Wild & Free: Mountain Biking Like a Pro

Photo by Jenn Agema

WILD & FREE Mountain Biking Like a Pro WITH WILD BUNCH DESERT GUIDES. Photos and Story By Jenn Agema.

If you’re looking for a great way to push yourself to new limits while taking in the wonderful sights of Arizona’s landscape, look no further than this ‘fun bunch’ – The Wild Bunch Desert Guides! What started as an attempt to get some fresh air and try something new and challenging quickly turned into so much more for me and my teen daughter. It was an exciting way to explore our surroundings and challenge our bodies in an enjoyable way, all in one. And now, we’re hooked on the feeling!

Our starting point was Brown’s Ranch Trailhead in Scottsdale, and our day began with a bright and early stretch-out and some deep breaths of cool air. Our group of trail guides from Wild Bunch, including owner Laurel, were the PERFECT amount of energy and spunk to revv us up and get us over our newbie nerves!

And I must admit, nerves did come into play when we were handed our professional grade Marin mountain bikes and gear! The bikes were shiny and new, and we immediately felt unworthy based on our slim-to-none skill level. But that soon changed as our guides took time to educate us about the bikes, including all of the gears and functions, and even had us do a test loop around the parking lot before we got the ‘thumbs up’ to hit the trails. One of the guides named Tommy shared with us that he’s taken out bikers of every age between 5 and 92! By this time, my daughter and I felt a boost of confidence that could only have come from these high-energy and highly-encouraging guides who were about to lead us on a desert adventure – and we had no idea just how invigorating it would truly be!

We started out with a gentle cadence of pedaling on dirt paths and we soon realized it was a trail system that is shared equally with hikers, mountain bikers, and equestrians. We loved the variety of sights, and sharing the desert with other trailgoers made for some fun ‘dodging!’ With the great coaching of the guides ahead of us and behind us, we were taught the rules of the trails and felt like courteous pros on these fancy bikes as we navigated our way. By now, our confidence was tried and true, which was good, because next came the inclines, downgrades, and zippity-do-da bends around the ‘fluffy’ cacti at a much faster pace! At each and every turn, we were coached exactly how to use our bodies and our gear — we were never left to wonder how to navigate an intimidating curve!

On the way back down the trail we had the joy of coming across a set of local horseback riders. Our guides asked us to pull over and hop off of our bikes. We learned that it is common courtesy to respectfully allow the horses to pass by while mountain bikers stand alongside the trail, dismounted from their bikes, so that sounds and sudden movements don’t spook the horses. We loved petting the horses and talking with their riders… plus, it gave my legs a little break just in time to prepare for the final stretch back to the trailhead.

We found our way up to Cathedral Rock, which was a beautiful destination full of great views and interesting history. We saw firsthand why Native Americans used this spot as a lookout point, and noticed the divots in the floor of the rock that they once used to grind grains. It was a great place to take a break, eat some healthy snacks that the Wild Bunch brought along (like the amazing energy bar from Skratch Labs), and just take some much needed deep breaths. I personally took time to reflect on the amount of effort it took for me to keep up with my daughter (this Mom needed a few breaks, but I did it!) But even more impressive was watching my daughter in full-force: coasting down hills and pumping right back up again in one fell swoop! There was certainly power behind her, and the guides’ whoops of encouragement and instruction made us both feel like we could take on just about anything! In the moment, I had completely forgotten that this was our very first time!

To Laurel, Tommy, Mike, and Jay – The Wild Bunch: Thank you for a wonderful experience! We now have the mountain biking bug and have already invested in some gear to take to the trails in our own community. To the reader: whatever your skill or inclination, take a chance and go wild while you’re in Arizona.

The desert is calling.

Wild Bunch Desert Guides 14545 N Frank Lloyd Wright Scottsdale, AZ 85260 (602) 663-0842 or visit wildbunchdesertguides.com

ArizonaKEY.com