This is moved over from the
current website for those that prefer to visit MTBR for the ride info.
All SoMo XC rides are now leaving out at 8:00am in the morning. If you are a rider leader and would rather leave at 9, please send me a PM.
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The goal of this year's AZSF is to allow more people to ride in more locations. We have more riding options this year than in any year before. This is not to spread out the groups but rather to give people more options. Another reason why we organize this unique gathering is for the post-ride gatherings, we all want to chat and what better place to do that than after a great ride. All too often we do not have the chance to meet people on the trail or at the local race. This is your chance to ride and then relax around a campfire, bar, cookout, keg, outside of Bike n bean or other post-ride gathering location mentioned below. We encourage you to come join us this year.
Things that are new and notable this year: We are offering two shuttle rides this year, La Milagrosa and SoMo. Additionally, there are more C-Level rides this year than in previous years thanks to our leaders that have done a tremendous job in volunteering. Some more notable changes, we will also be staging more rides on Saturday, specifically one down in Tucson. The Pre-Fling this year is huge, it is going to start off with 9+ rides throughout 4 different cities, each with its own post-ride gathering.
Here is the current ride schedule:
Wednesday March 18 Pre-Fling Rides and Parties
This year, we are starting the Arizona Spring Fling off with the biggest Pre-Fling party ever. We have all levels of riding in 4 different cities, almost all require some light, so make sure to bring charged up lights and/or extra batteries. The sun tends to set at 7:00pm in March.
Pre-Fling on Wednesday in Prescott
Ride Leader: Jayem
Ride difficulty: B
Meeting place/time: see below
Details: 0900
Directions:We'll meet at the old-railroad grade on the left side of Iron Springs road. This is before the OHV area, so if you reach that you've gone too far. The railroad grade is about a mile up Iron Springs Road past the Granite Basin turnoff, and directly opposite of that is trail 332 (Circule Trail). The general ride plan will not change drastically, as we'll probably ride up to trail37 for the descent on 40 into Granite Basin, but this makes for a better meeting-spot with easier bail-options.
I'd make this a B ride, one serious climb in the beginning, good descent to start it off after the climb, then gradual descending, followed by gradual climbing, with a shorter steeper climb at the end. It's ~20 miles or so with options to extend and shorten.
Pre-Fling C Ride Level at Papago Park
Ride Leader: Kaboose
Ride difficulty: C Level
Meeting place/time/details: 5:00pm FIP No lights required, yeah! Meet in the parking lot west of the zoo entrance and ride around the golf course, buttes, hold in the rock and go south beyond the jumps. 14ish miles of riding. Post-ride gathering will be organized and discussed after the ride.
Pre-Fling on Wed at Hawes
Ride Leaders: Liteandfast (Dave)….
Ride difficulty: “B” ride
Meeting place/time: 5 PM Bring lights
We can meet at 5 pm at Walgreens in the back of building. Please bring lightss and cameras, we will catch the sunset.
Wednesday Hairball Margarita Night Ride (WHBMNR)
When: Wednesday, March 18th, 6:30 PM
Meet: Aunt Chilada's, 7330 North Dreamy Draw Drive, Phoenix, Arizona 85020
Meet in the south parking lot.
Directions:
http://www.auntchiladas.com/location/
Ride: This is an technical "A" ride where we will be dropping down the Hailball DH, one of the most technical trails in the Phoenix Mountain Preserves and we will be doing it at night! We will start and end the ride at Aunt Chilada's. The route will be about 6-miles long and will take about 2 hours to complete the loop. The ride includes 1/4 mile 300' hike-a-bike climb to get to the top of Haiball. At which point we will strap on the armor. Then the next mile we drop 600' over some really great super chunkness and then short HAB then the final drop down the Super Chutes to end the ride.
Bike: 6" All moutain bike that can climb a little works best. Also bring Armor!
Post Ride: We will party in the patio at Aunt Chilada's with Margaritas and food. Aunt Chilada's is bike friendly and we can park our bikes in the patio if yo udo not have secure way to hide or lock you bike in you car
Wednesday T-100 B/C Level Night Ride
When: Wednesday, March 18th, PM
Meet: Aunt Chilada's, 7330 North Dreamy Draw Drive, Phoenix, Arizona 85020
Meet in the south parking lot.
Directions:
http://www.auntchiladas.com/location/
Ride: This is an technical B-/C+ ride that will be at T100. We will be meeting up with the Hairball ride at Aunt Chilada's to drink beer, eat some tacos, and socialize.
Post Ride: We will party in the patio at Aunt Chilada's with Margaritas and food. Mostly T100 proper, will decide east or west when we start. Will be 'no drop', to keep everyone safe. Bring lights! The purpose is to burn a few calories before binging on tacos and beer and listening to the stories of the Hairball group.
Pre-Fling on Wed: Tucson Starr Pass "B" Night Ride
Ride Leaders: Vern and Co.
Ride difficulty: “B” ride
Meeting place/time: Bring your lights. Meet at Starr Pass parking lot at 6:00 PM. Plan to ride about 2 hours. This is also wear your ugly bike t-shirt ride, so bring out the ugliest jerseys/t-shirt you have.
Post-ride Beer: Ride/drive down to 4th Avenue for some beer and food at Bison Witches.
Ride Description: Starr Pass is more hilly than most of Tucson Mountain Park and provides greater ride variation for a given trail. This area is heavily covered in cacti. Flat-proofed (slimed) tires and pliers to remove cacti from your bike or yourself are recommended. Lights required also.
Pre-Fling on Wed: Tucson Starr Pass "A" Night Ride
Ride Leaders: Chad and Max
Ride difficulty: “A” ride
Meeting place/time: Bring your lights. Meet at Starr Pass parking lot at 5:00 PM. Plan to ride about 2.5-3 hours. This is also wear your ugly bike t-shirt ride, so bring out the ugliest jerseys/t-shirt you have.
Post-ride Beer: Ride/drive down to 4th Avenue for some beer and food at Bison Witches.
Ride Description: Starr Pass is more hilly than most of Tucson Mountain Park and provides greater ride variation for a given trail. This area is heavily covered in cacti. Flat-proofed (slimed) tires and pliers to remove cacti from your bike or yourself are recommended. .
Pre-Fling on Wed: Tucson 50-year trail
Ride Leaders: CJ
Pre-Fling Wednesday Sunset/Night Ride
Meeting Point: TBD, dependent on (any) respondents. Large Group, Golder Trailhead. If it is just a few riders, we'll just ride from our place here (directions available, if needed)
Starting Time: 6 PM
Ride Description:
Wednesday Sunset/Night Ride: Watch the colors change from yellow-to-orange- to-purple on the Santa Catalina Mountains as you cruise the trail. The plan is to depart in the light, enjoy sunset on the mountains while riding a little slickrock off-shoot trail, have a trailside snack/beverage, switch on the lights and ride some more. B paced, with stops as needed for whatever…a relaxed pace, fun ride on the 50 Year Trail and related environs. If there are any riders wishing to join us, great!
Route Description: The 50 year trail is a popular mountain biking trail that runs from the Catalina State Park equestrian center to the North end of the Golder Ranch Area. The trail contains a variety of difficulty levels from easy to advanced. There will be lines and opportunities for you to take as much risk as you want, with the goal, a Fun social night ride!!! Directions here.
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Thursday, March 19: Tucson
Tucson A: -Bug Springs-Prison Camp-La Milagrosa
Ride Leader: Helimech A Group --- DurtGurl B Group----Evil Patrick
Ride difficulty: “A” ride****Note**** This ride is very, very advanced, possibly the most advanced ride for all of AZSF. Riders should be able to descend obstacles with ease. Full suspension (although not mandatory is highly recommended). If you have armor, bring it.
Meeting place/time: Meet at LeBuzz coffee shop (9095 E. Tanque Verde Road, Tucson, AZ 85749) at 9AM. Both groups meet at the same time and will leave shuttle up at different times, A going first.
Directions to Le Buzz: Take I-10 to Ina Road, and head East on Ina. Ina will change names twice, to Skyline and then Sunrise. About a mile after you pass the signal at Craycroft, the next signal at the bottom of a hill is Kolb. Turn right. Kolb will become Sabino Canyon, and about a mile after that you will come to a T intersection with Tanque Verde. Turn left and stay in either of the two left lanes (the right lane will become another road). After about a mile, find LeBuzz tucked in a shopping center on the NE corner of the Tanque Verde / Catalina Highway intersection behind the McDonalds.
Tucson B: AZ Trail, starting in Vail
Ride Leader: MyBikesBroken
Ride difficulty: "B" ride
Meeting place/time: Meet out front of Montgomery's Grill and Saloon, 13190 E Colossal Cave Rd, Vail, AZ. @10AM.
Directions to Montgomery's: Take I-10 to Vail Rd. (exit 279), Turn left and head north on Vail Rd. After about a mile, there will be a shopping center on the right side of the road. You will see a Dairy Queen, Quikie Mart, etc. Montgomery's is on the North end of the shopping center. We will meet in the dirt lot out front. Driving time from the Tempe (SoMo) area will be around 3 hours. Ride Description: We will ride from Pistol Hill Road, out to Three Bridges, and return. Approx. 24 miles. This section of the AZ Trail is beautiful, and fun to ride. It rolls and twists through saguaro cactus forests. Most of the trail is smooth singletrack, with some slightly technical bits thrown in here and there. Some climbing, and of course, descending. It's singlespeed friendly. On my 29'er, I ride it with either a 32x18 or 32x20.
As in years past, after riding the AZT in Vail, we will head over to Montgomery's for beers on the patio before we head down to Bars on Bikes.
Tucson B: 50-Year Trail
Ride Leader: Waiting to see if there is a need for this, please make a comment below if you'd like to ride here.
Ride difficulty: B ride
Meeting place/time: Meet at Golder Ranch Road at 9:00am
Ride Description: We will be riding some of the best trails in the area, Baby Jesus, Upper 50, a quick sneak into the chutes, etc. There will be be afterward before we go down to Bars on Bikes.
Route Description: The 50 year trail is a popular mountain biking trail that runs from the Catalina State Park equestrian center to the North end of the Golder Ranch Area. The trail contains a variety of difficulty levels from easy to advanced. We will be mostly on rolly sections, with a few rocks here and there to add some technical game to the ride.
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For those that have to work on Thursday, we offer the following rides that will be meeting up at Sweetwater. The first ride will start on the northwest side of Tucson and venture over to Sweetwater via the Gasline. The other is a C-Ride that will be starting out at Sweetwater.
Tucson A: Gasline to Sweetwater Afternoon Ride
Ride Leader: Chad
Ride difficulty: A Ride
Meeting place/time: 3:45 Ina/Shannon (you can bike over or park at Chad's house) or anywhere on Ina, west of Shannon. We will be riding Ina out, then taking the gasline to Sweetwater, where we will meet up with the C Ride. You will be tired by the time you get to Sweetwater and will be riding about a C Pace. The plan is to hammer on the 8-10 freaking huge gasline hills, then have a nice ride with the C-ride, before biking down to Bars on Bikes downtown/returning to your car.
More information about Bars on Bikes can be found below under Tucson Party Info (it is in red lettering).
Tucson C: Sweetwater Afternoon Ride
Ride Leader: Kimmee and Cat
Ride difficulty: C Ride
Meeting place/time: Sweetwater at 4:45pm
Directions: This is an awesome place for night riding. Take Ruthrauff Rd. west of I-10 where it then turns to El Camino del Cerro. Approx 1 mile west of I-10 you will cross Silverbell Rd. Keep going west about another 1.8 miles until you come to Tortalita Rd. turn left (south). Go about 1 mile until the road dead ends. Trailhead is here. After the ride, we will be heading to Bars on Bikes that starts at Rincon Market (see Tucson Pary Info below for more about the Bars on Bikes).
Route Description: We will be doing a small loop, around 5-7 miles, 1-2 hours. Here is a map of Sweetwater:
http://www.tucsonmtb.com/clipart/sweetwater_map.jpg
Tucson Party Info
Wednesday Night Ride
Starr Pass/Tucson Mountain Park Big Parking Lot
at 6:00pm
Post-race Beer and Food at Bison Witches on 4th Avenue (still talking to the owner about cutting us a deal).
Bring your I Bike Tucson or AZSF T-Shirt to this event!
Thursday Bars on Bikes
Meet at the Rincon Market (6th and Tucson Blvd):
at 7:00pm with lights, blinkie and headlight, ready to ride and drink! We will be riding until 11am. If you want to park your car downtown, we will be ending in that area.
Bring your I Bike Tucson or AZSF T-Shirt to this event!
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Friday, March 20: Phoenix, South Mountain/T100 rides
SoMo Shuttle Rides
Ride Leader: Clockwork and Co.
Ride difficulty: A+ Uber Technical
Meeting place/time: 7am @ scorpion gultch
Details: This is a ride for those with big bikes and armor. Send a PM to Clockwork on MTBR if you are interested. Bring some cash for gas.
SoMo A:
Ride Leader: Chad
Ride difficulty: A
The party at SoMo starts pretty late, so we have all day to ride at SoMo. A C2C2C might be one option depending on interest. Any interested parties should send me a PM so I a gauge interest level.
Meeting place/time: FIP at 9:00, plan to show up at 8:45am and leave by 9 for all group rides. It would be nice to chat for a few minutes with all the other group leaders, so make sure to be a little early if you want to meet some people. Beer at BV may be provided again, so make sure to bring some cash for the tip canister. This applies to all SoMo rides. Bring lots of water and snacks, we can drop stuff off at BV (water and snacks) if we have to. I will let you know if we finalize the Beer/Gatorade Stop on BV like last year (Thanks again to CactusJoe for that amazing feat last year!)
Directions to Pima Canyon at South Mountain: Located at 9904 S. 48th Street and Guadalupe Road. Map of South Mtn
SoMo B
Ride Leader: CactusJose (JB)
Ride difficulty: B
Meeting place/time: FIP at 9:00am, North Ramada, Pima Canyon (Same as above)
Directions to South Mountain: see above
SoMo B+
Ride Leader: DurtGurl
Meeting place/time: FIP at 9:00am, North Ramada, Pima Canyon (Same as above). Leave after meeting everyone from other groups and drink an early morning beer.
ROUTE: Up National, down Holbert, up road, down Corona Loma, Secret trail to Desert Classic back to parking area. Distance is about 23 miles (not exactly sure) and time will be 5-6 hours for a group. Call this ride an "A" for technical and endurance aspects and a "B" for pace. Water refills will be available after Holbert but be sure to start with a full 100oz bladder and lots of snacks.
SoMo B-
Ride Leader: Bigdudecyling
Meeting place/time: at 9:00am, North Ramada, Pima Canyon (Same as above). Leave after meeting everyone from other groups.
ROUTE: Up the fire road to javelina, down javeline to east/west loop, then over to DC, with a few options to drop off if it gets long. Otherwise, this is a fun ride, plenty of time to take pictures, enjoy each other's company, etc.
T100 C
Ride Leader: Kaboose
Ride difficulty: C
Meeting place/time: 8:00am
Directions to T100: Meet at the NOMO parking lot, across from the Pointe. We will ride west to the Earth Dam and make the Pink Loop back to the start, then head east to Rollercoaster and back home via Wedding Trail. Send Kaboose a PM on MTBR if you have any questions.
Party Info:
What: AZ Spring Fling Party at South Mountain
When: Friday 5:30-10PM
Where: Little Ramada in South Mountain Park (map available here)
Directions: Get to Central Avenue in Phoenix and head south into South Mountain Park. Party is to be held at the LITTLE RAMADA this year. After you enter the park, take the 1st right turn after you enter park. There is a small sign prior to the turn. Yes, the picnic area is actually called "Little Ramada".
FOOD - Although we hope to provide some snacks, dinner is BYO style. We will have grills fired up, and will supply plates, utensils, condiments, water, and some soda. Bring your appetite, but don't forget to stop by the grocery store!
BEER – A keg of something yummy and alcoholic will be provided Cups too.
GLASS BOTTLES are not allowed at the picnic area, subject to fines from the park authorities.
Be looking for the Spring Fling tip jar and feel free to donate generously to offset costs! Beer may or may not be donated - we'll let you know before we hit you up for $$$.
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Saturday, March 21 - Sedona
All Sedona Rides (unless noted below) will be parking in the Bell Rock Parking Lot (see directions below) and will be congregating at Bike n Bean. Please make sure you read the directions. There will be maps available on MTBR in a few weeks. After parking your car and gearing up, venture to the Bike n Bean to buy some coffee and other goods that you may need, sit back and wait for everyone to show up. If you want to rent a bike in Sedona, Bike n Bean is offering 10% off any rental! Check out their rentals by clicking their link.
Sedona A
Ride Leader: Chad
Meet at 9:00am at Bike n Bean, get some coffee, socialize and then we ride. The ride departs at 9:25am promptly.
Starting location: See Bell Rock Parking Directions in red below
Details: There is no plan of this one, we will only be hitting some of the best singletrack in Sedona, the stuff that makes you want to write home to a loved one and tell him/her how much you loved Sedona. If you have ever wanted to ride some primo A+ trails, plan on doing this technical savy ride. Our legs will be hurting after 3 days in the saddle, but we will attack this Red Rock Country with everything we got. This ride is not for the faint at heart, although some of us we will need some breaks after doing 3 previous rides. Bring a camera and snacks, there will be some camera and snacks breaks. Some trails that you will ride during this Tour of Sedona: Llama, Broken Arrow, Cathedral, Mystic, a possible water crossing, maybe even some Airport Rocky-as-Hell Mesa Loop or Damifino, we will gauge the interest of both those areas on the group dynamics. We will ride until there is a coupe or until someone falls into despair and yells out, I want Oak Creek Beer already! Which ever comes first.
Sedona B+
Ride Leader: TrailDoc
Meet at 8:45am, Ride departs at 9:00am promptly.
Starting location: at the intersection of Chapel Rd and 179
Details: Protective gear, swim suit and tire sealant are highly recommended. The ride will definitely hit areas laden with cactus and other spiny vegetation. 4-5 hour ride. If you do not know TD, he is a Sedona local that loves to show people around. If you want to see some great trail and great views, a tour with Dr. T is in order.
Sedona B
Ride Leader: some yahoo (Befoot)
Meet at 9:00am at Bike n Bean, get some coffee, socialize and then we ride. (I liked that part)
The ride departs at 9:30am
Details: from Bike n Bean head south on 179 to Bell rock Blvd.go west to Verde Valley School Rd. go west again and pick up Baldwin / Buddha Beach / Templeton / HT / Little Horse / Chicken Point and evaluate plan /Broken Arrow / Morgan Rd. / Mystic / Chapel / Little Horse / Llama / Bell Rock Pathway / Bike n Bean / Beer....you know the same old boring stuff.
there are some spots to do a bale-out if needed.
I will be riding a SS and I'm slow so I may be leading from the back at times all in all this should be a great ride bring your camera and lots of water and snacks...in case we get lost, just kidding.
see you all at the "Bean"
Sedona B
Ride Leader: DurtGurl and Liteandfast
Start location: Bike n' Bean (see directions below). FIP @ 0930.
Details: Route TBD.
Sedona B
Ride Leader: Chongoman
Start location: Bike n' Bean (see directions below). FIP @ 0935.
Details: Route TBD.
Sedona A/B
Ride Leader: Local Sedona will be leading this ride
Start location: Bike n' Bean (see directions below). FIP @ 0940.
Details: Route TBD.
Sedona B-C
Ride Leaders: Paul and Rancho66
Start Location: We will be meeting in the IGA parking lot. There is plenty of parking here and it suits are ride better to start from the IGA. Directions available here.
Details: Paul's ride will be a B to C ride. Meet at 9:3oam.
Bell Rock Parking Lot Directions: Take the Highway 179 exit that leads to Sedona. Seven miles in you will encounter not Sedona proper but The Village of Oak Creek (VOC).
Travel through the round abouts until you get near the last light, a street called Bell Rock Blvd. Just before the light, on the right side of the road you will see Absolute Bikes and an Ace Hardware Store. BUT, instead of turning right into that little parking lot, directly across on the left side of the road is a big parking lot, which y'all should use. There is a two story strip mall building there. The one business I really like there is a Thai restaurant. Park the car. From there, once all geared up, carefully cross the road to the Circle K. From there ride up to Bike n Bean. Its a few hundred yards from the Circle K. No need to purchase a silly red rock pass. Save your $5 for pizza and beer.
Post Ride Party at Bike n Bean in Sedona. Free Beer and $10 pizza.
We will be meeting at Bike n Bean again this year for the after party. Bike n Bean is once again buying our beer! The only thing is that we have to buy the pizza, so bring some cash! Bike n Bean has been sponsoring the AZSF for years, please do your part by supporting them with merchandise, coffee, and passing the good word along to everyone.
If you need a place for lodging in Sedona, check the FAQs link above or check out this link.
Free Camping will be available at Beaver Flats south of town both nights (Friday and Saturday night). We will be driving up from Phoenix after the party, setting up camp, and doing the Sedona rides the next day. Since BCT is close to Sedona, we will be finishing off the Oak Creek keg that Bike n Bean has given us (remember to support our sponsors), then going back to camp to continue the social/happy hour. All parties are welcome; there is plenty of space. After turning on Bear Flats, make your first left. A map will be posted and I will have copies for those interested in camping.
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Saturday, March 21: Tucson
Tucson A/B: -Brown Mountain
Ride Lead: Steve
Details: Brown Mnt loop from G-5 Parking lot. A/B ride with fun single track and some steep climbs and technical downhill. FIP 9:00.
Directions to trail head: West on Speedway which turns into Gates Pass Road. Go over the pass and look for the second parking pullout on the right.
Sunday, March 22: Black Canyon
This is going to be one of the biggest rides of the entire week. If you want to go with certain people during the ride, make sure to try to arrive early. We will start grouping the riders a little after 9pm. There is plenty of place to park, so you do not need to worry about parking. There is a post-ride gathering at Rock Springs about 200 yards from the trailhead. They are famous for two things: their amazing pies and very slow wait times, but the beer is cheap! Eat a little bit before the ride if you plan on waiting, or just come join us for beer. Bring some cash to make it easier to separate the checks if you plan on eating.
Black Canyon Trail: B and C rides
Ride Leader: Chad, RobZona, Max, Tiffany(in anthem), DaveW (liteandfast), Jayem, and AKAmonkeybutt
Start Location: BCT trail head at 9am for both the B ride C ride. We will split in groups and head off in intervals to avoid congestion. Rides will leave out from 9-930 depending on who is ready, so show up whenever you want (if you are faster, you should think about being early as to not be in one of the last groups). Rides depart every 5-10 minutes according to pace and speed. Bloody Marys will be available for anyone that needs help recovering from the night before (with some of my secret recovery medicine). T
Plan is to hook up during the ride with some of the groups, snacks at one of the river crossings. Depending on water level, you may have to get your feet wet. Plan accordingly.
Directions to BCT trail head…Directions: From Interstate 17, either direction; take exit 242 (Black Canyon City and Rock Springs), turn west, proceed to stop sign, turn north (right) on the frontage road, drive about 300 ft to the first road on the left, Warner Rd, and turn left. Drive about 1300 ft to the first cross road, turn right and proceed to the parking area on the right near the end of the road, about 400 ft.
Post-ride Food and Beer at Rock Springs.
Sunday: Phoenix Goat Camp
Ride Leader: CactusJoe--A Technical Ride
Start location: at White Tanks
Details: Route TBD.
Updated 3/15/09
The Official Arizona Spring Fling 09 Thread
Let us know if you have any questions.
Thanks for reminding me to change it.
Cups too. 
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