BCT: Copper Mtn. Loop

 Alexandera and Johnny were chillaxing at Kirtsten's place after their AZT800 rides for a couple of weeks. Alex mentioned how they weren't really doing too much and needing to get moving, so I lobbed a ride invite to pry them off the couch. It worked!!

I met them at Kirsten's and we piled in my car for the short drive up I-17 to the Big Bug Trailhead of the Black Canyon Trail, BCT, off SR69. Our plan was simple: ride the Copper Mtn. Loop. It's about a 15 mile spin, just what we were looking for. We'd ride the loop going counter clockwise as I feel it rides best this direction.

We used Old Sycamore Rd. as our warm-up to the BCT.

All smiles!! Where are the rocks??

Big views out here.

I hadn't planned to ride the singlespeed, but the Voodoo was ready.

The night before I put fresh tires on my Binary SSP, but the rear tire wouldn't quite hold air. It was slightly leaking through a couple of spoke holes, so I knew I needed to pull the tire and re-tape the rim. I had been using Gorilla Tape for a couple of years, but my only real complaint with it is the tape's higher profile. Any time you break the bead, you have to re-tape the rim because the tape catches on the tire. At least this has been my experience. It also gums up the rim with a fair amount of tape residue.

Anyway, this turned into a whole ordeal over the next few weeks for one reason or another. Spoiler alert: I would be riding the Voodoo for the next 2 months!!

My front wheel on the SSP has Muc-off tape and I really liked the coverage it gave on the rim and the low profile of the tape. I ordered a roll. Sorry for the tangent here, but I might as well tell the story all at once!!

The following week the tape arrived and I sat down, cleaned the rim extensively and put on the new tape. It was my first time installing Muc-off, the guy who built my front wheel installed it. I thought I did a good job getting it into the rim groove and keeping the edges sealed. I was also surprised at myself for actually removing, installing and inflating my tire with a floor pump - multiple times too!! I've been having major issues with tire installs lately, thought perhaps my hands/wrist were just losing strength. I guess not. Anyway, this install also slightly leaked the same way. Not a gusher, mind you, but enough to be a nuisance while out on a ride. So, I let it sit for another week or so.

I finally had time to try it again one evening, remove, clean, re-tape. Maybe this time pay extra attention to the side of the tape. Nope, same result. Grrr. In the coming days I reached out to customer support. They were quite helpful and noted my initial install was correct, maybe I just didn't quite pay enough attention around the valve stem. Either way, the weeks slipped by due to the holidays and a some lack of motivation to mess with it again.

After New Year's I finally sat down again, re-taped the rim for the 4th time and finally got the darn thing to seal up properly. Again, no fault of the rim tape, just a bit off on my initial attempt. That's how it goes sometimes.

Long story long, it was good to be back out on the singlespeed and after 2 months of exclusively riding it, I'm better off for it, fitness wise. Ok, where were we....

Ahh, sunshine and shorts. A far cry from the frigid finish on the North Rim a few weeks prior.

Johnny still mashing the singlespeed near the top of the main climb.

Cool trail routing and a splash of fall color??

I'm stopped near a gate, right when you start gaining downhill momentum too.

We passed by a group of hikers trimming back vegetation, then began this fun, twisting descent.

The BCT is quite the MTB masterpiece. Still under construction too, it's being extended north to Camp Verde.

Just what the recovery Dr. ordered!!

Yeah, that was a load of fun!! I'd ride with these two anytime.

The Copper Mtn. Loop is a great warmer weather option too as it sits quite a bit higher than the Phoenix area, but also keep that in mind for the winter as it gets quite cold in the mornings. As mentioned, I think this loop rides best in the counter-clockwise direction. I'd also avoid it if it has rained recently, sticky death mud isn't fun for the bike or the rider.

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