I'm considering moving to Phoenix. I've heard there are a lot of riding areas close to Phoenix. I'm into trail riding, so are there trail systems there, or do you just drive out to a riding area and go nuts, riding all over like it's a big huge free-for-all? I read that a lot of Arizona's land is federally owned, and the whole place is a big dirt bike playground. I was talking to some friends from California, and they said if I want places to ride, go to Arizona. I noticed Steve Hatch moved there and seems to be having a blast. What's the riding like compared to the woods of Georgia? Is my KDX 200 going to be fast enough, or in the open desert will it be a dog? What's the cost of gasoline out there? Right now I can get regular unleaded from quality stations, not the no-name places, for like $1.06. The cost of living compared to Georgia concerns me. Do a lot of people get up early and ride before dawn, or wait until dusk to ride? Would I need one of those big baja-style lighting systems? Are there any big lakes other than Lake Havasu? Northern Arizona has mountains and stuff right, and even skiing in the winter? I am used to Atlanta's stifling temperatures in the summer, how does Phoenix compare? I know it's like 106 or 110, but I heard it's a drier heat out there, whereas here it's so muggy you can't walk to the mailbox without dripping sweat. I know anything over 100 is really hot regardless, but I was just thinking if it's not as muggy as Georgia then I might be able to adapt well. Do you see rattlesnakes and scorpions out on the trail and stuff? I'm not going to have to worry about scorpions occasionally showing up in my apartment am I, because those things scare the crap out of me. I heard you can go around at night with a black light and see them on the walls of buildings. I have no idea what it's like out west, I just am intruiged by it and think it would be an adventure to move there. I have never been west of Alabama or north of North Carolina, and don't like what I am majoring in now in college, so maybe after I get my degree next semester I will go to MMI in Phoenix. I was looking for some info about the place from someone who lives there. Thanks.
Riding/living in Arizona
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yz250-effer
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- Nov 4, 2000
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Wow - lots of questions . .
I live in Tucson, which is 120 miles to the south, and really like living in the desert. Moved here in 87' from N. idaho, and have not left yet. There are lots of trail, and state/federal land. It is not "wide open" as people would think. Lots of gullies, sand, rocks, cactus, etc. If you are pretty fast on KDX ( above novice level) you might need a little more power. I don't see too many Kdx's out here. Lots of 250's and big bore thumpers, and a few 500's once in a while. The cost of living is average, I think, ??
Scorpions and snakes are no big deal, just part of nature. I have ridden over rattle snakes while trail riding, 98% of scorpions are not worse than a wasp sting, and apartments rarely have any problems. It is the houses in outlying desert with big lots, or acreage. ( Like mine! I kill one a month!) You can ride all year long here, and the heat is not that bad until the monsoons hit in late summer and drive the humidity up. I ride 99% Mx currently, but there are lots of awesome trails around. I know the ones around Tucson, but not PHX.
I live in Tucson, which is 120 miles to the south, and really like living in the desert. Moved here in 87' from N. idaho, and have not left yet. There are lots of trail, and state/federal land. It is not "wide open" as people would think. Lots of gullies, sand, rocks, cactus, etc. If you are pretty fast on KDX ( above novice level) you might need a little more power. I don't see too many Kdx's out here. Lots of 250's and big bore thumpers, and a few 500's once in a while. The cost of living is average, I think, ??
Scorpions and snakes are no big deal, just part of nature. I have ridden over rattle snakes while trail riding, 98% of scorpions are not worse than a wasp sting, and apartments rarely have any problems. It is the houses in outlying desert with big lots, or acreage. ( Like mine! I kill one a month!) You can ride all year long here, and the heat is not that bad until the monsoons hit in late summer and drive the humidity up. I ride 99% Mx currently, but there are lots of awesome trails around. I know the ones around Tucson, but not PHX.
singletracker500
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- Jul 24, 1999
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There are plenty of trails around the Phoenix area. I haven't ridden in Georgia, but I have ridden in the midwest. Most of the trails I ride are singletrack, and at least as tight and technical as anything I've ridden in the midwest. Probably alot more rough and technical. We ride year round. In the summer we start at sun-up, and are usually packing up by 10.00am. Like yz25-effer said, the only time we have any humidity is for a couple of months during monsoon season. I lived in Illinois for 25 years, and I can tell you, 90 degrees back there with the humidity is much worse than 110 with under 10% humidity.
Your KDX sould be fine, for most of the trails. You may have a hard time on some of the bigger nastier hills. Maybe not, it would depend on you.
Gas is at about $1.25 per gallon right now, and coming down.
I can't tell you about the cost of living compared to Georgia, but I don't think it's out of line with most places. And the only people not working here, are the ones that don't want too.
You don't need the baja lights, but they sure would be nice to have! :)
There are plenty of lakes. Arizona has more boats per capita than any other state in the union.
There's sking up by Flaggstaff.
You'll see rattlers on the trail from time to time. No big deal. And you can see scorpions with a black light....personally, I don't go looking for them!:eek: I've never seen one at either of the houses I've owned over the past twenty years.
If you move here, get a place on the north side of town.
Any more questions, just ask. :)
Your KDX sould be fine, for most of the trails. You may have a hard time on some of the bigger nastier hills. Maybe not, it would depend on you.
Gas is at about $1.25 per gallon right now, and coming down.
I can't tell you about the cost of living compared to Georgia, but I don't think it's out of line with most places. And the only people not working here, are the ones that don't want too.
You don't need the baja lights, but they sure would be nice to have! :)
There are plenty of lakes. Arizona has more boats per capita than any other state in the union.
There's sking up by Flaggstaff.
You'll see rattlers on the trail from time to time. No big deal. And you can see scorpions with a black light....personally, I don't go looking for them!:eek: I've never seen one at either of the houses I've owned over the past twenty years.
If you move here, get a place on the north side of town.
Any more questions, just ask. :)
- Thread starter
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Sounds awesome!
<<There are plenty of lakes. Arizona has more boats per capita than any other state in the union.>>
I did not know that. What kind of fish are in the lakes? Any largemouth bass? I have heard that southern California has some really big bass in their lakes. That's another thing that would be important to me, being able to wet a hook for some bass or panfish when I'm not riding.
Gas is down to 99 cents a gallon in some areas here! $1.25 isn't that bad. That's what it was for a long time here before it started going down. This girl I know in San Diego says it's like $2-something there. If I get an apartment, I'm going to have to find a place that has storage areas so I can put my bike, tools, and mountain bike somewhere. That's another thing I wanted to ask, is the mountain biking out there cool as well? When I am not on the bike I love to hit some downhills on my Gary Fisher.
What I am thinking about doing is saving up a wad of cash this winter, and then come spring break, take a road trip out there and go to MMI and see what it's like and also look around at apartments and the surrounding area and look at the bike shops where I would possibly become employed and see if I really want to do it. Sounds like somewhere I would really enjoy living. I love Dixie, but I need a change. I'm sick of seeing new neighborhoods pop up where I used to go riding. People complain about dirt bike trails, but when someone clears out acres and acres of woods to make a new subdivision, no one says a dang word! Hard part will be telling my parents. :eek: But I figure, screw it, we've got e-mail and web cams now, right? I can even set them up with IP phones so we can talk for free. I can still fly home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Still hard to tell your parents that you want to do something like this, when you're an only child and over-protected, even though I am 20 years old. I want to be able to get up at 5am to go riding without my mother murmuring and worrying to death, and I want to be able to stay up late, and then go out at 3 in the morning to get a bite to eat if I feel like it, you know? So you can see the situation I am in. Thanks for the information, I really feel like going now.
<<There are plenty of lakes. Arizona has more boats per capita than any other state in the union.>>
I did not know that. What kind of fish are in the lakes? Any largemouth bass? I have heard that southern California has some really big bass in their lakes. That's another thing that would be important to me, being able to wet a hook for some bass or panfish when I'm not riding.
Gas is down to 99 cents a gallon in some areas here! $1.25 isn't that bad. That's what it was for a long time here before it started going down. This girl I know in San Diego says it's like $2-something there. If I get an apartment, I'm going to have to find a place that has storage areas so I can put my bike, tools, and mountain bike somewhere. That's another thing I wanted to ask, is the mountain biking out there cool as well? When I am not on the bike I love to hit some downhills on my Gary Fisher.
What I am thinking about doing is saving up a wad of cash this winter, and then come spring break, take a road trip out there and go to MMI and see what it's like and also look around at apartments and the surrounding area and look at the bike shops where I would possibly become employed and see if I really want to do it. Sounds like somewhere I would really enjoy living. I love Dixie, but I need a change. I'm sick of seeing new neighborhoods pop up where I used to go riding. People complain about dirt bike trails, but when someone clears out acres and acres of woods to make a new subdivision, no one says a dang word! Hard part will be telling my parents. :eek: But I figure, screw it, we've got e-mail and web cams now, right? I can even set them up with IP phones so we can talk for free. I can still fly home for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Still hard to tell your parents that you want to do something like this, when you're an only child and over-protected, even though I am 20 years old. I want to be able to get up at 5am to go riding without my mother murmuring and worrying to death, and I want to be able to stay up late, and then go out at 3 in the morning to get a bite to eat if I feel like it, you know? So you can see the situation I am in. Thanks for the information, I really feel like going now.
singletracker500
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- Jul 24, 1999
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I can't tell you what kind of fish we have out here. I don't catch um, and I don't eat um!!
Mountain biking is big out here, and it's cool too....if you stay off MY singletrack trails with that thing!!:confused:
That happens here too. The difference is, we can just go out a little farther, and ride new trails.
Mountain biking is big out here, and it's cool too....if you stay off MY singletrack trails with that thing!!:confused:
That happens here too. The difference is, we can just go out a little farther, and ride new trails.
stevenb8
Member
- Mar 31, 2000
- 57
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My parents moved to Prescott Arizona 2 years ago and have visited them three times and considering the move myself from dallas. I love the location there are in near the mountains, does not get to 100-110 in the summer there is always a very light 5 mph breeze just a great location.
Prescott is located about 1 1/2 hours or so north of PHX, and 1 1/2 or less from flagstaff, 1 1/2 from grand canyon. Vegas and lake havisou ?sp are with a small couple hour drive also, just a great centrall location that does not get near as hot in the summer.
Prescott is located about 1 1/2 hours or so north of PHX, and 1 1/2 or less from flagstaff, 1 1/2 from grand canyon. Vegas and lake havisou ?sp are with a small couple hour drive also, just a great centrall location that does not get near as hot in the summer.
singletracker500
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- Jul 24, 1999
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The Prescott area is beautiful. For all the reasons you mentioned, and more. And because of all that, it's getting real expensive to live up there.
- Aug 24, 2000
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I'm still hating it here!
Reading your posts about the riding in AZ is still killing me. I'm still stuck here in Iowa, but my new job has me working all over the country, sadly, I don't get to haul my bike with me when I go on the road (company truck).
Hopefully we will get some work in the SW soon, so I can check it out. I think I'll try and presuade the company to let me tow my bike trailer. I'll be in CO next, and I know it will drive me nuts knowing that Rampart is just a short drive, and I can't go riding.
Reading your posts about the riding in AZ is still killing me. I'm still stuck here in Iowa, but my new job has me working all over the country, sadly, I don't get to haul my bike with me when I go on the road (company truck).
Hopefully we will get some work in the SW soon, so I can check it out. I think I'll try and presuade the company to let me tow my bike trailer. I'll be in CO next, and I know it will drive me nuts knowing that Rampart is just a short drive, and I can't go riding.
