'Tour of the Gila'

[Sidewinder]

Anybody here ever done the 'Tour of the Gila' bike race? It's described as a "5-day stage race in New Mexico featuring epic climbs, dangerous descents, and challenging terrain." I can vouch for the Gila Wilderness, as I've begun riding my KTM thumper out there on the trails, but I'm no road racer on a bicycle, I prefer riding my pedal bike at the local skatepark in Silver City. Just wondering if any site members have done this race, it looks pretty brutal for road racers, and some of those grades out there are steep as f____, I can tell ya that much, lol. There are heller cool trails to ride out there on a mountain bike or "adult BMX bike"---I'm just exploring the myriad trails on my thumper, not as much work involved in twisting a throttle, aye?

[Sidewinder]

Hmm, nobody here at this site has done the 'Tour of the Gila?' Oh, well, I AM living in the boondocks, lol... and I'm heading into 'The Gila' (as locals call it) tomorrow, but I'll be riding the big ol' KTM thumper, not my pedal bike, aye?

There are times when I like twisting a throttle, and I'd need a multi-geared pedal bike for those trails anyway, the grades can be steep and the distances impressive, especially in the Black Range where peaks rise above 10,000' elevation. High for these parts, lol...

But no worries, I'll take my little Canon cam and snap some killer photos, maybe post a link to the thread at FV... where I usually hang out on the web, it's a knitting circle of elderly ladies but they're pretty funny, lol. Hey, don't knock that life experience!

Okay, I'm back to my hard cider and this ridiculous BS Hollywood movie, but I'll be back like a bad rash to plague y'all further... as a former Infantry soldier, I really appreciate the 1000-round "John Wayne Magazines" in these Hollywood films! They must come in handy during firefights!

P.S. Holy Cr@p! Exactly 12 hours since my last post in a different thread! Ya know, I couldn't do that again if I TRIED, and there are odds-makers in Vegas who will back my claim, lol. Meh, it's a sign from the cosmos, and I think it means I should go trail riding manana!

Better post a pic of the KTM so newcomers don't get confused, lol... it's a sweet bike, I just changed the engine oil today and topped off the coolant! The bike is rarin' to go, and I feel like riding some serious trails in the mountains tomorrow!

   

[GirishH]

@Sidewinder, my close friend stayed in Silver City and I heard a lot of the riding, hiking scene there...:-) Unfortunately, I never visited them while they were there..

Now, I am trying to see if I can visit them in France.

I loved NM though and almost moved there for job before deciding to explore another part of the world...:-)

(10-02-2025, 12:40 AM)Sidewinder Wrote:  Hmm, nobody here at this site has done the 'Tour of the Gila?' Oh, well, I AM living in the boondocks, lol... and I'm heading into 'The Gila' (as locals call it) tomorrow, but I'll be riding the big ol' KTM thumper, not my pedal bike, aye?

There are times when I like twisting a throttle, and I'd need a multi-geared pedal bike for those trails anyway, the grades can be steep and the distances impressive, especially in the Black Range where peaks rise above 10,000' elevation. High for these parts, lol...

But no worries, I'll take my little Canon cam and snap some killer photos, maybe post a link to the thread at FV... where I usually hang out on the web, it's a knitting circle of elderly ladies but they're pretty funny, lol. Hey, don't knock that life experience!

Okay, I'm back to my hard cider and this ridiculous BS Hollywood movie, but I'll be back like a bad rash to plague y'all further... as a former Infantry soldier, I really appreciate the 1000-round "John Wayne Magazines" in these Hollywood films! They must come in handy during firefights!

P.S. Holy Cr@p! Exactly 12 hours since my last post in a different thread! Ya know, I couldn't do that again if I TRIED, and there are odds-makers in Vegas who will back my claim, lol. Meh, it's a sign from the cosmos, and I think it means I should go trail riding manana!

Better post a pic of the KTM so newcomers don't get confused, lol... it's a sweet bike, I just changed the engine oil today and topped off the coolant! The bike is rarin' to go, and I feel like riding some serious trails in the mountains tomorrow!

[Sidewinder]

It's not a bad place to live, though riding a bike in town can be dangerous... safer on the trails, go figure.

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving Weekend, mine was filled with free football thanks to the directional antenna I just installed, lol. No way I PAY to watch football when I can pull in a whole heap of HDTV signals with this antenna. No expensive cable or satellite TV outfits, and no expensive football apps for this kid, lol...

Turns out there are two towers in line of sight from my home, and the SW tower must have broadcast repeaters, because I'm pulling in 31 channels... including the 'Big Three' (or subsidiary channels of the 'Big Three') and the Fox Channel as well. Gotta love "sticking it to the man!" Did I ever tell y'all that I'm a CHEAP B@STARD?

I won't get Prime or ESPN, unless the latter channel farms out the game, but WHO CARES? I'll get enough free football to satisfy me, and it won't cost me one thin dime, lol. I DID pay $50 plus tax for the new antenna, but the picture on most channels is perfect... totally worth the investment, just to drop-kick the cable & satellite outfits, football apps, etc.

   

   

[GirishH]

@Sidewinder, that's interesting because my friend too used to say that NM was an unsafe place to cycle, especially the roads..:-(

I did see quite a bit "ghost bikes" in Santa Fe and Albuquerque. I did ride a rented bicycle upto Taos but trails definitely are safely whether I am in NM or another part of the world.

No, Thanksgiving here in Nepal/ India or atleast in the Himalayas but am definitely thankful everyday for the blessings, good fortune and health..

I am not a big football fan eventhough I went to PennState...

(12-01-2025, 06:02 PM)Sidewinder Wrote:  It's not a bad place to live, though riding a bike in town can be dangerous... safer on the trails, go figure.

Hope y'all had a great Thanksgiving Weekend, mine was filled with free football thanks to the directional antenna I just installed, lol. No way I PAY to watch football when I can pull in a whole heap of HDTV signals with this antenna. No expensive cable or satellite TV outfits, and no expensive football apps for this kid, lol...

Turns out there are two towers in line of sight from my home, and the SW tower must have broadcast repeaters, because I'm pulling in 31 channels... including the 'Big Three' (or subsidiary channels of the 'Big Three') and the Fox Channel as well. Gotta love "sticking it to the man!" Did I ever tell y'all that I'm a CHEAP B@STARD?

I won't get Prime or ESPN, unless the latter channel farms out the game, but WHO CARES? I'll get enough free football to satisfy me, and it won't cost me one thin dime, lol. I DID pay $50 plus tax for the new antenna, but the picture on most channels is perfect... totally worth the investment, just to drop-kick the cable & satellite outfits, football apps, etc.

[Sidewinder]

There are some bad drivers here... not only distracted, but unobservant, ya know? So I'll probably save the pedal bike for certain trails in the wilderness, or for several nearby state parks where riding is safer.

I'm still riding out the thumb injury, it's taking forever to heal... in my youth, this sort of fracture would heal overnight, lol. Meh, at least I'm getting some home rehab work done, thumb or no thumb, so no worries.

I need to take the KTM thumper out for a spin soon, it has been sitting in the shed for over a month... but I added fuel stabilizer last time I gassed up, so that'll help keep the corn crud (ethanol) from gunking up my carb too badly.

The pedal bike is fine, I keep it inside the house so it's in great shape, lol. I like that SE Racing bike, it has been a good bike overall... once the stupid thumb has healed, I'll take it for a ride, probably down in the high desert instead of the cold mountains, lol.

BTW, I saw a web blurb about someone getting bitten by a rabid coyote in the Gila National Forest... I suppose a rabid coyote would add to the adventure in the 'Tour of the Gila!' Might even boost performance! Pedal faster or get bitten, lol.

[Sidewinder]

Saw an article about the 'Tour of the Gila' in a recent edition of our local rag, the Silver City Daily Press (a misnomer since the newspaper only gets printed three times per week, lol). Evidently, the race will be held in a couple of months, so maybe in early May? This race is a big deal here in SW New Mexico, I think I may ride the KTM thumper up to see the racers on one of the days (or stages), find a decent spot and kick back as a spectator, lol. I'm too old to grind up those steep grades on a pedal bike, better to twist a throttle and make it easy on myself, aye? Take a hip flask and some dispensary weed with me, spectating can be hard work, lol. Any site members who are interested in the race, I reckon you can Google it and find the official website... it looks to be a bad@$$ race, and the opportunities to camp are also quite good! Plenty of camping along the route, from developed campsites to primitive sites... 'The Gila' (as locals call the Gila Wilderness) is a radical outdoor venue and "adult playground" for those into wild adventure! No shortage of outdoor recreation here, especially with the weather warming up nicely! Silver City offers some cool tourism too, and this little burg has plenty of motels and restaurants for any site members or prospective riders who don't wanna "rough it" while camping, lol.

[GirishH]

@Sidewinder, wishing you a safe and fun time during "Tour of the Gila". I wish my friends were still there but they moved away. Not sure, when I wll get tio visit New Mexico and Silver City. I heard a lot about Gila Wilderness..

[Sidewinder]

You'd be welcome at the ol' hacienda... between us, I reckon we could swap some humorous tales of adventure, lol.

We have full-on Chamber of Commerce weather here, a "false spring" (think 'THE SHOOTIST' with John Wayne, lol), so I'm puttering around the yard and enjoying the sunshine. Yesterday, I planted two flowering peach trees, plus a raspberry bush and blackberry bush... all should be producers once they're established. As always, I intend to be a good steward to the land, and my property is starting to look good, now that all of the eyesore junk has been hauled away to the dump. But I'll tell ya, digging in this rocky soil is a real bear, I felt like I was doing time at Yuma Territorial Prison, breaking rocks in the hot sun, lol... but the trees are in the ground, and I also amended the soil in every hole I dug, that is necessary here in New Mexico.

[Sidewinder]

The "false spring" has morphed into a March heat wave, go figure... temp around 90* F yesterday and today, bumps up to 92* F manana! Might have to haul the kayak to the lake tomorrow to beat the heat, lol. I heard Phoenix hit 104* F yesterday... in March! Crazy weather!

I'll tell ya what, if these temps continue the way they are, and we skip spring to jump straight into summer, it'll make for a grueling race! Pulling those steep-@$$ grades in heat like this? Or hotter? YIKES!!! At least the riders will be "air-cooled" on the downgrades!

[Sidewinder]

Check out these cool flyers I saw on the bulletin board here at the library! I'm gonna go to that film on the Gila, learn where to launch the kayak, lol. And the free stargazing event has my name all over it, since I'm a notoriously CHEAP B@STARD, lol.

   

A closer look... and that's a misspelling in the flyer, should be "Whiskey Creek Zocalo" and not "Zocolo!" Aside to the printer: "YER FIRED!!!"

   

Here's the stargazing event!

   

   

This canyon hike looks cool! Dunno how far it is for my banged-up knee! [Dirt bike mishap years ago while drunk & stoned, lol.]

   

   

That 'Heart of the Gila' outfit probably has its own website as well, I'm gonna check it out... might be a good way to meet likeminded people, ya know? CHEERS!!!

[Sidewinder]

I already bought my ticket for the film screening of 'JOURNEY DOWN THE GILA'---looking forward to meeting some cool people there!

I also intend to join the free stargazing event, as well as the hike (if it isn't too far for my banged-up knee).

For those interested, spring football starts this weekend, Friday, March 27, and on into Saturday... CHEERS!!!

P.S. Forgot one pic yesterday, it's the Poetic Outlaws flyer, lol...

   

[GirishH]

@Sidewinder, I was so so sad that I didn't visit Silver City back when my friend called it home. Now, looks like I have another friend.

I got a job in Santa Fe and almost moved there from Boston before deciding to "jump across the pond and some"..:-)

Gila is something I always remember. Is it not the same place where Born to Run's Micah True tragically died while trail running?

Enjoy the movie, stargazing and beautiful New Mexico. I fell in love with it in just one visit..

(03-25-2026, 03:28 PM)Sidewinder Wrote:  I already bought my ticket for the film screening of 'JOURNEY DOWN THE GILA'---looking forward to meeting some cool people there!

I also intend to join the free stargazing event, as well as the hike (if it isn't too far for my banged-up knee).

For those interested, spring football starts this weekend, Friday, March 27, and on into Saturday... CHEERS!!!

P.S. Forgot one pic yesterday, it's the Poetic Outlaws flyer, lol...

[Sidewinder]

Yeah, I'm looking forward to those events I mentioned, I'm hoping to learn more about the wild & scenic sections of the Upper Gila River when I watch the film! I'm also hoping to meet other outdoor folks who might be interested in kayaking those scenic gorges! Maybe set up some sorta vehicle shuttle for transport!

Dunno about Micah True (?), I'm behind the times there... but there's plenty of trail running to be done in 'The Gila' (as locals call it), no shortage of hiking, riding & running trails! Moi, I'm DONE with life in 'The Big City!' I gotta have my wilderness areas, and right close too, lol.

Got a lot done on the home rehab front this weekend, house & yard are looking better and better but there's still work to be done! You can check progress by visiting frugalvillage.com and finding my 'Silver City Home Rehab Thread' in the latest (new) posts. Cheers!

[GirishH]

Hello @Sidewinder, that’s a great idea—finding a vehicle shuttle for transport. I was about to suggest riding your bike or running, but then I realized you’d somehow need to bring the kayaks. To be fair, I have seen some Kiwi cyclists-kayakers who do both -carrying cycles on their kayaks and vice-versa. I believe they are inflatable kayaks.

Micah True was the protagonist of "Born to Run" book. He lived among the Tarahumara, but also spent significant time in Gila Wilderness and around Silver City.

I did a bit of riding in New Mexico and saw a lot of photos from friends hiking there with their dogs. All I know is—it’s rugged, tough but beautiful, beautiful terrain... Attached is a picture, memory I have from your beautiful land..
   

I forget where you were before moving to Silver City?

(03-30-2026, 04:50 PM)Sidewinder Wrote:  Yeah, I'm looking forward to those events I mentioned, I'm hoping to learn more about the wild & scenic sections of the Upper Gila River when I watch the film! I'm also hoping to meet other outdoor folks who might be interested in kayaking those scenic gorges! Maybe set up some sorta vehicle shuttle for transport!

Dunno about Micah True (?), I'm behind the times there... but there's plenty of trail running to be done in 'The Gila' (as locals call it), no shortage of hiking, riding & running trails! Moi, I'm DONE with life in 'The Big City!' I gotta have my wilderness areas, and right close too, lol.

Got a lot done on the home rehab front this weekend, house & yard are looking better and better but there's still work to be done! You can check progress by visiting frugalvillage.com and finding my 'Silver City Home Rehab Thread' in the latest (new) posts. Cheers!

[Sidewinder]

I lived in Alamo (Alamogordo) for several years before I flipped my home there, and I went roaring off to the Midwest before returning to New Mexico to buy a home in Silver City. Hey, $67K cash, plus $12-15K for new appliances, new cedar fence, new bathtub, etc. Not a bad deal for someone on a budget, lol. I even filed for my "veteran's property tax exemption" so my yearly taxes will only be $300, lol. Truth be told, you couldn't buy an outhouse for $67K in Kalifornia, let alone a home on a decent-sized lot! It just ain't happening out there, lol.

Before moving to New Mexico, I lived in the boondocks of Arizona for what? 5 or 6 years? Up in Show Low (White Mountains), and down in Benson (near Cochise Stronghold), I had a blast in both areas due to all the cycling opportunities, including heller trail riding mere minutes from my door! That's the big trade-off, you understand: leave the ocean, but gain unlimited offroad access and trail riding, lol. Heaps of wildlife out here too, plenty of deer, elk, wild turkey, etc. Clean air, no traffic, no smog, virtually no crime... what's not to like?

You ever make it out here again, you'll have to stop by and visit, maybe fire up the BBQ and chillax, lol. My home & property are looking better & better, now that a significant amount of home rehab work has been done to this former tweeker palace, aye? Jeez, I pulled all kinds of trash out from the crawlspace yesterday, it wasn't enough for the former tenants and meth heads to trash the house & yard, they had to trash the crawlspace too, lol. But one fine day, the property will be up to my USA INF standards, and life will be all gravy, lol.

Here's the bathtub a friend & I were working on yesterday, it'll be nice when I'm done with it! Look how deep the new tub is, it's twice the depth of the old tub, lol. The manufacturers of these '70s trailer homes cut many corners in construction, including using smaller tubs, the cheap b@stards! Same goes for the interior windowsills, which is why I've widened all the sills in the home for the cats! Pics can be found in that rehab thread I mentioned at frugalvillage.com, lol.

   

Another view...

   

I'm gonna drink hard cider as I soak in that tub for an hour or more, lol... CHEERS!!!

P.S. Is that the Rio Grande Valley in your pic? Looks like the bridge over the canyon... that bridge is high enough to draw suicides, go figure.

[Sidewinder]

Saw an article in our local paper yesterday, looks like the race will be held from April 29th to May 3rd... as the dates near, I'll check the map and find a good spot to view the action. Maybe even get some pics, "Quien sabe?" I'd like to get some downhill racing shots, but don't know where the best location is yet on the route...

Did more yard work this morning, I'm planting a metric ton of wildflowers so the yard has some color, lol. The peach trees & berry bushes I planted are doing well, and I added two more bags of evergreen fertilizer to the other trees in the yard, which were neglected by the former tenants (meth heads).

I also germinated the weed seeds from the cannabis nursery in Alamo, my friend & former neighbor gave me those seeds, and they are all from serious chronic strains, lol. I'm gonna make CBD & THC salve with the bud spears from that nuclear weed! Funny how our priorities change with age, lol.

[Sidewinder]

Clock is ticking down for the race, only 9 days until the start, lol. Yesterday, I went on a guided hike of Gallinas Canyon in the Gila National Forest, it was primo! So peaceful and quiet, except for the birds calling and colorful insects buzzing around, lol. Had a picnic down in the canyon, then hiked back to the trailhead with 8-10 other folks... I posted pics in a separate thread at frugalvillage.com, just check the latest posts and look for "Gallinas Canyon" in the thread title!

P.S. I'm still a bit stiff and sore from the brutal ascent out of the canyon, lol... I'm thinking a "gummy" and an alcoholic beverage will figure most prominently in my immediate future! CHEERS!!!

BTW, check out this van I saw when I went to see my kayaking film the other night ('JOURNEY DOWN THE GILA'), the film was excellent in the sense that it showed pristine areas of wild & scenic gorges along the Gila River! The van was in the dirt parking lot of Whiskey Creek Zocalo, the venue where the film was screened.

   

   

"NUDE PSYCHIC READINGS AND TAX ADVICE!!!"

Do ya reckon ya get your nude psychic reading and tax advice at the same time? And is the psychic nude? Not sure I'm ready for that, lol. Also, is the psychic selective in choosing clients? I can just see it now: "YOU, YOU & YOU, I'LL SEE YA NUDE, PRONTO!!!" BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Damn, sometimes I slay myself...

There certainly are some... er... ECCENTRIC folks in the boondocks! Lol. Wouldn't have it any other way! Bring on the BAT$H!T CRAZY MFers!!!

[Sidewinder]

I was just checking the website for the race---http://tourofthegila.com---and one stage or day of racing will occur right here in historic downtown Silver City! That'll actually make it easier for me to snap photos of racers in groups, or pelotons, or whatever... I guess there will be quite a few classes of racers in this event. I'd like to get some shots of racers in the actual wilderness, but the site talks about "rolling roadblocks" and other obstacles, yeah? Might be easier to just drive down here (2-3 miles from my home on the hill) and set up some shots on the street. The website shows the course for that day, there's a little map you can click on and enlarge if necessary... might have to go to that stage or day of racing first, lol. What was it called? "Downtown Criterium" or something like that... you'll figure it out if you're interested in the event. Alright, time for me to mosey on down the road and resupply at the store... gonna need party materials for football this weekend, lol. Here are some random cat and weather pics to make y'all smile! CHEERS!!!

   

   

   

   

   

P.S. Looks like there might be some cool videos at that website, I didn't spend a whole lot of time there...

[Sidewinder]

Looking forward to the race this week! As a spectator, I mean, lol. I was gonna try to find a spot in the wilderness, preferably at the foot of a steep grade, in order to get photographs of the peloton, but now I've decided to just hang out downtown and get shots of cornering, as well as the start/finish line! That link provided earlier shows some cool racing action, this race is BIGGER than I previously thought, lol. Check out the video footage in the 'Gila Monster Gran Fondo' link or button, that's pretty wild, even if it's NOT in the tall pine forest! Whaddya reckon the phrase "Gran Fondo" means? My money is on: "YOUR GRANDMOTHER WEARS ARMY BOOTS!"

Only 2 days until the race starts, WOOHOO!!! I'll do my best to get some good photos to post here, maybe even some video if possible, I just gotta remember how to take videos with my Canon cam!