Nov 10, 2026 · Sara Anderson
The First Cycle Arizona 66: 62 Miles, 40 Riders, and a Road Worth Fighting For
Active tourism at the speed of a bicycle
On Saturday, October 17, 40 riders rolled out of Lewis Kingman Park and onto Historic Route 66 for the first Cycle Arizona 66. They came from the Phoenix metro, from Kingman and Mohave County, and from across the state, and they ranged in age from their 20s to their 80s. Twenty volunteers kept them fed, watered and pointed the right way. All of it happened during Route 66’s centennial year, alongside the City of Kingman’s I Heart Route 66 Festival.
This wasn’t a race, and it was never meant to be. Cycle Arizona 66 is a 62-mile supported out-and-back from Kingman to Valentine, built to let people experience the Mother Road the way its earliest travelers did: slowly, up close, and with time to stop and look around.
The day
The morning opened with a land acknowledgment from Ms. Ka-Voka Jackson, Hualapai Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and read by our lead ride marshal Kevin Davidson. Riders headed east toward Hackberry and Valentine through the Hualapai homelands, so it was the right way to begin.
From there, the route did the talking. Riders named the aid station at Antares Point, home of Giganticus Headicus, as their favorite moment more than any other. Valentine Station won hearts with the owner Ruben hosting his vlog and the Kingman youth choir who greeted riders with Bon Jovi’s “Livin’ on a Prayer,” a fitting anthem for a stop that sat close to the halfway point of the ride. Riders stopped at the Hackberry General Store, and vintage car clubs, Model Ts included, rumbled past on their own centennial pilgrimages. The headwind on the way out was real. The long downhill and tailwind on the way home made up for it.
Every finisher went home with a bespoke bolo tie by Meg Gizzi and Evelyn Crommett, a keepsake as Western as the road itself.
What riders told us
Nearly half of the field (18 of 40) filled out our post-ride survey, and the results gave us a lot to celebrate:
- 4.3 out of 5 average overall rating, with 16 of 18 riders rating it a 4 or 5
- Every respondent rated our volunteers “Excellent”
- Every respondent rated our Antares Point and Valentine Station aid stations, and registration and packet pickup, as good or excellent
- 17 of 18 agreed that events like this help make the case for safer, complete streets
“I’m grateful I had the opportunity to be part of the inaugural Cycle AZ 66, and I’m proud to say I was there at the beginning. I hope this is just the start of a wonderful tradition that continues to bring cyclists together, celebrate Arizona, and inspire safer, more welcoming roads for everyone.” — Kaytee
“I think for a road cycling event to happen in my small town of Kingman was beyond belief!” — Kingman rider
Good for Kingman
Active tourism is economic development. Of the riders who answered, 16 of 17 stayed overnight, and 7 stayed two nights or more. They ate at local restaurants, went to the I Heart Route 66 Festival, shopped locally and visited Route 66 landmarks and museums. Based on what respondents reported, we estimate the riders and volunteers in town that weekend spent roughly $6,800 to $9,100 in the Kingman area, on top of registration and before counting the friends and family who came along.
For a first-year ride, that’s a meaningful start. It’s also a preview of what a bike-friendly Route 66 corridor could mean for the small towns along it.
The road itself
Riders loved the views. They were honest about the pavement. Eight riders raised road conditions on their own: a rough, washboarded shoulder covered in debris that pushed them toward the white line, next to fast-moving traffic.
We heard that loud and clear, and it’s why this ride matters beyond one Saturday in October. Route 66 was once America’s Main Street. Our long-term goal is to help make it America’s Main Complete Street, a corridor where people on bikes, on foot and in cars can all travel it safely. Rider feedback from Cycle Arizona 66 is now part of the evidence Active Arizona is bringing to conversations with local, tribal and state partners about multimodal improvements on Route 66 in the Kingman area.
One rider put it best:
“Every bike ride can be an enjoyable adventure AND a statement of advocacy for bicycling and improved related infrastructure.” — Verde Valley rider
Thank you
A first-year event only happens because people say yes before there’s a track record. Thank you to:
- Our riders, who took a chance on something new and gave us honest, generous feedback
- Our 20 volunteers, the highest-rated part of the entire event
- Ms. Ka-Voka Jackson and the Hualapai Tribe, for welcoming us onto the land
- Kevin Davidson for his vision and passion for this ride.
- The City of Kingman and the I Heart Route 66 Festival, for giving the ride a home
- Brompton, for supporting the ride in its first year
- Meg Gizzi and Evelyn Crommett, for the finisher bolo ties
- Our aid station hosts at Antares Point, Valentine Station and Phil’s House
What’s next
Riders told us what they want to see: a post-ride celebration, interactive stops at iconic Route 66 spots, group lodging packages and more. We’re also working through their suggestions on signage, food at the aid stations, the finish-line welcome and pre-ride communication.
The first Cycle Arizona 66 proved there’s an audience for exploring Arizona’s stretch of the Mother Road by bike. Now the work is making that road safer for everyone who travels it.
Want to help? Riders told us they want to volunteer and advocate for safer streets, and we’d love the same from you. Visit activeaz.org to get involved, and stay tuned for news about the 2027 Active Arizona Summit.
Activate. Educate. Celebrate.