tOP: PHOtO cOUrtESY Of ScOttSDALE cOnVEntiOn & ViSitOrS bUrEAU OctObEr 2016 BCBusIness 97
shake o• the stale air of the plane, I pilot
my new English two-wheeler toward
the greenbelt (the Sonoran desert is
lush and oasis-like here thanks to cheap
water and few restrictions) that's the
heart of the cycling grid.
To get there, I have to brave the
major artery that is Camelback Road,
but I'm relieved to see that it has been
equipped—like another 238 kilometres
of roads in the greater area—with a large
dedicated bike lane so that what might
be harrowing in L.A. ends up being
downright civilized here. And once I hit
the multi-use path, it's smooth sailing.
Even at my modest speed, I'm keeping
up with the congested stop-and-go car
traŸc, although there are also a number
of serious commuters pedalling past me
with dogged determination.
After half an hour of breezy bliss, I
double back toward downtown to meet
Susan Conklu, the head of Scottsdale's
Bike Task Force, for a post-ride bite.
Wheeling into the interior courtyard of
the Upton restaurant—no lock needed!—
we soon get down to the business side
of biking. In addition to copious cycling
lanes, I learn there are another 186
kilometres of dedicated bike routes.
Although Scottsdale itself is only 50 kilo-
metres long and 18 kilometres wide, it's
part of the larger area's serious invest-
ment in shifting away from a heavily
car-dependent culture.
Post Mexican ricotta donuts (they
taste sweeter when you've earned
them), it's back to the bike and then a
triumphant return to the courtyard at
the Bespoke Inn, where I'm surrounded
by the tell-tale Lycra of more serious
road bikers. While I've been making like
Mary Poppins on my cruiser, some of
these other residents have been using
the city's pathways to take them much
farther aeld to
navigate the 290
kilometres of
bike trails in the
McDowell Sonoran
Preserve and farther
still to Cave Creek
(there's lots of
excellent riding in
these parts: only 15
per cent of Arizona
is privately owned
land while the
rest is a mix of parks, forests, wilder-
ness, wildlife preserves and Native
American land). I join their ranks at
James Beard nominee Virtu Honest
Craft, which, out of more than 800
restaurants in town, is the toughest
table to secure now—but serendipi-
tously happens to be attached to the
inn. When talk gets round to
RPMs
and other advanced gearhead speak,
I mumble something about my tired
legs and slink back for a post-ride bath
in my 1,500-square-foot suite replete
with comfy living room and massive
farmhouse-style kitchen.
The next morning I'm back in the
saddle, though this time I'm determined
to use my Pashley not as recreation but
as industrious transportation tool. I whiz
past the packed Fashion Square mall
and lines of cars to stop by the Hotel
Valley Ho. This mid-century gem
launched its guest bike-loan program
precisely to tap into the city's velocipede
zeitgeist: there are more bike racks, more
commuters, more than 40 bike stores
in greater Phoenix now, and countless
festivals and world-renowned races.
I contemplate returning next year
for one of those cycling races, but
considering Scottsdale's average age is
31 and I'm well north of that, I think it
more prudent to consider my options
at Posh, a restaurant whose façade I've
obliviously driven by countless times by
car. Thanks to my two-wheeler today,
it reveals itself to be a lush greenery-
forward development evoking the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The
improvisational menu, based on
whatever's in season, tempts. After
lling out a scorecard-like sheet indi-
cating my likes and dislikes, I end the
evening on a chilled-out sense of being:
I pedal, I park, I am.
STAY
BesPoke Inn /
The spot for the
gearheads: four
rooms, amazing food and
onsite bike rental and repair in the heart of
downtown Scottsdale. bespokeinn.com
hotel Valley ho / For
those who crave a
more resort feel but
still want to explore
Scottsdale without
a car, this Rat
Pack-era hotel
loans out bikes.
hotelvalleyho.com
sanCtuaRy ResoRt /
Stay in the newly
retrofitted
Camelback
Casita suites for
upscale luxury
with a modern
desert spin at
this reimagined John
Gardiner tennis ranch.
sanctuaryoncamelback.com
PLAY
Massage /
Mountainside
respite can be
had at the
Sanctuary spa
where customized mas-
sages address specific areas of lactid-acid
cycling tension–like over-40-year-old tight
calves. sanctuaryoncamelback.com
BIkIng / To get your
biking on, Scottsdale
launches printed
folding maps this
year for cycling
visitors. Pick one up
at the visitor centre
(experiencescottsdale
.com) or download the
map at eservices.scottsdaleaz
.gov/maps/public-amenities
McDowell sonoran Preserve
