It was the absolute perfect time of year for a desert escape - the weather forecast for the long weekend was 75 and sunny.  Snoozing on the flight into Phoenix we picked up our rental car and drove north from the airport to our hotel.  Checking in we just relaxed for a while before heading to a close friend’s home in Gilbert for a bbq.  Sunday we took a midmorning stroll along the canal walk and spent most of the day at the resort soaking in the sunshine.  I had a ride for the next morning all lined up and called to confirm my bike rental - everything was a go.

The week prior I did a bit of research on trails nearby where we’d be staying.  MTBikeAZ.com is your go to source for all things mountain biking in the Valley of the Sun.  I even shot Mike the desert guru himself an email to see if he had a recommendation for a good shop to rent a bike from.  He directed me to the Trailhead Bike Cafe which was right on the way from the resort to the North Mountain Recreation Area.  There are tons of trails here and at the adjacent Piestewa Peak/Dreamy Draw Recreation Area.  I planned on hitting the well known Charles M. Christiansen Memorial Trail, aka Trail 100.

Leaving the resort early morning on Monday, I headed to the bike shop to pick up my rental.  For something a little different I decided to try out my first 29er - a stealth Pivot Mach 429.  It was in the stand getting my pedals put on and a quick tune up from Kiel and ready not too long after.  From the shop I headed north on 7th Street and parked at the North Mountain Visitor’s Center.  I took the Pivot for a spin around the parking lot just to get a feel for the beast.  I was expecting it to handle like a fully loaded aircraft carrier, but it was very maneuverable and responsive.

I threw on my pack and started off on the trail immediately passing through the tunnel under 7th Street and up a mild climb.  The trail was hard-packed with rocky sections as I headed east.  Rumbling for a few miles over the desert terrain, the Pivot felt great and I could barely tell I was riding a 29er.  It just cruised over the stretches of rocks and ate up the trail on seated climbs.  This was my first serious ride of 2010 and my legs and lungs felt good climbing and working up a mild sweat I settled into a nice groove.

Passing through the tunnel under Cave Creek Road, the narrow trail began to pass by a few residential neighborhoods.  There were a few technical sections and some short but steep, rocky climbs just prior to dropping down to the tunnel under Route 51.  At the other side of the tunnel I reached the Dreamy Draw Recreation Area and got a bit off track.  From the paved bike path I hooked up with Trail 1A and wandered through the trails in and around Piestewa Peak.  Making my way back to the main parking area I took a short break at the covered pavilion.  With just over 11 miles racked up I decided to head back along Trail 100 completing a nice out and back.

Stopping at the bike shop on the way back I decided to rent the Pivot for one more day.  Knowing the lay of the land a bit better I wanted to hit the east section of Trail 100 early the next morning.

Check out some photos of my two rides on Trail 100: Trail 100