I'll be in Navajo Dam and Taos, NM for a week at the end of June and want to spend some time riding. I'll also be fly fishing and doing other tourist type stuff with my wife and two other couples so riding time will be at a premium. I'm looking for a few 20-40 mile rides that I can sneek off and do. Navajo Dam probably mid day to afternoon. Taos in the morning. Any good LBS to point me in the right direction? Any favorite routes? Any help would be appreciated.

There is an amazing century they do every year in the Taos area. It is called the Enchanted circle century. It is a climbing monster at altitude. I included the link below to the course. It is basically 86 miles with a short out and back to make it 100. It starts in Red River now unlike the map show. I suggest from Taos, just follow the map in either direction. If you go east on the map from Taos, you will climb a gradual climb for 10 miles and end on a nice climb at Paolo Flechado Pass. Descend down there and take a right at the three way and you will be at Angel Fire. For a little less climbing, go north from Taos and head towards Questa. That too is a rolling ride through the Taos valley. If you make the right turn at Questa towards red river, you are in for another 15 mile climb though. It is beautiful country and it is very bike friendly in the summer.


http://www.swcp.com/~nmts/rides/taosHighCountryLoop.htm

Wow, that's great info. If I can't find some riding out of this I'm hopeless. Looks like a beautiful area.

by Nicole Blouin is a great resource for rides of all difficulties. An obvious one for Taos is the road up to the ski basin. Head north out of town, take a right at the light towards the ski area and keep riding. You could also ride west from that intersection towards the Rio Grande River and the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, continue west to Tres Piedras, then turn around for a nice out and back without a huge amount of climbing for a change.

On the south end of town is Ranchos de Taos. Ride east and climb US Hill, June would be a great time to do it.

Check out the sfroadriders on yahoo/groups to see if we are doing a ride in that area while you are there. We do several rides that pass through Taos every summer. You would be more than welcome to join us. I guess you could call us "fast recreational" riders, if we are feeling fast that day :) Good atmosphere and we always regroup.

I think Ms Blouin may include information about Navajo Dam. Let me know how the riding is if you go. It's a place I've wanted to check out for awhile.

I'll check her book out. Thanks for the info. Plenty to fill in the cracks of time my wife will alot me.