I recently got a mt bike and am looking for anyone interested in riding with me.. i grew up riding BMX and dirt jumping, so i am very comfortable on a mt bike, steep, technical trails dont scare me, the more air the better etc etc.. i just get bored going out to thunderbird park and the white tanks by myself all the time.. id also like to explore some trails near payson and sedona this summer.. anyone interested let me know, or if you have any suggestions as to good places for an intermediate/expert rider let me know as well..
Joe, you have mentioned that you used to be pretty big into mt biking, still got it in ya?
Last edited by berkforbes on Mar 18 2010 1:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Rather love, than money, than fame, give me truth."
-Henry David Thoreau
Aside from "talk" about Sedona and whatnot, Payson is mountain biking heaven in my mind when it's too hot for South Mountain.
(albeit old) This book is intriguing with historical tidbits similar to Carlson's Superstition book. I had to get out each week and do one by one, absolutely loved it! http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/ ... ikearizona
In response to berkforbes:
I may do some summertime biking in the whites...but then again i've said that the last 2 years. I mtn bike like I hike...only on established easy trails ;)
I have a old school single shock that weights about 150 pounds.
Prescott has some good stuff as well. You just missed AZ Spring Fling '10.. it's yearly, so if you're still looking for riders/rides next year it's a great option.
Last edited by dysfunction on Mar 18 2010 4:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
I ride south mountain year round, its really not as bad as people think if you stick to desert classic in the evening. The whole thing is in shade. Sedona has cool stuff, also. Havnt been to payson to ride yet but I have heard its good.
"The Edge. There really is no honest way to explain it because the only people who know where it is are those who have gone over." - Hunter S. Thompson
I'm an intermediate level rider. I tend to go for distance rather than technical. I have guided for a mtn. bike festival, and have ridden in Tour of the White Mtns. race, etc. but I am never going to be an advanced rider. I ride in the summer up here. I like to go out and ride 20 to 30 miles of fairly easy single track, plus I like to follow old two-track dirt roads in the State Lands to see where they go. Upper Overland Trail is another one I like.
I ride almost exclusively in the Whites, and mostly above 9,000 feet, but I also take my bike whenever I go out of town. I also road bike a bit. I have a nice mtn. bike, a Specialized Stumpjumper FSR comp. And a pretty good entry-level road bike, a Giant OC3 with upgraded wheels.
Anyone wants to come up here and ride in the summer, I would likely take you to do Indian Springs to West Fork back to Indian Springs, single track, 13 miles. Railroad grade Trail--18 miles or more, single track, and some two-tracks in the Grasslands area--they go for miles and miles.
However, you might really prefer South Fork #97--that is the one most of the more advanced riders like. I am not very good at riding that, although I do try it with friends from time to time. Another one they do, they start at Wynn Campground and end up in South Fork or Eagar. It's insane. They go bombing down the East Fork Trail into Greer, etc.
There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
The Mount Elden area near Flagstaff offers some of the best and most challenging mountain biking in the state. Great views, well-maintained trails, lot's of climbing (2000' from bottom to top), lots of technical stuff, great downhill rides, and something for just about every skill level. Oh yeah, most of it is above 7500' if you want to get in some high altitude training http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4 ... 0462349383
Elizabeth, thanks a lot for all that info, ill def be pm'ing you this summer to show me around the whites... Also, my room is a mess, im glad im not the only one who puts aside cleaning for having fun...
DPWatters, thank you as well thats super useful i will def check out mount elden once things thaw out a bit..
This is why i love HAZ, tons of good info straight from people with experience.. thanks again all!
"Rather love, than money, than fame, give me truth."
-Henry David Thoreau
Yeah, do get in touch, it would be fun. I plan to ride a lot this summer.
Yeah, I try to keep my living room and kitchen looking presentable since that is what people who stop by will see. The rest of the house easily qualifies as "disaster area."
There is a point of no return unremarked at the time in most lives. Graham Greene The Comedians
A clean house is a sign of a misspent life.
Mountain Biking "bug" comes and goes for me. In my late 20's and early 30's used to bike weekly and make an annual trek to Moab UT to shread some trails. Lost the "bug" for a few years, but when I moved to AZ picked it up again because I had South Moutain on my doorstep (I mean right across the street from my doorstep ). Desert Classic and its numerous connector trails would become a biking staple (strange how this trail is on many Out of State/Out of Country "Top 10" biking trail lists, but completely unappreciated by the locals). I remember having an encounter up in Flagstaff with a "gonzo" biker hyped up on caffeine and life. Found out from another biker on the trail that "gonzo" biker was Cosmic Ray (check out his bike trail guides for bike trail tips around the state).
Think I'm going through another biking "bug" stage finding myself out on the trails about once a week for a 10-miler.
Hey I have a friend at work who is seriously into mountain biking. He and his wife just had a baby about 6 months ago, but he is still pretty active. I don't think I have mentioned this website to him yet, but I will let him know there is someone on HAZ looking for a partner.
I lost my mountain biking "bug" after I flew off of a bike down in Tucson after the infamous Homecoming of 2009. Got a cool scar on my face, however. Remember to wear a helmet no matter how cool you think you are because if I wasn't wearing one when I crashed then I wouldn't be able to hike any trail that a wheelchair couldn't handle.
etc etc.. i just get bored going out to thunderbird park and the white tanks by myself all the time.. id also like to explore some trails near payson and sedona this summer.. anyone interested let me know, or if you have any suggestions as to good places for an intermediate/expert rider let me know as well.. 
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4 ... 0462349383
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