 Like many western states, Arizona has a lot to offer mountain bikers. This is primarily due to the fact that there is a lot of great mountain terrain that serves as premier biking grounds. For the most part, mountain trails in Arizona are broken into groups by area. Some of the best mountain biking trail regions include the Sedona area, near Prescott, around Flagstaff, and the Phoenix area.
However, you do not need to be far from civilization to find excellent mountain biking trails due to the fact that many exist close to the cities of Arizona.
There are also a few trails in Arizona that are known as the best mountain biking trails in the US. Here are a few of the mountain biking trails that you should try out if you are in the state for a mountain biking experience.
Oak Creek Canyon Trails (Oak Creek)- While Sedona is overrun by tourists, it is with good reason due to the red rock formations found around Sedona that offer great mountain biking trails. For this reason Sedona is often referred to as a Mecca for bikers.
Dynamite Loop (Scottsdale)- The Dynamite Loop is one of the best parts of the Sonoran ranges with granite desert areas that feature plenty of doubletrack and singletrack trails.
Mount Lemmon Top to Bottom (Tucson)- Directly to the North of Tucson, the Mount Lemmon trail is quite cool and offers plenty of different climate zones as you pass down the trails towards the base of the mountain.
Charles M Christiansen Memorial Trail (Phoenix)- The Charles M Christiansen Memorial Trail is one of the most popular destinations in Arizona given that it is located in the North Mountain Preserve, which is nestled in the center of Phoenix with five different directions to take from the trailhead.
 Mountain biking trails difficulty levels are set by the IMBA guide. Not all trails recognize this system as it is fairly new, but it is the first step towards standardizing mountain biking trails across the United States.
Officially the guide is called the IMBA, TDRS the latter of which stands for trail difficulty rating system. The TDRS rates trails only by their technical difficulty, while the former system rates trails by physical difficulty, which is less objective given the ranges will vary by biker. There are a few other considerations that factor into a trail’s difficulty rating, which include psychological factors, natural obstacles, and tread surface.
There are five actual ratings for trail difficulty in the IMBA TDRS guide:
White circle: A white circle trail is at least 48 inches wide, has a solid surfaced or hardened tread surface, has an average grade of about five percent, and does not have any technical features or natural obstacles.
Green circle: A green circle trail is at least 36 inches wide, has a stable or firm tread surface, has a trail grade of about ten percent, features several small unavoidable obstacles, features several bridges that are at least a width of 24 inches or wider, and has some technical trail features that are two inches high at least.
Blue square: A blue square trail is at least 24 inches wide and is mostly stable with some areas of variability. The grade runs between 10% to 15%. Obstacles are no more than 8 inches high.
Black diamond: A black diamond trail is at least 12 inches wide, has a variable tread surface, has an average trail grade of 15%, features medium obstacles of at least 15 inches, possibly has loose rocks, features bridges that are at least 24 inches wide, and has technical trail features that are four inches high.
Double Black Diamond: A black diamond trail is at least six inches wide, has a variable, unpredictable tread surface, and has an average trail grade of 20% or more, features medium high of at least 15 inches, possibly has loose rocks, features bridges that are 24 inches wide or smaller, and has technical trail features that are four inches high.
 Mountain biking is an Olympic sport, and is one of the newest sports, with its first entry into the games taking place in 1996 at the Atlanta Games. The aim of mountain biking as an Olympic sport is to test technical skill as well as physical endurance, which is why cross country mountain biking was made an Olympic sport. This is not to be confused with downhill mountain biking, which is not recognized as an Olympic sport at the present time.
Currently there are two recognized mountain biking events at the Olympics, the Women’s Cross Country Mountain Biking competition and the Men’s Cross Country Mountain Biking competition. The rules for both are simple. Competitors start from a line at the same time and then race for two hours on a closed course that takes place off road. After a fixed amount of laps are completed the first biker to cross the finish line is the winner.
Although the race is set up simply, it is a very demanding sport and requires a large amount of equipment. Of course, the most important component is a mountain bike. Two types of mountain bikes are allowed to be used at the Olympic Games, full suspension or hardtails.
Outside of bikes, athletes need to wear cycle clothes, helmets, special shoes, and gloves. Additionally, competitors are allowed to carry snacks and water bottles so that they stay fully hydrated and energized, which are both essential for stamina and safety.
As with the rest of the Olympic Games, mountain bike competitors go for the gold, silver, and bronze medals. Athletes cannot practice on the course before the event to keep the playing field level, due to the fact that the mountain bike off road course is not set until the day prior to the race because of weather factors.
Mountain biking can be dangerous depending on what difficulty level trail you decide to take on. Obviously, a beginner will want to start with the lowest trail with only experts attempting black diamond trails or double black diamond hills.
With this said, however, while there is minimal risk when only embarking of a trail of your skill level. Like most sports there is always a risk involved with deciding to partake in physical exercise. Bikers always run the risk of losing their balance and falling or hitting an object such as a tree or rock, which can cause severe damage to the body at high speeds and from heights.
There are also different obstacles that are a part of each level of trail that can determine the amount of danger that is present on each area. For instance, natural obstacles such as cliffs, ridges, bumps, and elevated jumps all increase the danger of a trail. Also a part of any trail that is above the easiest, white circle trails can have bridges that vary in width, and can pass over large drops or dangerous rivers and crossings.
Other dangers that may be present on a trail are loose rocks, animal life, and different tread surfaces which can be harder to travel on while biking. In some areas a trail may be eroded and there are some areas where the trail may disappear and the biker is forced to travel across areas that are very uneven.
All of these concerns aside, so long as you take the proper precautions such as wearing safety equipment like a helmet and knee pads, mountain biking does not have to be a dangerous sport. The most important safety component is knowing your own physical limitations and sticking to them, which like any other sport should keep you safe.
One of the best parts about mountain biking for fitness is that not only will hitting the trails help you get in shape, but you get to have fun at the same time. Mountain biking is great for your physical health because it will keep you trim, increase your endurance, and help build muscle mass at the same time.
Technically speaking, mountain biking is known as a low impact workout because the suspension takes the impact of the ride while you travel through the hills on a trail. This obviously helps build up your legs, but mountain biking is in fact a full body workout, not just a leg exercise. If you are mountain biking correctly you will also build muscle in your arms and chest.
When you take on an intense climb your upper body will be guiding the bike using the handlebars and stretching with the bike as it follows the profile of the trail. As mountain bikers get in shape, they often find their upper body is as sore as their lower body. Additionally, the stress helps built your back and pectoral muscles at the same time. The general pulling and tugging as you hit bumps and dips gives every inch of your body a workout.
Did you realize that most mountain biking trails are free to travel on? This means that instead of paying for a monthly gym membership, you can put that money into a great mountain bike instead. Then you just grab it and go when you want to work out. Taking a few hours to ride the trails every week will allow you to tone up your body and get your adrenaline pumping. This great feeling of accomplishment will help motivate you to keep going.
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