A month in Bisbee, AZ
Bisbee, AZ is a tiny mountain town about 10 miles from the Mexican border with tons of hidden places and a surprisingly wide choice of restaurants and shops. I was there from March 9th to April 10th. Overall Bisbee wasn't my favorite stay (!) but I think it would be a great place for 1-2 week vacation.
Routes and Thoughts from Bisbee
gravel - there is one great gravel route I found from town that goes straight up (~2300 feet) to the radio tower(s). Make sure you go to the second one! This route is rugged and will require strong brakes and even stronger legs (> 20% grades for bits there).
Gravel in Bisbee Route - includes some fun single track too
I did a Happy Hour every Friday up at the radio towers! |
Sketchy Gravel Route - this is, uh, another gravel route south of South Bisbee. It does go through and you'll notice I had a few wrong turns, but overall this is an adventurous route not for the faint of heart.
road - the roads around Bisbee are mostly highway with a decent shoulder. Honestly, I didn't love the road riding here... it's pretty flat and there's a good bit of traffic.
day ride to whitewater bird preserve - the bird preserve is pretty neat!
Sierra Vista hello (85 miles) with some bonus climbs thrown in
favorite day loop (40 miles) - I always come up with a loop that can fit comfortably in my 3 hour bike allotment on weekdays, and this one worked fantastically. There is about 8 miles of gravel in here, but it's easy gravel.
Bisbee Road Riding in a nutshell |
quick ride to wall (25 miles) - nothing special here, just Wall-tourism
Bisbee to Tombstone (55 miles) - quick and straightforward, much like the other road riding in the area.
Traveling to Tombstone |
Sierra Vista
Sierra Vista is about a 30 minute drive from Bisbee. They have my favorite bike shop in the area (M&M Cycling) and Coronado National Monument, which has a gold mine of gravel routes.
Gravel Route with some questionable choices -- this is a beautiful loop, but there is one section around mile 25 ish (you'll know when) where I am pretty sure you shouldn't go through. Re-reroute around to connect up with the Parker Canyon Lake and this is an awesome day ride.
wild javelinas! |
Sonoita Winery Roads (68 miles) - this was a pleasant ride, but I actually became pretty sick about halfway through, so less enjoyable for me! I tried to go through the military base, but they won't let your through if you're a non-military non-AZ tourist like me.
Other
On the way over, I stayed at night in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. Honestly, this place is absolutely incredible and the gravel roads were mind blowing. It is disconcerting how many "do not travel alone" signs they have, but well worth the drive.
The pictures don't even do it full justice |
Birthday ride in Tuscon! Had to continue the tradition of my age + 100 miles on birthday, and fortunately Larry joined me. This was a great route and the miles flew by with the views and company!
Lemmon snow! |
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