Since missing the opportunity to ride in the desert last time I was in Arizona, I'm aiming for a day out on two wheels over this Christmas holiday. Since the adventure bike I want isn't available, I'm looking at a pavement orientated trip. That doesn't mean I'm suffering for choice in Arizona though.
Route 60 from Globe to Show Low has fantastic reviews and offers a winding way through the mountains. The views are so spectacular that I won't tire of seeing them twice. You see different things riding the other way anyway. The section of sweeping switchbacks on the way down to the bridge over Salt River look fantastic...
...though I hope I can keep the bike in my lane unlike Sparky in the streetview above.
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| Route 60 over Salt River looks special. |
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| Phoenix to Superior on the edge of the mountains is about an hour, then it gets even better! |
From Superior, AZ into the mountains it's beautiful riding... easily a hundred miles of sweeping curves and glorious high desert scenery. It's only about an hour from AZRide on lightly trafficked, arrow straight roads to get to the good bits, and even there you're in the desert surrounded by massive saguaro cactuses soaking up the heat.
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| Once into the mountains, the roads are interesting and the views astounding. |
A nice thing about not doing a loop means that we'll know when enough is enough and turn around. I was knocking myself out in BC to make sure the bike was back on time. It won't be an issue on this out and back excursion.
I'm hoping to get the new Concours from AZride.com sometime between Dec 24th and the 30th for a foray into the high desert, hopefully on a weekday when the roads are quiet. It'll handle my son and I with ease while making mince meat of those twisty mountain roads.
