Sonoran Desert Guided Mountain Bike Tour

This experience was awesome! We had Missy and Jenna as our guides for the combo Mountain Bike + Kayaking tour. There were only 2 of us signed up but it was still enough to do the tour. They were so nice, well-prepared, and knowledgeable about the desert, wildlife, ecosystem, etc. They were very responsive on giving us options to fit our comfort level (especially since it was my first time mountain biking). They had snacks for us, lunch was included in the tour, and they did all the work of setting up the bikes, gear, kayaks, etc. We were happy to hear how excited Missy got when she gets to lead the Bike + Kayak tour, it's her fave one. It was an extremely fun day and I would recommend to anyone!

Missy and Jim took my family of six and a fantastic mountain bike tour in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve. They were fun, very knowledgeable about the area, were able to make it a great experience for all skill and fitness levels of the riders. We will definitely arrange another tour next year when we are back in the Phoenix area.

I was very disappointed in this tour. I am a mountain biker with 35 years of experience. I am not fast but have good skills. I went with a group of 25 during a company meeting. We had 3 guides between us. We set off at the pace of the fastest. Some of us could not keep up. We were sent back to the van to wait for the others for over two hours. This was disappointing. There should have been a slower group, and we should not have set off up a hill at the pace of the young fit guys. I was doubly disappointed as I have done REI adventures near my home in MA, and they have always been informative and at a perfect level for a mixed group. I was so surprised that I had to double check the company was really REI, but it definitely was as there was an REI logo on the release form. I was hoping to do a private tour with REI on another trip, but I am glad I did not. I do not recommend at all unless young and super fit. I give 2 stars rather than 1 as the bike (a Specialized hard tail) was in good condition.

First of all, our guide was fantastic. He was knowledgeable, experienced, patient and prepared. We were 2 adults and 2 kids (ages 10 and 13.) I had called REI before booking to see if this adventure was suitable for us. We all know how to ride a bike but none of us had been mountain biking before. They assured me as long as we could ride, the tour could be paced to accommodate. Unfortunately this was not the case for my 10 yr old. The mountain bike was much bigger than his road bike at home and he struggled to manage it. With some great coaching from our guide, my son took a few laps around the parking lot to get used to the bike but between the bigger bike and the terrain, he didn’t make it 100 ft on the trail before falling over and onto a cactus. He was not able to complete the adventure. I had to stay behind with him while my husband and older son were able to enjoy this unique experience. This would have been a 5 star rating if 2 of us didn’t have to sit out after paying for 4. (Clearly I couldn’t leave my 10 yr old alone in the parking lot while we biked.) I wish the person I spoke to before booking the experience had been more knowledgeable about the biking experience needed to execute this adventure. I would have booked something else for my younger son and I to do while the others biked. Instead we just drove to Target to kill time. We ended up paying double the price because only 2 of us could complete the ride.

We had an absolutely amazing time! Charles and Whitney, our guides, were so welcoming, friendly and knowledgeable. The trails were beautiful, a little bit challenging and just overall so much fun!! Can’t say enough great things about our time!

Had a great ride with Phil Richard’s as my guide. He provided a friendly and professional experience tailored to my comfort level and was a great ride partner as well. I’ve done more single track on packed dirt than loose Sonoran desert sand so his advice kept me wheels down and right-side up

Jim was our guide. He was very knowledgable of desert plants and history. We did a beginner mountain bike tour. Jim seemed to adjust the level as we felt comfortable. The desert was beautiful. The bike ride was challenging. The trails were awesome. We had a range of ages 17, 22 and 55. We all loved it. We highly recommend it.

We had a group of three sisters, with our husbands and kids, for a total of 12 people. REI brought bikes & helmets for all of us in the correct sizes to Browns Ranch. They made sure to sanitize everything, and explained the gears, in case anyone was unfamiliar with them. They gave us suggestions for appropriate trails, and sent us on our way. The trails were beautiful, challenging, and fun for all, with cool places to stop and climb around! All we had to do when we finished was drop off the gear to the guys in the parking lot at the same meeting spot. I highly recommend this service if you are traveling and want a fun, no-hassle experience!

Highly recommend you go with REI if you’re thinking of doing a mountain bike tour in Scottsdale. Jim and Larry were outstanding guides and made sure everyone in our group was very well taken care of. The tour was the perfect pace and the scenery was just amazing. A+ tour all around.

It was raining the day of our ride and it had been for several days prior. Trail was a sloppy mess but we had so much fun. Felt like a kid riding in the mud. Guide was happy to share his knowledge of the flora and fauna of the area. Communication with guide and REI Adventure Center was good.