AZ Trip Report

Well, the trip was worth it. I got to see my relatives, meet some new cool mountain bikers, namely Chad, Max and Dave. I got see some new trails, and test my abilities. I like east coast biking better, but I think AZ biking has its place as well. I think that the amount of trails was great, and that you can ride them almost everyday. I have learned that next time I am going to bring some better rubber, like Nevegals. My tires worked well, but I think the extra traction would be worth while in the washout sections. Well here is my lowdown with GPS data if I remembered to turn the damn thing on. Look at the slide show for some pics.

AZ 1# Preview-AZ T100 trail Pheonix Mountain Preserve

I did this on a Sunday before I went to a baseball Spring Training Camp game. It was good to get out, and I was lucky in that I was able to ride with some locals and get to know some of the trails.

16miles

AZ 2# Solo Epic AZ T100 trail Pheonix Mountain Preserve

This was the hardest day the whole time in AZ I went out there and was just out in the hot weather a long time. When I got back I was dainned I was bonking, and totally depleted. I made some mistakes on some of the trails I took, I know now some trails that are good to go down, but not so fun going up.

40miles

6hours riding(including long treaches of hiking)

30-40 minutes off the bike

max speed 30moh

avg. 7.8(includes walking)

AZ #3 White Tanks-Goat Trail-Competition Track

I went up the Goat trail and have learned that I went up the wrong way. You are suppost to come down the way I was trying to go up. If I go back here again I will try and tackle this ride from the opposite direction. I was not a big fan of the competition track. The back end of it was nice, but allot of it was just too open, and flat.

15 Miles

AZ #4 Tucson Night Ride- Star Pass


I wish I did more on this ride. I know it was a social ride, but I should have gone out there earlier and done more miles and then did the relaxing social ride with the folks. I also learned about chola cactus I hit one pretty good and I will say it did hurt.

13 (8 on GPS) miles

53(gps) minutes

avg 8.6

AZ #5 Tuscon 50 Year Trail


This trail had it's moments, I wasn't in love with it. I wish we had set out to do a longer ride. I would have but when I got the beer in me, I wasn't really wanting to ride more. The Demo rides looked nice, especially the carbon Yeti that bike looked sweet!

16miles

8 mph avg.

AZ #5 Phoenix SoMo the National Trail

Best ride of the trip and of Spring Fling. I was happy to be in a small group of 5 guys doing this ride. Max, and Chad were in the lead with them being the fastest. I felt more Dave's speed or Jason's. Jason was awesome at doing the technical stuff, and was good to follow him on the trickier sections. This trail was at my outer limits of what I felt comfortable doing. We had a good pace I felt tired after the ride.

25 Miles

4 hours with allot of hike a biking

AZ #6 Sedona Red Rocks Ride

25 Miles

Besides the scenery these trails reminded me most of the trails back east. You were riding on rocks but it seemed that you were not riding up or off Ledges like I was in South Mountain or in Tucson. I really liked the riding here, would have liked a 35 mile pure epic ride, maybe next year. I also liked that the ride turned into just 3 of us going off and Dave showing us some good stuff, I wouldn't have found.

AZ #6 Black Canyon


29 Miles

with little stops rode most solo.

The group I felt was stopping a little too much for me, not that I was going so fast, but I felt like I wanted to keep moving. I really liked this trail was nice and tight, the only issue I would have with it, is that you could never get too fast. Now this makes it a good shared use trail, but I like my speed too. I think if they could add some rocks to get over the rivers without having to walk through them it would help. This is a great trail though. I got lost for a bit, so I got some added mileage.