Southwest - Phoenix: summer riding and roadie partners/groups/clubs

Howdy folks,
I'm a law student in Boston and I'm going to be in the Phoenix area for a summer internship, living in Goodyear and working in downtown Phoenix. I want to bring my roadie with me since I don't get much time for riding during the school year, but I'm concerned about the heat. Are temperatures reasonable early morning/late night? Do people ride in the summer?

I'm also looking for people to ride with. I'm not a racer, but I ride pretty diligently. I'm 27, 245lbs, and generally hold a steady 15mph. I have no problem with rides up to 60 miles, and would like to push myself further than that. Could any locals point me towards a group or club where I might fit in?

Thanks folks, I really appreciate it!

The most comprehensive list of club rides that I know of is at http://azbikeclub.com/weekrides.html . Many bike shops have organized rides too, but they are not listed here.

The PMBC Saturday rides draw 75 to 100 people all summer long, of all abilities.

Posted on our events page are some regularly recurring rides in Phoenix & Tempe. These are mostly recreational in nature (no drop) except for the Tribe ride. http://biketempe.org/?page_id=4

I would recommend you ride in the mornings. Temperatures can be 80 - 90 at 5 a.m June - Aug. They won't cool off below 100 until after midnight on those days. There are cooler days during the summer, but this is what you should plan for. I like to do an hour at 5 a.m. before going to work. Saturdays you start at 5 a.m. or earlier and ride until TDH (Too Darn Hot), around 9 or 10 a.m.

Don't let this scare you. I have been in the Phoenix area fro 3 years and really love it. Just ride early and carry plenty of water.

Kevin

Thanks so much for your responses, folks! I'm looking forward to a summer of desert riding!

I'd love to ride with you, i'm 235lbs and 41. I ride about same mph that you do, but i'm in chandler, southeast of phoenix. There are a couple clubs that have no drop rides about 12-15mph and a couple tri clubs have rides. pm me and we'll talk more.

Agreed 100% with kabersch: the mornings are best, but late afternoon (6:30-8pm) is fairly decent as well if your schedule doesn't allow for early morning rides. :thumb: