Preride report
February 2026
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| New route! Jog along Jomax |
Next week (February 11-16, 2026) Arizona Randonneurs will be hosting a series of
Rouleur rides (100km, 125km, 150km, 200km), and a 120km Dart Team event. Yours truly will be helping at controls for the 150km and 200km events. As a volunteer, the RUSA rules allow you to preride the course up to two weeks before the event. Here is my report.
I loaded the route in my Garmin GPS and set out from the start at 32nd and Union Hills a few minutes before 0700. More morning traffic that I expected, but soon I was on Pima Road and headed toward Pinnacle Peak. Mike Sturgill, Regional Brevet Administrator for Arizona, designed all the routes. While many use familiar roads used on other brevets, he found some cool new sections. The first was turning right on Jomax from Pima and heading up a ‘dead end’ street. Alas it goes through and was a delightfully quiet and scenic route on a barely paved, but smooth road. A nice detour before rejoining the regular route on Dynamite road.
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| Shoulder clearing on Nine Mile Hill |
It was cool and my bottles were still full so I didn’t stop at the Shell station at the summit before Nine Mile Hill. Heading down the long (yes, nine miles) descent some fire crews were clearing underbrush along the roadway. The shoulder is paved for the entire stretch, but here I had to briefly cut into the traffic lane to avoid the crew and wood chippers. I doubt they will be working on Saturday the 14th!
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| More Shoulder work leaving Rio Verde |
The route continues through Rio Verde and on the opposite side of of the road, a road scraper was clearing the underbrush along the roadway, but depositing it on the shoulder. Hopefully it will be cleared before we use that side of the road for McDowell Meandering 150km on Sunday the 15th. Spoiler alert, on that one you get to ride UP nine mile hill!
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| Breakfast at Circle K |
You will be treated to a sag stop at a fantastic park in Fountain Hills on the event day to refill your bottles and get a snack. I went a few miles further to the Circle K on Shea near the Beeline Highway. It has tables and shade out front. Luckily one of the tables was open so I took a breakfast break here.
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| Photo bombers have been here awhile |
At first I didn’t realize the couple at the next table had suffered a fate common to this area; sudden dehydration.
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| Verde River outside Fountain Hills |
Back on the road, a nice view of the Verde River looking south from the Beeline Highway.
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| Weevers Needle from Beeline Highway |
The highest point of the ride is the junction of the Bush and Beeline Highways. On a clear day you can see the Superstition Mountains!
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| Calfee at rest |
The route follows the Bush Highway ( a few miles without a shoulder ) to Saguaro Lake and the Lower Salt River Recreation Area. The shoulders here are wide and paved and the views are fantastic. You'll turn left and head up Usery Pass. Soon after the summit, the route will take you to the Usery Park Visitor Center about .1 of a mile from Usery Pass Road. On the event day, volunteers (yours truly) will be there with water, snacks, and lunch. The center also has convenient restrooms.
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| Fountain Hills! |
When I rode through Fountain Hills in the morning, the fountain was at rest!
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| Now you see it … |
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| … now you don’t |
Lots of food options in Fountain Hills at the corner of Palisades and Fountain Hills Boulevard. I decided to try Filibertos Mexican. In the Safeway center, it was fast and delicious.
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| Preride done! |
One more climb out of Fountain Hills then its a great selection of mostly low traffic streets through Scottsdale and Phoenix to the finish.
There is still time to sign up for this great week of rides, check out
AZrandos.com and come join us!
Steve Atkins
1 comment:
Great write up Steve!! Thank you for making the ride sound irresistible. I'll look forward to seeing you along the route.
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