Hey guys, Through my job, there is a chance that my husky and I can move to the Mesa area in Arizona. It's just that I am so sick of living up here in the northeast and dealing with all of these a**holes. (Not everyone, just a lot). I've been just about everywhere in the northeast and the only nice places seem to be Vermont, New Hampshire, or Maine. The problem is that Stewart International Airport (where I work) is located in a much less decent part of the northeast. And Connecticut (where I live and commute from) has got to be the worst. The cost of living just isn't affordable over here. Nothing is cheap, property is hard to buy and people live too close to each other. I swear that if you hop on your dirt bike and your front tire touches somebodies property line, the cops will be called and they will arrive faster then they would have if there was a fatal shooting. You literally can't ride anywhere and have a good time. There are only a few places that people are allowed to ride on and they are only open for a few months out of the year, and randomly shut down all of the time for stupid reasons. You also have to pay a fee for EACH area to ride in. The cops around here will literally stop you and have your bike impounded for anywhere that isn't your back yard. And around here, most people's back yards are the size of a basketball court. Other reasons why I don't like where I live: -Road salt; designed and engineered to destroy any kind of vehicle. -The weather degrades anything kept outside. -The roads are absolutely terrible and undersized. -The gun laws over here are ridiculous and absurd. -Good luck trying to get a pistol permit. This brings me to my main question: How is the riding in Arizona? Is it better then where I'm at? My second question: How is Arizona in general? (Primarily in or east of the Mesa area) Pro's Con's? Thanks guys.
Lived in southern California, Northwest and now Mesa, AZ. Southern Cal hard to beat but Arizona has some pretty good spots. The summers are killer though, up to 110 plus sometimes. The winters are what make Arizona a descent place for dirt biking or general off-roading. One place not too far from Mesa is Four Peaks. Miles and miles of dirt roads in all directions. You will want to get your biked registered and plated to ride though.
Nice, I've heard of four peaks, and I didn't realize it was that close. Im not too worried about the heat, just as long as it doesn't get insanely humid. How are the winters? does it go below freezing a lot?
Just a few thorns in some places in AZ. I remember a mtb trip where Slime tubes the norm in Sedona and Pheonix/Cave Creek just crazy for a NW rider. Every trail edge and every road shoulder, thorns awaiting to puncture. Not fond of lower elevation AZ for that reason. Mousses or lots of goop in tubes.
Thanks. I'm kind of surprised to here that though. I never thought that thorns would be strong enough to puncture a tire like that. Definitly good advice, I'll have to buy some slime if i head over there
I'm at about 4100 ft elevation in the High Desert in SE AZ around Douglas, down on the Mexico Border. I am 40 miles west of the New Mexico State line. Some really good riding down this way. Single and 2 track but lots of scrub brush and jagged rocks. Slime in your tubes is a good idea. Haven't had to go the route of a Tubeliss set up or Mousses yet. Friends have but don't do any better nor do they ride as much. Most of them whine all day riding the stuff I take them into. Crying about having to use the clutch too much, or their gearing is too high for the creek beds and ravines down in the ditches, overheating issues etc. Don't really get too many flats though. If so it's from a pinch flat or thorns off of some Cactus or Palo Verde trees. I guess I should knock on wood though and have probably just jinxed myself but I've only had 1 flat front tire in over a year. Riding here can be good in the San Bernadino Mountains, Mule Mountains, Rucker Canyon, Swiss Helms, All the forestry trails, which you can get maps for. Also sometimes ride up towards Ajo. Of course mostly ride my towns mainstay riding spots which are accessible from my driveway in minutes. These trails have been primarily cut by the US Border Patrol. These 2 tracks can go for miles everywhere here, The single tracks are the most fun, if you're crazy enough. They lead everywhere too, even more so than the intersecting 2 tracks do and they are heavily used by the "Drug Mules" and The Human trafficking "Coyotes". I get to see all of these trails on maps at work and many of these trails up close from a truck the rest of my work week while working for The DHS/CBP Tactical Infrastructure Dept. We maintain the larger main access roads to get directly to the Border Fence in case of any illegal incursions or fence breach activity incidents. There is some good riding here but plates are a good idea to have on your bike. Can nearly register anything here easily. Including the Concealed Carry "Pistol" you better be carrying if you know what's good for you.
It get's pretty humid during monsoon season, relatively speaking. I wish I would have bought a bike for down there, for all the time ive spent working there
Monsoon season is the best time to ride. Actually we have deliberately ridden into the higher elevation creek beds during good hard monsoon flash floods and met the oncoming rush of water. Its like something from a National Geographic documentary. It starts out with a half inch or less of water coming down the middle of the wash with foam out in front of it. Nothing else like it. Before you know it, it's a few ft deep maybe if you keep going upstream. I love the Creekbeds and washes. Most I ride with think I'm Nuts. Never seen it get too deep that we couldn't still ride in or out of, so far! This past early to mid Sept. we had the worst flood damage here and further east where I like to ride the most in many decades. Riding was fricking brilliant! Monsoons routinely will cut the Hot temps down some 20 degrees within a few minutes. Which can really make a hot day riding an unforgettable experience. Se Senor' Isn't target practice always supposed to be more fun with moving targets?
That sounds pretty epic! Those trails you were talking about sound pretty sweet. Hopefully the ones around mesa will be somewhat as good! If not, I might have to get a bike trailer or something. And yes I plan on getting myself a 1911 soon for carry. I just love the way they look. Heck, I'll probably have a glock too!
Trails are pretty epic here. Just got to get used to some of the jagged rocks. The Mountains aren't just there cause they happen to be a pile of dirt. All Smith & Wesson's for me, whether it's my autoloaders or revolvers. Always very reliable.
Moved to Tucson from Houston in large part because there are so many riding opportunities and tons of dirt and adventure riders. Love it.
Oh man, I so hear you. Born in the Bronx, raised in NJ. Moved at the age of 33 to the Seattle area and have been loving it - except for the rainy weather. Getting out of the tri-state area has been a god send. Every time I go back to visit I'm shocked how f-ing rude people are, how dirty and run down everything is, how locked down and restricted everything is. I don't know anything about AZ so can't help you there except to say that if you're into off-road riding, the west is where its at. And besides AZ, throw in some weekend road trips and you'll be able to get to all kinds of amazing riding. Then start planning your Alaska trip. Doo eet! Ha ha... No seriously, good luck with your decision. -Ed
never been to AZ or CT but from what iv herd id b movin my ass but quick i cant imagine what the winters are like up there dat
I don't know; Ive seen some videos of flash floods in the Dez that weren't very deep, but they were tumbling boulders that had to be easily over 100lbs like they were nothing!
Im glad your move worked out well man. I gotta say, you are one of ten guys that I've talked to who said the same thing. They all said that they are better off now that they moved out of here.
Winters are pretty cold up here. And there seems to always be at least one really bad storm that messes everything up for a week. But generally the further up you go, like towards vermont or maine, the colder the winters are.
That does happen down in the Flats. We have about 1000 ft. of "Normandies" Heavy I beam and box tube vehicle barriers east of here on the Border that are still attached with the sleeves end to end. They're still welded that way, but they got flipped over and rolled back over about 200 degrees, more than upside down and pushed maybe 30 ft, into Mexico right now from the recent floods. These things weigh in at about 2500 lbs each and there is close to 40 of them still linked together that are 25 ft. long. Not even counting the tons of brush debris that was tangled into these barriers it weighed well over a Quarter million pounds. They all got rolled at once from the water and vegetation debris coming out of the adjacent wildlife refuge when that water was about 3 to 4 ft deep. Damage in this and a few other areas was well over 1/2 mile wide under water. Normally just a 6 to 8 ft. wide creek about 10 ft. lower in each of these draws. It is Unbelievable!
I lived most of my life in Hot and Humid, the Gulf Coast, and I much prefer the weather here. Winters in S. AZ are mild, almost never rains then, and days are nice if the nights are a bit cool. Great riding in the Winter, just wait until the sun gets up. Summers are hot, but all you have to do is get into the shade and it's very comfortable. If there is some breeze, as usual, it's even better. Summer riding is for early morning and we finish before noon.
