The Prickly Pedal Mountain Bike Race is back! After a three-year COVID hiatus, racers will hit the trails on January 20 at 8:30 am to take on the Maricopa Trail’s aggressive ups and downs along the 36-mile racecourse.
The race begins in the Town of Cave Creek, known as a mountain biking community mecca. It concludes at Lake Pleasant Regional Park, where racers, friends, and family will enjoy a finish-line afterparty and award ceremony along the gorgeous lake’s shoreline.
“Our nonprofit organization is so excited to bring back our fun, challenging, up-and-down Sonoran Desert race to our faithful former event participants and new racers,” said Brian Derrick, Maricopa Trail Park Foundation President.
The Maricopa Trail Park Foundation recently celebrated the nonprofit’s twentieth anniversary, and the organization cannot think of a more remarkable event to recognize the 315-mile Maricopa Trail system.
If this is your first time participating in the Prickly Pedal Mountain Bike Race, you will find the Maricopa Trail like no other trail system you’ve experienced! The trail offers a variety of aggressive ascents and descents, flats, rocks, water, sand, mud, and a rollercoaster of runs while also connecting you to three of Maricopa County’s regional parks during the race. This is a challenging mountain bike race and not for inexperienced riders.
Riders will also find two aid stations along the long course with water, sports drinks, fruits, and other snacks. Volunteer opportunities for aid stations, event setup, registrations, traffic control, and course sweeps are available. Individuals interested in volunteering may do so by visiting aravaiparunning.ivolunteer.com/pp24.
After spending roughly three to four hours on the trails, riders will join their families, friends, and supporters at the finish line for an afternoon of afterparty fun and an awards presentation. If you’re ready to get back on the trails and kick off the new year with a spectacular season of mountain biking fun, head over to pricklypedal.com and reserve your spot today!
Proceeds from the Prickly Pedal event help support the Maricopa Trail Park Foundation’s Volunteer Maricopa Trail Stewardship mission and the trail maintenance program. Come join us! All miles of the Maricopa Trail are open 365 days a year. While at it, why not explore the trails and year-round adventures in the nation’s fourth-largest park system? Maricopa County’s regional parks offer a variety of trails for biking, hiking, trail running, and equestrian use. To learn more, visit maricopa.gov/parks.