Taos Mountain Bike Association kicks off the season
Plus other biking news from around the Enchanted Circle
On Sunday (March 26), the Taos Mountain Bike Association held a movie screening at the TCA to kick off the bike season and also announced a new partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Taos.
Three “littles” in the program were gifted mountain bikes at the event and were introduced to a bike mentor from TMBA who will teach them biking etiquette, basic maintenance and riding skills.
Prior to the screening of the movie “Esperanto,” TMBA hosted a reception and expo so the general public could meet with TMBA and other outdoor and trails organizations in the community.
Other mountain biking news
The Taos Ski Valley Bike Park will not open for the summer due to plans to replace lift 4. Since last year’s trail map, a couple of black trails named Shrapnel and Gravy Train have been completed and another black untitled trail is still in progress.
In addition to working on the paved multi-use path connecting
Arroyo Seco to the Old Blinking Light along NM 150, Enchanted Circle Trails Association (ECTA) also has its eyes set on connecting a trail between Bull of the Woods to the Middle Fork trail system in Red River. So far, ECTA has established alignment of the trail but is still working with the Forest Service to ensure the alignment is outside designated wilderness.
In El Prado, there is a new full service bike shop taking over a familiar location. For those needing a new derailleur or to make sure their wheels are true, Rift Cycles will be taking over what was formerly Taos Cyclery, a shop that has served the Taos bicycling community for many years. Tucked between Edward Jones and Taos Crating Company, the bike shop space was previously owned by David Shaha and Doug Pickett before him.
Pickett, a long-time cyclist and former owner of Taos Cyclery, had enough cycling clout to end up in a New York Times article about the mountain-bike tourism the South Boundary Trail draws to Taos. In a separate Freehub Magazine piece, Pickett waxes poetic on a section of the South Boundary Trail: “In the fall, golden leaves cover this section of trail, when locals designate it the ‘yellow brick road.’ A tricky traverse through Garcia Park to Paradise Park leads you to a singletrack descent with a steep, technical finish that will eat you alive if you didn’t save some for the finish. This ride is so good that people will pay to be driven to the trailhead.”
As a rider-owned-and-operated bike shop, Rift Cycles follows in the footsteps of Shaha and Pickett. They offer a wide range of parts, services, and retail for mountain, gravel, commuter and road bikes, old and new. On Saturday (April 8), they will hold an opening party that boasts food, music, drinks and bikes.
Upcoming Association rides
Taos Mountain Bike Association has set out a provisional list of planned rides for the bike season:
• On Friday (April 7th), Spencer Bushnell will host the Friday Morning Throwdown starting at the El Nogal Trailhead for intermediate to advanced riders.
• Starting on Sunday (April 9) and each following second Sunday of the month, Dave Wilson will host a series of rides to explore forest trails
on the south end of town.
• Starting on Sunday (April 16) and each following third Sunday of the month, Dave Matesi will host a series of gravel rides over the Taos Plateau, Hondo Mesa area or amongst the Trail 18 loops. For both beginners and the advanced riders, TMBA will host a Tres Piedras Camp and Ride weekend featuring a twonight camp out with rides on Saturday and Sunday.
• Starting May 10th and each following second and fourth Wednesday evening of the month, Nate Berg will be leading intermediate rides on
the Horse Thief Mesa Loop. Later in the season, the New Mexico Endurance Series, which is a series of ultra-endurance mountain and cross country bike rides. These rides are free and loosely organized. The aim is to compete for bragging rights — according to the rulebook, “there are no fees, no prizes, but all attempts will be made to record your finish time in comparison to others.”