Santa Fe, NM 2025
New Mexico really is the Land of Enchantment. I fantasize about living there every bike ride I take.
Got two rides out of a fun family vacation. First was a short trip up to the Santa Fe Ski Resort and wrapped up with a cruise on up through Chimayo up to my turnaround point in Peñasco.
Ride through Chimayo up Northeast
Deciding this route took time. Due to a thin rear rotor I wanted a route with straighter descents allowing for less braking. A trip two days before to Chimayo revealed smooth roads through a beautiful desert environment. I settled on it, after seeing a little North would take me gradually into the mountains.
I always take it easy on destination rides so I can enjoy the countryside. So the climb was rather chill with 2,200 ft in 9 miles. Once you plateau in Truchas and enter Carson National Forest you’ll enjoy a fun descent followed by your short climbs and descents until Peñasco.
Peñasco is when the course deviated from the original idea. After visiting with a curious horse I came across reservation territory where non-tribal wasn’t allowed…no sweat, a u-turn and on I go.
The descent back was fun. No brakes required reaching up to 49mph while chilling.
Once in Chimayo I needed water bottle refills so I visited a coffee shop who also served snow cones with friendly cat company. Once she found my lap it was purring until I finished the ride off.
You can find my route here which links to the Strava route. Remember the only deviation is at the turnaround point. Instead of making a loop just pull a u-turn. For water breaks you can stop in Peñasco and Chimayo. But for Chimayo you’ll need to find a local shop that sells water bottles as there’s no gas station. I recommend four water bottles on this trip as the climate could be hot depending on the season and the towns in between are very small with limited to no stores.
