 guests.
The 400 cyclists and guests in town for the Spirit World 100 rented out all available hotel rooms and B&Bs in town, and camped on fields at the Patagonia High School, according to Ault.
Although events that bring visitors to the area are a benefit to local businesses, not everyone is happy with the increased traffic, noise, and the rise in the cost of housing. The cumulative effects of increased tourism, the buying up of housing for short term rentals, and the development of the Hermosa mining project have led to some hard feelings from longtime residents.
“We no longer get a choice as to whether or not we want to go to the city, the city comes to us now,” Patagonia resident Cassina Farley said. “And all the city problems come with them: traffic, parking issues, litter and congestion.”
“There will always be people who don’t want growth and development. They often feel threatened,” Ault said. “We are incredibly sensitive to it, and we talk about it all the time. I have a two-year-old and I want to find a way of maintaining the beauty of our area that makes sense. The beauty [of the area] is an amazing asset. We are surrounded by the reason that people want to come here.
“These communities need to maintain themselves. How do we provide rural communities business opportunities that maintain the viability of our towns for the future?
“We need to find a plan that isn’t in the way of people’s way of life,” he added.