Road riding in Phoenix
04-12-22, 01:24 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 209
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 26 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times
in
8 Posts
Road riding in Phoenix
Looks like a move to Phoenix is in the cards in the very near future. I do 90% road riding and 10% mountain biking, so I'd like to move to an area where the road riding is best. I figure I can always throw the mtn bike in the truck and take it anywhere. Access to hills and less traffic would be preferable. Where do you guys recommend? I've rented a bike and ridden around McDowell Mountain Preserve several times, but that's the extent of my PHX area riding knowledge. Commuting is not an issue, I can live anywhere around the PHX area.
Also, coming from SoCal, we don't have a big problem with cactus thorns or goatheads, so most of us do not ride tubeless on our road bikes. Is that something I'm going to have to consider in PHX?
Thanks for any advice!
Also, coming from SoCal, we don't have a big problem with cactus thorns or goatheads, so most of us do not ride tubeless on our road bikes. Is that something I'm going to have to consider in PHX?
Thanks for any advice!
04-13-22, 09:24 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: Phx, AZ
Posts: 2,116
Bikes: Trek Mtn Bike
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 282 Post(s)
Liked 2,644 Times
in
950 Posts
Maricopa County Interactive Bike Map
https://geo.azmag.gov/maps/bikemap/#
Also https://recreation.azmag.gov/
In this one click layers and turn on bikeways.
Google "Sun Circle Trail", "Maricopa Trail" for more info. The Maricopa Trail is more mountain bike oriented.
I ride the Grand Canal and Arizona Canal trails a lot. A word of warning, a lot more homeless people are camping out in the underpasses lately. You can't just race thru at full speed. Usually more than half the lane is taken up with "camps". Many of the campers aren't aware of their surroundings. Haven't had any problems, just ride thru slowly. Sometimes saying Howdy, Excuse me, Thanks, whatever seems good.
https://geo.azmag.gov/maps/bikemap/#
Also https://recreation.azmag.gov/
In this one click layers and turn on bikeways.
Google "Sun Circle Trail", "Maricopa Trail" for more info. The Maricopa Trail is more mountain bike oriented.
I ride the Grand Canal and Arizona Canal trails a lot. A word of warning, a lot more homeless people are camping out in the underpasses lately. You can't just race thru at full speed. Usually more than half the lane is taken up with "camps". Many of the campers aren't aware of their surroundings. Haven't had any problems, just ride thru slowly. Sometimes saying Howdy, Excuse me, Thanks, whatever seems good.
04-13-22, 09:37 AM
#3
Junior Member
There are lots of places to ride around Phoenix but getting elevation can be challenging depending upon what side of town you live on. South Mountain has some very nice riding but you have to watch out for traffic as people tend to drive on the wrong side of the road....South Mountain is also the largest metropolitan park in the world so there is tons of MTB trails etc.
There is also some good riding along Bush Highway (Salt River area)/Fountain Hills etc. If you don't mind driving you can always head down to Tucson to ride Mt. Lemmon or up to Prescott/Sedona/Jerome etc. Plenty of hills to climb both on and off road around there
There is also some good riding along Bush Highway (Salt River area)/Fountain Hills etc. If you don't mind driving you can always head down to Tucson to ride Mt. Lemmon or up to Prescott/Sedona/Jerome etc. Plenty of hills to climb both on and off road around there
