The Hell Ride, as the name suggests, is not fun. You will not enjoy the 45-minute ride to the top of Phoenix’s South Mountain. You will not smile as you pedal your fixed-gear bike across nearly eight miles of terrain that rises 1,300 feet in elevation. With a forecast temperature high of 109 degrees, you will feel as if you’re riding through an oven. But you won’t be riding alone – expert cyclists from Tempe’s State Bicycle Co., organizers of the ride, will be right beside you along with dozens of others. And if you’re first to the top, you’ll get a cash prize and jersey crowning you King of the Mountain along with the commemorative cycling cap and patch given to every person who finishes. Almost makes it worth it.
Hell Ride 2014 fires up at high noon Saturday, July 19, at South Mountain, 10919 South Central Avenue. Visit statebicycle.com or call 855-557-8283 for more.
Sat., July 19, noon, 2014