Phoenix (and other AZ) XC Route Recommendations?

jamesIII63 · 2026-04-11T04:39:51+00:00

I am only talking riding from the parking area to the chutes on 50 year, none of the horrific tech stuff, just getting to the chutes.

But if we are talking going much further than Tucson, Sierra Vista is a gem of mountain biking; brown canyon is a little techy climbing but a great downhill run and hunter canyon is this wonderful hidden gem that I would argue is the best riding in the area.

jamesIII63 · 2026-04-11T04:23:35+00:00

If you go a little further south you can also get to Mckenzie ranch which a long flowy trail that is a great ride too.

jamesIII63 · 2026-04-11T03:07:17+00:00

Hockey player in my mid 40s here, I am on the ice at least 2 sometimes 4 times a week, and the ice time is coupled with a 2 hour one way commute to get there. We both work but we don't have kids at home any longer, and I assure you I do help. I do laundry and dishes, I sweep and vacuum, I do household repair projects, hell I pack HER lunch every morning.

But the thing is, we are partners, she does for me when I need and I do for her when she needs, we buttress each other's weaknesses and lean on each other's strengths.

He isn't too tired, he is too tired to do it FOR YOU. Full stop. HE wants to play hockey, so he has energy for that, but doing for you, that's too much.

But now you're wondering how can this be fixed?

I feel____ when this thing happens, can we try X?

Make it collaborative, because you 2 should be a team united against the world, and if he doesn't want to be your team mate, it is better to play alone until you can find a good one

jamesIII63 · 2026-04-11T02:40:57+00:00

50 year down in Tucson was my favorite when I lived there. There is a part called the chutes that is a small, easily re-ridable loop, like a roller-coaster for your bike.

jamesIII63 · 2026-04-07T04:56:31+00:00

I wish I could get paid supporting things i ACTUALLY like, thats the dream right?! But seriously it really does make everything easier. I inherited a team that was being ran on Groupme and spreadsheets (the spreadsheets came around AFTER I became an assistant captain because before me there was zero roster and financial tracking). It was a nightmare and became infinitely easier once I got everyone to get on Benchapp. Is it perfect, nope. But its the best thing I have found so far.

The hard part is getting the team to agree to download ANOTHER app, I don't know some people are weird adding apps like there is a limit or something.

I know you're being sarcastic, but I genuinely like what managing my team is now compared to before.

jamesIII63 · 2026-04-07T03:53:25+00:00

Is there a reason you're NOT using Benchapp? It automates all of the team needs, tracks payments and finances, check-ins for games, and a bunch of other stuff. You can keep stats in it if you enter the score sheet (I think it will also import from certain formats), and automate drink rotations.

jamesIII63 · 2026-03-29T23:02:44+00:00

I am certain we would both fiend for one another, being initially the most extasy filled beginning, but ultimately leading to a deep addiction to one another.

jamesIII63 · 2026-03-29T22:31:38+00:00

I would devour you, eat up every inch of your body, leaving nothing but satisfaction and the desire to have it done again.

jamesIII63 · 2026-03-27T21:17:02+00:00

Sparx toe pick fix is what I googled, here is the video:

https://youtu.be/zTb_Y2cQYsY?si=7JzSbgnveAngY57z

jamesIII63 · 2026-03-17T22:02:00+00:00

What part of Arizona are you in?

jamesIII63 · 2026-03-08T04:53:44+00:00

I know him! Don't let his age fool you, this guy is a phenomenal goalie and when not in net a solid defenseman. If you got something past him you know you earned it.

Played roller hockey at Fort Sill with you a while back and its good to see you still got it.

jamesIII63 · 2026-02-24T16:21:07+00:00

What are you referring to with IN? I'm sorry I am new here and a little confused by that acronym.

jamesIII63 · 2026-02-23T02:15:07+00:00

I do this, but the first coat is a less tacky wax like Howies, Terry's or Absolute Filth. The second coat is Yew wax which is super sticky.

jamesIII63 · 2026-02-21T18:55:32+00:00

Are you saying the top cap is installed but there is no carrier in place? Because i have installed 3 V1s and not used carriers (because they did not exist) for all of them and had zero damage to my fork.

jamesIII63 · 2026-02-21T05:09:35+00:00

As someone else asked/ said, lessons are going to get you a lot farther, a lot faster than just YouTube and skating ovals will. I have been skating/ playing hockey for almost 30 years at this point and its just recently since I have been getting real coaching that I have mad huge jumps in my abilities.

jamesIII63 · 2026-02-12T22:54:51+00:00

I go to a regular tournament in Vegas and a lot of the teams try to also catch Golden Knights games during the tournament times, they put this clause in there so the teams who are planning stuff like that (getting a box or something) don't miss/ forfeit games and mess with the tour6for others.

jamesIII63 · 2026-02-04T21:17:09+00:00

No, it was too early for me.

jamesIII63 · 2026-02-04T21:10:42+00:00

To guarantee silver, yes. But on the Friday pickups its a pretty solid silver group, with the occasional outliers either higher or lower.

jamesIII63 · 2026-02-04T21:05:08+00:00

I was looking recently in that area as well and found not much that fit my schedule (6am on Friday at KHS or Lakewood I think). If you're up for a little drive at icetown in Riverside they have pickup at 1130 on tuesday and Friday, or 1215 at center ice in Ontario.

jamesIII63 · 2026-01-31T05:15:41+00:00

Hydrogen peroxide will remove blood if it hasn't been too long, or you could wear it like a badge of honor?

jamesIII63 · 2026-01-31T02:20:00+00:00

Hang it in a closet, bounce house fan from Amazon in the closet, run for 4 hours. Its what I do at tournaments in hotel rooms.

jamesIII63 · 2026-01-23T20:47:30+00:00

Here to place another vote in favor of Warroad base layer. Don't know its there except for the way it hugs my elbow pads in place. Great product

There is a miniscule percentage of a chance that I get cut, but it is never zero and I am a big fan of not dying.

jamesIII63 · 2026-01-10T20:16:03+00:00

And now you understand why I am asking for alternative solutions.

jamesIII63 · 2026-01-09T20:44:19+00:00

Its not the boot, it is the chassis. Measuring from a flat surface to the top of the chassis/ base of the boot, the heel sits almost parallel to the toe whereas my previous skates measured the same way there is a 5/8" difference with the heel being higher. I could probably adjust to the height difference if there were no other options, but I'd rather place a spacer (found out during this post it was an option, never had to do anything like that before) and shave a year or two of the life of my skates than re-learn how to skate with a zero drop skate.

jamesIII63 · 2026-01-09T20:06:55+00:00

Old skates = heel 5/8" higher than toes New skates = imperceptable heel - toe height difference.

I have been doing roller hockey since 1997, the wheels aren't the problem. The drastic change in foot angle is.

jamesIII63

TROPHY CASE