2022 North Valley 300km Brevet

Salt River in the Tonto National Forest

Ride Report

February 2022

Mike Sturgill gives the rider briefing

The AZ Brevet Series continues with three new routes on offer, the North Valley 123km, 200km, and 300km Brevets. About two dozen riders lined up at the Coffee King parking lot in North Phoenix in the pre-dawn twilight and nippy temperatures. No takers for the 123km, and the rest were roughly evenly split between the 200km and 300km distances.

Our Regional Brevet Administrator, Mike Sturgill designed the new courses and pre-rode all of them! The routes are new, but on many of the best roads for cycling north and east of Phoenix. The 200 and 300 riders would share the same course to the lunch control at about 100 miles. So, after the safety brief at 0700 we rolled out and headed north into the desert.

Dawn on the Sonoran Desert Drive

More than half the riders formed one large group as we headed out from the start. A chance to say hello to old friends and meet a few new ones. Also a chance to figure out who was riding the 200 vs. 300 distances. The most common answer? "I'm not really in shape, so I'm only doing the 200!"

Group splits at first information control

All of the controls for the day were informational, meaning that instead of getting a receipt for proof of passage, you simply answered a question that would prove you were at that spot. Most were at convenience stores and related to the price of fuel. Also handy spots to refill bottles and procure food along the way.

The first control was only 15 miles into the ride, a bit early to stop for supplies, so I take of a photo of the Circle K sign with the gas price, and continue on. Of course, you can also simply submit your GPS track as proof of passage, so a number riders didn't even slow down and continued on! The GPS is  clean and easy, until your computer craps out, so I always take a photo for back-up!

Leaving Peoria

The route uses many of the roads from last month's brevet. As we headed out of Peoria I took a picture of the lovely Welcome to Peoria sign that I meant to photograph on last month's Bartlett Lake 200!

Sun up with big headwinds!

10 miles of light traffic, heavy winds!

The course leaves Peoria and heads northeast past Lake Pleasant toward the next control in New River. Earlier in the week, the winds were predicted to be unfavorable, but light. Today they were right on the nose, and anything but light, gusting past 20 mph! Rolling past Lake Pleasant, the route turns onto N. New River road for 10.5 mile march into the wind.

50 minutes later, after pushing 200 watts at a blistering pace of 11.7 mph, I roll into the control at New River. Mike is there with snacks and water. A number of riders were there also checking in and getting supplies. Mike's well stocked snack table included many favorites (Oreo cookies and Starbucks Fappuchinos) and a new treat, Individually wrapped Hostess Ding Dongs! Haven't had one of those in years, so after a quick reload its back on the road.

Daisy Mountain Fire Department

The route makes its way through New River and turns south. Finally, the evil wind becomes my best friend for the next 12 miles! This section takes 37 minutes and pushing 170 watts yields 19 mph! Best of all, time to eat that yummy Ding Dong and a few Oreo cookies to reload the system.

Roger, Lee, and Cliff

While I was busy working on my sugar fix; Roger, Lee and Cliff flashed by. Lucky for me, they got caught at the light on the left turn onto the Carefree Highway. I made it through and after a short chase I was able to catch and tack onto their pace line. More wind, but easier to take sharing the load with friends!

Carefree Sun Dial

Rolling through the Legends

We worked together all the way to Carefree. Lee and Cliff stopped for supplies but quickly rejoined as we continued east toward Bartlett Lake before turning south and a loop along Romping Road among luxury homes in The Legends development.

Pinnacle Peak

We rejoined Pima road and headed south, and down, to Dynamite Road. Again turning east into the wind and the first climb of the day. We all settled into our own pace and our group split apart. Needing a nature break I pull off onto a utility trail for a quick stop and a photo!

Four Peaks from McDowell Mountain Road

Back on the road, its only a few more miles of climbing before reaching the 9-Mile Hill descent! Best of all, the bike/lane shoulder is complete all the way to Rio Verde, so no more mixing with 60 mph traffic while descending at 25-30mph!

Mike at the lunch control

Reaching the bottom, we again head south and the fun rollers on McDowell Mountain Road. I catch a mountain biker (not on the brevet) and he says hello and asks to hop on my wheel. He tacks on and we make our way to the edge of Fountain Hills and the next climb of the day, a short but steep effort just before town. We have a chance to talk and he asks how far I am into my ride. "101 miles done 86 to go." Then the inevitable conversation about randonneuring ensues as we cover the climb!

Mike has the lunch control set up at a bike shop in strip mall just inside Fountain Hills City limits. The lead group missed it, so I was one of his early customers. Reload and enjoy a turkey wrap and its back on the road for me.

Verde River at Ft. McDowell

The route skirts the Fountain Hills commercial area and heads back into the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation to connect with AZ87, also known as the Beeline Highway. Shortly after crossing the Verde River, we enter the Tonto National Forest as 8 miles of gentle climbing puts us in the Saguaro Lake/Bush Highway exit.

Fire scar on Bush Highway, Weavers Needle

Great views of the Tonto National Forest greet us as we descend to Saguaro Lake and the Salt River. Four peaks to the east, and the Superstition Wilderness to the south are easily visible.  I stopped on the opposite shoulder to take a photo of a recent fire scar with Weavers Needle in the distance. Stephen Kinney and two other riders passed by checking to see that I was OK. By the time I got back on the right side of the road they had already disappeared!

Ugly fencing on the Blue Point Bridge

A few steep rollers and we are past Saguaro Lake and are entering the Salt River Recreation Area. On warmer days the area would be teeming with tubers and kayakers enjoying the river. We cross the Salt River at the Blue Point Bridge. It has fencing installed to prevent fishing and jumping from the bridge. Today, the river flow was very low, not much of an opportunity for either pursuit!

The route turns left and up toward Usery Pass. All the roads in the recreation area have great shoulders and relatively new pavement, making it especially popular for cyclists, especially in the morning. But at the end of day there are only a few riders on the road.

Clearing the pass, with the always startling gun shots from the nearby shooting range, we descend out of the Tonto Forest and into Mesa Arizona for the next control.

Stephen Kinney heading toward Red Mountain

I roll into the control, another Circle K, and Stephen Kinney is there with a couple of other riders. I make it a quick stop, wanting to get back on the road and back down the Beeline Highway before dark. Stephen joins me and we head out Power Road back to the Bush Highway and the Salt River Recreation Area. We descend King Kong hill and rejoin the Salt River at the Verde River confluence. Years ago, a controversial proposal to build the Orm Dam here would have put much of today's route under water! They ditched the Orm in 1981 and opted for other water storage projects including improving the Stewart Mountain and Roosevelt dams.

More great views of the Salt River

Stephen's riding partners rejoin us and we ride as a group of along the scenic Salt River. Just below Saguaro Lake, a few sharp rollers mark the beginning of the climb back to the Beeline Highway. I slip off the back and head up at my own pace.

Weavers Needle

At 5 pm the shadows begin to cover the highway, and the temperature in the shade is noticeably cooler. I pause on the bridge over the Beeline to put most of my layers back on. Its a nice descent back to Fountain Hills, and with the setting sun and wind chill, I expected the temperature to drop quickly, and it did!

The sun sets on the Verde River

The shoulder on the Beeline returning to Ft. McDowell can be quite rough (car-b-que scars, rocks, and highway debris). My goal was to complete this section of the ride in daylight to be able to maximize speed on the descent. I reached Ft. McDowell at sunset and rolled into the second Fountain Hills control, another Circle K!

In retrospect, I should have eaten more solid fuel at the Mesa control, because I was starting to feel a bit OD'd on sugar. With only 24 miles to go and not wanting to linger with a solid food stop, I downed a chocolate milk and was back on the road. It worked and after few short climbs on Shea Boulevard, I was back in the city for the final run through Scottsdale to the finish in North Phoenix.

Just another wonderful sunset

Happily, the route exits heavy traffic on Shea at 136th street, but takes 15 turns over the next 20 miles to the finish! With all the 'stop and go' riding its hard to build momentum. But with 165 miles in the legs, I'm not sure I could have ridden much faster!

The Phoenix Open is coming to town next week. But in preparation the tents, temporary parking lots, and road closures were already in place. No worries, just jump on the sidewalk and roll through. The last few miles pass the Mayo Health complex before rejoining Union Hills road and the finish at the Coffee King Roastery. 

Brevet #2 is in the books at just under 13 hours. Another great day on the bike. Thanks again to Mike Sturgill for putting together this new route and great support throughout the day.

Next up is the world famous Arivaca 400. It could be Epic, don't miss it! 

Steve Atkins

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