Customer Reviews

Fat Tire Tales & Trails: Arizona Mountain Bike Trail Guide

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Cosmic Ray's book is great. This new edition has much improved maps over old editions. The writing style remains hilarious. In this one book you get all the 70 or so best of the best trails from all over Arizona for under ten bucks. If you bought separate topo, forest service or specialty maps, you'd pay hundreds of dollars for this much info. And Ray knows the trails. He's been riding a mountain bike since before they were called "mountain bikes", back in the days when the locals in Flagstaff were making their own mountain bikes out of spare parts. He knows the trails all over Arizona and rides them regularly.

In the very beginning of the book, Ray tells how he rates the rides. He describes himself as a "seedy but sincere middle age male in reasonably good shape" so you have something with which to compare your own level of ability. Then he goes on to tell how the ride felt to himself regarding effort, skill, fear factor (the puck-o-meter rules!). The contour profile lets you know what a ride is like at a glance. If the profile is flat, it's easy. On the other hand, if you see that you have a 5000 foot climb coming up, be warned it ain't no weenie ride.

If you must complain about roots, rocks, mud, sand, dirt etc., then this is not the book for you. If you need a topo map,a GPS and a hand to hold to find your way around a well signed trail, again, this is not the book for you. If you want directions, buy a map. If you want adventure, this is it.

Cosmic Ray spills the beans about the best trails in all the best mountain biking areas in Arizona . . . Sedona, Phoenix, Flagstaff, Grand Canyon, Tucson, Prescott, Payson and more. It is obvious that he is a local and has a keen interest in what he does. He includes his e-mail address in the book so you can quiz him on a particular ride whenever you want. I found this very helpful before I set off on the Flagstaff to Grand Canyon Stage Coach Route.

Each ride is accompanied by a description and a map. The description includes time, distance, effort, skill, find-ability, best season to ride and fear factor (puck-o-meter 1 to 10 !) If you are short on time, premium rides are indicated with a special "primo ride" icon.

Rating ride difficulty is a subjective science and Cosmic Ray makes it clear that he is an intermediate/advanced rider. He rates the trails for the "average" rider, not the racer and not the total weenie. Most trails lean toward the intermediate/advanced rider with a few severe trails just to add some spice. There are a few easy trails as well.

Cosmic Ray's maps are cartoony looking, but he says they are adapted (traced) from topos. They are pretty much to scale and oriented north. The detailed descriptions and mileage log fill in where a map just can't do the job. I found the distances to be mostly pretty close, but not 100% perfect. Any semi-experienced mountain biker can easily work around this.

The best part of this book is Cosmic Ray's sense of humor. It makes for a good read with lots of laughs whether you ride or not.

This note is in response to a review by Mr. Tlangmd from Altoona, PA. Thank you for your comments. Mr. Tlangmd, you are correct, your GPS is "useless with this book, since there are no GPS points". Although I do see mountain bikers using cycle computers to calculate distance, GPS usage is virtually nill. You yourself did not carry one on your trip west. While in Sedona, you can look up from the trail and see 2000 foot tall monuments. These are your landmarks. Your waypoints if you will. If you require topographic maps, they are available at bike and outdoor shops throughout the area.

"One had to wonder if Ray rode that ride." I assure you Mr. Tlandmd, Ray rode that ride . . . and many many more that were not good enough to make the book. I ride a 7 year old Merlin hardtail. I have ridden every trail in the Sedona, Flagstaff, Phoenix, Tucson area over the past 20 years. If you ride a trail in my book, I have ridden that trail before you.

My descriptions have usually been described as excellent. I am sorry they are not to your liking. The loops in my book do not require shuttles and I avoid long stretches of dirt or paved roads myself. However, they may be shown as an option for anyone not caring to do an out and back, preferring to bail and take the faster albeit less fun way home.

Regarding some trails left out of my guide known as "secret". Yes, there are secret trails in Sedona. Hence the name. Many of these are not legal and are left for you to find on your own. However, what you hear from a bike shop in a verbal description and what I print are two different things. There is some legal responsibility to a certain government agency involved here.

Finally, regarding your complaint about being unable to find your way around Mt. Elden in Flagstaff. I do not see your point. The turns all have wooden signs with the name of the trail, distance and directions engraved thereon. You also have a problem with a trail not included. "One segment that had sick exposure, log crossings, and technical rocks was missing from the guide." You were not looking carefully Mr. Tlangmd, the name of that trail is Jedi. It is there in black and white. I like that trail too. Perhaps you should bring the book along on your next ride.

If you have any further complaints, compliments, questions or other feedback for me, my e-mail addy is on the last page of the book. I look forward to hearing from you.

I've done a dozen of the rides from Fat Tire Tales & Trails and Ray delivers the straight skinny on trails in the Flagstaff, Sedona and Phoenix areas. The descriptions are very helpful before doing a ride and the contour profile really lets me know at a quick glance what a ride will be like before I give it a shot. He carefully lets you know how he rates every ride in the beginning of the book. He tells you straight up what kind of a rider he is then uses that for comparison in the amount of effort and skill required.

Ray's maps are usually right on the money. They are cartoony but look as though the route has been traced from a topo . . . oriented north and pretty much to scale. You can tell that he puts a lot of effort into giving you the feeling that he is right beside you along for the ride with lots of insightful tips. Whether you are an expert or a complete novice, this is a great book and Ray's sense of humor makes it a kick to read whether you ride or not.

I am a Mountain Bike Journalist from the U.K. Thanks to Ray's guide I was able to arrive in Sedona for the first time and hit the trail rolling. Fat Tire Tales & Trails sends you to all the good stuff straight away with no messing about. The book has all the right info that a mountain biker cares to know. There is a "favorite trail" icon assigned to 5 or 6 rides in each area that is very helpful to those on a limited time schedule. The contour profile showing elevation change and distance helps you scope out a ride in just a glance. I dare say this is the best guide I've seen anywhere. Funny too.

I've read and ridden every trail in Cosmic Ray's guide. If you love to ride twisty single track with an occasional rock, rut or root to challenge your skill, this is the book for you. If you want Sedona, Phoenix, Tucson, Flagstaff or Grand Canyon trails, this is the book for you. If you want the best of the best trails, this is the book for you.

On the other hand, if you are like the reviewer who dissed Fat Tire because you encountered a rock, hill or mud, you should stay safe at home and watch a mountain bike video. Give me a break, Mr. Wankersmith

Never before have I read a trail guide such as this! Cosmic Ray knows mountain biking, and it is obvious thru his trail review. Trails for all skill levels are provided, with explanations why each trail is rated the way it is. Honest, straightforward, and written in a language all riders can understand. Area yellow pages also helpful when repairs are needed. I found myself reading the trail reviews for areas I had no intention of riding...its a GREAT GUIDE ! It's my only guide for AZ riding, its all I need!

This is my 6th copy of Cosmic Ray's Trail guide. I tend to give copies to friends headed to Arizona for Bike vacations.

For me, Ray's trail guides have been a wonderful blend of humor and useful information. The trail descriptions have been very accurate and always includes additional information or some nice tips.

In numerous trips to Arizona, I've riden most of the trails mentioned in Flagstaff, Sedona, Phoenix and Tucson. My trail experiances have always accurately matched Ray's description.

If you are looking for a boring technical manual or something for GPS navigation, this book is not for you. This book is really about fun and enjoying some great new trails. Ray's descriptions will give you more than enough information to experience the trail for yourself.

Every time I return to Arizona, I pickup the latest version. This is the Arizona trail bible.

For what it's worth, you also need Topo's, good equipment and supplies. On the trail, things can happen and you need to be prepared.

First, let me say what everyone else has - the book is the wonderful - the best mountain bike guide for the state of Arizona hands down. I like the format, the casual tone and depth of information.

That said, there are a few trails that I've run into that don't match the author's description. For example, I don't think most people would consider Lower Oldham Trail in Flagstaff "No Sweat" or "Darn Easy." It is not the hardest trail in Flagstaff, but it is no trail for beginners or the family, which these ratings may imply. Up is pretty brutal and even down - well, there is a sustained, somewhat technical climb involved. And the comment "If you love to carve some level grove, this is the ride for you" - the trail doesn't gain a ton of altitude, but does have some steep ups and downs. This description is much more accurate for the nearby "Jump Trail."

FYI - If I were reading this review, I'd wonder if the author (me) is just a weak rider. All I can say is that there are other trails in the same that are actually substantially easier (aerobically and technically) yet rated harder than this one.

Anyway, don't be misled. If you are into Mountain Biking in AZ, buy the book - it is well worth it. But if don't know the area and you've got beginners or kids with you (or are not used to pedaling at 7000-9000 ft), you may want to check with the local bike shop for a little more insight into the best trails for you.

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Update - spoke with the author about these concerns some years ago. He actually modified the ratings on the trail I mentioned above after our dialog. A great guide and an author who listens to his readers - what more could you ask for?

Just wanted to let everyone know how much I appreciate this book. It has turned me on to more great rides than I can begin to talk about. A few friends and myself made the trip up to Flagstaff over the weekend and did Little Bear Loop described in the book. What a great ride. So much hard work getting to the top, but so much reward coming back down. I ahve also sampled most of the Phoenix area rides where I reside only about two blocks from the Pima Canyon Trailhead at South Mountain. Nothing like riding out of the garage! Anyways, bravo for a great book. It has made all the difference in my mountain biking experiences. I am thinking of nominating Ray for the Pulitzer (Although I suspect he may be passed over . . . oh the cruel injustice of the literary world.) Thank you.