In an effort to connect with adolescent and teen cyclists around town, the City of Phoenix Street Transportation Department created a line of comic books that show the graphically dangerous side of not practicing proper bike safety.The six-episode series and their accompanying posters, funded in part through a grant from…

A few months back, some friends of Cycle (henceforth to be known as FOC’ers) suggested that the Cycle Exploration Team (of one) venture out to the San Tan Mountain Regional Park and check out the new trail that’s part of the greater Maricopa Trail system.It turns out that these FOC’ers…

When you talk to Al Cappello, co-owner of Portapedal Bikes in Tempe, he’ll immediately sound like one of the most fervent bike advocates in town. But he has a distinct bone to pick with the two-wheeled traditionalists.”We have become servants to the big-wheeled, rigid framed bikes,” says Cappello.This comment would…

When it comes to professional cycling, most of the world thinks racing begins and ends with the Tour de France. Sure, that grand tour may provide 22 days of highly covered racing plastered with all sorts of viewer sweepstakes.But for pure drama, intensity, and display of cycling brilliance, Paris-Roubaix is…

All right, we at Cycle will concede that last week’s Tour de Spring Training route through the west side of the Valley may not have actually been a ringing endorsement of riding on that part of town.There’s no denying that there’s little-to-no bike lanes, aggressive auto handlers and terrain that…

Ah…spring. It brings the mildest of mild temperatures, citrus blossoms to agitate the sinuses, breaks for students, cabin fever for any Valley resident stuck in an office, and fifteen of Major League Baseball’s teams from around the country to find their swing and play games that don’t count.The Cycle riding…

Ah…spring. It brings the mildest of mild temperatures, citrus blossoms to agitate the sinuses, breaks for students, cabin fever for any Valley resident stuck in an office, and 15 of Major League Baseball’s teams from around the country to find their swing and play games that don’t count.Across the greater…

The San Tan Wheelie Jam Super Picnic, the two-wheeled parade that took over Steele Indian School Park last April, is coming back this spring for another round of bicycle-based festival fun.Presented by local beer crafters San Tan Brewing Company and the Tempe Bicycle Action Group (a.k.a. TBAG), the event will…

Bike shops are among the final few retail businesses that are truly local. Look around the Valley and there is only one chain that is a national franchise. If you want to support local business, support your local bike shop.This especially holds true comparing bikes to those big box places…

Like many other Valley of the Sun residents, Chad Beyer arrived into town as a grade-schooler from the mid-west. Little did he know at the time that he would leave town en route to becoming the most successful professional road cyclist that Phoenix has ever seen.Beyer may not carry the…

Troubled about bike rack options, or lack thereof, around downtown Phoenix? The powers that be have apparently been listening, as some brand new rack spaces have been unveiled around Phoenix’s urban canyons.A brand-spanking new “bike corral” was installed in front of the Phoenix Public Market last weekend, now accommodating up…

Deep in the east Valley, between the Superstitions and Saguaro Lake in the shadows of the Four Peaks, a ribbon of rolling roadway known as Bush Highway cuts through the desert.Meandering along the banks of the Salt River, this stretch of tarmac unwinds through undulating terrain lined with saguaros and…

PHX Bike, downtown Phoenix’s little urban bike boutique, is throwing a grand opening party for its new(ish) storefront on Central Avenue. If you’re into two-wheel fun of the fixie, single speed, road or BMX variety and you’re not familiar with this super specialized, super indie shop, you’ll want to stop by…

Even in American terms, Phoenix is a new metropolis. Much of what was truly historic has been scraped from the ground in favor of new tract home or retail developments.One of the things that makes moving around Phoenix by bike so great is coming across the moments where the old…

Yes, South Mountain is the ultimate playground for Valley cyclists thanks to its world famous singletrack runs and challenging climb to the ever-blinking towers at the mountain’s top. If you consider yourself a serious rider and you have not turned a pedal on Summit Road, National Trail or Desert Classic…

Phoenix residents aren’t the only ones to take on a diet as a New Year’s resolution. Central Avenue near one of the city’s busiest intersections is also going on a “road diet.”The City of Phoenix is creating buffered bike lanes along Central between Camelback Road and Bethany Home Road, reducing…

Whether you’re drying out from New Years’ Eve libations or getting those resolutions kicked off right out of the gate, there’s no better way to ring in 2012 than on the bike. Starting the year spinning along a favorite route is never a bad way to go, but riding with…

The members of the No Women Left Behind cycling group don’t mind if you call them ladies or gals or girls. Ultimately, they say, they’re just a bad-ass bunch of cyclists.Organized in 2006 as a way to get a group of like-minded females together who were looking to improve their…

About a year ago, we kicked off a new column about all-things-bike-related and called it Cycle.It all began with two basic reasons as to why Phoenix is an ideal haven for cyclists of all kinds. Today, it’s impossible not to mention other reasons why we love spinning pedals in the…

Ignore what the spouse, partner or family member of any cyclist says; cyclists are incredibly easy to shop for. Just drop by a bike shop and look for something that looks cool and it’s guaranteed to be a hit (even if the recipient already has it ’cause the only thing better…