Mountain Bike Tours
ONCE IN A LIFETIME TOURS
AZ-SoCal Easter Grand Tour
Our "once in a lifetime" tours are catered to everyone who wants to get the experience of riding epic and/or unique trails in AZ and nearby states in one week. Depending on the time of the year, we'll head over to places in California or New Mexico. Unlike our custom tours which require a minimum of 2 persons, these tours are open to solo riders. Maximum capacity is kept to 4 customers for maximum comfort in the RV. If you were looking to book one of our exciting tours but couldn't get any of your friends to come along, this is finally your chance to join us and mingle with other riders.
When: April 1st through the 7thWhere: Phoenix, AZ and Southern California. Tour starts/ends in Phoenix.
Technical Level: Intermediate to advanced.
Endurance level: High
Requirements: You must feel VERY comfortable in technical terrain. That means being able to do up to over 2 feet drop-offs, ledges, tight switchbacks, rock gardens, steep climbs/descents and some lose terrain. Furthermore, hike-a-bike may be occasionally required. You must have a very good cardio base and excellent endurance. You must feel comfortable doing rides that may last up to 30 miles on singletrack and take at least 6 hours to complete. Bring your long travel full suspension bike for maximum enjoyment. Protection gear such as elbow and knee pads is highly recommended on some rides. This week's tour is not for the faint of heart!
Saturday - Arrivals into Phoenix. We expect everyone to be settled in the RV by 5 PM. This the time to get each bike ready and go over all the details that evening. We'll have dinner, music and drinks! Here's a quick overview of this week's activities:
- Day 1 (Sunday)
- Phoenix, AZ - We'll start our tour by riding South Mountain (SoMo) "Coast-to-Coast" on National and Javelina trails. Here's the twist... we'll ride it in reverse. We'll start in the west side (Laveen) and will finish east near Ahwatukee, thus hitting the infamous "Waterfall" and Javelina trail downhill. This will be almost 20 miles of singletrack heaven. We'll depart for SoCal after a quick shower and lunch. This will be a 5 hour drive to the San Jacinto mountains near the mountain town of Idyllwild.
For more info: - Mountain Bike Bill's - South Mountain trail review
- Pete Fagerlin's - South Mountain trail review
- Day 2 (Monday)
- Idyllwild, CA - Alvin Meadows - This quite technical singletrack is nestled in the San Jacinto mountains. In a clear day, parts of this trail will unveil vistas of the Pacific Ocean.
- For more info: Mountain Bike Bill's - Alvin Meadows trail review
- Day 3 (Tuesday)
- Palm Springs, CA - Weather-permitting (must be cool rather than hot!), we'll be parking the RV near here so we can do one of the most epic rides in SoCal: Palm Canyon Trail. This is a very long and demanding ride (almost 30 miles) mostly on singletrack.
- For more info: Mountain Bike Bill's - Palm Canyon Trail review
- Day 4 (Wednesday)
- Idyllwild, CA - This morning, after breakfast, we'll ride around campground on Hurkey Creek's competitive loop. Easy but fun day of riding throughout the park. Consider it your recovery ride! We'll leave for Julian this afternoon after lunch.
- For more info: Mountain Bike Bill's - Hurkey Creek's competitive loop review
- Day 5 (Thursday)
- Julian, CA - Oh San Diego... here we come! We'll be riding trails on Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Although some parts of this park suffered a severe fire in 2003, the mountain bike trails remain in great shape. The area is crisscrossed with very good trails. We'll explore them today.
- For more info: Mountain Bike Bill's - Cuyamaca Rancho State Park review
- Day 6 (Friday)
- Julian, CA - Noble Canyon is considered the "crown jewel" trail of the San Diego area. This narrow technical trail can only be ridden in the winter. So, here's your chance to ride this great downhill ride before it gets too hot!
- For more info: Mountain Bike Bill's - Noble Canyon trail review
- Day 7 (Saturday)
- Drive back to Phoenix.
PRICE: $1,395 per person. SOLO RIDERS WELCOME!
Price Includes: RV sleeping accommodations as noted on rates chart; private guide; private transport throughout; park and campgrounds entrance fees; 3 meals per day in an open pantry/communal cooking format which includes all foods, snacks & beverages as indicated on your foods list.
Not Included: Bikes (for this specific tour, you must bring your own bike.) Domestic or international airfare to/from Phoenix; hotel stays and ground transportation before & after your tour; alcoholic beverages; items of personal nature and gratuities to your guides.
