The Estrella Cup mountain bike race is returning after a five year hiatus, offering riders an intense challenge on the rugged slopes of the Estrella Mountains. More than just a competition, the event serves as the primary fundraiser for the Estrella Trails Group, an all-volunteer nonprofit dedicated to building and maintaining the trail system that has become the community's top amenity.
The race, hosted Saturday, Dec. 6 which is capped at 200 participants, is critical to the group’s vision of securing its own financial future, ensuring the trails remain free and accessible.
“The long term goal for me is to get the race to a point where we make enough income off the race that the group is self-sufficient, and we don't need to rely on the developer,” said Henry Brumbach, Estrella Trails Group president and owner of West Valley Insurance.
The funds raised will go directly into improving the user experience for both bikers and hikers.
“The funds will be used for trail improvements,” said Rob Wilson, a librarian at the Georgia T. Lord Library and an active Estrella Trails Group member. “We want to get to the point where we can become a 501(c)(3) and then once we get the 501(c)(3) status, we'll be able to put in for grants so we can add some infrastructure to the trails like shade structures.”
The trails: An amenity built by passion
For members like Wilson, mountain biking became an immersive outdoor experience superior to indoor exercise.
“I started as a hiker but wanted to use the trails like they were supposed to be used. I just bought a cheap used bike, I started riding and never went back to the gym,” Wilson said.
The group’s regular night rides are a vital part of the club’s social scene.
“There’s just so much more to being outdoors... you get the nature fix, and riding with a group, you also get the social element,” Wilson said.
Brumbach, who got temporarily lost the first time he went night riding, said the group dynamic has grown since he joined the club and it makes the intense effort worth it.
“I thought I was going to have a heart attack, because I’m trying to keep up with these guys, I took a wrong turn and could see their lights out in the distance,” Brumbach said. “Now it's different, we have a community, a team, there’s somebody there to keep you going the right way and to say (don’t get lost,)” Brumbach said.
The club gathers to make plans and to ride together. The experience of night riding in the desert adds to the appeal.
“With all the stars out, it’s spectacular. You see moonrises and things you might never have seen," Wilson said.
The Estrella Mountains trail system was born out of a passion for the outdoors. A recent survey confirmed the trails’ importance to residents.
Willson said that Estrella's 50 miles of hiking and biking trails, maintained by Estrella Trails Group, was the community's top listed amenity.
“Number two wasn't even close,” Wilson said.
This high community demand has helped formalize the group’s work, which started without permission on land owned by the previous developer. Now working with the current developer, the Estrella Trails Group is able to anticipate the need for trail expansion before the community calls for it.
“We get plans for future communities so that we can put trail infrastructure before buildings go up… people love the Estrella trails, ” Brumbach said.
Despite the formal partnerships, the work remains volunteer-driven.
“We are doing all the work... Those trails have to be maintained and there’s a lot for our small club to do,” Wilson said.
Volunteers are the foundation of Estrella Trails Group. The club members maintain the trails that allow the community to ride safely. Volunteers also make events like the Estrella Cup mountain bike race possible.
The group is actively seeking volunteers to staff aid stations, registration, parking, post-race cleanup and is holding trail maintenance days every Saturday in October and November to prepare the course.
Race Courses and Participant Details
The Estrella Cup will be held at 17567 W Elliot Road in Goodyear and features courses that utilize both private land and Estrella Mountain Regional Park trails.
Registration for the 2025 Estrella Cup is now open.
The race lineup includes:
Endurance Course: 47 miles with about 4,000 feet of climbing, starting at 7 a.m.
Short Course: 20 miles, starting at 9 a.m.
Junior Course: 10 miles for riders 12 and under, starting at 10 a.m.
The event is capped at 200 riders.
“We’ve already gotten over 70 responses so, same day registration very likely will not be an option this year,” Brumbach said.
Beginners who plan to tackle the challenging terrain. For adult riders, the shortest course is 20 miles, and will require training.
Among others, the event will be sponsored by the City of Goodyear. West Valley Trail Alliance plans to host a children’s ride and give away bikes to children in need.
Visit bikereg.com for registration information and course details. Follow the Estrella Trails Group on Facebook for community updates.
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