McDowell Mountain on the Single

I've been riding the full suspension BMC all week and didn't want to end the trip without riding the singlespeed. For some reason it just seems silly to transport a bike so far without riding it. In fact, that's the reason why I no longer bring my road bike to Arizona - I never rode it once I realized how good the mountain biking was.

So today I had to ride the single. One thing to consider was that, after 5 days of riding, my legs were tired. Tired legs, 1 gear, and a rigid bike I needed to select a trail that would be fun to ride with minimal climbing and, since my right wrist has been sore since my fall yesterday, it also needed to be relatively smooth. The answer? McDowell Mountain Regional Park. I first rode the Pemberton Trail clockwise, then did a quick Sport -> Technical Track loop, and finished after the sun had set with an even faster Sport loop. Totals were 1:51 ride time and 21.74 miles. My only regret is that I didn't have time to do the Long loop too. The singlespeed is definitely returning with me on my next trip.


The Pemberton Trail is more double track than singletrack, but the fantastic scenery and excellent flow keeps me coming back for more. It was a perfect match for the singlespeed.



The Sport Track is really, really smooth and very, very fast. My (then) 8 year old rode it with me December 26th last year and said it was like a roller coaster.



Here's one for the roadies. The road riding in Arizona isn't bad either. If the dirt wasn't so much fun I might actually consider bringing my road bike.