Cave Creek (New Mexico) Bike Tour, October 17-18

GABA (Tucson) will put on the Cave Creek Bike Tour this weekend October 17 and 18. No, this isn't the Cave Creek north of Phoenix; this Cave Creek is near the New Mexico-Arizona border. The ride is 42 miles each day with an option for extra miles for the ambitious. The ride starts the Desert West Motel in Road Forks, New Mexico and proceeds to the eastern slopes of the Chiricahua Mountains and Cave Creek Canyon where there are eats and overnight lodging. The ride includes several meals, snacks, lodging, and much more. The cost is $120 for members of GABA, PMBC and ABC and $135 for others. For more information, click here.

Memorial Ride for Safety, October 24

The Phoenix Metro Bicycle Club and the Coalition of Arizona Bicyclists are jointly sponsoring the Memorial Ride for Safety on Saturday, October 24 with 60- and 35-mile options. The ride starts at AJ's at Pima and Pinnacle Peak Roads. Registration opens at 7 a.m.. The 60-mile ride starts at 7:30 a.m., and the 35-mile ride starts at 8 a.m. The cost was $25 for members of PMBC, GABA, ABC, and CAzB and $30 for others. However, riders who are not yet registered should now add a $5 late fee.  For more information, click here.

Tour de Tempe, October 25

The annual Tour de Tempe community bike ride starts and ends in Kiwanas Park on October 25 at 9 a.m. Unlike other "Tour de" rides, which cost an arm and a leg to enter, this ride is free! The ride is a short 12 to 14 miles. All participants will be entered in a raffle for free giveaways, and there will be entertainment after the ride in the form of BMX stunt riders. The event also includes a helmet giveaway and a bike rodeo for teaching safe riding. For more information, click here.

The Heart of Arizona Century, November 7

It's time to register for the Heart of Arizona Century Ride on November 7. Forget the Tour de Tucson! If you're really a macho cyclist, this is where you can prove it! The 100-mile version of this ride vies with Mining Country for the title of the roughest century ride in Arizona, and for those who need more, the Heart features a 120-mile extended version.

The Bullshifters sponsor this challenging ride each year and do an excellent job of support. The ride starts in Congress, near Wickenburg, heads out Highway 93, then loops east on SR-97. Be sure to load up on liquids at SAG stop #2 at the corners of SR-97 and SR-96, because from there it's a 16-mile ride to the next SAG in Hillside, and this stretch is almost all uphill. The climb starts out innocently enough, but it goes on and on and on. Each time that you think you've reached the top, you'll round a corner or top a rise and see the next section of the climb ahead of you.

For those who survive the climb, there are rollers from Hillside to Kirkland Junction that hide the fact that the ride is still mostly uphill, and then a final climb to Yarnell that would be a piece of cake for a fresh rider but is torture to legs already screaming in pain from thousands of feet of climbing.

However, then comes the exhilarating nine-mile descent of Yarnell Hill. By the time you finish freewheeling through mile after mile of switchbacks with no need to turn a pedal, you'll arrive at the bottom of the hill refreshed. From there, it's just a short, flat pedal to the finish line where hamburgers, chips and soft drinks will be waiting.

During the climb to Hillside, you'll curse yourself for signing up for this ride, but as you munch your hamburger at the finish line and exchange lies with the other riders, you'll already be planning your strategy for next year's ride. Oh, and I described the 100-mile version. If you plan to ride the 120-mile version, add in two more climbs.

The cost of the ride is $40 for members of the Bullshifters, ABC and GABA and $45 for others. Add a $10 late fee for entries mailed after October 31. To access the ride's Website, check out the map and profile, and print out a registration form and release form, click here.  

ABC's McDowell Mountain Century, November 14

The Arizona Bicycle Club's annual McDowell Century takes place this year on November 14 in Scottsdale, Rio Verde, and Fountain Hills and starts at Serano Park, 56th Street and Sweetwater in Scottsdale. There are three versions of the ride: a 100-mile century, a 62-mile metric century, and a 30-mile half-metric century. Members of ABC, GABA, and Bullshifters pay $35 for the event, and non-members pay $45. Tandems are $45 for members per bike and $60 for non-members. After November 1, there is a $5 late fee for individual riders and a $15 late fee for tandems. (When I checked it, the ride's Website confusingly gave the late fee dates of April 15 and August 10, both of which must be incorrect. I reported that to the ABC, and hopefully the error will be fixed by the time you read this.) The entry fee includes sag stops with lots of munchies and insurance. The first 130 riders will also receive ABC logo insulated Polar water bottles.

Check-in and late registration open onsite at 6:30 a.m. The century ride leaves at 7:30, and the metric and half-metric century rides leave at 8:00. (Cautious riders will sneak off a bit early and avoid the dangerous mass starts.)

To access the ride's Website and/or to register online, click here. 

Cave Creek Bicycle Festival, November 13-15

The Cave Creek Bicycle Festival takes place on November 13, 14, and 15. As part of the festival, there will be road and mountain bike rides, music, free food for registrants, a beer garden, and a vendor fair. The mountain bike and road rides individually have an entry fee of $50 or you can register for both for $80 until October 31. This ride is not cheap!

Anyone who is interested in participating can download a registration form or register online for an additional processing fee. After October 31, add a $15 late fee. The even organizers are also looking for volunteers. For more information, click here.