Cycle: Arizona Canal's 20 Miles of (Virtually) Car-Free Riding
Categories: Bicycle Culture
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| photo by Jason Franz |
| Cyclists of all ages enjoy the car-less Arizona Canal path, featuring some of the few remaining Wall Cycle to Ocotillo pots. |
Frankly, Phoenix and Valley drivers are a piece of cake compared to riding around a city like Los Angeles, but in a place filled with over-sized pickups and SUVs operated by phone- and makeup- distracted motorists, the concern is understandable. Fortunately for local pedal pushers, there is a stretch of pathway that lays out for a gloriously uninterrupted for nearly 10 miles each way.
The Arizona Canal path between Granada Park and 51st Avenue rolls under every street it intersects with (save two, currently) to make for a highly enjoyable two-wheel excursion for any kind of ride from an easy family spin to a light training ride.
There are other multi-purpose paths around the Valley that offer long stretches of car-free riding, including the Scottsdale Greenbelt Path or the Western Canal paths, but both of those require frequent road crossings and car confrontations.
No urban, paved route is truly as car-free as the Arizona Canal.
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| photo by Jason Franz |
| Underpasses like this allow cyclists to avoid car confrontations. |
The canal initially passes to the south of the Phoenix Mountains, including Piestewa, North Mountain and Shaw Butte. The trail has two of the remaining, distinctive Wall Cycle to Ocotillo pots before reaching the Lincoln Road underpass. Also look for the great, retro-looking wall mural on the Armored Mini Storage building calling us to "Support Our Troops."
The features that allow such uninterrupted riding along the canal are the engineered underpasses. Cyclists do need to observe muli-purpose path rules and yield to all other users - pedestrians, joggers, horses, ducks, coyotes or whathaveyou. But the intermittent downhills are a blast to break up the flatness of the rest of the route. Just remember, there is an incline on the other side.
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| photo by Jason Franz |
| The Sunday Ranch Shade trees. |
The trees are marked and described as a windbreak to help ease water evaporation and provide a nice escape from the sun.
There are only two roads to actually cross on this ride. The first is at 7th Avenue, however construction is currently underway putting in a new underpass so even this intersection is being removed.
For the time being, cyclists do have to switch over to the south side of the canal to get around the work. The other street crossing comes at 25th Avenue, just shy of the I-17 underpass. Aside from those two spots, it's clear sailing past Metrocenter to 51st Ave.
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| photo by Jason Franz |
| Father and son approach the 29th Ave. underpass near Metrocenter. |
Trip Distance: 19.5 miles round trip
Trip Duration: 2 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Route Map: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/33349416
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