Recommendations for Scottsdale AZ

[Gsinill]

My wife and I will be in Scottsdale over Thanksgiving.
While my wife is planning to take it easy with some well deserved pampering (sleeping in, SPA etc.), I would like to take advantage of the weather and get some rides in before heading back to sleet and snow...

We will stay at the Phoenician on Camelback Rd.
Any recommendation for 2 - 3h rides?

I will have a car but would prefer to just hope on the bike and start from the hotel if that is at all possible.
Open to MTB and road but since I haven't done any serious mountain biking in years, my preference would be riding on the road.

My wife lived in Phoenix when we met, so we know the usual sight seeing destinations but I wasn't into cycling at that time...

Besides rides, any suggestions for good food? She left in 2000 and I am sure some of the good places from back in the day are gone and new ones popped up.
We are both foodies and since this is the first vacation in over 3 years, we wouldn't mind to splurge on a nice dinner one evening.

Thanks in advance!
GS

[azrider]

Starting from the Phoenician, you can access some of the best riding PHX has to offer. I putz around Paradise Valley for 70% of my riding and head North for anything longer than 2hrs. By "head North" I mean taking Pima or Scottsdale road(s) up to Carefree and Bartlett Lake area.

Group rides here: http://clippedin.bike/group-rides

Wife and I's favorite food:
Cowboy Ciao- Old Town -Modern American (get the wild boar meatballs)
Barrio Queen -Mex food (Old Town)
Olive and Ivy - American/Mediterranean (Old Town)
El Charro - old school, great happy hour and patio (paradise valley)
Blanco (Old Town'ish)
Jalepeno Enferno (N Scottsdale.....$20ish uber ride)

For afternoon day drinking head to OHSO brewery. It's a rock, skip and a fixed/cruiser gear ride from Phoenician.

Enjoy your stay!

[azrider]

Oh and I should also mention the Canal is great for any type of riding. I've ridden road, mtb, cruiser, fix all on canal and it can take you to old town, or over to Biltmore, or even south to Tempe and Tempe town lake.

[Lewis Moon]

Strava and Ride with GPS are great for looking up where folks ride. Do a heat map and zero in on your area. The Mummy Mountain area is fun to explore.
As I always suggest to out of towners: The Castle (https://www.strava.com/segments/5999211)

[jlwdm]

Bicycle Haus is very close and a great shop. Check what rides they have scheduled. Used to have a Saturday ride that went to North, North Scottsdale but I think it starts farther north and not from the shop.

bicyclehaus.com

Cyclologic also has a Saturday ride from farther north.

cyclologic.com

Jeff

[Ken Robb]

Starting from the Phoenician, you can access some of the best riding PHX has to offer. I putz around Paradise Valley for 70% of my riding and head North for anything longer than 2hrs. By "head North" I mean taking Pima or Scottsdale road(s) up to Carefree and Bartlett Lake area.

Group rides here: http://clippedin.bike/group-rides

Wife and I's favorite food:
Cowboy Ciao- Old Town -Modern American (get the wild boar meatballs)
Barrio Queen -Mex food (Old Town)
Olive and Ivy - American/Mediterranean (Old Town)
El Charro - old school, great happy hour and patio (paradise valley)
Blanco (Old Town'ish)
Jalepeno Enferno (N Scottsdale.....$20ish uber ride)

For afternoon day drinking head to OHSO brewery. It's a rock, skip and a fixed/cruiser gear ride from Phoenician.

Enjoy your stay!

It was probably your Spellcheck but I think you mean El Chorro on Lincoln in Paradise Valley. I have enjoyed quite a few evenings there over 25 years. The smell of burning pinon pine wood in the fireplaces alone is worth a visit. :-)

[Gummee]

Check in in the Bespoke Inn too.

You'll thank me when you do

M

[bigbill]

I spend a week there every March riding with TMB and others. At least two days are spent riding in Paradise Valley. I usually stay at WeKoPa Resort out in Ft McDowell and ride from the hotel up through Fountain Hills to Tonto or east on the Bee Line and to Saguaro Lake and Mesa.

[alexstar]

I've had a good steak at Durant's (downtown Phoenix) and good Mexican food at the Spotted Donkey Cantina.

[RFC]

Oh and I should also mention the Canal is great for any type of riding. I've ridden road, mtb, cruiser, fix all on canal and it can take you to old town, or over to Biltmore, or even south to Tempe and Tempe town lake.

+ 1 on the canal. And, it gives you a different view of that part of the city. If you want, you can take the canal east past Pima all the way across the reservation to Red Mountain and Granite Reef Dam. I would recommend something a little more robust than a skinny tire road bike.

[bking]

It was probably your Spellcheck but I think you mean El Chorro on Lincoln in Paradise Valley. I have enjoyed quite a few evenings there over 25 years. The smell of burning pinon pine wood in the fireplaces alone is worth a visit. :-)

Come on, to leave stinking of pinion pine smoke is not why one goes to el chorro, it's those little cinnamon/sticky buns. they still have them i hope?!

[Pierre]

I was just down there. AOA has got a few good routes to pick from:

https://aoa-adventures.com/ride-planning-center/

I did the ride around McDowell which was quite nice. if you are going to attempt this loop (which can be shortened if need be) I would start earlier in the morning as the traffic on Scottsdale gets heavy. The back end of this ride is pretty quiet - be sure to save some energy for the long steady downhill down the straight part of the route! Oh and be careful of the nasty hills that were inserted at the back-end. Ouch. These can be bypassed if you've had your fill.

Tribe Multi-sport has a fun Thursday evening ride (10mile loop) that leaves the shop at 7:10pm. It's in full darkness though so be sure to light up. It's also pretty fast so make sure you know the route.

Do a search for BOS Scottsdale group ride for a good Saturday morning option if you want to get a group ride in. I'm told that this shop no longer exists but he name of the ride still does.

[azrider]

It was probably your Spellcheck but I think you mean El Chorro on Lincoln in Paradise Valley. I have enjoyed quite a few evenings there over 25 years. The smell of burning pinon pine wood in the fireplaces alone is worth a visit. :-)

Ha......you sir are correct. My wife and I have been going there for 5 years now and she still corrects me every time. Correct pronunciation = El Chorro, my pronunciation = The Charro

Tomato Tomahto :)

I've had a good steak at Durant's (downtown Phoenix) and good Mexican food at the Spotted Donkey Cantina.

NOt sure if OP has his CCW :p

I kid I kid

(sort of)

[Gsinill]

NOt sure if OP has his CCW :p

I kid I kid

(sort of)

Hmm, being European, I guess I'll take that one off the list (sort of) ;)

[Gsinill]

Thanks everyone, awesome input!

[Ken Robb]

Come on, to leave stinking of pinion pine smoke is not why one goes to el chorro, it's those little cinnamon/sticky buns. they still have them i hope?!

I checked their menu yesterday and every table gets a basket of sticky buns free! Smart locals ask for theirs to go at the end of the evening so they can enjoy them for breakfast. :)

[ohsnapitsed]

bumping this back up. Thanks to everyone for your input to the OP. Heading to Scottsdale on Thursday and this thread has been quite helpful!

Any particulars that have been left out? I'm always on the hunt for good coffee (and beer) as well. :beer:

[zmudshark]

bumping this back up. Thanks to everyone for your input to the OP. Heading to Scottsdale on Thursday and this thread has been quite helpful!

Any particulars that have been left out? I'm always on the hunt for good coffee (and beer) as well. :beer:Dress warm, it's going to be on the cool side here.

[ohsnapitsed]

ha! thanks, but like the OP I'm coming in from Chicago. The almost 30 degree jump in temp will feel quite nice. :banana: Although I'll be sure to bring some layers just in case.

[Gsinill]

Had a great time, got back yesterday. Lucked out with the weather.
Main lesson learned: if you are an overweight flatlander like me, stay away from climbs with more than 7% ;)
Just kidding, was good to find out my limits...

If you are a foodie, check out Sonata's on 10050 N. Scottsdale Rd.
Brand new place, all kinds of different European cuisine, really good and reasonably priced.

Thanks again to everyone (especially zmud) for all your input and help!
GS