Ride with a guide
I ride a mountain bike whenever I can—all year-long—but I don’t normally ride it on rocky terrain. These days, however, I’m in need of more of a challenge.
So, I left my usual asphalt, canal bank and grass behind to drive 45 minutes east of my house in north 
Phoenix for more challenging trails at McDowell Mountain Regional Park in Scottsdale. If you’ve never done this before, I recommend a guide, especially if you don’t know what to expect…injuries, for example.
I met Bernard Philippe from Arizona Outback Adventures at he park before the sun rose and was happy to see I’d get some one-on-one. I figured I’d need all the help I could get to maneuver my rented—I didn’t want to haul my basic Trek 4300 across town—full-suspension two-wheeler over rocky gravel, steep hills and loose sand. I wasn’t used to riding on anything worth the indemnity clause this trip required, which made me wonder, Is safety out of the question?
Not totally, I soon found out, when they outfitted me with a helmet, gloves and a quick lesson on how and when to switch gears. I practiced riding around the parking lot before we left the trailhead for what turned out to be about a five-mile adventure in the foothills.
We started off on a slow and steady climb, hit some flats, a few quick descents, and then…sand. “Pedal through it, or you’ll get stuck,” Bernard told me. But anxiety dragged me to a halt and a crunchy skid, which echoed like a warning to the hillside. On whose behalf, I couldn’t be sure. All I knew was this rule: stay on trail.
Got it!
For the first half of the ride, shaky nerves kept me from moving very fast. That, and the fact that my knees were nearly scraping my chin as I pedaled. I was told I’d need to readjust my seat.
After I did that, the ride got easier. I got used to the gears and found my center of gravity. When Bernard told me to pedal faster or offered a panicked “thumps up” shift command, I did as I was told. I even relaxed enough to stand up when it helped.
But when he told me to avoid using my breaks on the final downhill portion of the ride, I ignored his advice and trusted my own judgment, instead. This is supposed to be “fast and fun,” he yelled out from behind. But I saw the approaching switchbacks and felt the logs poking out of the ground underneath me. I pretty much red-lighted it all the way back to the trailhead. For me, slow was the better partner on this part of the course.
Next time, I’ll think about speed. And there will be a next time.
If you’d like to ride with a guide in Phoenix—and I recommend them for beginning trail riders—here are three choices:
~Arizona Outback Adventures in Scottsdale;
~360 Adventures in Phoenix; and
~Detours of Arizona in Phoenix.
(Photo above is used with permission by the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau.)
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