We're spending a week in Phoenix,
escaping the minus 15 temperatures and enjoying plus 15 and sun.
Instead of renting bikes, we decided to buy cheap bikes at Target; the cost was about the same as renting for a week, and we can re-sell the bikes or pass them on to someone else when we get home.
Actually we were trying to get the bikes from Wal-mart, where they are REALLY cheap, but we walked to what Google Maps told us was the nearest Wal-Mart, and it turned out to be "Wal-Mart on Campus" -- a lite version of the usual behemoth store. They had exactly three bikes, none of which would have been suitable. We also stopped in at a regular bike shop to see whether they had rentals or perhaps some used or budget bikes for sale, but no luck there either. So, we walked the additional 2.6 miles to Target.
The bikes we purchased are definitely lower quality compared to the good bikes we are used to, but they are serving the purpose and are reasonably fast and comfy.
Yesterday we rode down to South Mountain Park, about 20 km from our hotel. We took a variety of trails and roads, some with bike lanes, and it was a really nice ride. We added about 6 extra kilometers to the ride because Dave dropped his phone when he stopped to look over a wall (it involved a bit of a climb) and he didn't realize it was missing till we had gone a fair distance. We were glad we went back for it though, because it was exactly where he thought he had probably lost it, and as good as new.
The route began with a short stretch on a trail that runs along the Salt River and continued with a long stretch on a street with fantastic bike lanes and synchronized lights, a combination conducive to a fast easy ride. On this street we stopped for lunch at a Mexican restaurant, which totally hit the spot.
Turning west off the bike lane street, we then joined a trail that runs along a canal, lined with palm trees, a small orange orchard and lots of cacti.
A couple of minor wrong turns followed, but we finally found our destination: the trailhead of the Mormon Trail. I got a kick out of this sign -- first of all, it seemed unbelievable to me that anyone would ride a bike on this rocky trail, and secondly because horses obviously rule. Their owners don't have to pick up after them either.
There was nowhere to lock up our bikes, and we really didn't want to take a chance on their being stolen, so Dave waited at the bottom while I climbed part way up. To be perfectly honest, the trail didn't look all that interesting -- just a lot of rock and brush. The view was fantastic, though.
Dave is the tiny orange dot down below, in the centre of the photo
We took a different route back to the hotel, which led us past the airport. There were bike lanes pretty much the whole way, which was, of course, just super -- we sailed along with no worries! We also rode through a park we had visited the previous day, a perfect end to a 45 km ride.
Then we set off in the van to another range of mountains outside the city, to do the Tom's Thumb hike. The biggest outcrop, towards the left of the photo is the thumb. When I saw how high it was, I thought I would never be able to hike up there. But we set off, climbing higher than I imagined possible.
