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Ruidoso/Cloudcroft

Joined
Oct 21, 2010
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Location
Waco TX
Headed to Ruidoso for long weekend. Looking for day rides, big bike with street tires friendly.(Super Ten and VStrom 1000) Primarily paved, some gravel/easy dirt ok. I'm vaguely familiar with the area, having been there before but never plotted/lead the routes.

Particularly, is there a big bike friendly route between Sunspot/Timberon to Weed?

Any other route suggestions greatly appreciated. For dining too.
 
Headed to Ruidoso for long weekend. Looking for day rides, big bike with street tires friendly.(Super Ten and VStrom 1000) Primarily paved, some gravel/easy dirt ok. I'm vaguely familiar with the area, having been there before but never plotted/lead the routes.

Particularly, is there a big bike friendly route between Sunspot/Timberon to Weed?

Any other route suggestions greatly appreciated. For dining too.

Ruidoso is mostly a tourist trap to me, but Cloudcroft is heaven. Two completely different experiences, and I admit Ruidoso is more popular and I am glad it is.

Many many many options for big bike routes from Sunspot to Weed. First--stop at the Ranger Station one mile out of CC on 130 and get a MVUM! Ok.

From Sunspot, take 64 going basically east until the intersection with 257. Follow 257 up (this is one of the highest points of the forest) past Lightning Lake (just a mudhole but I guess at some point someone probably got nailed by a lightning strike) down towards Sacramento and then Weed. It is all easy gravel and dirt until just before Sacramento, when it turns into pavement, but the pavement is awesome too. From out of Weed you can loop up towards Mayhill by taking County Road D22--all dirt through open range--it is a really nice and very mild big bike ride.

There are many options from Mayhill too. All of the main forest service roads are big bike friendly--people pull 30 foot 5th wheels down them.

Cloudcroft eats:

Mad Jacks--Really good Texas BBQ. He is from Lockhart, and the line is loooong when he is open--I think Thursday through Sunday. It is becoming quite famous as word spreads.
Big Daddys: Always good, the most popular place in CC besides Mad Jacks. They have everything.
Daves Pine Cone: One of my favorites. On the old CC Square, he has really good burgers, and hand dipped ice cream too.

Anyone is always welcome to stop by my place if it is a weekend. I may or may not be there and I may or may not even have a bike with me at the time, but I am happy to visit, give riding advice from mild to wild, and I may even go for a ride.

I won't be up there this weekend but I will be on the weekend of 7/29.
 
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Spent a couple days in Ruidoso in May.
Looking at my notes:

532 to Ski Apache. Up the mountain and back is a must do.

May_NM_05_1200-XL.jpg



Coming out of Weed, the roads got a little rough, but manageable.

May_NM_06_1200-XL.jpg


May_NM_07_1200-XL.jpg


Both bikes were shod with Tourances

We road 220 past Ft. Stanton and the airport. It was a good road, but had some airport traffic.
 
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Ruidoso is mostly a tourist trap to me, but Cloudcroft is heaven. Two completely different experiences, and I admit Ruidoso is more popular and I am glad it is.

Many many many options for big bike routes from Sunspot to Weed. First--stop at the Ranger Station one mile out of CC on 130 and get a MVUM! Ok.

From Sunspot, take 64 going basically east until the intersection with 257. Follow 257 up (this is one of the highest points of the forest) past Lightning Lake (just a mudhole but I guess at some point someone probably got nailed by a lightning strike) down towards Sacramento and then Weed. It is all easy gravel and dirt until just before Sacramento, when it turns into pavement, but the pavement is awesome too. From out of Weed you can loop up towards Mayhill by taking County Road D22--all dirt through open range--it is a really nice and very mild big bike ride.

There are many options from Mayhill too. All of the main forest service roads are big bike friendly--people pull 30 foot 5th wheels down them.

Cloudcroft eats:

Mad Jacks--Really good Texas BBQ. He is from Lockhart, and the line is loooong when he is open--I think Thursday through Sunday. It is becoming quite famous as word spreads.
Big Daddys: Always good, the most popular place in CC besides Mad Jacks. They have everything.
Daves Pine Cone: One of my favorites. On the old CC Square, he has really good burgers, and hand dipped ice cream too.

Anyone is always welcome to stop by my place if it is a weekend. I may or may not be there and I may or may not even have a bike with me at the time, but I am happy to visit, give riding advice from mild to wild, and I may even go for a ride.

I won't be up there this weekend but I will be on the weekend of 7/29.


Awesome, thanks!
I agree about Ruidoso and Cloudcroft but the gf is making this trip as well. She much prefers the shopping of Ruidoso. So she shops and I have to ride a few miles extra....she's happy, I'm happy, win-win.
 
Spent a couple days in Ruidoso in May.
Looking at my notes:

532 to Ski Apache. Up the mountain and back is a must do.

May_NM_05_1200-XL.jpg



Coming out of Weed, the roads got a little rough, but manageable.

May_NM_06_1200-XL.jpg


May_NM_07_1200-XL.jpg


Both bikes were shod with Tourances

We road 220 past Ft. Stanton and the airport. It was a good road, but had some airport traffic.

Thanks Mitch, Ski Apache is on the list. Probably do 220 to Capitan and Lincoln the same day.

So was the sign correct? Or was the GPS?
 
GPS had us routed that way.
We stopped to decide what to believe.
A local drove by and confirmed the sign was correct.
We went back to Weed and regrouped.

A funny side note ... another motorist stopped and asked us for directions. LOL

I really did like that area. I think I could live there.
 
Looks like a lot of rain in that area if your headed that way this weekend Phil.
 
Yeah, worst case I sit on the deck drinking beer and watching it rain. In the cool air.

I expect it to rain some every day, just not all day.

It seems like everywhere I looked around there and middle Colorado they are predicting rain. Sounds like you have your plans all worked out.:chug: Ride safe.
 
Yeah, worst case I sit on the deck drinking beer and watching it rain. In the cool air.

I expect it to rain some every day, just not all day.



We just left Ruidoso a few days ago. It did rain everyday but mostly about mid-afternoon for only an hour or two at most.


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