Mountain biking in Sedona, Arizona
Going around Bell Rock Trail
During a road trip in the United States we ended up in Sedona, Arizona. We took the opportunity to rent some mountain bikes and ride around the Bell Rock Trail.
We drove up to Sedona Bike & Bean at the nearby town Oak Creek. It's right next to the trail, so we could just ride there without having to load the bicycles in the car.
The bicycles were pretty decent mountain bikes with front suspension and hydraulic disc brakes. My rear brake was squealing when applied, probably from a contaminated brake pad.
The Bell Rock Trail is also used by hikers, to which cyclists have to yield, so we couldn't go too fast, as we were unfamiliar with the trail and there were many obscured corners where people could be hiding. Of course the bicycles didn't come with bell, all I had was my squealing brake.
Most of the trail was pretty wide, hard packed gravel. There were some optional paths with more technical terrain, with an added bonus of cacti and other prickly plants and thorny bushes on the side for added excitement.
I had my GoPro camera with me to take video, first I had it mounted on the handlebar and also had it pointing backward on the seatpost for a while. You can see the result above.
Another reason to take the easy path was the heat, with the sun shining directly at us, it was quite warm, the dry desert air doesn't make you all sweaty, but it does suck the moisture right out of you.
Somewhere halfway into the ride Mimi started to feel unwell, and went back to the parking lot and waited in the shade. It later turned out to be simple case of dehydration. She did have some water with her, but did not feel thirsty. When we got back, and after drinking some water she was quickly feeling better.
Drink more water!