2026 Bartlett Lake 200km Brevet

 Ride Report 

January 2026

Lush hillside near Bartlett Lake

Eight hardy souls lined up for the Bartlett Lake 200 and Sears-Kay 100 rides on Saturday morning. Weather was forecast to be cloudy and mild and with a 0800 start time the sun was well above the horizon and starting to warm up.

Mike Sturgill gives last minute instructions

Mike Sturgill completed the ride brief at exactly 0800 and we were off. Like usual, the group headed out at a quick pace and I drifted off the back. Rose, a new RUSA member visiting from San Francisco, dropped off too and we rode the first 3 miles together. She wondered if the Arizona brevets always started so fast; they do. She also asked if we regrouped along the way; we don’t. I mentioned that our rides are lightly attended and everyone pretty much goes at their own pace.

After 15 minutes or so and finally starting to feel warmed up, I dialed up my pace and Rose dropped off. The main group ahead of me was caught at a traffic light and I closed part of the gap just riding my pace. When they were caught at a second light I nearly caught up before the light turned green and decided to hammer to catch them. 

It took a few minutes of hard work and I caught Chris’ wheel at the back of the group. Unfortunately that part of the ride is slightly uphill, greatly reducing the aerodynamic advantage of group riding, and they were clipping along at a pace that was uncomfortable for me so I dropped off a second time.

High desert golf courses

I wouldn’t see the group again until reaching the sharp rollers near the end of pavement on Seven Springs Road. The route continues past the Sears-Kay Ruins for a mile and a half. 

The desert flowers were just starting to appear

About a half a mile past the ruins, I started to wonder if I was so far behind that all the riders had made the turn around and were in the control, two tenths of a mile off the route. Then I spotted the first rider from the fast group. Chris had already been to the turn-around and was headed back to the control at the ruins. Soon there after most of the rest of the group flashed by as I made my way to the End of Pavement.

What is the End of Pavement you ask? Well it’s where the pavement ends and this route makes a U-Turn and heads back! The rollers are short, steep, and much more fun on the return!

Mike and Jason

Mike Sturgill’s son Jason volunteered to staff the control and had plenty of supplies and water to refill bottles and food to refill stomachs! The riders were still there when I arrived so I made it a quick stop after topping off my bottle, slamming a Mini-Coke, and stuffing my pockets with food!

Brian on Cave Creek Road

I left the control a few minutes after the group but caught Brian on the steep rollers on Seven Springs Road. He was waiting to see if I would catch up. We rode together to Bartlett Dam Road taking turns on the descent.

Lee, Mike, and Brian at the start of the first climb on the lake descent

By the time we reached the bottom of the first descent, we had caught Lee and Mike. The descent to the lake has a couple of long climbs along the way. Again the group was too fast for me and I let them go.

The last few miles to the lake

The last few miles are steep, and with little wind, and even less traffic, soon I was rocketing along at 41 mph to the next turn around and control point on the ride.

Bartlett Lake Store and Grill

I saw Chris heading up the steep section first, then Lee, Mike and Brian as I turned into South Lake road to the control point at the store and grill. It took an hour to get here and with the cool weather, my bottles were nearly full. So just a quick stop to remove a layer and I was back on the road. 

This north facing formation was especially green

We have had historic rains this winter and the desert was very green and the wild flowers were just starting to appear. I stopped here for a quick photo of this rock face and really green desert grass, that could pass for an irrigated golf course!

It took 90 minutes to climb back to Cave Creek Road. The climb is thankfully interrupted by a few descents, or climbing intermissions, before reaching the top. There is a water fountain at the information board for the Tonto National Forest at the top and today it was working so I stopped and topped off my the bottles and reloaded my pocket food from my saddle bag.

From here the route is mostly downhill, and clipping along at 25+ mph to the town of Carefree, I could watch my overall average mph start to climb up.

Entering Cave Creek the normally four-lane road was reduced to one lane each way. The blocked lanes were not for Contruction but was for overflow parking for Harley Davidson motos. There was a huge motorcycle festival going on. Traffic was so congested and tricky that I didn’t think to get a picture!

Nudist Ranch in New River

The route continues downhill through Cave Creek and heads west on Carefree Highway. Normally the wind would be out of the west and on the nose by now. Also normally at this point in one of my blogs there would have been at least a half-dozen complaints about the wind. Today’s ride was nearly all calm, and only a short bit of wind climbing out of the lake. But today the flags were hanging straight down and I made great time to 7th street for the climb up to New River. Luckily the Shangri La nudist ranch is NOT the control stop.

New River Minute Mart Control 

The New River Control is a Minute Mart/Shell Station on the I-17 Frontage road. Just a quick stop for some different fuel. The Starbucks Frappuccino is a favorite, and some ‘crunchy sugar’ Oreo cookies should be enough to get me through the last 37 miles to the finish. The nice tables out front make this a great stop!

New River Road

The route goes under the I-17 then it’s a slight downhill on the 10 miles of New River Road to Lake Pleasant just outside the edge of Metro Phoenix and the town of Peoria. This time of day the wind would normally be pretty strong out of the west and negate the slight descent. Not today! No wind and I covered the ten miles solo in under 30 minutes!

The City riding starts here

New River road ends at the Carefree Highway and we make a quick left then right onto Lake Pleasant Parkway. The road was recently widened and after a few miles we reach the city of Peoria on the northern edge of Metro Phoenix. Mike has selected a great route through Peoria’s planned communities before reaching Phoenix proper and the Deer Valley Airport.

Brian on Deer Valley Road

Speaking of the Deer Valley airport, it was here that I again saw Brian. He had been working hard with the front group (notice the salt stains on his kit), but had mechanical problems and had to drop off. We were able to ride in the last 7.5 miles together. Sharing the work, and having some company we actually picked up the pace for that last segment.

Brian and yours truly at the finish

We rolled into the finish just before 5 pm, for a total ride time of 8 hours and 56 minutes. We were both hoping to get it done in under 9 hours, and working together for the last segment we were able to do it.

Yeah it fits nicely!

Another great brevet to start off 2026. Thanks to Mike for putting together a great route, Jason for staffing the control, and Brian for the company along the way.

The AZ Brevet season is just getting started, check out azrandos.com for the full calendar of events and come out for a ride. It’s Rouleur Week in February, lots of shorter rides and even a team event. Come join us!

Thanks for following along, here is my GPS data.

Steve Atkins

 

2025 Bartlett Lake 200km Brevet

Ride Report

January 2025

Perfect day for a bike ride!

Mike gives the pre-ride brief

Less than two fistfuls of Randonnuers lined up for the Bartlett Lake 200km and 100km brevets. Perhaps because two weeks earlier the Saguaro Lake 200 brevet was held. Debby and I were in Austria over the holidays so I was especially glad Mike added this ‘non-supported’ ride to the Azbrevet.com calendar.

It is always great seeing old friends and meeting new ones on these rides. Brian McGuire signed up for the 100km version and led the pack the first few miles to Cave Creek Road. From there we started taking pulls at a conservative pace, but it was only a few more miles until the group split apart and most riders settled into solo paces.

The end of Pavement on Seven Springs Road

It’s 30 miles of false flat then increasingly steep grades to the turn-around at the end of pavement (EOP) just past the first control at the Sears-Kay Ruins. As I made my way to the turn-around, there were many riders on the road, and a few from the brevet already heading back to the control Sears-Kay. 

After I made my turn-around there was a huge peloton of junior riders from the Bicycle Haus team on the road. They were hammering the last few miles to the EOP! They were resplendent in their matching team kit and bicycles, and even had a chase car following them!

Cindy and friend at the Control

After the EOP it’s only a mile or two back to the Sears-Kay turn-off. As I drifted into left side of the lane, the lead group of the Bicycle Haus team flashed by! I completed the left turn and made my way to the control to check-in. The lead riders on our event were just finishing their reload and were about to head out. It was great, and unexpected, to have a supported control, especially with Cindy Sturgill and her friend providing water, food, and encouragement for the riders. I would have liked to stay longer, but the clock is always ticking on a brevet. It was especially nice that Cindy set aside the one Mountain Dew (my favorite) until I got there. With the Dew done, water bottles reloaded, and a couple of bananas in my pocket, I headed out as Brian and a few others were riding in!

Once off Cave Creek Road, there were substantially fewer cyclists and relatively light lake traffic. Although, it must have been a day for club rides/drives as a large group of Mazda Miatas flashed by on the way down to the lake along with several motorcycle clubs.

Just in case…

I made it to the control at the Bartlett lake about an hour after leaving Sears-Kay. It’s mostly downhill but there are two sustained climbs on the way down to the lake. I didn’t need any water or supplies, so I snapped a photo of the control, and got back on the bike for the climb back to Cave Creek Road. At least on the way up, there are a couple of ‘intermission’ descents. In any case, it took an hour and a half to complete the climb.

It’s mostly downhill through Carefree and Cave Creek but with lots of Saturday traffic, you need to stay alert and watch for tourists and snowbirds. Only one close call; with car from Nebraska attempting the dreaded right hook. That is when the driver overtakes the cyclist, and not seeing you in the mirror (you are in the blind spot), completes the right turn directly into your path. Luckily I saw it coming and was able to slow, dart left and behind into the lane and pass on the left as the oblivious driver made her way into a Curio Shop parking lot.

Sharp enough to puncture!

Soon the route joins the Carefree Highway. There is heavy traffic, but a good shoulder. While it was slightly downhill, the winds were building from the southwest, so that there was little benefit from the traffic draft. In a short construction zone the road narrowed to one lane and the shoulder disappeared. Luckily, there was room to ride just to the right of the traffic barricades, so it was like riding on a protected bike path. The only downside; it was full of glass and road debris. About half-way through the zone a shard of glass sliced my rear tire.

New River Control

It took only 10 minutes to complete the repair and get back on the road to the next control. Soon the 7th Street turn appeared and its 13 miles of false-flat to gentle climbing to the next control at the Shell station/Subway in New River. The shoulder comes and goes along this section, but traffic was light, and mostly courteous!

I took about 10 minutes at the control to reload the bottles and get some solid food (hard boiled eggs, string cheese, and a Starbucks Frappuccino) and liquid calories on board before heading back out.

Windy section

The next 10 miles toward Lake Pleasant were right into wind, but not as bad as I have experienced on other rides. This flag at a batch plant confirms the wind direction! It’s only a few more miles before the route turns south toward Peoria and the wind would be crossing or on the tail for the remainder of the ride.

Mike selected a great route through planned communities in Peoria with wide roads and smooth bike lanes. It’s another 10 miles of stop and go riding through the streets of North Phoenix past the Deer Valley Airport before landing back where we started, for me, 9 hours and 30 minutes after the start.

Alex was at the finish, packed and ready to head out as I rolled in. It was nice to visit and share ride plans before packing up and heading back home. No need for fast food today, Debby told me a big pot of Ham and Navy Bean soup was awaiting my arrival. 

More brevets are on tap, head to AZbrevet.com and check them out!

Steve

Click here for GPS Data

2022 Bartlett Lake 200km Brevet

 

Ride report

January 8, 2022

Mike Sturgill gives the rider brief

Happy New Year! The 2022 Brevet season in Arizona kicks off with the Sears Kay 100/Bartlett Lake 200 routes. 35 riders signed up for the events with a little more than half selecting the 200km version. Of course our dedicated Regional Brevet Coordinator, Mike Sturgill, pre-rode both courses and provided a great pre-ride report with what to expect. We rolled out of the North Phoenix King Coffee Roastery parking lot a minute or two after 0700.

On the 'climb' toward Sears Kay

With just a few traffic lights and turns we are soon in the North Phoenix desert climbing toward the first control at the Sears Kay ruins. The road appears flat but climbs at a mostly steady grade of 1-2%, with a few steep rollers tossed in near the summit. A few eager riders roll off the front and I fall in with a large second group of riders going at an easier pace. Its a good time to catch up with friends and meet some folks that traveled here to enjoy a fantastic day of winter desert riding.

Rollers to the turn-around

Jennifer and Rashid near the end of pavement

The group splinters as we enter the rollers of the Legends development about half-way to the first control. By the time we hit the turn-around at the end of the pavement on Seven Springs Road, the riders are in groups of one, two, and three all over the course.

Mike checks us in at the Sears Kay control

Mike and his faithful companion Aztec, set up the staffed control at the parking/picnic area of the Sears Kay ruins. I grab some Oreo cookies for the pocket, toss down a Starbucks Frappuccino, top off the bottles and head out.

New pavement on Bartlett Dam Road

It is just a few miles past the control where the two routes split. The 200km road turns and heads 'down' to Bartlett Lake. The good news is that the first half of 14 miles to the lake is on new pavement. This section used to be very rough and challenging dodging pot holes and lake traffic. The new pavement even has a bit of room outside the fog line and was butter smooth!

Nearing the top of the first climb out of the lake area

One might think its all downhill to the lake, not so! There a few miles of climbing that gain 1000 feet on the way 'down' to the lake! Finally on the last descent to the lake, we start to see the lead riders returning from the control at the marina. 

The lake is very low and the clerk at the marina store is sharing fishing information with a few customers at the check out.  Not interested in the fishing report, I purchase a can of V-8 juice, some water, and peel off a layer of clothing and reload the pockets, as other riders arrive and depart.

Heading back up the hill, the sun is out and warming nicely. One more stop to remove another clothing layer and we make our way back the way we came!

There is a Forest Service Information kiosk and water fountain at the top of the climb. I stop there and reload a bottle with CarboPro/water for the run to the next control in New River. Its mostly downhill for the next 30 miles, except for a small climb out of Cave Creek to the Carefree Highway.

New River Control

After six miles of Carefree Highway riding, we turn right on 7th Street and head north toward New River and the next control. Its 13 miles away, and at mile 91, New River should be the last stop I need to make before the finish. One last bottle reload, toss down a chocolate milk from the store, and its back on the road for the final segment.

Open desert near Lake Pleasant

The route crosses the I-17 and heads west for 10 miles toward Lake Pleasant. Traffic was light while the cross/head winds picked up, and we soon pass the Welcome to Peoria sign and return to urban riding for the last 25 miles to the finish.

Quiet roads in Peoria AZ

The route Mike selected includes many turns, but follows mostly quiet roads through planned communities. A little construction on the last leg of Deer Valley Road and soon we are back in the King Coffee Roastery parking lot. Mike included a complimentary lunch at the Subway next door with the entry fee. I traded my AZ Brevet ticket for a 6" sub, chips, and a drink. A nice way to finish a great day on the bike. Thanks Mike for another great brevet!

Ready for the next brevet!

Next on the 2022 brevet schedule is the North Valley 123/200/300 on February 5, 2022. Click here for information and to sign up. Hope to see you there!

Steve Atkins

Click here for GPS data