Trail head.

Having come down to Phoenix to visit my family for a mid winter vacation, I  took it upon myself to check out a few of south Phoenix’s trails. I contacted a local bike shop, Ultimate Cycle, and the staff down there was great. They have  a great little shop, and are all avid riders that were more then helpful. They pointed me in the direction of some fun areas they had to offer. The first area that they said i should check out is the Fantasy Island North Single track (F.I.N.S).

Trail entrance, man made trail features are a bit different the we are accustomed to(expert feature)

F.I.N.S is located in the south west corner of Phoenix in the community of Estrella, just west of Estrella Mountain park. There is a network of trails here that can give you about 15 miles worth of riding.

All the trails are single track and range from reasonably mellow flowey single track to some tougher climbs and fun descents.

Heading out near the beginning of the trail.

The trails are reasonably well marked, though not all trails appear on the map.

Some of the common vegetation.

Live stock does not last too long in the heat of the desert. these remains can be found on a trail named the Bone yard.

Coming down North Star, my favorite descent of the area.

Though there was not too many features on the trail there was the odd drop or two that were fun.

 

A view of North Star from the top.

A look back a t Grunt, the climb that leads to North Star.

Riding in the desert is a different experience to the mountains in Canada. The first thing you must be prepared for is thorns and cactus pricks, so i recommend that every one have either slime tubes or Stan’s equipped tubeless(i prefer tubeless). Also a spare tube should be brought as well due to the sharp rocks. Water is a must, and as much as you can carry if the sun is out.  Sun screen is also something that will make your ride more enjoyable.

One of the local creatures hanging out with me at the top of the trail for a break.

A closer look at the wild life.

I had a Blast riding in this zone and recommend it to anyone who might be staying in the Phoenix area. A big thanks to the staff at Ultimate Cycle.