The Second Annual Winter Classic in sunny Phoenix, AZ was a huge success. Being a great place to escape the wintry weather in other parts of the country and enjoy some beautiful outdoor riding, more than 40 ElliptiGO riders from around the country descended on Phoenix to enjoy two days of riding and camaraderie. The Phoenix weather was perfect and the events were first-class. A special thank you to owner Jane Legore and her Phoenix team for putting together such an amazing weekend. Below, you can find results and pictures from the weekend’s events:
Saturday: ElliptiGO “One-Mile Challenge” at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick
After the group photo, we set off on some warm-up riding in groups around the Salt River Fields 2.2-mile loop. At 2:00pm we turned on the timing sensors so everyone could get an official time on the marked 1-mile section of the loop. The time trial was professionally timed thanks to CEP Timing and included timing chips linked to start and finish lines.
Riders had one hour to do as many (or as few) of the timed miles as they wanted, however each rider must have completed the entire loop before starting a subsequent mile segment (no turning around at the end of the mile or cutting through the parking lots). As riders completed their desired amount of racing, they made their way over to the post-ride celebration at America’s Taco Shop, where they received their “SWAG Bag” and the top three male/female participants were crowned!
America’s is a local favorite and definitely lived up to its hype with a great assortment of Mexican food, beer & margaritas. Their Happy Hour ran from 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM, so prices were cheap and the food was quick and plentiful! A special thanks to Tommy LeTard for having a King Cake from World Famous Manny Rendazzos in New Orleans special delivered overnight for the event. Afterwards, riders cleaned up and met at the host hotel (Drury Inn), where plans were made for the remainder of the evening.
Results:
Sunday: Group ride from Apache Wash Trailhead
The Apache Wash Trailhead provided a central meeting point for a variety of routes, including a newer divided parkway with defined bike lanes. Three routes were offered to riders, depending on their desired effort for the day. While most of the groups rode at a leisurely workout pace, some groups did split into two pace-groups, with one picking it up. A full loop on the parkway is approximately 18 miles & is a popular training route for many cyclists with excellent road quality. It’s also fairly flat with some low, gradual inclines. Additionally there are paved/concrete bike paths for those who may want a more casual, scenic ride without any concern about traffic.
After the rides, we all met back at the trailhead to eat lunch (pizzas were delivered), have drinks and swap stories before GO-ing back to our “real” lives. We had a great time riding and socializing with everyone!
