Ride the Arizona Divide

06/11/2024

Some 200 miles from its origin in the White Mountains of Eastern Arizona the Salt River is the main tributary of the largest lake formed at the Theodore Roosevelt Dam.

10/10/2024

Ride the Arizona Divide Day 3
Bill Knight Gap New Mexico almost Snowflake
Distance: 110 miles
Elevation loss: -7285 ft.
Unpaved: 72%
Time: 08h11m

We woke up recharged after an excellent night of sleep on top of the Bill Knight Gap. A quick check of Trackleaders showed us Paul and Brian had pushed on through most of the night. Our goal for today was to get to the outskirts of Snowflake. Instead of camping we would load up the bikes and head to our cabin in Heber for the evening. Heber is only about a 35 minute drive from the Flake. This was a fun day on the bike, the entire 110 miles was downhill including a super hardpack smooth run into St. John. Minnie took the first leg of the day which was a 35 mile section onto the remote Stateline Road where we exchanged riding duties. Suspecting the 2wd truck might not make it through this section she drove the truck back to the 60 and drove the highway to St. Johns. Although downhill and freshly graded there are some short sandy sections. Not following with the truck was a good call, at mile 45.5 I came across a muddy section (maybe 20 feet across) and then a deep section of sand (about 50 feet across) that I doubt the 2wd would have cleared. After I cleaned the mud off the e-bike I resumed the ride into St Johns. The road improved immediately (some of the best offroad of the entire ride) and I powered into St. Johns never dropping out of the 36 X 11 gear for the entire stretch. It was mid day and hot as hell by time I got to St. Johns. Once I hit the 180 split to Holbrook I picked up a very strong tailwind which got me quickly to Hunt Road, a mostly unpaved back way into Snowflake. Checking the battery I verified that I was still over 50% so I switched into turbo mode and ripped through the remaining 20 miles. From there we loaded up the Tero and headed into Heber for the night. So nice to be back in civilization again! Hit the shower, had a quick happy hour followed by dinner and went to bed with both bikes charging up fully for hopefully only one more day!

https://azgravelrides.com/ride-the-arizona-divide-2/

02/10/2024

Ride the Arizona Divide Day 2
Greer AZ to Bill Knight Gap New Mexico
Distance: 98 miles
Elevation Gain: 14,024 feet
Unpaved: 89%
Time: 09h24m

As mentioned in the Day 1 post we had fallen significantly behind our target of Big Lake on the first day because I overlooked having the batteries fully topped off. To reach our Day 2 target goal of Bill Knight Gap in New Mexico we had to tackle three monster climbs; the climb out of Greer, Middle Mountain and Euscidilla. All three would be rated beyond category if they were part of a World Tour event...and these climbs were all on dirt! Minnie took the first pull and knocked the first 46 miles before running out of power close to the top of Middle Mountain. We had calculated time versus power usage level to battery life and distance and it worked almost to perfection. With only the Euscidilla climb remaining I was able to use full power with plenty left over for a quick run up to Bill Knight Gap. Minnie had gone ahead in the truck and set up camp so as soon as I arrived we could get the generator charging both bikes and kick back for dinner. I had p[assed Brian Berry earlier and he dropped by camp briefly before grinding on towards St Johns chasing after Paul. The night on top of Bill Knight Gap was absolutely amazing. The night sky was as dense with stars as I've ever seen it, then as the moon came up it lit up the white walls of the Gap so brightly it almost looked like a vehicle was headed our way. Then to top it off we heard the howls of the wolfpack off in the distance.

https://azgravelrides.com/ride-the-arizona-divide-2/

01/10/2024

Seven riders (Paul Kuzdas, Brian Berry, Eric Pearce, Mike Miller, Jim Geray and my teammate Minnie joined up early Monday September 23rd (6am!) for the start of the second running of the Ride the Arizona Divide (RAD). RAD is a 425 mile loop that explores the eastern section of the Arizona Divide as mapped by AZ Gravel Rides. Minnie and I were the only E-Bike team. Everyone else was riding acoustic bikes unsupported solo.

Day 1
We started out from Tall Timbers Park in Heber at 6am. I immediately took off the front trying to ride the easier sections as fast as possible. I was surprised when at mile 10 I stopped for a break and almost immediately Brian Berry came up on me and passed me. I quickly jumped back on the bike and got around him in the climb up to the Rim Road. He was definitely descending much faster than me but on any climb I could pass him using just the trail mode on the e-bike. I continued for another 23 miles where Minnie was waiting for me at Joe Tank Road. I stopped for a snack and Paul Kuzdas went by and shortly after Brian. Back on the bike and I quickly caught up to Brian. I hung back until we hit the pavement and then took off eventually catching Paul on Old Linden Road in downtown Showlow. From there I ran solo until I depleted the battery around mile 65. I had been running almost exclusively in trail mode and occasionally shifting into turbo on the longer climbs. When Minnie got on her bike she noticed she was only at 48% battery. Apparently I had let the battery sit too long without charging. Crap! This ended up making us miss our goal of Big Lake for day 1. We ended up camping at Benny Creek in Greer. We quickly setup camp got the generator charging the bikes and kicked back for happy hour and dinner.

Stats for the day: 10 hours, 103 miles, 85% unpaved, 7,930 elevation gain

01/10/2024

Update from Team AZ Gravel on their RAD ride.

https://www.facebook.com/AZEGravel/posts/pfbid02xtF7kWdREEMYcqpTEMZNpS9fcdQz4WCqXzy9PPviXMb42sj3sDYEh1ofGwzTaLEpl?__cft__[0]=AZUYEOLLyhvOox7g-TP6hvdMIeBdAd_uP9-Bjw70UcwQPkD5rmFp5gfedZ_xwgnzigJI5sn0yVRwexPsfc9yIBK6Efj6Xadv-N53G_lsoSphfXJKHgTHG0qHHapfqjsQuudoMtUbVmqXD0Uftlh8urzZsMHbMofTc95cbxnC7VjySA&__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R

28/09/2024

Here's how the 425 mile Ride the Arizona Divide played out. Paul (PK) 1st, Brian (BB) 2nd, Team AZ Gravel 3rd and Mike (MM) 4th. Eric (EP) dropped out near the start with back spasms and Jim Geray stopped at St Johns. Fun times!

26/09/2024

Ride the Arizona Divide is in the books. 425 miles done! Team AZ Gravel finished in 3 days 8 hours 33 minutes. Paul Kuzdas knocked it out in 2 days and 14 hours with Brian Berry just a tad off his pace at 2 days and 20 hours. What a ride! Saw turkeys, elk, deer and even heard the wolves howling. New Mexico is definitely a better place to ride gravel than AZ. No people! From Bill Knight Gap to the border near St Johns we didn't see a single person. Amazing riding out of St Johns! Looking for a multi day gravel ride? You'll have to wait for next May. Done with the White Mountains until next spring.

22/09/2024

Locked and loaded for the start of the 430 mile Ride the Arizona Divide tomorrow. Day one, Heber to Big Lake, 123 miles with over 9k of climbing, sunrise 🌄 to sundown!

13/09/2024

September 23rd! Ride the Arizona Divide

08/09/2024

Two weeks to go! Ride the Arizona Divide. 400+ miles from the White Mountains to the Painted Desert of north east AZ.

https://azgravelrides.com/ride-the-arizona-divide/

22/08/2024

GPX is up for the Ride the Arizona Divide route!
https://azgravelrides.com/ride-the-arizona-divide/

The trackleaders form is also online!
https://form.jotform.com/trackleaders/azdivide24

For those interested a group of individuals will be riding the 426 mile Ride the Arizona Divide route starting September 23rd. Why 9/23? It’s simply the best time of the year to ride the White Mountains and Northeast Arizona! The are no entry fees or registration. The route uses public roads, anyone can join in. This is not an organized or sanctioned event in any way. Each rider is responsible for their navigation and well being. For those that want to start at the same time meet at Tall Timbers Park in the community of Heber AZ at 6:00AM on September 23rd. Do not leave your vehicle at the park.

If you own a tracking device (e.g., SPOT, Garmin InReach) and would like friends and relatives to view your progress or have a record of your ride you can register your device with the Trackleaders service. You can register for the service at https://form.jotform.com/trackleaders/azdivide24

Trackleaders is not affiliated with AZ Gravel Rides or Ride the Arizona Divide.

16/08/2024

Headed out the door for a long day of training. Ride the Arizona Divide is just a month away! Track leaders will be posting the route next week.

14/08/2024

Looking for a tune up for the Ride the Arizona Divide? Check out the new Fire in the Sky Ride from AZ Gravel Rides, a 120 mile double loop that covers some of the RAD course. Do it in a day or as an overnighter. Great training ride!

GPX at https://azgravelrides.com/arizonas-best-gravel-road-routes/ under Eastern Arizona Rides

Between miles 102 and 103 you'll pass directly by the area where local resident Travis Walton was allegedly abducted by aliens on November 5, 1975 in the Apache–Sitgreaves National Forests near Heber, Arizona.

You can listen to the Joe Rogan interview with Travis here:
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0mCfpeY0Ga4meTanFzOkkL

08/08/2024

If you're looking for some remote riding check out the September 23rd Ride the Arizona Divide. There are places along the route where you truly feel like you are a thousand miles from nowhere.

The Ride the Arizona Divide course is a 430 mile loop that explores the various sections of the 270 mile Arizona Divide. The Arizona Divide determines where Arizona’s rivers, streams, and creeks flow. The rivers and creeks on the north of the divide flow into the upper Colorado River while the rivers and creeks south of the divide flow into the Gila River before it joins the lower Colorado near Yuma.

If you're planning on attending our annual RAD ride this September we'll be having a get together in Heber the night before the start. Message us if you plan on attending and we'll get you the details.

More info:
https://azgravelrides.com/ride-the-arizona-divide-2/
https://azgravelrides.com/ride-the-arizona-divide/

We encourage you to support the following companies that choose to give back to the community by supporting this adventure!
McDowell Mountain Cycles | Redshift Sports

01/08/2024

Looking forward to seeing how these bikes do on the RAD course.

Aventon | Specialized Bicycles

22/07/2024

The updated GPX for the Ride the Arizona Divide 2024 event is posted at https://azgravelrides.com/ride-the-arizona-divide/

For those interested a group of individuals will be riding the 426 mile Ride the Arizona Divide route starting September 23rd. Why 9/23? It’s simply the best time of the year to ride the White Mountains and Northeast Arizona! The are no entry fees or registration. The route uses public roads, anyone can join in. This is not an organized or sanctioned event in any way. Each rider is responsible for their navigation and well being. We will be following the current route posted on this page. For those that want to start at the same time meet at Tall Timbers Park in the community of Heber AZ at 6:00AM on September 23rd. Do not leave your vehicle at the park.

20/07/2024

Definitely not the road well travelled. Ride the Arizona Divide training in full swing. Stoked for 9/23!

https://azgravelrides.com/ride-the-arizona-divide/

13/07/2024

crushed the RAD course last year setting the benchmark FKT. He'll be back on 9/23 for year two looking to lower his time to sub three days. Did I mention he's 67 years old? Go Paul!

https://facebook.com/events/s/ride-the-arizona-divide/675455698057987/

McDowell Mountain Cycles Redshift Sports

11/07/2024

Ride the Arizona Divide west to east an extra 50 miles and you'll find yourself at the Continental Divide.

27/06/2024

Final gps is up for the September 25th Ride the Arizona Divide. The video is of the new section we've been working on. Eliminates some of the worst sections of the Rim Road by following FS 124 to FS 145 and taking that to the Gentry Point junction. It may look knarly but believe me if you've ever ridden the Rim Road between Forest Lakes and Show Low this is way easier. Last part of the video I'm chasing after that KTM that passed us. I was able to keep him in sight for a few miles. Definitely won't be riding like that at RAD!

If you would like to help support the planning and publishing of these routes please consider buying us a coffee. https://www.buymeacoffee.com/azgravel

https://azgravelrides.com/ride-the-arizona-divide/

24/06/2024

Eliminated another five miles of the rugged Rim Road from the start of the Ride the Arizona Divide loop we'll be riding this fall with this awesome section of two track. Mostly smooth with spectacular views! Only need to ride 20 miles of the Rim Road to get to Show Low now.

05/06/2024

What road is this? Northern AZ. Route coming soon

16/05/2024

If you feel like you missed out on don't fret we've got another epic adventure planned for this fall. The Ride the Arizona Divide loop starting 9/23 in Heber. We'll pass through Show Low, Greer, Big Lake, Alpine, St Johns and Holbrook before finishing where we started in Heber.

All these photos were taken in one five mile stretch. The scenery is awesome.

More info can be found https://azgravelrides.com/ride-the-arizona-divide/

01/05/2024

Video of last years Ride the Arizona Divide. 6AM start from Heber headed east towards Show Low. Morning sun was brutal!

The Ride the Arizona Divide is a 450 mile loop that explores the various sections of the 270 mile Arizona Divide. The Arizona Divide determines where Arizona...