[ricebowls]

I'm trying to plan a trip to Sedona to go riding with my girl and I've got some questions. Any help is appriciated:
She rides mostly XC and I ride mostly DH so i figure some all around trailriding would be a good balance (ex. Downieville). What trails would be good for us?
She wants to go in October but i figured that might be too hot. If we go in Oct what are the temps like? Ok to ride in the morning and evening or will it still be blazing?
Anyother info would be helpful, like local advice or should i rent an XC bike or bring my own trail bike?
Thanks
-e

 

[Heidi]

There is an awesome book called "Cosmic Ray's Arizona Mountain Bike Guide". You can get it in town there at the Bike and Bean (a shop). It has plenty of options depending on both of your skill levels.

Sedona in October should be fine, I've ridden there in June and almost died of heat exposure.

 

[Mike B.]

I rode Sedona last year in October and the temp was just fine, probably mid to high 80s. I can't remember the routes off the top of my head but we got some rides planned out for us by one of the other shops in town (not bike and bean). There should be some decent rentals bikes but I prefer taking my own. The scenery riding around in Sedona was awesome but I actually liked the riding in Flagstaff better.

 

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>The scenery riding around in Sedona was awesome but I actually liked the riding in Flagstaff better.

Mmmm...... Flagstaff......... there's definitely some good riding there.

-S.S.-

 

[Zark]

Bike & Bean also has that awesome 3D map of the area there, and good food too!

Broken Arrow to Submarine Rock is the only trail a remember the name of, pretty cool.

Sedona Rocks, but so does Flagstaff when its not closed to high fire danger that is.

 

[bikebabe]

October is fine to ride. We were there at the end of May/beginning June and could ride all day long.

The Cosmic Ray book is one of the better ones of the area. It has "puck" factor which is a good judge of how hard the trail is. There are also some one page maps of the Sedona area that give you a good idea of how the trails are linked together.

Absolute Bikes rents OK bikes but I always feel more comfortable on my own. I think the Bike and Bean rents too---good place for a cup of coffee and to chat about the trails. If you have elbow and knee pads, you may want to consider bringing them as well. Falling is painful---think rock, cactus---no soft sand. My elbow looks like I had major surgery on it because I forgot pads and tried to fly after a long day of riding.

The broken arrow, sub rock, cathedral rock loop is fun, has a few technical parts---an XC ride. This is my favorite---it's challenging enough, beautiful scenery, and there's a nice "beach" to relax at towards the end. Mund's wagon trail, which is off of Schnebly road, has some more drop offs and slick rock stunts you can play on. If it's too technical, there is jeep road that parallels the trail and the trail crosses the road many times so there are lots of "escapes". Huckaby and Cow Pies are in the same area----but they are more demanding.

Oh----and avoid chicken sandwiches at the Red Planet Diner----

 

[parts]

Anyone into riding Sedona this weekend? I'm a from North Van & working in Phoenix for a while so a trip to Sedona is a high priority.