If you click on the pictures above, they will fill your screen, try it.
Just the stats: 67 miles, 11.9 MPH average, 5,667 feet climbed, 4,321 descent, cumulative 927 miles. One flat tire today, eight in total. Sunny, 62 to 75 degrees.
If you like to climb uphill, you would love today:
New Mexico is beautiful. The ride was difficult but rewarding. We climbed for the first 19 miles into headwinds. When I say climbed, I mean we went uphill for two hours straight, not down, just up - into the wind, going very slowly. My riding time today was 5 hours 20 minutes and the total time door to door was 7 hours 20 minutes. According to my computer-heart rate monitor, I burn about 3,800 calories on these rides.
I rode mostly alone all day long today and that was fine for me. I could listen to the wind, birds, and smell the smells of pine trees and see the wide expanses of these mountains, viewing God's wonderful creation.
We peddled north onto the famous "Turquoise Trail". This stretch of road has lots of climbing too, but it ascends through beautiful New Mexican landscape, finally reaching a point that it rolls up and down on winding roads. We rode through several small towns that have lots of local flavor, and enjoyed minimal traffic - mostly motorcycles.
At mile 45.3 I ate lunch at The Mine Shaft Tavern in a little mining town called Madrid. This was the bar in the biker buddy comedy "Wild Hogs". If you have seen this recent movie, you have seen the views I saw today. (I still intend to slap the bull!!)
After lunch we had a great descent where I hit 40.1 mph, then climbed some more. I rode in and out of rain after lunch. I arrived in Santa Fe and 1.2 miles from the hotel got a flat tire. So close.
I think everyone is looking forward to our rest day tomorrow. Most of the riders plan on going to the old town part of Santa Fe and do some sight seeing.
Here is my Garmin data: http://trail.motionbased.com/trail/activity/2825325
And, here are more pictures posted on Snapfish.com: Just click here
1 comment:
Watch out for those angry bikers from Wild Hogs!
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