Fat Tire Tales & Trails: Arizona Mountain Bike Trail Guide
Fat Tire Tales & Trails: Arizona Mountain Bike Trail Guide
The most well known and well loved mountain bike trail guide to the best summer and winter fat tire fun in Arizona. Cartoony, down to earth maps are adapted from topos and forest service charts, yet are friendly and easy to use. Maps are to scale and oriented north.
Each humorous route description includes distance, time, effort and skill required, best season to ride, level of route finding skill required, contour profile and “fear factor”. There is also a step by step mileage log when applicable. A “preferred trail” icon is used to indicate a particularly great ride in a given area for those on a limited time schedule. Rides are included for all levels of ability, but emphasis is given to the intermediate / advanced rider. A few severe / extreme rides are also included for those on the lunatic fringe.
Each ride has been personally selected and ridden by the author over the past 11 editions and updated annually. You are guaranteed a favorite ride each time with no “filler”. Many of the trails can be found nowhere else as they are based on personal exploration by the author. All rides are current and legal. Areas included are Grand Canyon, Flagstaff, Sedona, Phoenix, Tucson, Payson, Prescott and more. Also features a hilarious illustrated glossary of mountain biking’s arcane jargon.
User Ratings and Reviews
5 Stars Best Trail Guide
This is my 6th copy of Cosmic Ray’s Trail guide. I tend to give copies to friends headed to Arizona for Bike vacations.
For me, Ray’s trail guides have been a wonderful blend of humor and useful information. The trail descriptions have been very accurate and always includes additional information or some nice tips.
In numerous trips to Arizona, I’ve riden most of the trails mentioned in Flagstaff, Sedona, Phoenix and Tucson. My trail experiances have always accurately matched Ray’s description.
If you are looking for a boring technical manual or something for GPS navigation, this book is not for you. This book is really about fun and enjoying some great new trails. Ray’s descriptions will give you more than enough information to experience the trail for yourself.
Every time I return to Arizona, I pickup the latest version. This is the Arizona trail bible.
For what it’s worth, you also need Topo’s, good equipment and supplies. On the trail, things can happen and you need to be prepared.
5 Stars Best guide available
I’m a Flagstaff native and now living in Tucson. I STILL use this guide and carry it like a bible… it is, hands down, the best trail guide I’ve found. The information is presented in a clear and consise manner, with humor and great illustrations. When Cosmic Ray says that you will most likely ask “This is a trail???” (ie Airport Loop in Sedona) he is correct. Yes the maps may *seem* playful and rough, but they ARE spot-on… don’t let them fool you.
As with ANY riding in Arizona… come prepared. Plenty of water, tools, extra tubes (did I mention extra tubes?) and Cosmic Rays.
5 Stars funny and informative
This is the book I read in bed at night while planning my next bike ride. Most of the rides you can make your way with no map. I like to try to follow the hand drawn maps. I like weird challenges though.
However, for longer rides don’t rely on the maps from any guide book. Get topo maps and a compass (or gps). Ray recommends when to bring a compass and map. Buy this book and follow Ray’s advice. Enjoy.
5 Stars If you only buy on MB trail book for AZ, buy this one!
Well organized by city, this book provides great usable maps for trail-finding and sets expectations appropriately for each trail experience. Latest edition adds some new trails and accurately reflects the changing trail landscape in Phoenix due to continued land development.
5 Stars Cosmic Ray replies
I am sorry Mr. Rawlins got lost, but keep in mind that my cartoony maps are traced from topos. They are to scale, oriented north and include many details and tips not found on topo maps. He says he got lost on every ride. Interesting. That’s not what I hear from other riders. In fact, many, if not most of the rides in my book are SIGNED. Mr. Rawlins must not be paying attention. About “Rating The Rides”. It is not possible to rate rides to satasfy every rider. Riders vary greatly in ability. On page 3 of my book there is an entire page devoted to “Rating The Rides” explaining exactly how I arrive at the ratings. Mr. Rawlins should try reading the book he is reviewing.
Filed under: Mountain Bikes Book Reviews