Aravaipa Rides

With the conclusion of our 2022 Insomniac Night Trail Run Series and Rides series, we like to give a HUGE shout out of gratitude to the series Race Directors, Julie Haro and Aaron Schmidt!

Race Directing although fun and fulfilling, is certainly no easy task. The amount of work that these two put in behind the scenes is truly mind blowing, and last minute changes that arise race week and having to shuffle around unexpected and sudden situations on race day can be extremely stressful, but these two are always calm, cool and collected no matter what wrench is thrown into their event. They take on challenges with a smile, and alway put the safety and experience of their participants first.

Thank you so much to Aaron and Julie for yet another successful and spectacular Insomniac Night Runs and Rides Series!

Tonto Mountain Rides is taking place out of Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa, AZ on Sunday November 13, 2022!

Zip through Cholla fields at blazing speeds in the 10 & 20 mile race which stays on the smooth single track at Usery Park or challenge your skills on the more technical trails in the 30 & 50 mile race as you leave Usery Park and enter Tonto National Forest.

Looking to ride 100 miles? We got you covered. The 100 mile option consists of 5 x 10 mile loops entirely inside of Usery Park.

Ladies! Our Saguaro Soriee MTB clinic will be taking place the same day at Usery Park as well, led by pro enduro rider & owner of Adrenaline Coaching Stefanie McDaniels! Afterwards you’ll be able to test your skills on a 10 or 20 mile looped race.

Mark your calendars and keep your tires pumped up! With epic views and even better company, you won’t want to miss out of this edition on Tonto rides

Tonto: https://www.aravaiparides.com/tonto/

Saguaro Soirée: https://www.aravaiparides.com/saguaro-soiree/

📸 Let’s Wander Photo

Full Suspension or Hardtail? Enduro or XC?

From geometry, to travel, to dropper posts there are tons of options to customize your bike to suit your needs!

Whether your interested in bike packing lonely forest roads or long days at the bike park you can tailor your set-up for the adventure you're looking for.

What is your dream Bike Set-up?

📸 Dylan Harris

Have we got a fat-ass style ride for you!

Come race the trails surrounding the original Territorial Capital of Arizona at the Capitol City 100 in gorgeous Prescott!
Choose from the 56-mile distance which completes one loop of the Prescott Circle Trail or the 100 mile which almost closes the circle but then kicks you back out for more shred.
🟢100 miles
🟢12,000 feet of elevation gain.
This course will test even the mightiest of Riders. All races will start and finish at the iconic Granite Dells of Watson Lake Park.
The Capitol City 100 will be a race in 2023 but this year it’s a fat ass adventure and registration is FREE!

Head to the link below to learn more and snag your spot for the fun as they are limited.

We hope to see you at Arizona’s first Mile high 100!

https://www.aravaiparides.com/capital-city-100/

We have riders of ALL ages and calibers that join us each Monday Night for our group ride and social and we LOVE it!

All levels of MTBrs are welcome to ride for an hour beginning at 6:30pm at the Pima Canyon Trailhead.
Bring a bike light and be ready for a great workout in a fun and welcoming atmosphere.

We hope to see you tomorrow night!

If you’ve been around a races for a bit, you’ve surely seen our next community feature gracing the podium a time or two, in both our rides AND our running events.
He’s the master of the “Double Down”, and apparently a bit of a crash test dummy (keep reading, you’ll see)…let’s get to know Joe Shea!

Q: When did you begin mountain biking and why?

J: I discovered the mtn biking world about 3 or 4 years ago. I saw a facebook event come across my feed for a bike demo that a local bike shop was hosting at San Tan park. I had absolutely no experience with mtn biking but I loved the trails and was a pretty competent road cyclist, so it sounded like something fun to check out. Of course the demo folks put me on a bike worth more than the vehicle I drove there in, and I was immediately addicted. It’s now by far my favorite athletic activity. You get to experience all the beauty Arizona has to offer at a level of speed and technicality that keeps things exciting.

Q: From the looks of things you run as well! Did you start running first and then switch over to mountain biking and if that was the case which one do you like best?

J: Before moving to AZ in 2016, I was primarily into weight lifting and only ran as a miserable form of cardio. I had no idea trail running was even a thing. In November 2016 I ran my very first road 5k and then somehow got conned into my first trail 5k that night at Punisher. I was absolutely hooked. I think it had more to do with the Aravaipa atmosphere than the running itself. Since I’ve picked up mtn biking, I definitely prefer wheels over running. Although, you can’t pound beers and ride a bike like you can running. I’m really excited to see the growth of the Aravaipa Rides events. It’s an amazing community with the most kickass people.

Q: What was your first Aravaipa race and when and what did you think of it?

J: First Aravaipa race was the Punisher 5k 2016 previously mentioned. I got lost a mile in, wandered around for a bit, threw a hissy fit, found more lost people, got through the race, fell in love. I think the first Aravaipa Rides event I did was Sinister in 2019. Nothing like being a noob in your late 30s getting crushed by a bunch of teenagers.
The atmosphere and comradery of Aravaipa events is astounding. I don’t think I would have gotten into trail running, and subsequently mtn biking, at all had it not been for the unique environment of Aravaipa races and the genuine positivity of the people involved. And, now that I’ve gotten a little better, those Aravaipa Artworx podium awards keep me from slacking off!

Q: What is your favorite type of terrain and distance to race a mountain bike on?

J: It’s tough to pick a favorite type of terrain to ride. I love it all. Some of the most common words out of my face are, “Arizona is the greatest state in the country;” referring to the complete spectrum of landscapes and ecosystems offered up here. We’ve ridden the chunky rocks at Hawes one day and the flowy dirt in Prescott the next. If I’m feeling a chill day, I’ll go out with friends on gravel bikes and cruise around for hours at Brown’s and McDowell.
If I’m racing, I think I prefer the more technical stuff only because I don’t quite have the lungs to keep up with some of the best people out there, but I think my ability to ride technical trails and my complete disregard for my own safety makes me fairly competitive when the terrain gets sketchy.

Q: Tell us where you’re from, what you do and something super random or funny about you that you would like to share!

J: I was born in Cleveland, lived all over the country, and spent a good portion of my life in Milwaukee before AZ. I took a weekend trip to Phoenix with a buddy in December 2015. 4 months later, I picked up and moved. Turns out I love the heat and never want to shovel snow ever again for as long as I live. For an income, I work in IT. I stare at a computer screen for hours a day. I’m not a huge fan, but it’s flexible and I get to work from home, so hitting the trails on my lunch break is real common.
Random (and dumb) thing to share… Without question, I have crashed more things than most humans on Earth. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, dirt bikes, pit bikes, go karts, scooters, bicycles, mountain bikes, jet skis, a tractor, a moving van, a semi, ATV’s, a SxS, a skidsteer…. I’ve never crashed a motorcycle on the race track and I’ve never crashed an airplane. So I have that going for me. Shiny side up!

🚴🏼 🏃🏻 🚴🏼

Incredible! Thanks so much for sharing, Joe, and we can’t wait to see you on the podium by way of bike or by feet again soon!

How is it possible? 🙆🏻‍♀️
The final race in the 2022 Insomniac Night Rides Series is almost here…it’s Jangover Night Rides coming to McDowell Mountain Regional Park this September 16th and we don’t want you to miss it.

Choose from a 12 Hour Solo, Duo, Trio & Quad, a 6 Hour Solo & Duo, 31 Mile Solo or a 15.5 Mile Solo under the stars ✨ and amongst the shadows of the McDowell Mountains. We even have an 11 mile junior loop for those mini MTB’ers.

Finish your race and enjoy the evening with friends in the OHSO Brewing Charity beer garden.

It’s been an epic series, hasn’t it?
Won’t you come out to shred and celebrate it with us at the final race?

Link below to get JUNGOVER at Jangover!

https://www.aravaiparides.com/jangover/

Just a heads up that there will be no Jangover pre ride this Sunday!

See you soon, night riders!

🚨NEED A NEW BIKE?🚨

Here are some tried and true tips straight from Aravaipa Racing Team member,

“Be sure to get a properly fitting bicycle and make sure that the bike is ideal for the type of riding that you're going to be doing the majority of the time.
If your going to be riding/racing cross I wouldn't recommend getting anything bigger than a trail bike. Enduro/downhill bikes are designed to be very capable going downhill but but go uphill very slow.

BONUS: If it's compatible, get that bike set up tubeless, and do not forget to check your sealant before any long ride or race. It will typically last about 2-3 months before drying out but check it anyway before an event or long ride”!

Rad tips…thanks so much for sharing, Myles!

📸 taken by Brittany Logan at Last Quarter Crusher

📅 SAVE THE DATE!
🚨 There’s been a CHANGE OF DATE!

Grab those red pens 🖊 and put down the weekend of November 13th in your calendar for the 2022 edition of Saguaro Soirée!

That’s right, we’ve moved it up and are having this all women’s MTB weekend coincide with Tonto Mountain Rides!

More details to come…stay tuned, ladies!

We 🫶 the desert. That’s a fact.

But if you could race ANYWHERE in the world, where would it be?

Tell us in comments!

📸 of Myles White taken by Dylan Harris

👉Snag the Strava crown, win a prize👈

It’s about to go down at this year’s Frenzy Hills Rides with our new Strava segment race challenge!

We will be throwing in an on-course challenge segment to really mix things up in the 2022 edition of Frenzy Hills. We'll choose a specific section of the course, turn it into a segment on Strava, give you a heads up before race day, and the fastest male and female through the specific challenge segment will receive a prize.

Just a little added bonus for extra fast shredding at Frenzy Hills Rides on December 4th! 👑

Head to the link below to learn more 🚴🏼

https://www.aravaiparides.com/frenzy/

📸

Awwww Hawesssss yesssss 🔥

Did you know that our Tonto Mountain Rides 50 and 30 mile riders utilize the epic and iconic Hawes Trail System?
That’s right! So if you love Hawes, you may want to check out one of those two options if you’re on the fence about which distance to choose!

Learn more about our Tonto Mountain Rides happening this fall on November 13th at the link below!

📸

https://www.aravaiparides.com/tonto/

Rough Canyon Trail Runs and Rides staged out of Las Colonias Park in beautiful Grand Junction, Colorado…are you in?
Take on the RUNS on Saturday October 8th the RIDES on Sunday October 9th, or double your fun and fitness and do both!

Enjoy fun and challenging courses with fall colors at their peak and stunning views of the Colorado and Gunnison rivers with Colorado National Monument’s red rock canyons accompanying you the entire way.

The runs will feature a 50 mile, 50k, 1/2 marathon, 10k and 5k distance, while the rides will host a 50 mile, 32 mile and 16 mile option.

Head to the link below to start planning your October racing schedule with us at Rough Canyon!

See you this fall in Grand Junction!

https://www.aravaiparides.com/rough-canyon-trail-rides/

TURNING EDITION!

Turning on a bike seems easy enough on the surface, but let’s dive into the finer details of the art. Here are a few tips from our own Bryce Brooks on the fundamentals of a well executed turn…

“Keep pedaling if possible. One of my mountain biking mantras has always been ‘When in doubt, pedal out’
If it’s a sharper turn, pedaling through might not be an option. In this case make sure your center of gravity is centered over the bike and that you stay low to the bike. The higher you sit the more likely you wheels are to slide out from under neath you. (Second pic is the AFTER photo of an injury Bryce sustained doing this very thing. Trust us, you don’t want to see the BEFORE photo. Ouch!)
If terrain allows, keep your inside knee up and outside leg all the way down. This will allow you to naturally lean into the turn, although make sure to watch for rocks or roots that may clip your lower pedal.”

Ok, who’s ready to go out and practice turning? I am!
Thanks for the tips, Bryce! Let’s go!

Oh Tonto…U SO GOOD!

Those incredible trails, backdrops and fabulous fall weather all come together for Tonto Mountain Rides this November 13th!

Race options for all levels and calibers of rider are waiting for YOU at Usery Mountain Regional Park.

Learn more and pick your poison at the link below…let’s RIDE!

https://www.aravaiparides.com/tonto/

📸

Ready?
Set?
Night shreddy! 🌙

It’s the McDowells by Moonlight, it’s the 2022 edition of Jangover Night Rides.

The final stop on our Insomniac Night Rides tour will be here September 16th and you truly won't want to miss it.

With race distances from 15.5 mile to 12H, there is an opportunity for everyone to come and experience the magic of night trail riding in the Sonoran desert!

There’s a reason why MTBers from all over love the McDowell’s…come find out why at Jangover Night Rides!

https://www.aravaiparides.com/jangover/

Our latest Aravaipa Rides podcast is LIVE!

Sit down with Rides RD Aaron Schmidt and Brian Murphy from the West Valley Trail Alliance as they discuss all things west valley trails, including some new and exciting things in the works specifically for Estrella Mountain Regional Park, and much more.

Link below to enjoy. 🚵‍♀️ 🎧

https://youtu.be/2QIEGh28Wo8

Those race plates sure sparkle ✨ in the Sonoran sunset, don’t they?

Put yours on display tomorrow night at Vertigo Night Rides!

It’s not too late to join in on the fun at the White Tank Mountains! We will have race day registration today until 5pm at our Aravaipa Rides HQ located at: 

2401 S. 24th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85034
and tomorrow Friday, August 19, from 6-7:30 PM at the park.

See you soon, riders!