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Best-Mex: New Mexico Backcountry Discovery Ride

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Ok I have decided, going lighter layering. Since the trailer has the clothes rod, I will take the jacket and pants in case I change my mind, but I have a nice adventure spec rain outer shell I will take so layers are my final answer


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Update: May 8, 2020 - change to Monday evening plan - we are staying at the Hidden Springs Inn, not the Frisco Lodging Co. See note at the bottom of this thread.

A few friends and I are planning a loop ride of most of the New Mexico backcountry discovery route, Saturday, June 6 - Saturday, June 13th, and we are extending invitations for other teams to ride the same route at the same time.

Our plan is to trailer to Ruidoso, NM on Saturday, June 6th. Leaving our truck/trailer in Ruidoso, we will begin on Sunday morning, June 7th and ride a six-day clockwise loop of the New Mexico BDR (sections 2 - 6 and a small part of section 7), returning to Ruidoso on Friday, June 12th. Trailer back to Texas on Saturday, June 13th.

View attachment 254299

Cost: $0 There is no cost or registration for this ride. Just show up and ride.

Schedule

Saturday, June 6 - travel to Ruidoso, NM
Day 1, Sunday, June 7 - 195 miles, overnight in Truth or Consequences, NM
Day 2, Monday, June 8 - 165 miles, overnight in Reserve, NM
Day 3, Tuesday, June 9 - 218 miles, overnight in Grants, NM
Day 4, Wednesday, June 10 - 221 miles, overnight in Espanola, NM
Day 5, Thursday, June 11 - 103 miles, overnight in Bernalillo, NM
Day 6, Friday, June 12 - 214 miles, overnight in Ruidoso, NM
Saturday, June 13 - travel back to Texas

Logistics - For this event I am not organizing groups for riders to join. You will need to organize your own riding group and meet up with them on Saturday, June 6th in Ruidoso. If you already have a group of buddies you ride with, then get them to attend and you are all set. If you are new to the sport, or don't have a group you normally ride with, use this thread as a resource to find others to join your group. I am providing a suggested route in gpx format for use with your GPS, a suggested riding schedule, and the name of the hotels I'm staying at. Beside that, everything else is up to you and your group.

Sleeping: I'm planning on staying in a hotel every night. However, don't feel compelled to do the same. I believe there are ample camping opportunities along the route but don't know any details. If your group is planning on staying in a hotel, make your reservations right now! You can always cancel your reservations if something happens. Note that there are very limited hotel options in Reserve, NM - if you wait to reserve a room/cabin/house you may end up camping. Here is where I'm staying each night:

Saturday, June 6 - Ruidoso, NM - Quality Inn
Sunday, June 7 - Truth or Consequences, NM - Comfort Inn & Suites
Monday, June 8 - Reserve, NM - Hidden Springs Inn
Tuesday, June 9 - Grants, NM - Quality Inn
Wednesday, June 10 - Espanola, NM - Rodeway Inn
Thursday, June 11 - Bernalillo, NM - Days Inn
Friday, June 12 - Ruidoso, NM - Quality Inn

Dinner: Group dinner on Monday, Thursday and Friday night, 6 pm all nights
Monday, June 8 - Hidden Springs Inn
Thursday, June 11 - Filiberto's Mexican Restaurant, Bernalillo
Friday, June 12 - K-Bob's Steakhouse, Ruidoso

Fuel: According to the New Mexico BDR map, the longest section without fuel is 153 miles. I recommend carrying 200 miles worth of fuel.
Day 1 - Ruidoso to T or C, one gas stop
Day 2 - T or C to Reserve, one gas stop
Day 3 - Reserve to Grants, 2 gas stops
Day 4 - Grants to Espanola, 120 miles to first gas in Cuba, NM
Day 5 - Espanola to Bernalillo, multiple gas stops
Day 6 - Bernalillo to Ruidoso, multiple gas stops

Weather: The BDR folks recommend June and September as the best weather months to ride the NMBDR. My guess is that morning temps will be high 40s to low 50s at elevation (for example, Ruidoso) and afternoon highs in the high 70s to low 80s. Lower elevations will likely be a little warmer than that. Dress in layers. Be prepared to ride in brisk weather for the first few hours and then shed layers as the temps heat up to the 70s or 80s.

Bike: From the NMBDR website: Any bike that has a license plate, can run knobby tires, is set-up to carry the gear you plan to bring, and has the fuel range to make the distance between gas stops. Most adventure or dual-sport motorcycles will be suitable for the trip. Choose the bike that you are the most comfortable riding in desert and mountain terrain.

I will be riding my KTM 500 EXC. The other guys on my team will be riding similar type bikes. I suspect that if you are an average or better dirt rider that you could do this ride on one of those ginormous adventure bikes. As I understand it, the BDR folks design these routes with the big bikes in mind. I haven't ridden this route before so I can only go by what I've heard.

Map and GPS: Send me an email at richgibbens1@gmail.com and I will email you the route in gpx format. I strongly recommend buying the paper map sold by the fine folks at BDR. Here's the link.

Hidden Springs Inn: I spoke with Jenn, the owner of both the Hidden Springs Inn and the Frisco Lodging Co. and we agreed on the following. I originally planned on staying at the Frisco Lodging Co in Reserve. Instead, we are now staying at the The Hidden Springs Inn, located on 40 beautiful acres of land 6 miles outside of Reserve, NM.
You can rent a room or camp. Jenn is allowing camping for our group at $10 per person, which includes the use of a shower.

She is also providing a steak dinner for $20 per person. She is providing the meat and sides, you will cook your own steak on the grill upon your arrival (this way you will have a hot steak cooked to your liking when you are ready to eat it). Email Jenn at jennswen30@gmail.com to let her know if you want a steak dinner. Pay upon your arrival.

You can arrange for her to bring alcohol for you/your group. For example, let's say you want a 6 pack of Coors beer with your meal. Place your order with Jenn via email at jennswen30@gmail.com and she will have a cold 6 pack for you when you arrive. Simply pay her for the cost of the beer (she is not selling it at a profit to you).

Hidden Springs Inn
2134 Hwy 180, Reserve, NM
40 acres of land, 2 ponds
camping $10, includes the use of a shower
meal - $20 - steak and sides (you will cook your own steak on the grill when you arrive) - email Jenn at jennswen30@gmail.com to let her know you will be eating so she buys enough steak and prepares enough sides.
alcohol - email Jenn at jennswenn30@gmail.com and place your order, she will have your drinks when you arrive
WOW I wish I had time to do this. Haven't ridden New Mexico but went on to Arizona and had a blast on that one. I hope the weather is conducive. The only down side I have ever heard is when wet the mud is "epic".
JCH
 
A couple layers and a windbreaker were fine earlier this month. It did get pretty warm during the day. Its gonna be warmer for this trip.
 
I bought a Sena +Mesh adapter on the group buy thread by 'TossingLead' in DFW and the group buy just came in today. Is anyone from the DFW area going on this ride who could bring the adapter to me in Ruidoso?
 
You guys need a chase truck (no, I'm not volunteering)
 
Is anyone from the DFW area going on this ride who could bring the adapter to me in Ruidoso?
I could possibly pull that off for you. Where is it? I need to get out and ride tomorrow. And Wednesday. And Thursday.
 
Does any body need a ride or want to share from Houston. I have a F250 crew cab.
I will be leaving Saturday about 2:00 am
Rick
281-798-9099
 
I'm also trying to decide adventure vs MX, definitely don't want to take both. If I think about it from a hours per day spent in the cold vs hot, it screams MX, but I also HATE being cold. I guess what I'm trying to determine is if I can get away with my enduro jacket over my MX gear in the mornings and that be enough. Think it will be.
every time i take someone new to colorado to ride they always ask me. what should i prepare for weather wise, my response is always......be prepared to be hot, cold, wet and dry. and i always laugh when they pull over to take off the rain pants because they got hot and then within 10 min it's raining and cold! HA!
 
Still trying to decide if I go with the adventure gear (heavy and can get hot) or more MX style with layering options (light and flexible)

Temps above 99 is an obvious answer, but there are going to be a lot of chilly mornings. Can't wait to get started :)

Mike:
Costs nothing to truck both options in a bag to Ruidoso. You can decide in the last minute what to do. You can even decide, like I plan to do, the morning of departure, after comparing notes with all of us like minded minions. Take your choice on the bike, leave the option on the trailer.
 
Good comments on gear... I've been 100% focused on bike prep - shifting to layering & camp gear planning manana. Looking forward to it!
 
Here is the bible on hot weather riding



In Summary… The magic number is 93. Below 93°F, it’s fairly easy to stay cool on a motorcycle as long as you are moving fast enough to get some wind against your skin for convective cooling. A mesh riding suit feels great. Above 93°F, it’s a different world. The wind is no longer your friend. For long distance riding in temperature higher than 93°F, you need to (1) minimize your body’s exposure to direct wind blast; (2) wear wicking undergarments, including a helmet liner; (3) carry an adequate supply of cool water and drink frequently; and (4) insulate any parts of your body exposed to engine heat or radiator discharge. Dress right, drink right, and enjoy the ride.
 
Kevin... it'd be great if you were joining, but I think you're not correct?

Gina... I've not researched temp ranges yet; might you be able to share the expected ranges from what you've seen?
 
I've switched. now i'm back to mesh jacket. easy to carry the liner, which also doubles as a warm layer in camp.

Spiritatbay, I am back to where you are, This is where I started, then I went to adv gear, but looking at temp ranges, I am back to mesh, and layers. I may be proved wrong, I guess I will know at the end of the trip.
 
Here are the forecasted highs and lows for our trip:

Sunday morning, Ruidoso - 60 degrees
Sunday evening, T or C - 100 degrees

Monday morning, T or C - 65 degrees
Monday evening, Reserve - 82 degrees

Tuesday morning, Reserve - 47 degrees (brrrr)
Tuesday evening, Grants - 76 degrees

Wednesday morning, Grants - 39 degrees (brrrr)
Wednesday evening, Espanola - 83 degrees

Thursday morning, Espanola - 51 degrees
Thursday evening, Bernalillo - 92 degrees

Friday morning, Bernalillo - 58 degrees
Friday evening, Ruidoso - 86 degrees
 
...I've not researched temp ranges yet; might you be able to share the expected ranges from what you've seen?...
I have used the Weather.com app on my phone and punched in several cities along our route. I can look a them all together throughout the day and get a snapshot of what the ranges might be next week. You have 4 more days to gather data.
 
Kevin... it'd be great if you were joining, but I think you're not correct?

Gina... I've not researched temp ranges yet; might you be able to share the expected ranges from what you've seen?

Whaaaaatttt, shut yo mouth[emoji23]

I was wrong once, but I was right so that made it wrong. [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

You guys will have a blast! I would be all over this if I wasn’t heading for the IDBDR next week.
 
Here are the forecasted highs and lows for our trip:

Sunday morning, Ruidoso - 60 degrees
Sunday evening, T or C - 100 degrees

Monday morning, T or C - 65 degrees
Monday evening, Reserve - 82 degrees

Tuesday morning, Reserve - 47 degrees (brrrr)
Tuesday evening, Grants - 76 degrees

Wednesday morning, Grants - 39 degrees (brrrr)
Wednesday evening, Espanola - 83 degrees

Thursday morning, Espanola - 51 degrees
Thursday evening, Bernalillo - 92 degrees

Friday morning, Bernalillo - 58 degrees
Friday evening, Ruidoso - 86 degrees

These temps are lower than what I have been watching, makes me want to lean back to adv jacket. I am with Flipit we have a few more days to watch the weather, I will probably make the loop again.
 
Makes me feel a bit silly for worrying so much about it. What would a real cowboy do, he had a horse, tiny saddlebags, bed roll, canteen and could go weeks in the wilderness I can't make it without 50 lbs of stuff crammed all over my mount and even then will cry if my coffee isn't perfect in the morning.

As to the jacket, I completely understand what mistrek is saying. I have often felt my mesh jacket is useless when it gets into the 90's and my heavy adventure jacket feels cooler due to the sweat build up inside and controlled air movement from the vents. So long as you are moving the adv jacket is cooler in the higher temps. But one year in Cloudcroft while ridding with Vinny it was raining on and off but warm. I used the adv gear he went with MX gear. Ok, so he got a little wet sometimes but it dried off, I on the other hand was dying of heat exhaustion. We were doing a bunch of technical single track, slow and uphill and with the jacket unzipped it was still too much. Almost left it on the side of the trail but it cost too much to abandon.

danbryant is spot on too. Can't tell you how many times in CO we have to stop riding for someone to put on their rain gear when all I have to do is zip up some vents. Then 10 minutes later then need to strip it all off again while I un-zip.

The key seems to be movement, so long as you are moving you can remain comfortable. Once you are lifting, pushing, paddling MX gear has the advantage.

Seems to me this ride doesn't have too many technical sections unless it rains, then some of the mud seems to be intersting.

The good news is that we are fortunate enough to be going riding and can make these comfort decisions, lets hit the trail.
 
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