Looking for winter mountain biking tours in the sun? Arizona’s Sonoran Desert is the perfect place to escape the winter doldrums and Rim Mountain Bike Tours is the best outfitter providing multi-day, camping-based, winter cycling tours in the sun. In the northern states, cycling during the winter can be exhilarating (and brisk!) but sometimes you just want to feel the warm winter sun on your back as you cruise an awesome, smooth and rolling singletrack through hillsides dotted with shapely saguaros and spiny ocotillo cacti. Our early and late winter tour dates will extend your riding season as you witness the earliest wildflower show anywhere in the USA. We will explore McDowell Mountain Park and the Sonoran Preserve with views of the nearby Superstition Mountains as well as travel to the area’s best rides. This tour features warm temperatures, abundant wildlife and superb desert singletrack. For further details, view a photo gallery about this tour. Arizona’s Sonoran Desert Photo Gallery
Itinerary
Day 1 – 15-20 miles – * Mileage: 15-20 miles (24km–32 km) Once we have your gear loaded up we will drive to Fountain Hill, Arizona (aproimately 45 minutes) and from there to your camp at the McDowell Mountain Preserve. Once there we will pitch tents, provide an orientation and put out a lunch spread to be enjoyed at camp or on the trail. This will be our base camp for the next three nights. Once everyone has been introduced to their rental bikes (if you didn’t bring your own), we’ll be off on a great warm-up ride through the desert! Today’s mileage will be over mostly smooth rolling single-track. Watch for prickly cacti as you negotiate the occasional tight corner and short steep descent. The first day of riding is designed to be a shakedown and will help your guides determine the direction of the tour from there. It won’t be too long or hard. There are plenty of options for more mileage if you would like to do more pedaling. Once we are back at camp, your guides will put out hot wash clothes to help you clean up from the day and prepare some hors d’oeuvres to enjoy before dinner. Your work is done! The guides will take care of you from here. Sit back, relax and enjoy a cold beverage while your guides prepare a delicious meal. No need to feel like you’re “roughing it” on this tour with tidy campsites, bathrooms and hot showers available.
Day 2 – 15-25 miles – – Milage: 15-25 miles (24km-40km) After a hearty breakfast we will hop on our bikes and ride from camp into the DcDowell Mountain Preserve trail system. Most of the day will be spent on curvy, flowy singletrack hitting trails like the Pemberton Loop, Goosenecks, Bluff trails and many others. We’ll have lunch on the trail and enjoy the day among the saguaros and the chollas. Once back at base camp, you can relax and enjoy good company as the sun sets behind the McDowell Mountains then gather around the campfire for a delicious dinner.
Day 3 – 15-35 miles – Once you’ve enjoyed sunrise coffee and a delicious breakfast, we will load up our shuttle vehicle and head on over to Brown’s Rach. We’ll spend the day cruising twisty, fun singletrack while keeping an eye out for Diamond Back rattle snakes, the ever elusive Gila Monster and whatever other Sonoran vibes we can find. We are able to pick and choose today’s route based on the group’s energy and desire for adventure. No matter which direction we head we’ll find good times. After a morning of ripping singletrack, we’ll enjoy a trailside lunch, then continue the fun into the afternoon. For those that still want more singletrack, the option to ride back to base camp is there. We’ll roll into camp in the gathering dusk, sit back and relax with a cold beverage, a fantastic dinner and warm fire.
Day 4 – 15-25 miles – * Mileage:15-25 miles (24km-40km) With breakfast behind us, we will pack up camp and the group will have the option to ride some of the more technical trails at McDowell Mountain Regional Park or take a short van ride to the Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve, another fantastic, nearby trail system. Like McDowell but over the mountain, this area offers riders a spectrum of trails from moderate to challenging. Whatever the group chooses, expect to ride the best trails that each area has to offer. After a trailside lunch we’ll make our way back to the shuttle vehicle, load up the bikes, and head back to Phoenix for the conclusion of the tour. Expect to be back at the hotel between 4pm and 5pm.. Trip itineraries are subject to change based on factors, including but not limited to, weather, road and trail conditions, camp permits, trip logistics and rider safety. All itineraries are subject to modification. Our guides and tour managers may adjust routes, timing, and activities based on weather, trail conditions, land agency requirements, group abilities, and other factors. These adjustments are made to ensure your safety and the best possible adventure experience. Last sync: 2026-01-20 17:25