Is anyone familiar with cycling in Sedona, AZ? I will be up there next weekend and will be bringing my road bike. Do you have any suggested routes/roads to take or avoid? Are there any group rides in the area? Thanks for any suggestions.
Hey this is a kind of half-assed reply, I’ll admit up front: I’ve hiked/driven pretty extensively in Sedona, but not cycled, and here’s what I think about a road route:
you’re insane because:
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you could cross or mtb or run on/in some of the most beautiful and inspiring backcountry/park paths in the southwest
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lots of roads are clogged 2 lane highways filled with tourists and/or bent in and around canyons with blind corners.
I’d bring running shoes or a non-road bike to Sedona.
BUT I might be insane, because if, in fact, there ARE safe places to be a roadie, the scenery will be almost as good there as on a longer hike/ride onto the woods and rocks.
I’ve NEVER checked out cycling routes in AZ, so my two cents are way over-priced, I know, but I’d say don’t waste too much time on the roads in Sedona, and DEFINITELY check out the Heart Line cafe, an awesome restaurant specializing in vegetarian dishes (though they’ll give you a steak just as nice).
yo,
there’s a bike shop called absolute bikes in sedona…just give em a call and they can give you the best advice. They have always been very helpful.
They’re doing a century ride early may…here’s the map at least fwiw:
There’s also a map (on one of the az gov sites) that lists the roads that are safe and legal for road riding.
I think I got it bookmarked on my home pc. I’ll see if i can locate it…
I second the comment about non-road bike. Most the roads in Sedona don’t even have a shoulder…much less a bike lane. I has some of the SWEETEST mtb around though. I loved doing laps at Submarine Rock.
For road biking, you’d probable be better off driving up the road a bit to flagstaff…lots of rural roads you can get on with little to no traffic
-bcreager
Apmoss-I actually am planning to hike and run while I am there in Sedona. I just would like to get some riding in as well. Thanks fo the MTB tip. I am aware that it’s a great MTB area, but I’m just not into mountain biking at this point.
If you have any hikes or running routes that you would like to pass along please feel free.
Thanks for your .02 ;-).
Aztoaster-Thanks for the tips on Absolute Bikes as well as the century link.
Much appreciated.
Hike Oak Creek Canyon – anywhere from 1 - 10 mi. one way on a pretty well-worn and very well-marked trail. This is north of the town, and (its a canyon) a little hilly, woody, cooler, and, as far as running goes, solid ground with the usual wood-trail stuff like some creek crossing, some logs to jump, some embedded rocks of minor-to-major size.
Or also Crescent-Moon park. This is south of the town and in the “red-rock” category of terrain: dry, solid ground with either red dust/mud and the kind of rocks and pebbles you’d find elsewhere in the Arizona desert. This area is probably better for an evenly-paced run (flatter, better general footing) or a hike with any friends who are less adventurous: you can see lots of cool things after walking for about 2 minutes, and there’s really not a lot of uphill.
The Sedona vistor’s bureau (or whatever, it’s right at the crossroads of the only 2 highways in town next to all the fudge/candle/copper jewelry shops) will have maps of these places for free, or topos probably if you need’em (but you shouldn’t).
And sorry about the vague road advice, I thought I’d pass on what I could, and also give your thread a bump. If you’re driving up from Phoenix (did you do IMAZ?), you might want to stop by Jerome, a little art/biker(Harleys, not Quintana Roos) colony between Sedona and Phoenix. Good beer, blues, and really nice people.
Fantastic, thanks for all the great info.
Ride a MTB. Sedona is like Moab, a MTB nivrana-type place. A road bike is pointless…
Rent a bike from Sedona Bike and Bean, they are cool dudes and will set you up with a great bike (dual susp, singlespeed, whatever ya want), AND also give you great beta on which trails to do, etc.
We had an absolutely fantastic ride, amazing scenery, fun singletrack that goes on forever, stopped by a stream to cool off and eat lunch in the shade, it was as good as it gets.
Trust me on this, ditch the road bike for Sedona. That would be like taking a mtb to Alpe du Huez.
Yeah, I think listening to you guys who have experienced the area as well as doing some research that I probably will leave the roadie at home. The hiking and running along the trails is what I really wanted to experience anyways. I probably will end up looking into one of the shops to rent an MTB, so thank you to gentleman who recommended that to me. I appreciate all the replies that were/are given on the thread.