photo by Jason Franz

Now that our seemingly never-ending Indian summer has finally ended and winter has descended upon the Valley, we can all proclaim that Christmastime Is Here and get in that holiday spirit. Nothing gets the Cycle offices more amped for the holidays than the glittering of hundreds upon thousands of little lights adorning houses throughout the greater Phoenix area.

So as we dodge the rather delightful rainfalls, it's time to bundle up, fill the bottles with warm cider (or whatever), make sure the bike light batteries are fully charged and head out on the 3rd Annual Cycle Tour de Lights. This year's three-stage routes cover long established Valley neighborhoods along super-safe roads to some of the very best displays in town.

See Also:
- Cycle: 2011 Tour de Lights
- 10 Favorite DIY Holiday Light Displays in Metro Phoenix
- Cycle: Tour de Lights

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photo by Jason Franz

A bullet-riddled trail marker, a no dumping sign and a pile of horse crap are all too appropriate indicators of the Black Canyon Trail experience.

This past summer, Bicycling Magazine named the Black Canyon Trail as Arizona's best bike ride. While the Cycle editorial board (of one) took some issue with that designation, we did so having never ridden the fabled BCT. That's now changed as we began riding from the southern end heading north.

How does one set criteria to decide a singular "best" ride anywhere, much less an entire state with the geographic and climate diversity of Arizona?

Well, just for starters we here at Cycle have to say that at the very least the ride must be able to be enjoyed by most cyclists and it should be fun, among other things. So imagine our chagrin whilst in the middle of another section of the Black Canyon Trail when we came to the conclusion that Bicycling Magazine was just plain wrong - the BCT is in no way Arizona's best ride, at least not all of it.

See Also:
- Cycle: Riding the Black Canyon Trail's Southern Leg
- Cycle: 5 Great Arizona Rides
- Cycle: Phoenix's Trails for Every Rider

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Still holiday shopping? So are we -- and we've been taking notes. Introducing our series of gift guides for your "easy to figure out, but hard to shop for" friends. Today, Jackalope Ranch's Gift Guide for the Bike Geek.

Trotify

Let's be totally honest: the one thing every cyclist wants for the holidays is a new bike.

It doesn't matter if they just got a brand spankin' new all-carbon rig just a couple of months earlier -- there's always room for another ride in the garage or storage room or spare bedroom or bedroom or ... let's just say there's always room.

Unfortunately for us cyclists, a new bike may not be a plausible option for the gift givers in our lives. Luckily, there is always lots of bike stuff to go around, no matter the type of cyclist you may be or may be shopping for.

See Also:
- Cycle: Five Gifts for the Bike Geek - 2011
- Cycle: The Bike Geek's Gift Guide

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photo by Jason Franz

This past summer, Bicycling Magazine named the Black Canyon Trail as Arizona's best bike ride. While the Cycle editorial board (of one) took some issue with that designation, we did so having never ridden the fabled BCT. Over the next three weeks, Cycle will explore 34 miles of the BCT in three sections, starting from the Emery Henderson Trailhead at the south end and working the hard way north to the Gloriana Mine off of Bumble Bee Road.

When it comes to mountain biking, Desert Classic Trail at South Mountain is the gold standard for cross-country riding bliss. Sure, it's not the most difficult (like say National or Hawes), but it provides just the right amount of technical and physical challenge to always be interesting and flat out smile-inducing.

With Desert Classic as a comparison, Cycle took to the southern leg of the Black Canyon Trail to see if it lived up to the hype that we'd been hearing since early spring. After this first ride...the jury's still out.

See Also:
- Cycle: 5 Great Arizona Rides
- Cycle: Get Dirty at McDowell Mountain Regional Park
- Cycle: Hawes Trail Loops Bring the Gnarly

More »

photo by Jason Franz

Cyclists blur through a corner at the Underground Crit in North Phoenix.

criterium (krī-ˈtir-ē-əm): a bicycle race of a specified number of laps with at least four corners on a small course over public roads closed to normal traffic.

By its very definition, a criterium - or crit - is a race, yet the Underground Crit, one of the Valley's most popular group rides, is showing that a crit can be ridden under the same conditions while removing the moniker of "race."

Held on the wide streets of a yet-to-be-developed business park off of 7th Street and Deer Valley Road, the Underground Crit is easily one of the most intensely ridden yet safe group rides in town with nothing more at stake than bragging rights and a chance to go shoulder to shoulder on a challenging course with some of the Valley's very best.

See also:
- Cycle: Ride, Photograph, and Share South Mountain Sundays
- Cycle: 10 Reasons to Love Cycling in Phoenix

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http://www.funnyjunk.com/funny_pictures/4242032/Grumpy+Cat+Xmas/

To the joy of anyone with a Tumblr account or a cat thing, the internet-famed Grumpy Cat (real name: Tardar Sauce) is making a public appearance in Gilbert this weekend.

See also:
- Our Nine Favorite Faces of Tardar Sauce, The Grumpy Cat from Arizona
- Moderncat, Q&A with Kate Benjamin
- How Moderncat's Kate Benjamin and Her Cat Hairball Jewelry Went Viral

More »

photo by Jason Franz

Roads like Glen Drive on Mummy Mountain appear to shoot up to the sky.

A cousin, who was in town from San Francisco to compete in last weekend's Ironman Arizona, turned to me during a relaxed pre-race ride through Papago Park and asked, "So how far do you have to go to get to some hills?"

OK, we get it...Phoenix is flat.

That's not to say that we don't have our share of good ramps to goat up though. It is a "valley" after all. In fact, right in the heart of town scattered around the Valley's iconic geographic formations cut five obscenely steep roads that make even the heartiest of climbers gasp for more oxygen.

See Also:
- Cycle: The Arcadia Loop
- Cycle: Phoenix Mountains Circumference Route
- Cycle: 5 Local(ish) Climbs Comparable to the Tour de France

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Ironman Arizona

The average Ironman effort by the masochistic athletes who undertake this heroic endeavor takes about 11 to 12 hours - a demanding exhibition of endurance by any friend or family member out on the side of the course cheering their athlete on.

Fortunately for those of us who spectate instead of participate, the main hub of the Ironman Arizona course is set around Tempe Town Lake and within walking or biking distance from five prime viewing spots as well as restaurants and bars to keep our whistles whet for when our loved ones pass by on their swim/ride/run one more time.

See Also:
- Seven Reasons Why We Will Always Love/Hate Lance Armstrong
- Cycle: A Triathlete's Guide On How Not to Paceline
- Cycle: PDA at Tempe Town Lake

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Bicycle Haus

You always have to tip your hat to a local business that can not only hang in there eight years after opening, but grow into a local institution.

Scottsdale's Bicycle Haüs has done just that, and it's holding one of its famous swap meets to celebrate its anniversary.

The swap meet, now in its fourth year, is set for November 8 at 6:30 p.m. with no specific end time in mind. Bicycle Haüs will provide some tables for first-comers as well as brats, beer, some raffle prizes, and, most importantly, a place for cyclists to exchange war stories from the pavement and trails.

See Also:
- Best Bicycle Shop - 2012: Bicycle Haüs
- 10 Favorite Bike Shops in Metro Phoenix
- Cycle: 10 Reasons to Love Cycling in Phoenix

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Ashton Bikes

Martyn Ashton pulls a back flip on a carbon road bike in his new online video.

Last week's announcement of GoPro's newest-latest action capture HD camera, the Hero 3 Black,  means that a whole new wave of bike or helmet mounted videos will be hitting the internets, now in glistening, crystal clear 4K resolution.

That's right, this little box of a camera, which will cost a penny under $400 and includes a remote control, is about to turn the extreme video production world on its head, or at least give Jerry Seinfeld a much higher resolution for season two of "Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee."

See Also:
- Cycle: Seven Kickass Mountain Bike Stunts
- Cycle: Ride, Photograph, and Share South Mountain Sundays

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