Cosmic Energy - Part Two: We All Live In A Yellow Submarine

Channel Some New Age Singletrack with Rama and Stickums in Sedona, Arizona

by Dave Rich, Bike Magazine - April 1995

PART II: WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE

On the first morning, Golden Brainard, a Specialized team member from Flagstaff who logs winter miles in perpetually snowless Sedona, took us to Broken Arrow, about six miles from town. On weekends the area can be crowded with pink jeeps that a tour company uses as a gimmick, but we only passed four on a Friday morning.

Following broken, shelf-rock roads, we climbed onto Submarine Rock, a slickrock formation in the shape of what else?-a submarine. Like clouds, Sedona rock formations are named, including Coffee Pot Rock, revered by local riders; Snoopy Rock, which looks like Snoopy in repose on the roof of his dog house; and, I'm not making this up, Blow job Rock, which is an unlikely, horizontal rock shaft sticking out of a butte and almost into another rock's mouth-like opening. A local Puritan wanted to blow it up because he thought it obscene.

Off the back of Submarine Rock a singletrack leads to the Chapel of the Holy Cross, a church built into the rock that is highly overrated as an attraction and looks like two vertical slabs of sidewalk sticking out of the sandstone. The trail is a good intro to the area's flora. Every 100 feet, Golden would yell back, identifying plants hazardous to bike and biker alike. The plants are ubiquitous to every ride: prickly pear cactus, wide, flat cacti the thickness of a T-bone with poison tipped spines; cat's claw, with grabbing, scratching branches: and agave, a member of the aloe family used to make tequila. The agave consists of a cluster of short, leathery leaves with needle sharp points that are as hard on your tires as the agave tequila is on your stomach.

When we got back to the car, a guy practicing yoga in Richard Simmons-length shorts approached Burney and me. Rather than the boring "Hi," he came right up and asked when we were born. Actually, he didn't seem to care when I was born. "You were born under the sign of the rooster," he told Burn and quickly followed with, "Do you have a boyfriend?" When she pointed to me, he looked surprised to see me standing there in front of him. "He was born in '68? He's a dog," he looked back at Burney. "You're not right for each other. I'm part Navajo," he said like he was bragging, even though he looked as pale as my legs in February. While I mounted the bikes on the roof, Steve Running Shorts, or whatever he claimed his name to be, tried to talk her into coming over to his van to look at his Rainbow Family Photo Album.

Go To Part Three...

Cosmic Energy - Part One: We See A UFO

Channel Some New Age Singletrack with Rama and Stickums in Sedona, Arizona

by Dave Rich, Bike Magazine - April 1995

PART I: WE SEE A UFO

At first glance, the UFO looked like a flaming green and white ball shot from a Roman candle. And it could have been.

Just then, we were driving past a high school in the middle of the Res, which is what everyone in the Four Corners area calls the Reservation, the very barren and somewhat eerie 200-mile stretch of slickrock and barbed wire in Arizona that's home to the Navajo and Hopi nations. But the object flew across the horizon in a straight line, neither arcing nor diving, and simply vanished when it struck the Earth's atmosphere. The three of us in the car, Doug, Burney, and I, still can't agree on whether it was a ship or a meteor.

Seeing the UFO was strange, but not as strange as the reaction of the people in Sedona, Arizona, where we were headed at the time. Expecting rolled eyes and doubt, we were met with "Yeah, you should have seen the Mother Ship that landed here last week." and "The energies in Sedona are open for all sorts of spiritual and alien contact.

"As mountain bikers have Moab, New Age crystal fondlers have Sedona. Rama, the owner of Sedona's lone bike shop, Mountain Bike Heaven, says seekers and healers from all over the planet are drawn to the energy emitted by the red sandstone buttes, spires, and pinnacles surrounding the town.

The town itself seems inseparable from the rock, built in and around it like water pouring into a series of bays and inlets. On the outskirts are the four vortexes, the energy centers where people gather to worship their deity of choice, from the sun to Native American spirits to crystals. Shops all over town try to draw you in with offers of free maps to the vortexes. The maps have ads on them for businesses such as the New Earth Lodge Vacation Cottages, Angel's Chakra balancing & Aura Clearing, and Rainbow's End Steak House.

Though it's easy to shrug off the somewhat hokey mysticism of the town, there is powerful mountain biking magic working in Sedona. The area has some of the most scenic and technical trails in the Southwest, set in a backdrop of surreal red rock desert and green vegetation.

Go To Part Two...

The Ugliest Seat in the MTB Universe!

Have you ever seen a more Grotesk saddle?

...Ingredients - One WTB Saddle, One gel insert from a gel saddle cover, One gel saddle cover and 3 yards silver duct tape.

There is a method to Dangerous Dave's madness. He has shown us in Sedona that big, fat (but not nessecarily ugly) saddles are the way to go. You see, when you're in the extreme, the more surface area your saddle has to offer, the more control you'll have on your bike. When you're in the air you can squeeze the saddle between your legs or while using body english through the rough, slow sections you can maintain a comfortable contact with your saddle at all times. The light weight XC saddles are great for racing, but in the rocky, twisty, gnarly terrain we call home, you need a big fatty.

This may sound like heresy to some, but here in Sedona it's all about control in uncontrollable situations. If your riding is on the more extreme freeride side, try a large saddle, you'll love it and your riding will go up a notch, just ask Dangermouse.

So if, by chance, you know of an uglier saddle, PLEASE - Send us a picture . . . the world needs to know about it.

Hey, could someone please move those bikes . . . oh, never mind !

Sedona Full Moon Rides - Part Two

Sedona Full Moon Rides - Part Two
with Rama Jon
Full Moon Riding in Sedona: no lights allowed…or needed!

There is something special about being out on your bike on the trail as the rest of the city sleeps. In the silence and the darkness you can’t help but notice nature, there is nothing else out there. The noises of the city are easily forgotten for a few moments as the full moon casts it’s mysterious spell over all of us. The heightening of the senses is addictive and is probably the key to being able to ride at all. This is the same addiction that makes us all mountain bikers in the first place, whether we are first time riders or seasoned veterans.

When you get to Sedona, the first thing to do is stop by Mountain Bike Heaven and find out when the locals are riding. Club rides, another tradition of Mountain Bike Heaven are on Wednesday and Sunday mornings and are free to all takers. Sunday’s adventure is for advanced riders only, while Wednesday is more moderate and open to all skill levels.

Sedona’s trails are easy to get to and fun to explore. It’s best to orient yourselves with the red rock formations and then go. No need for a Red Rock Pass since you can pedal to all the trails from town. So stash the car and pedal to the trails. Recent work on the trail system has made the trails easier to follow allowing for more fun and less wandering around in the woods.

There are several loops around town that can take anywhere from 2.5 hours to 5 or 6 hours. If you can’t make one of the club rides and you don’t feel comfortable on your own, Mountain Bike Heaven offers Bikapelli Adventures that are custom made for your needs. For those who want a crack at Sedona red rock riding on their own, it’s best to snag a reference map so you can find the connections from one trail system to another. Recently the names of most of the trails have been changed to protect the innocent and confuse everyone else, so don’t get too hung up on the map.

To enjoy Sedona completely you need 2 or 3 days, and it really takes several months to figure your way around. The classic Sedona rides include the red rocks at Broken Arrow and Soldier’s Pass. Both of these areas link up with many trails in many directions most of them well marked by huge cairns fondly referred to as "rocks in bondage" or by heavy tire tracks.

Other classic rides include: Secret Trails, Midgely Bridgely, Cathedral Rock, Buddha Beach, Pyramid, Compactor, CoxComb, Deadman’s Pass, Mescal Mtn, Carrol Canyon, Stutz Bearcat, the Other Side, to mention a few of the favorites.

Sedona’s brutal rough rocky cactusy side is best portrayed on the Airport Loop and it’s many offshoots. Xtreme downhillers can test their nerve on the many downhills off of Schuerman’s Mtn, but you’ll have to pedal up. If shuttling is your thing, the new Schnebely Hill/Munds Trail is just what the doctor ordered, a 10-mile downhill run into town. And for those who want something totally different, the Mingus Mtn shuttle and downhill is beyond beyond. This ride was once referred to as the revenge of the vegetables.

While in Sedona, eat like the locals. Sit-down breakfasts are best at Soup and Salad, or the Coffee Pot, and take out at Sedona Bagel and Donut can’t be beat. After ride favorites include the buffet at the Indian Palace, the best sandwiches in town are at Sedona Memories, and the Red Planet Diner and Myan Taco across the street form the bikeshop are standards. Upscale dinners can be had at the Javalina Cantina, and vegetarian faire is at Tai Spices and New Frontiers Natural Foods.

Nitelife is a bit dull in Sedona, but getting brighter. The Oak Creek Brewary provides entertainment and a cross section of Sedona natives. For nighttime coffee try Ravenheart and don’t forget to check out the new wine bar and martini bar.

Take it from someone who knows, Sedona has the best mountain biking around, day or night, with or without light.

This article was written by Rama Jon, founder of Mountain Bike Heaven. The Bike Shop can be reached at (928) 282-1312.

Special thanks to the many riders who have contributed to the full moon experience in Sedona.

Sedona Full Moon Rides - Part One

Sedona Full Moon Rides - Part One
with Rama Jon

Full Moon Riding in Sedona: no lights allowed…or needed!

Full moon rides have been a tradition at Sedona’s Mountain Bike Heaven for over fifteen years. The faces have changed and the sizes of the groups vary dramatically, but one thing stays constant, no lights allowed.

After completing yet another evening adventure lit solely by the moon, our chief mechanic Wheelie-Todd commented, " you guys are crazy!" This from a guy who has no problems strapping lights on his bike and pedaling into darkness. It takes a special synergy of environmental, social, and spiritual conditions to inspire even mountain bikers to venture out on trails lit only by the rays of the moon.

Over the years the size of the groups have varied from a couple of hearty or fool-hearty riders to whole herds of mountain bikers who have partied hearty with a BBQ and festivities prior to embarking into the moonlight. One thing for certain, it takes the right combination to enjoy a full moon ride, and that combination happens in Sedona year round.

On this particular full moon in February we did one of the secret Sedona classics. A combination of known and lesser-known trails with a bit of dirt road riding tossed in to keep things under control. There were eight of us who set out on this moon lit adventure, one novice and seven seasoned riders. We kept to a mellow pace so as not to harsh on our novice, and to tell you the truth, it’s hard to go fast when your not sure what’s under your wheels. Riding in and out of shadows turns even an easy everyday trail into a challenging experience.

The dirt road provided for lots of laughs as we floated through large pockets of deep sand, sometimes sideways. And then there was the coasting race that transformed us into mountain bike maniacs going exceptionally fast. One rider provided additional entertainment when he coasted way too fast inside on a turn and went rolling, rolling, rolling, but not hurt.

Next up was the climb, a slow steady rock strewn menage of eirie shadows reflecting off of tall trees and red rocks. Our tires rolling over the rocks was the only sound other than our novice’s heavy breathing as the more skilled riders dropped him. We all waited at the top, overlooking the lights of Sedona and reveling in the silence.

As we began our descent back into town, the coyotes gave us a goodbye chorus. The silence was now broken by our squealing brakes and the rocks rolling under our wheels as we rode the sketchy descent home.

Perhaps the hardest part of this particular ride on this particular night was having the right clothes on at the right time, for even in Sedona, February evenings are a chilly time.

Over the last decade there are many memorable full moon rides. In the early days we rode the easier trails at Broken Arrow and Soldier’s Pass. I think with the largest group ever we challenged the climb at House Mountain. This is a gnarly climb even in the daylight and as I recall, several of us pretty nearly aced the climb.

My personal favorite types of full moon adventures are truly adventures. I prefer to start at 2:30 in the morning and catch the transition between night and day.

Full moon is the perfect time for a brutal or boring climb. Sometimes not being able to see what’s ahead has its advantages. Then, as the day dawns, I’m ready for the gnarly descent. In many cases we are done and on our way back for breakfast before the rest of the town is up.

On one occasion we left at 2:30 on a yet untested route and reached our destination ten minutes before a pre-arranged second ride, only to find that the other riders were still out at breakfast and this was at ten in the morning.

If I had to pick one particular ride that stands out above all others it would have to be the full moon ride when it was snowing. Snow rides in Sedona are spectacular to begin with, and to ride in the snow with the snow flakes playing hide and seek with the moon, well that’s a once in a blue moon experience.

Go to Part Two...