I’m trying to figure out the best canals in Phoenix for riding a bike. We have enough of them – something like 180 miles worth. For a short ride, most of them do the trick nicely. But if you’re trying to pile on the miles and don’t like sitting at stoplights and crossing roads all…
Fitness
Stories about gettin' your sweat on.
Recap: 2020 Aravaipa Jangover Ride
The answer is the Aravaipa Jangover Ride. The question is, what race starts just a few hours after a long work week and goes to the wee hours of the morning? I registered for the 6-hour solo category of the Jangover Ride after lunch on the day of. That’s right. Nothing like waiting until the…
Testing the SOS Hydration Mix
Hydration is the difference between a good ride and a low-down, cramp-filled, no-good sufferfest that will make you regret ever getting on a bicycle (or running, or kayaking, or whatever it is that you do). I largely have my regimen set, but I’m always on the lookout for the Next Big Thing. That’s why I…
Bicycling in Southern California – A Quick Guide
Bicycling in Southern California is a real treat, especially if you’re from the desert like I am. Even in June, you can count on mild temperatures, decent cycling infrastructure and some hilly routes to help burn more calories. If you’re into bicycling, Encinitas is a nice place to get a taste of bicycling in Southern…
It’s hot. Let’s talk about summer hydration.
It’s not even June yet, and I’m already doing my usual summer hydration stuff when I exercise. Beating cramps and the dreaded post-exercise headache is a huge undertaking. For me, getting it right is the result of trial and error. Not everybody is riding 60 miles in 100-degree heat. But that doesn’t mean you can’t…
COVID-19 Quarantine is Getting People Outdoors. But There’s a Problem.
COVID-19 is driving a lot of people outdoors to find some relief from the quarantine. On the surface, that’s a good thing. But a lot of these people discovering (or rediscovering) the outdoors are going to wind up injured, sick or worse. I went out for a ride to scout the Goldfield Mountains near Apache…
Where to Ride on the Grand Canalscape Bike Path
My local news outlets recently had a bunch of headlines about the Grand Canalscape bike path. Most were breathlessly impressed by a bike/pedestrian lane that would stretch “12 miles from Tempe to the I-17.” I’d bet that not a single one of the journalists rode the entire length on a bike. I honestly wouldn’t expect…
Review: Frenzy Hills Mountain Bike Race
The inaugural Frenzy Hills mountain bike race put on by Aravaipa Rides was one very cool event. Some of this was by design, and some was luck of the draw from Mother Nature. In a weekend extravaganza of off-road activity, I raced my singlespeed in the 50-mile category. I think I may have been the…
Recap: The 2019 Tour de Scottsdale
This was the big year of my big comeback to the 70-mile course of the Tour de Scottsdale. That was the plan. Back in 2016, I signed up for the Tour de Scottsdale after years away from riding road events. It started off good, but I got a lot of things wrong and wound up…
The Taylor House Ride in Flagstaff – What You Should Know
I just did the Taylor House ride for the second time. I previously did it more than 10 years ago, and exactly three things stood out about it that first time: A tube-socked dude who nearly wiped a bunch of us out through having some of the worst bike-handling skills I’ve ever seen; A…
The Best Workouts in Scottsdale
There is no shortage of ways to burn calories and all of them claim to be the best, so I set out to find the best workouts in Scottsdale. I believe that it’s smart to switch your routine now and then, too. Much of my exercise regimen orbits around being better at mountain and road…
No, the Pool Noodle Bike Hack Isn’t Great. At All.
Someone put a pool noodle on a bike to keep drivers away. And now media outlets are all over the place are saying this a genius and that the pool noodle bike hack is the greatest thing ever. No. It’s not. Using a Pool Noodle as a Bike Hack Sucks Any transportation planners who see…
Bicycle Infrastructure is Cycling’s Big Problem
Better bicycle infrastructure could solve a lot of transit problems. More people on bikes means fewer cars on the roads, more people burning calories and cleaner air. Cycling advocates love to point to the Dutch cycling culture to illustrate the possibilities. Adopting even a small percentage of their policies would be huge for the United…
Rio Salado Bike Path: A Ride Guide (With Video)
The Rio Salado bike path is one of the most-overlooked places to ride in metro Phoenix. It’s a 16-mile stretch of sweet car-free riding. I’ve had many local riders act completely surprised to hear about it. So let’s lift the lid on the Rio Salado bike path, which doesn’t even seem to have an official…
Recap: 2018 Tour De Tucson
The 2018 Tour de Tucson started to go pear-shaped for me about 20 minutes before the start. As I walked my bike toward the start, I heard a “whiiiiiiiirrrrrr” sound from the front wheel. Disc brakes problem? I was sure of it, until I notice that the zip tie holding the brake cable to the…
2018 Tour de Mesa Review
A few weekends ago, I rode the 2018 Tour de Mesa. It was my first of the Perimeter Cycling events held in the Valley after doing El Tour de Tucson for the past few years. The Mesa version was a 60-mile loop that had a bit of everything – flat sections, screaming downhills, grinding climbs,…
I’m a Dad, and I Have One Small Request for Playground Designers
This is a small request to playground designers from a dad doing his best to stay fit: Remember that adults spend a lot of time at the playgrounds you build, and we could also use a little something to burn some calories. Every single day, I see some news headline screaming about the nation’s obesity…
Recap of El Tour de Tucson 2017
Within a few miles of starting El Tour De Tucson 2017 a few weeks ago, a mantra came to me out of the blue. It was a phrase I’d heard from a co-worker. It was “Calm yo’ tits.” (Hearing it for the first time was doubly funny since it came from the mouth of the…
Recap: Prescott 6’er Mountain Bike Race
For the past year, I’ve ridden about 90 percent of my mountain bike miles on a belt-drive singlespeed (first a Raleigh XXIX, then a
Four Days in Denver
We recently escaped the summer heat to spend a few days near Denver. I wanted to go mountain biking, and we all wanted to stroll around as a family without getting flayed and fried under the sun. We also didn’t want to drive a lot, and we wanted to visit some friends living in the…