It took the home air conditioning revolution of the mid-20th century before cycling could truly blossom in Phoenix’s oven-like heat.

The Sonoran Desert, where Phoenix lies, spreads south from the lower half of Arizona down into Mexico and typically receives less than 10 inches of rain each year. Despite the heat and dry, it’s one of the most biologically rich deserts in the world. Many types of unique flora can only be found here, such as the saguaro cactus and the palo verde tree, which performs photosynthesis using its entire bark.

Ocotillos, prickly pear cacti, and cholla provide homes for desert tortoise, javelina, coyotes, and gila monsters. These creatures are all visible when riding through the Sonoran landscape. In the middle of this diverse ecosystem lies Phoenix, the fifth most populated city in the U.S. Here, mountain bikers enjoy access to miles of singletrack, often within riding distance from urban neighborhoods.

Before Phoenix became the capital of Arizona, it was an unlivable desert with no water access. The Hohokam people created 135 miles of irrigation canals from outlying lakes that fed water into the land where today’s city exists. These channels are among the most complex in the pre-contact western hemisphere and brought life to the arid desert.

The Hohokam inhabited the land from A.D. 200 to A.D. 1450. Some of their canals were more than 12 miles long and followed the Salt and Gila rivers. Later, these canals were expanded by early pioneering settlers as they moved west. They’re still in use today; the Salt River Project (SRP) recreational trails—a vast, 80-mile network of multi-use trails—follow the same paths as these ancient aqueducts and are a local favorite among Phoenix’s broader cycling community.