A National Treasure
I haven’t touched this blog for years…Four and a half years to be exact. I decided to do a little
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Author: Mike
Dad’s Bike Travels
Dad’s Bike Travels from MTBikeAZ on Vimeo. Dad’s Bike Travels from MTBikeAZ on Vimeo. My daughter found a bunch of
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Riding in the Park
Days like today remind me why I love Arizona…
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Spring is Here
Brown’s Ranch is getting ready to explode in color… get out there soon. Hedghogs up Bees on a very scenic
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Review: Guideline Cabo Sunglasses
Guideline Eyewear sent me a pair of Cabo sunglasses in December to try out. (It’s one of the perks of
Read MoreWinter in Phoenix
A long break from blogging… I’ll ease you back in with a few photos from the trail… Be jealous my
Read MoreGold Canyon Sunrise
Goodbye Arizona summer…hello mid 70s morning rides again. It’s the best time of year to be a Phoenician Mountain Biker.
Read MoreAway too long
OK. Now that you all know San Tan is Dynamite… we can move on. Apologies for the post drought. Work,
Read MoreSan Tan is Dynamite
The new trail out at San Tan park is Dynamite. The Goldmine TH off Wagon Wheel and Skyline has been
Read MoreTour de Cure 2012 Report
UPDATE: I am gearing up for the 100 mile 2013 Tour de Cure course! Support the cause with a donation
Read MoreBCT Little Pan Double Tech
I heard about the new tech loop on Little Pan from Dale on the mtbr forum. Whenever I hear about
Read MoreSunset n Snow
The views from Hawes were fantastic on Monday evening. After all the valley rains on Sunday, the mountains were white
Read MoreA Few Good Rides
The past few weeks I’ve got out to Gold Canyon and Pass Mountain. My goal on Gold Canyon was to
Read MoreAES Tor de 50
This is my ride report from the Tor de 50 a week and a half ago…it’s old news by now.
Read MoreCirque de SoMo
I needed a long ride. My last ditch effort to prepare for the AES Tor de 50 this Saturday. Good
Read MoreK-Trail Tech Loop
All you have to do is follow the white dots and you can clean every tech move on the tech
Read MoreMy old friend, Trail 100
I hit up some old trails this week after work. Old to me, anyway. I hadn’t ridden the west side
Read MoreHelipad TT on Strava
About 3 years ago I started up the Helipad TT to keep track of the fastest times up Helipad at
Read MoreLost Goldmine Tech Loop
Chatter yesterday on the MTBR Arizona Forum about a new section of trail in the Gold Canyon area got me
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Casa Grand Mountain Revisited
The last ride of the year…where to go? Classic Hawes? Climbing at South Mountain? Casa Grande popped into my head.
Read MoreChristmas Lights
Wishing all my readers a Happy Holiday season. May your tires see plenty of dirt in the coming year.
Read MoreWinter in Phoenix
This time of year is mountain biking heaven in Phoenix. I’ve been on some really fun rides the past few
Read MoreThe Whistler Effect
Fifty-eight days without a proper ride on the mountain bike. Its’ been at least a decade since I let that
Read MoreOver The Edge Sedona, Grand Opening Party
Our MTB friends at Over The Edge Sedona are throwing a party… and everyone is invited. It’ll be great weather
Read MoreThis Is A Boy Whose Name is Mike
Where can you get in 32 runs, 120 miles (including lifts), an Everest equivalent of vertical, more berms than you
Read MorePhoenix Trike Works
I’ll admit, if I ever decide to add a wheel and a motor to my lifestyle, this would be it.
Read MoreCougar Tracks
My morning ride out at Lost Goldmine. I didn’t see a soul the entire 10 miles. I found and rode
Read MoreWhistler Baby!
For my Old Man birthday, my awesome wife surprised me with a trip to Whistler later this month with a
Read MoreI Need a Little Time
Five of my last seven rides were on the ROAD. Mind you, I love being on two wheels, skinny or
Read MoreTour de Cure Finish!
Thank you to all who supported the Tour de Cure by donating to the cause. The team I rode with,
Read MoreTour de Cure Training
I’m not much of a trainer. I’m not much of an “event” rider. So I never train for anything, except
Read MoreTour de Cure
It’s official. I am registered to ride in the 2011 Tour de Cure fundraising ride for the American Diabetes Association.
Read MoreDesperately Seeking Allen
It should have been a simple thing…a couple of friends meeting at South Mountain for a friendly ride up to
Read MoreLost Goldmine K-Q-V
Solo ride out in the desert Saturday afternoon. Following all that was left behind of happy mountain bikers…chasing the sun
Read MoreQuartz Ridge Vortex Loop
This area is seeing a lot more tread lately. I’ve been riding in the Lost Goldmine area for a couple
Read MoreLederhosen on National!
Too Good Not to Post! Great vid and pics by Sam and the gang.
Read MoreVisiting Rider Raves Over BCT
Bob, a rider from New Hampshire, posted a comment under the Black Canyon Trail page after riding it yesterday. His
Read MoreLast Ride of the Year
It was a beautiful day to stroll Hawes and soak of the crisp views. Happy new Year! Wishing all riders
Read More24th Street Climbing
About three weeks ago I grabbed lunch at Rubio’s on 24th Street and Baseline. Instead of eating inside the restaurant
Read MoreTommy’s Triple Bypass
22 miles | 4,300 vertical climbing | 4.5 hours Village >> Road warm up >> Up Tom’s Thumb (grind grind)
Read MoreRanger to Kiwanis via Bees
Route: Over Los Lomitas, Up Ranger, Up National, Down National, Up West Bees Knees, Down East Bees Knees, Up Gila
Read MoreNo Longer Spineless
I knew rain was in the forecast but it didn’t matter. I was riding Wednesday afternoon. My first and only
Read MorePass to Pass and Back
Saturday afternoon ride on the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. Windgate to Bell Pass Out-n-Back, fueled by In-n-Out. Windgate to Bell Pass
Read MoreSandy South Mountain Roads
An after work ride to the towers this afternoon. It felt great to be on the bike. A few choice
Read MoreHolbert: Proof of Life
If you want to know that you are really alive, a living, breathing mortal, ride your bike down Holbert. Every
Read MoreEarly Morning National
National at EveryTrail East Loop >> Beverly >> Javelina >> Mormon >> National >> Rest at the Saddle >> National
Read MoreNational Makes Top 10 List
Jeff Corwin’s Top Mountain Biking Trails in North America. National makes the list. Can you guess who the National rider
Read MoreCarr Lake Loops
From Carr Lake System Hit the Rim for the weekend and got out for a little spin out at Carr
Read MoreI Heart Photos, Video and GPS
This morning’s ride in pics, vids and GPS… From Bees Knees Gila Loop From Bees Knees Gila Loop From Bees
Read MoreI Heart WTB, Stans and Maps
I love WTB. This week I received my much anticipated demo tires: the new Wolverines TCS and the new Weirwolf
Read MoreHawes: The Whole Enchilada
Hawes All 20 miles all on Hawes. A great way to spend the mid morning. 64 degrees at 9:30 am
Read MoreBCT First Ride
Black Canyon Trail in May at EveryTrail I finally got out to Ride the BCT. Only a small portion of
Read MoreRim Country Mountain Bike Festival & Blues Festival
The following information is posted on the MTBR Arizona Forum, where you can keep up with the thread for the
Read MoreNorthwest Passage
Western South Mountain Perimeter Map your trip with EveryTrail I dreamed this loop up after reading about this VOAZ built
Read More620 Ridgeline
From 620 Ridge 620 Ridgeline at EveryTrail For lack of knowing its official name (if it even has one yet),
Read More2006 SRAM X-0 Rear Derailleur
I know what you’re thinking…why would Mike review an ancient 2006 model SRAM X0, when all the talk is about
Read MoreLittle Duke Loop
Little Duke Loop at EveryTrail For the record, I named this loop myself. I figure since I’m new to the
Read MoreQuartz Ridge Loop
From Quartz Ridge Loop Quartz Ridge – Lost Goldmine at EveryTrail Another crazy eight loop. I really like doing figure
Read MoreEl Tour de Phoenix Race Report
Submitted by Chris Anderson Chris finished in 40th place out of 1029 racers. That ‘aint too shabby. Chris is a
Read MoreVids for the day
No better way to start the day than a early morning road spin, breakfast, virtual mountain biking at South Mountain,
Read MoreThe Tour de Payson Returns on Saturday, May 8
By Bob Beane What does Payson have in common with Paris-Roubaix, La Vuelta a Espana and Le Tour de France?
Read MoreGila View to Mine Drop
Gila View-National-Mine Drop at EveryTrail Another exploratory ride out in West South Mountain. I just really love that place. I
Read MoreReview: Pearl Izumi X-Alp Enduro
Outdoor Demo 2009, Day Two — I was waiting for the Interbike Flatbed, a Pivot Mach 429 in hand, making
Read MoreEast Mesa Epic
Complete. From East Mesa Epic East Mesa Epic Map your trip with EveryTrail From East Mesa Epic Yesterday was a
Read MoreReview: Serfas Aileron Sunglasses
Not five minutes into the Outdoor demo at Interbike last year, as I was making my way to the Turner
Read MoreFocus Crit
My road buddy was racing the Focus Criterium yesterday so I took my film crew (kids) and headed out to
Read MoreSouth Mountain 620 Exploration
I set out to explore the Ruins trail up to National and then down Mine drop, but as I got
Read MoreaHHH…Sedona
From Triple H Yesterday ended a six day riding streak for me. I haven’t seen one of those since the
Read More50 Videos for 50 Year Trail
From 50-Year Trail AZSF 2010 AZSF 2010 started with an awesome guided tour of the Catalina mountains on the 50
Read MorePMP Hairball Loop
The AZSF Hairball Night ride is going on right now. I really wanted to ride it with the gang, but
Read MoreIf You Like Piña Coladas…
I planned a sweet lunch ride for today to include some new trails out in west South Mountain. DCX, Ruins,
Read MoreWagon Wheel Rd
Queen Creek’s only hill. One mile long, 135 feet gain. I’m ready for Alpe d’Huez! It ends at the Skyline
Read MoreOde to Arizona
Video made by out of towners who frequent the state of Arizona for its magical riding. I’ve never met or
Read MoreSouth Mountain Epic Riding
From West SoMo 2-24-10 My insatiable thirst for steep adventure climbing and descending led me to my next West SoMo
Read More24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Video
This is too good not to share. By Vladimir Chaloupka 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo from Vladimir Chaloupka on
Read MoreSouth Mountain Maps Through Time
Welcome to the future in South Mountain mapping — 2010 and beyond. Larger map click here. All historical maps courtesy
Read MoreArizona Spring Fling 2010
Only four days to order your AZSF 2010 T-shirt. Get it now or you will regret it! But plenty of
Read MoreBucket List Loop: West SoMo
Do you have a list of trails you’ve been meaning to ride for a long time? Ones you just never
Read MoreExploring the Goldfields
I’d been wanting to get out to the Goldfields for more exploratory riding for a while. I’ve previously been to
Read MoreKenda Nevegal 2.1 UST Tubeless
Kenda Nevegal on Tom’s Thumb from MTBikeAZ I’d say at least half if not more of the bikes I demo
Read MoreJacob’s Gold Loop
I finally found a few hours to get out and explore. My favorite thing about riding. I have the west
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SoMo Towers
For some reason the road has been calling me and the towers up on South Mountain were singing like Sirens
Read MoreTitus Demo Day at Hawes
Last Saturday I hit up the Titus Demo Day at Hawes. I had one thing in mind…riding the Rockstar. Right
Read MoreSolid Gold
From Lost Goldmine to the Goldfields. The northwest passage has been scouted. Chollaball recounts the epic journey with the utmost
Read MoreInternational Blog My Trail Day – Pass Mountain
Justin Schmid (@waadering_j) started an International Blog My Trail Day page on Facebook. The idea, blog about your favorite trail
Read MoreNew Year’s Day Kiddo Ride
New Year’s Day from MTBikeAZ on Vimeo. The annual MTB ride with the kiddos at Usery Park. Even a five
Read MoreDecember Fins
I spent the day after Christmas out on FINS. I almost wish I lived out West so I could ride
Read MoreMajor Tom Extended
This is the extended version of the Major Tom vids I posted earlier. Screen resolution didn’t translate from .mov to
Read MoreEthan’s Run – Hope For Heart Defects
I know it’s not Mountain Biking, it’s not Road Biking, it’s Running… and for a very good cause: Benefiting The
Read MoreTom’s Thumb C2C2C
I set out for an epic, and epic is what I got. Since my first climb up Tommy Boy, all
Read MoreAnnual Pass Mountain Day
While I didn’t know it at the time of the ride…today is annual Pass Mountain Day for me. Last year
Read MoreEast End Trail
Here is one of my vids of East End Trail off of Tom’s Thumb. The upper portion. I had the
Read MoreHappy Turkey Day
There’s no excuse for not getting out on your bike this week. The weather in the Valley will be pristine.
Read MoreDNA Specialized Demo, Pass Mountain
It was a beautiful morning for a DNA Specialized demo ride. I took out the Specialized Epic Marathon 29er for
Read MoreLower East National
East Loop/Javelina/Mormon/National/Beverly/DC at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail: Geotagging Community Solo ride at South Mountain yesterday. I started at Pima lot
Read MoreAlamo Canyon, AZT Passage 17
From the Picket Post trailhead off the US 60 just west of Superior, lies a less traveled passage of the
Read MoreNeighborhood Stroll
This afternoon for lunch I went on a little neighborhood ride…my goal was to only ride the secondary neighborhood streets
Read MoreLiveStrong Day
Today is LiveStrong Day. To celebrate, visit my Team Fatty LiveStrong page and donate five dollars to the Lance Armstrong
Read MoreCrack – BST – Clarks
Crack BST Clarks at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail: Share and Plan your Trips I first heard about this loop reading
Read MoreBrian Head: Bunker Creek & Dark Hollow
Brian Head used to be a yearly trip when I lived in Utah. I hadn’t run Bunker Creek or Dark
Read MoreFall Colors Down Tibble
My last ride of the week. I wanted to make it a good one. With spent legs I decided to
Read MoreThunder Mountain
Thunder Mountain near Bryce Canyon is one scenic trail. The clip above is just one of the many sweet spots
Read MoreFollowing Team Monavie Cannondale
As we were riding down Girl Scout on the first ride of Day one, we ran into Team Monavie Cannondale
Read MoreInterbike 2009 Showroom Floor
Random shots from Day one, on the showroom floor. My only day on the floor as I’ll be riding in
Read MoreInterbike 2009 Day Two
Day two of the Outdoor Demo is over. So sad to leave. Lessons learned from today: * Watch your step
Read MoreInterbike 2009 Video
Lower Girl Scout. Rocky Mountain Altitude in front, Turner Sultan filming. The last 30 seconds is the best part of
Read MoreInterbike 2009 Day One
Interbike 2009 Outdoor Demo Day 1 at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail: GPS Trip Sharing with Google Maps Great day. Lots
Read MoreWhy I Should Be Special (ized)
What really makes me different from all the other applicants who are socially connected passionate riders like myself? Here’s what
Read MoreMining at the Break of Dawn
Descending the Mine trail in the Hawes system. From the Twisted Sister TH up past the Mine, then all the
Read More100 Mountain Miles to Fight Cancer
Photo by: http://www.flickr.com/photos/noodle/ / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 UPDATE: As of today, October 19th, $190 has been donated at my LiveStrong
Read MoreSan Tan Gnar
Did I just say gnar and San Tan in the same phrase? Yes, I did. I know it seems impossible
Read MoreToday is the greatest…
mail day ever known… I look forward to today almost as much as I do actually going to Interbike. Today
Read MoreDid I Win?
Watch this over and over and over again. A true cyclist is all about the win.
Read MoreHappy VholdR Day to Me!
I have the coolest brother in the world. He sent me a brand new VholdR ContourHD helmet cam for my
Read MoreShooting Mike C.
Cactus photo by Mike C. – Photo of Mike C. taking the photo of the cactus by Mike M. Earlier
Read MorePass Mountain: #300,000 on Everytrail
I worked some internet magic last night on Everytrail. I saw they were getting close to trail ID number 300,000…so
Read MoreReview: Specialized Captain Control 2Bliss 2.20
I found Ned Overend’s Captain Control by chance when my Roll X blew a sidewall. The Specialized tire guarantee pulled
Read MoreA Plethora of Bike Blogs
I am proud to announce that MTBikeAZ.com made the BikeBlogs.com daily blog list today wooo whooo! Along with UtRider. I
Read MoreCatching Air…
…but not the good kind. I am now officially a member of the “bike flew off my rack on the
Read MoreI Need a Vacation
Since I always post how awesome the riding weather is here in the winter for all my snowed-in riding friends
Read MoreTdF Saturday
I never tire watching this descent from the from the 2003 Tour.
Read MoreHawes Dragon Loop
Hawes DRAGON Loop at EveryTrail It’s 4 am. As I reach over to snooze the alarm I am already thinking
Read MoreFuture Champ
liamlivestrong.MP4 — powered by http://www.livestrong.com Lance chats with an eight year old climbing the Col du Columbiere. Very cool video,
Read MoreSouth Mountain Stroll
South Mountain Medley at EveryTrailMap created by EveryTrail: Geotagging Community Pima fireroad to Ridgeline >> East Loop >> Javelina >>
Read MoreTeam Fatty Seattle Wins
Team Fatty Seattle has raised a boatload of money for the LAF. Above is Team Fatty Captain, Elden Nelson’s, video
Read MoreRoad for Breakfast
Road to Sacaton at EveryTrail Road is not as hearty as dirt but it was a nice change of pace.
Read MoreGood ‘ol Hawes
Hawes Trail at EveryTrail I went on a super fun ride out at Hawes this morning. My first day on
Read MoreReview: Slime Pro Tubeless Sealant
I picked up a bottle of Slime Pro Tubeless Sealant at Interbike last year while it was still in testing.
Read MoreReview: WTB Wolverine 2.2 Tires
After 50 plus miles of riding on a pair of WTB Wolverines, I’m happy to say that they are very
Read MoreEnd of Pavement
Today was an awesome day. I spent the whole day inside, building a closet. A project that needed to get
Read MoreCabin Fever
As the temps rise in the valley, my thoughts elevate to the cooler temps up north…Flagstaff, the White Mountains…the Mogollon
Read MoreSeven Seconds
I’m developing a love/hate relationship with Helipad. I love it because it is such a sweet trail to climb. Steep,
Read MoreIt’d be silly not to…
…ride fresh new singletrack in the valley. If you’ve ever taken the US 60 east out to Superior or Florence,
Read MorePapago Let Down
After a good time on “easy” trails at South Mountain, I thought I would give Papago Park a shake. In
Read MoreVarsity Scout Triathlon, Pima AZ
View Pima Varsity Triathlon in a larger map So what’s a Varsity Scout triathlon? No, it’s not rock throwing, followed
Read MoreHot, hot, hot
Summer is here. We hit 92 today in the valley today. The hottest day of the year. I had planned
Read MoreFor Immediate Release — Tour de San Tans
Photo courtesy mtbikeaz.com Queen Creek, Arizona (April 2, 2009) — Thursday evening a small but solid group of riders showed
Read MoreSpecialized Demo at DNA Mesa
Great lunch today over at DNA Cycles in Mesa. Hot dogs, chips, Wild Cherry Pepsi, and for dessert, eleven miles
Read MoreSecond Chance San Tans
I’ve done my fair share of lovin’ on the San Tans as well as dissin’ on the San Tans –
Read MoreLunch and Dinner Ride
Did a big loop around Hawes and Usery Park this afternoon. Nice rolling XC took my time and snapped a
Read MoreTour de SoMo AZSF 09
View Larger Map My big ride this Spring Fling was South Mountain. Sure SoMo is right there in my own
Read MoreSinglespeed Birthday
Today, is St. Patty’s day. It’s also the year mark since I converted my geared GT Avalanche into a singlespeed
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