As I was flying out to PHX I bought a Mountain Bike Action magazine to read on the plane. This magazine contained an article titled the Cyclist's Bucket List: 100 things you must do in your lifetime and these 100 things were all mountain bike related.
Number 26 on the list was to ride in Sedona Arizona. I thought, Sedona isn't too far away from Phoenix. I better ride there while I am on vacation because you never know when I may kick the bucket.
Armed with a road map and directions I weened from mtbr.com reviews (of which, their directions are almost always wrong) I ventured off on a 100 mile road trip from Phoenix to Sedona to ride what will undoubtedly be some of the greatest trails I will have ever ridden.
Driving in, the rock formations are quite scenic. They kind of remind me of Moab. Surprisingly I found the trails relatively easily and I park in Oak Creek near the Red Rock Pass trailhead. I see some some other people gearing up to ride as well and I am dismayed at their equipment choices. I see a few Trek 800's with reflectors and a bike with a kickstand and someone else with a big puffy seat as wide as my ass on their bike.
I did a MTB sport race in AZ a few years ago and I remember getting my ass kicked by guys and girls wearing baggy shorts so I know I can't question the equipment choice of these Arizona riders. They ride year round and they are fast. As a matter of fact, I am sure that guy in the parking lot with the Magma could probably kick my ass all the same.
I head out on the ride and the trails are crowded with hikers. The trails are wide double track with a tacky red dirt. There is a descent amount of elevation change but technical challenges are nowhere to be found. I keep taking offshoots of the main trail but they are mostly more of the same and not too long. Some trails are marked wilderness trails, and from what I understand you are not supposed to ride them. Finally I find an unmarked trail that looks like single track. Whatever trail this was, it was pretty good, a mixture of red clay dirt and slickrock with a few rock drops and other technical challenges. Unfortunately it was only about 2 miles long. I end up riding this section 3 or 4 more times.
I head down the Little Horse trail and it seems to come to an end. That's it, I think. There has to be more than this. I ride around the roads of Sedona and I find a jeep trail. After about a quarter mile I determine it is not fun and I head back to the road. Down the road a bit I find the Cathedral Rock trailhead. Heck yes I think, this must be where all singletrack lovers come to worship.
As I enter the trail I say hi to a few hikers and immediately descend a steep rock staircase and nearly endo and bust my head open. I'm hit with a shot of adrenalin. Finally, this is the technical challenge that I seek. Next up are a few hike a bike sections, that lead to the top of a rock formation with a trail you can ride around. The trail is filled with hikers and leashless dogs. Don't worry, they get out of the way is what most hikers say about their dogs, but as I approach the dogs they usually just stand in the middle of the trail and bark at me. I come to a track stand and nearly topple over and fall off a rock ledge as I wait for the dogs to get out of my way.
The more I ride this trail, the more it seems like a hiking trail rather than a bike trail. I nearly endo again because the trails are not really laid out to accomidate bikes. I come to a picturesque running river and head back.
Overall I would have to say the riding in Sedona isn't all that great. The pros are that yes, it is in the mountains, yes, I am riding a mountain bike in February, and yes it is really scenic, but the cons are that the riding itself isn't all that interesting and definitley not worth the long drive to get here.
Maybe I built it up too much in my mind after reading about it in Mountain Bike Action, but I would have to say if I was on my death bed and only had the strength for one more mountain bike ride, this would not be the trail system I would choose to ride.
If I had read the article more carefully I would have realized the article was a thinly veiled attempt at advertising. For example, other things you must do before you die, 14. ride Specialized's brand of tires, 30. wear a t-shirt from Fox Racing Shox's cool line of clothing, 36. visit Troy Lee Designs' amazing showroom, 51. Ride a Trek featuring ABP suspension.
The advertisement for Sedona Mountain Bike Adventures is on page 30. I guess I was conned into determining my bucket list based on the the advertising dollars of marketers. Oh well. Overall I guess I would give this place a 3 out of 5. It is OK, but nowhere near the level of Asheville or Fruita.
