What a great shot... Lots of good bike photos out there, but it's rare to find one that is interesting to look at more than a few seconds. Composition couldn't be better, drawing the viewer down across the image, chasing the first rider, and then to the sprawling landscape, causing me to not only enjoy the photo but to imagine which line I'd choose if I were there too. A photo I can get lost in for a few minutes.
I can only answer for Flagstaff riding (as I have only ridden a couple of times in Phoenix) but the riding in Flag is pretty great. The dirt in AZ is, obviously, pretty dry and hard to work with, but the trail system on the local mountain is quite good.