Phoenix Area Riding Next Week

[majl]

My daughter's soccer team qualified for the Far West Regional Championships so I will be in Phoenix next week.

Thinking of bringing along my Breakaway Cross to get in some riding, so wondering if those in the area can give me some guidance or suggestions. I can set it up with 32mm road or cross tires. Dirt/gravel options are fine.

Her games are being played at 11am, so I should be able to get out for 2-3 hours in the morning beforehand. I'm guessing that no one in their right mind rides in the middle of the afternoon in the summer.

We are staying here: Pointe Hilton Tapatio Cliffs Resort, 11111 North 7th Street, 85020

Games are played here: Reach 11 Sports Complex, 2425 East Deer Valley Parkway, 85050

We will have a rental car but I don't want to monopolize it for my rides so would be ideal if I could ride to/from my hotel or the field.

TIA for any suggestions.

[azrider]

These days I've been riding a lot on the canals and can easily get 30-40miles of nice steady riding, no battling cars, and easy terrain. The cross bike would be perfect for this and you're guaranteed not to get lost. Best way to get there is to take 7th Street south (Cliffs are on 7th St) and you'll run right into the canal. From there....go East or West and set your cruise control.

If you'd like more road riding, then just take the bike with you when you drop off the girls and you have practically unlimited road riding with nice wide bike lanes in any direction from the soccer park. I'd highly recommend taking East Deer Park Rd East to 56th Street and take 56th St south all the way to Paradise Valley. I can ride inside PV for hours and not ride the same road. Plus it's chocked full of Million dollar homes which are fun to look at while riding.

Another option is to just hop on Cave Creek Road from the soccer park and head North all the way to Carefree. Stay on Cave Creek (traffic boogies at 55mph but theres 20' wide shoulder) and you'll run into Carefree highway. You'll be lucky to see 20 cars on Carefree Hghy and traffic moves much slower. Take that East and you can ride for hours over to Bartlett lake and out to Seven Springs.

Oh.....and make sure you eat at "Different Pointe of View". Great restaurant in the Cliffs.

Enjoy your stay.

[majl]

Thanks azrider. I'll be there for a week so will probably have a chance to hit all of your suggested routes. :beer:

[taxman]

I used to live in Scottsdale and was a member of the White Mountain Road Club associated with Landis Cyclery. For popular rides and route map links go to the Landis website: www.landiscyclery.com. There is a link at the top of the page.
enjoy

[RFC]

These days I've been riding a lot on the canals and can easily get 30-40miles of nice steady riding, no battling cars, and easy terrain. The cross bike would be perfect for this and you're guaranteed not to get lost. Best way to get there is to take 7th Street south (Cliffs are on 7th St) and you'll run right into the canal. From there....go East or West and set your cruise control.

If you'd like more road riding, then just take the bike with you when you drop off the girls and you have practically unlimited road riding with nice wide bike lanes in any direction from the soccer park. I'd highly recommend taking East Deer Park Rd East to 56th Street and take 56th St south all the way to Paradise Valley. I can ride inside PV for hours and not ride the same road. Plus it's chocked full of Million dollar homes which are fun to look at while riding.

Another option is to just hop on Cave Creek Road from the soccer park and head North all the way to Carefree. Stay on Cave Creek (traffic boogies at 55mph but theres 20' wide shoulder) and you'll run into Carefree highway. You'll be lucky to see 20 cars on Carefree Hghy and traffic moves much slower. Take that East and you can ride for hours over to Bartlett lake and out to Seven Springs.

Oh.....and make sure you eat at "Different Pointe of View". Great restaurant in the Cliffs.

Enjoy your stay.

I was also going to suggest the canals. Here is a map.

https://www.srpnet.com/water/canals/distances.aspx

[azrider]

I was also going to suggest the canals. Here is a map.

https://www.srpnet.com/water/canals/distances.aspx

Are you familiar with the canals and have you ridden them? They're great huh?

I've been a long time road guy and find these canals to be pretty awesome. Granted i ride my 29r on them but the no interuption in my ride, no cars, all the things i mentioned above all make the canals pretty tough to beat for good workout.

[RFC]

Are you familiar with the canals and have you ridden them? They're great huh?

I've been a long time road guy and find these canals to be pretty awesome. Granted i ride my 29r on them but the no interuption in my ride, no cars, all the things i mentioned above all make the canals pretty tough to beat for good workout.

Yes, I have ridden them many times and they are great. I live near Cactus and the 101, so I take the Pima MUP to where it intersects the canal. West is fairly gentile gravel and I have even ridden it on a SS Volpe with 28mm tires. East across Salt River Pima reservation to Granite Reef Dam is a little more varied and very interesting. Be sure to take plenty of water. There are no 7-11's on the res. Here are a few photos of the eastern trek.

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/SRPCanel2r.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/SRPCanel5r.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/SRPCanel9r.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/SRPCanel22r.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/SRPCanel40r.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/SRPCanel27r.jpg

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b384/RCopple/SRPCanel34r.jpg

[majl]

Shout out to azrider for his ride recommendations. First day got 50 miles in on the canal trail. Enjoyed the change of pace since there is nowhere in my neck of the woods where I can ride for 50+ miles and only climb 500 ft, and 300 ft was just getting back up to my hotel in the last two miles.

Next day used the Phoenix bike map to help plan a 50-miler out via Cave Creek Rd to the Carefree Highway and then west over to N 27th Dr before making my way back. Still a paltry 1200 ft of elevation gain.

Third day decided to drive to my ride start and headed out to N Scottsdale Rd and Westland to do the Bartlett Lake ride, coming back via the quaint town of Carefree. Now this is more what I'm used to - 47 miles and 4000 ft. The climb out from the lake was really nice and I must have seen less than 10 cars the whole time.

We are heading back tomorrow as unfortunately our girls did not make it into the knock-out round. They needed a win today to advance and despite dominating the team from New Mexico in the 2nd half, only managed a 1-1 draw.

Couple of pics from Bartlett Lake:

http://majl.zenfolio.com/img/s3/v8/p215679759-4.jpg

http://majl.zenfolio.com/img/s2/v51/p213107154-4.jpg

[pdmtong]

with it being so flat I hope to see strava proof you averaged 20mph+ on your own :)

90d+ here today....took madz to see madagascar 3 and then the city block party.

did kings-tunitas-lobitos counter clockwise-tunitias-kings on saturday...thats more like it!

TTY when u get back - great pix

[KF9YR]

Sorry I missed this thread. I live near 27th Ave and Carefree Hwy and have a restaurant just south of Reach 11 on Cave Creek Rd.

Sorry to hear your tourney ended early but it sounds like you had a few nice rides.

[azrider]

Shout out to azrider for his ride recommendations.

Glad you had some good rides!