Cactus Rod The Toughest Mountain Bike Rider I Know

Out riding one summer day a few years ago with Rod John and Charlie on trail 33. Trail 33 is in the southern boundary of the Tonto Natural Forest or known as Pima & Dynamite.


We were all riding on trail 33 right before it ends into trail 28 about six miles into the ride. Rod was riding in the rear of the pack when we heard Rod call out. When we returned we found Rod on the ground all coved in Cholla Cactus Balls.


Rod was riding down this incline when his tire became lodged in a rut. As Rod came down he couldn’t stop and ran into this four foot Cholla Cactus. Rod was coved from head to toe man they were every where. It took John and Charlie nearly an hour to pull the Cholla Balls and most of the pickers off Rod. They also had to cut Rod’s jersey and outer shorts off. But the worst part of the hole thing was Rod had to ride the six miles back out.


Well Rod is doing much better now a days and doesn’t do many rides near Cholla Cactus. We now call him Cactus Rod and to this day you can find his photo some where on the web and one time I seen it at Interbike.

I Asked Rod one time about the photos he didn’t seem to be mad. But thanks to me Rod is sort of famous these days & Rod is the only rider I know that ever collided with a Cholla Cactus that bad and to live and talk about it.


Rod is the toughest mountain bike ride that I know.

Cactus Rod his bike and the Cholla Cactus

That’s it Rod the Cholla is still living to this day don’t know if any one else ever hit it like Rod.

Rod after he is all better and doing well these days