sonoran desert - ajo - organ pipe

[charles buki]

Border patrol comments aside, I have bought a small place in Ajo, AZ. 15
miles from Organ Pipe and right on Cabeza Prieta and 525,000 acres BLM.
Anyone have experience riding there? Anyone riding Organ Pipe March or
April?

I am used to Shenendoah/Appalachia....tire/other recommendations?

 

[Corvus Corvax]

charles buki wrote:
> Border patrol comments aside, I have bought a small place in Ajo, AZ.
15
> miles from Organ Pipe and right on Cabeza Prieta and 525,000 acres
BLM.

Can't say about the riding in the immediate area, but I can most
enthusiastically recommend the mole enchiladas and Senor Sancho's.

The Cabeza Prietas look most intriguing, although I have been warned to
look out for unexploded ordinance up there.

> I am used to Shenendoah/Appalachia....tire/other recommendations?

Get rid of the big knobs and go for lots of little ones. My wife tried
Panaracer Trailblasters last time we were out, and hated them. My
Panaracer Fires worked well, and this last trip she used Bonty Revolts
and was much happier.
And it goes without saying that you run Slimed tubes out there.

CC

 

[troutboy]

"Corvus Corvax" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> The Cabeza Prietas look most intriguing, although I have been warned to
> look out for unexploded ordinance up there.

Unexploded ordinance poses no danger to a biker ;-)

T

 

[Mark Hickey]

charles buki <[email protected]> wrote:

>Border patrol comments aside, I have bought a small place in Ajo, AZ. 15
>miles from Organ Pipe and right on Cabeza Prieta and 525,000 acres BLM.
>Anyone have experience riding there? Anyone riding Organ Pipe March or
>April?

I just came through there a couple hours ago (stopped at a little ice
cream / deli on the way back from Mexico). The terrain looks a lot
like a lot of other places in Arizona (that's a good thing), with lots
of flat scrub running up to some very interesting looking hills.

I guess it all comes down to how many established trails are available
in the area - doesn't look like a whole lot of people live withing
MTBing distance of Ajo. If there aren't many trails, the riding will
be pretty difficult.

>I am used to Shenendoah/Appalachia....tire/other recommendations?

General all-round terrain tires. I've had good luck with Ritchey
Z-Max (though they do tend to shed knobs on the rockier trails). I've
used other "Smoke/Dart" type tires with good luck as well. 2.3" tires
are nice if your frame will handle 'em.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $695 ti frame