New Mexico Highway 28 is the premier cycling route in our region, famed for its pecan orchards and other agricultural charms. One of those growing charms has been its wineries. For years there has been just one, La Viña Winery, famed not only for its award-winning wines but also for its semi-annual wine and jazz fests. Zin Valle Vineyards opened a few years ago south of La Viña, and in early 2009 Rio Grande Winery opened near Mesilla.
If you want to sample the vintages at all three wine tasting rooms, and don’t want to rely on a spouse or friend to transport your bike part of the way, the grand tour of Hwy 28 wineries involves about 50 miles of riding. A more attractive option for casual cyclists might be to get a ride to the first stop near Mesilla, then ride the 25 miles south to La Union. Either way, having someone in a car accompanying you is a must if you want to buy wine along the way (or overindulge with the tasting!).
For the first-ever El Paso Bicycle Club Wine Ride July 17, we started our ride at La Union Station, which is not a winery but on that particular day was offering live music beginning in the afternoon. We rode 22 miles north to Rio Grande Winery (which is about 4 miles south of the Mesilla Plaza).
Rio Grande Winery owner Gordon Steel is a stickler for serious wine tasting, so be prepared for a highly structured introduction to his wines. The tasting charge is $5, which includes a free glass or can be refunded with purchase of a bottle of wine.
From there we rode four miles back south and stopped at Stahmann Farms Country Store for an ice cream break (plus great pecan treats).
The next wine stop was 16 miles further down the road at La Viña, which officially has a $5 tasting charge (you can keep the souvenir glass). But we opted just to buy some bottles and share them (and the winery let us sample for free before our purchase).
The intended next stop was Zin Valle Vineyards, which is another four miles south. They have a very hospitable tasting room (and free tasting!), but the summer afternoon heat (and maybe the wine) was getting to us so we cut the ride short and returned to our starting point at La Union for food, music and beer.
For future rides, we probably start at Zin Valle to make sure we included all three wine stops, since it would be easy enough to ride back up to La Union Station afterward if we wanted dinner afterward.
Unfortunately, the only summer option was an afternoon ride because all three wineries are only open from noon to either 5 or 5:30 p.m. We wanted to check it out now, however, so we would know what to expect before offering it again in the fall.
Here’s the itinerary that goes with the map (the stops are marked with the blue W):
1. Start and end at
La Union Station
3117 Hwy 28, La Union
(at Mercantil, across from NM 186)
Ph: (575) 874-2828
2. Ride 22 miles north to
Rio Grande Winery
5321 Hwy 28, Mesilla
(4 miles south of Plaza)
(575) 524-3985
$5 wine tasting fee, refundable with purchase
3. Ride 6 miles south to Stahmann Farms Country Store
22505 Hwy 28, San Miguel
(ice cream, pecan treats)
4. Ride 16 miles south to La Vina Winery
4201 Hwy 28, La Union
(575) 882-7632
$5 Wine Tasting Fee
5. Ride 4 miles south to Zin Valle Winery
7315 Hwy 28, La Union
(915) 877-4544
Free Wine Tasting
6. Ride 3 miles north to La Union Station
Monday, July 19, 2010
Monday, July 12, 2010
Anthony Gap-Transmountain
The Anthony Gap-Transmountain ride is the mainstay of serious cyclists in El Paso. Depending on the route, it's about 44 miles with a great combination of climbing and flat riding. I always feel like I've put in a good ride when I'm finished.
On this particular day (July 11), the El Paso Bicycle Club's official ride was to the top of Anthony Gap and back, but five of us decided to keep going and do the full AG-TM loop.
From the West Side, you have the option of doing the Gap or Transmountain first. To be honest, doing TM first is the best way to go, particularly in summer. Get the hardest part out of the way before the temperatures rise. Also, the eastbound ascent of TM and the westbound grade on AG are both easier on the legs.
We started in the parking lot on Resler across from Franklin High School. This is a good place to begin and end a ride because there is a bike shop (Power Shots) and good places to eat (The Bagel Shop is a favorite). You head north on Resler, and can take your choice of 1) staying on Resler all the way to Transmountain, then turn west and get on the frontage road; or 2) cut over via Helen of Troy/Northwestern/Paso del Norte (Artcraft), which is a bit easier.
The frontage roads along I-10 are often referred to as "The Rollers" because there they keep going up and down. Stay on the northbound frontage road (also known as Desert Blvd North) until you get to Anthony (I-10 exit 0). You can't go any further or else you will enter the freeway. Turn left and go past the I-10 off/on ramps on the other side of the freeway then turn right on Sandia Road, which is a 2-way road that takes you to O'Hara Road. There is a gas station/convenience store at Sandia and Anthony Road that is a popular rest stop for cyclists.
Once you're on O'Hara road, it's an 8-mile ride east across Anthony Gap (see details below). O'Hara (NM 404) dead-ends at War Road; turn right and go south. War Road becomes Martin Luther King once you hit the state line and enter El Paso. At MLK and U.S. 54, look for the Shell station on your left if you need a rest and water bottle refill. From there, turn right onto the U.S. 54 frontage road and continue south to Transmountain, then get ready to climb (see details below).
Just past the top of TM coming from the east, you can cross the road to get to the overlook picnic areas.
As you approach the bottom of the descent on TM, look for the left turn to get onto Resler, which will take you back to the starting point. (Resler is exactly one mile uphill from I-10).
For folks who are not familiar with Anthony Gap or Transmountian, here's what you need to know.
"Anthony Gap" refers to the pass between the Franklin and Organ Mountains. NM 404 (also known as O'Hara road or sometimes Anthony Gap road) goes through the pass, connecting I-10 on the west side to Martin Luther King (also known as War Road) on the east. It's about 8 miles long, with a maximum elevation of nearly 4400 feet in the middle. The west end (I-10) is about 3,900 feet; the eastern end (War Road) is about 4,100 feet high. So the west to east route involves much more climbing.
Some warning/advice: the shoulders on O'Hara road are nice and wide but full of debris. Make sure you're prepared for flats!
Transmountain Road (Loop 375) spans I-10 on west and U.S. 54 (Patriot Freeway) on the east. It's about 10.7 miles. Elevation begins at about 3880 on the west side and 4,000 on the east, rising to 5,280 at the summit. It's about a 6-mile climb from the west and 4.5 miles from the east. East to west is a much tougher climb, but the descent to the west side is longer and in my opinion, safer. The eastbound descent involves more severe curves and, at times, unpredictable crosswinds.
On this particular day (July 11), the El Paso Bicycle Club's official ride was to the top of Anthony Gap and back, but five of us decided to keep going and do the full AG-TM loop.
From the West Side, you have the option of doing the Gap or Transmountain first. To be honest, doing TM first is the best way to go, particularly in summer. Get the hardest part out of the way before the temperatures rise. Also, the eastbound ascent of TM and the westbound grade on AG are both easier on the legs.
We started in the parking lot on Resler across from Franklin High School. This is a good place to begin and end a ride because there is a bike shop (Power Shots) and good places to eat (The Bagel Shop is a favorite). You head north on Resler, and can take your choice of 1) staying on Resler all the way to Transmountain, then turn west and get on the frontage road; or 2) cut over via Helen of Troy/Northwestern/Paso del Norte (Artcraft), which is a bit easier.
The frontage roads along I-10 are often referred to as "The Rollers" because there they keep going up and down. Stay on the northbound frontage road (also known as Desert Blvd North) until you get to Anthony (I-10 exit 0). You can't go any further or else you will enter the freeway. Turn left and go past the I-10 off/on ramps on the other side of the freeway then turn right on Sandia Road, which is a 2-way road that takes you to O'Hara Road. There is a gas station/convenience store at Sandia and Anthony Road that is a popular rest stop for cyclists.
Once you're on O'Hara road, it's an 8-mile ride east across Anthony Gap (see details below). O'Hara (NM 404) dead-ends at War Road; turn right and go south. War Road becomes Martin Luther King once you hit the state line and enter El Paso. At MLK and U.S. 54, look for the Shell station on your left if you need a rest and water bottle refill. From there, turn right onto the U.S. 54 frontage road and continue south to Transmountain, then get ready to climb (see details below).
Just past the top of TM coming from the east, you can cross the road to get to the overlook picnic areas.
As you approach the bottom of the descent on TM, look for the left turn to get onto Resler, which will take you back to the starting point. (Resler is exactly one mile uphill from I-10).
For folks who are not familiar with Anthony Gap or Transmountian, here's what you need to know.
"Anthony Gap" refers to the pass between the Franklin and Organ Mountains. NM 404 (also known as O'Hara road or sometimes Anthony Gap road) goes through the pass, connecting I-10 on the west side to Martin Luther King (also known as War Road) on the east. It's about 8 miles long, with a maximum elevation of nearly 4400 feet in the middle. The west end (I-10) is about 3,900 feet; the eastern end (War Road) is about 4,100 feet high. So the west to east route involves much more climbing.
Some warning/advice: the shoulders on O'Hara road are nice and wide but full of debris. Make sure you're prepared for flats!
Transmountain Road (Loop 375) spans I-10 on west and U.S. 54 (Patriot Freeway) on the east. It's about 10.7 miles. Elevation begins at about 3880 on the west side and 4,000 on the east, rising to 5,280 at the summit. It's about a 6-mile climb from the west and 4.5 miles from the east. East to west is a much tougher climb, but the descent to the west side is longer and in my opinion, safer. The eastbound descent involves more severe curves and, at times, unpredictable crosswinds.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
La Mesa Loop
Sometimes I just want to ride flat and look at the scenery. I have a strong preference for loop rides, so that I have more to look at instead of just returning via the same way I went out. This La Mesa Loop is a great flat 1/2 century ride for just that purpose.
This ride encompasses the Wednesday night route (see earlier post), but adds another 13 miles. After heading up Upper Valley Road to Borderland to Bosque to Vinton to Westside, the ride goes east on Washington, then north on Dairy Farm, connecting to O'Hara Road and then north again on Three Saints past Berino. On this ride, I tried out Six Mile Road to link up with NM 478 to Vado, then headed west on NM 189 to get to NM 28 and then the turnaround at Eagle Grocery in La Mesa.
Eagle Grocery, by the way, is a popular rest stop for all the cyclists going between El Paso and Mesilla. It's a mom-and-pop market with all the usual convenience store stuff plus good empanadas and burritos if you're hungry.
For the the return trip, I stuck to NM 28 then back home via the usual Weds. night route (FM 259 to Gato to Morrill to Cocula to Upper Valley).
It adds up to about 47 miles on the map -- just over 50 for my ride since I rode from my home. I did this on a hot summer day between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., so this was plenty.
This ride encompasses the Wednesday night route (see earlier post), but adds another 13 miles. After heading up Upper Valley Road to Borderland to Bosque to Vinton to Westside, the ride goes east on Washington, then north on Dairy Farm, connecting to O'Hara Road and then north again on Three Saints past Berino. On this ride, I tried out Six Mile Road to link up with NM 478 to Vado, then headed west on NM 189 to get to NM 28 and then the turnaround at Eagle Grocery in La Mesa.
Eagle Grocery, by the way, is a popular rest stop for all the cyclists going between El Paso and Mesilla. It's a mom-and-pop market with all the usual convenience store stuff plus good empanadas and burritos if you're hungry.
For the the return trip, I stuck to NM 28 then back home via the usual Weds. night route (FM 259 to Gato to Morrill to Cocula to Upper Valley).
It adds up to about 47 miles on the map -- just over 50 for my ride since I rode from my home. I did this on a hot summer day between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., so this was plenty.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Rollers and River Anthony Gap Ride
I was in the mood today for a ride with a lot of variety. I decided to head to Anthony Gap, but picked a different route that was perfect for a warm mid-day ride. I headed up Upper Valley Road, took the bike path along Artcraft east to Strahan then north to Borderland and east to the Rio Grande where I rode along the River Trail north to Vinton Road. The River Trail is perfect on a weekday when there are few walkers, so I can ride at a fairly fast clip without annoying the pedestrians and casual riders.
At Vinton Road I turned east to get onto the frontage road along I-10 (aka "the rollers"). Vinton Road, which has been completely redone from Doniphan to I-10, is the easiest access to the rollers (Thorn, Redd and Transmountain all are steeper). From there I went north to Anthony Exit 0, then crossed I-10 to get onto Sandia Road, a 2-way road that runs alongside I-10 north to O'Hara Road (you have to cross over -- the frontage road enters the freeway at this point). O'Hara Road is the Anthony Gap road. I rode to the summit and turned around.
When I got to Anthony, I decided to take NM 478 back into Anthony then turn west on Washington Street and get back onto the River Trail. This is a little dicey for road bikes, since you have to ride on unpaved levee road along the east side of the river for about 1/2 mile before picking up the River Trail again.
The River Trail runs along the east side of the Rio Grande for about 2 1/2 miles north of Vinton Road then crosses over to the west side where it continues for 10 miles, ending just north of Country Club Road. Today I was running short on time, so I crossed over to Doniphan when I hit Doniphan. The route on the map gives a slightly alternate route for riders who begin and end at River Run Plaza.
I figured out how to embed the map into the blog, so here goes (when I get time, I will go back and edit the earlier posts to embed those maps as well).
At Vinton Road I turned east to get onto the frontage road along I-10 (aka "the rollers"). Vinton Road, which has been completely redone from Doniphan to I-10, is the easiest access to the rollers (Thorn, Redd and Transmountain all are steeper). From there I went north to Anthony Exit 0, then crossed I-10 to get onto Sandia Road, a 2-way road that runs alongside I-10 north to O'Hara Road (you have to cross over -- the frontage road enters the freeway at this point). O'Hara Road is the Anthony Gap road. I rode to the summit and turned around.
When I got to Anthony, I decided to take NM 478 back into Anthony then turn west on Washington Street and get back onto the River Trail. This is a little dicey for road bikes, since you have to ride on unpaved levee road along the east side of the river for about 1/2 mile before picking up the River Trail again.
The River Trail runs along the east side of the Rio Grande for about 2 1/2 miles north of Vinton Road then crosses over to the west side where it continues for 10 miles, ending just north of Country Club Road. Today I was running short on time, so I crossed over to Doniphan when I hit Doniphan. The route on the map gives a slightly alternate route for riders who begin and end at River Run Plaza.
I figured out how to embed the map into the blog, so here goes (when I get time, I will go back and edit the earlier posts to embed those maps as well).
Friday, April 16, 2010
La Union / Border Crossing
This is a typical ride for me: Head north through the Upper Valley, connecting to Hwy 28 and up to La Union, then take La Union Road to Alvarez to McNutt to Artcraft to the Border Crossing, returning via Airport Road and McNutt to Country Club. It's about 32 miles total (actually 36 from my home, but I use River Run Plaza as the starting and ending point for maps). Here's the link (map is shown below the post):
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/tx/el%20paso/168127144731919989
This is a good everyday ride because it has a lot of variety and not much traffic. I feel pretty comfortable riding while listening to my iPod on these roads.
The first 15 miles are pretty much of a warmup. Then there's the climb up Artcraft, which get the heart pumping. By the time I get to the overpass just the Airport Road intersection, I'm ready to crank up the speed for the 5-mile flat stretch to the border crossing and the five miles back. Then there's the downhill cruise on Airport and a short jaunt back to the starting point.
I always cut through the University of Phoenix parking lot 1) to avoid the stoplight at McNutt and Country Club; and 2) it makes a fun bicycle slalom course as I make my way around the speed bumps.
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/us/tx/el%20paso/168127144731919989
This is a good everyday ride because it has a lot of variety and not much traffic. I feel pretty comfortable riding while listening to my iPod on these roads.
The first 15 miles are pretty much of a warmup. Then there's the climb up Artcraft, which get the heart pumping. By the time I get to the overpass just the Airport Road intersection, I'm ready to crank up the speed for the 5-mile flat stretch to the border crossing and the five miles back. Then there's the downhill cruise on Airport and a short jaunt back to the starting point.
I always cut through the University of Phoenix parking lot 1) to avoid the stoplight at McNutt and Country Club; and 2) it makes a fun bicycle slalom course as I make my way around the speed bumps.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wednesday Night Rides
The oldest biking tradition in El Paso is the Wednesday night ride during Daylight Savings Time. The ride starts at 6 p.m. from River Run Plaza on Country Club road (sometimes earlier depending on the group and whether it’s early or late in the season, when there is less daylight to work with). The usual route is a 24-mile loop that goes north along Upper Valley back roads to Washington Street in Anthony, then west to Gadsden High School, returning south on Hwy 28 to FM 259 and other roads connecting back to Upper Valley Road.
Back in an earlier biking phase in the mid-1990s, the route was shorter and more social. We would ride 10 miles up to La Union Station, have a beer and return. The only reason for going fast was to allow time for a second beer. It was a lot of fun and attracted riders of all abilities.
When I returned to riding in 2007, the Wednesday night rides had become more of training ride, with lots of fast riders leading the way. Usually there are several groups leaving River Run and riders generally find plenty of company at whatever pace they want to ride. El Paso Bicycle Club members often hang out afterwards at Hello Pizza at River Run.
La Union Station later closed down, but a couple of years ago it reopened and just this past year regained its beer and wine license. So in 2010, on the first Wednesday night of the season, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day), we re-inaugurated the traditional Pub Ride. La Union Station usually isn’t open Wednesday nights, but agreed to host the cyclists that night. It was so successful that La Union agreed to host it on a monthly basis, so upcoming Pub Rides will be May 5 (Cinco de Mayo), June 2, July 7, Aug. 4, Sept. 1 and Oct. 6. Pub Rides will start at 5:30 p.m. for those who can get there early.
Wednesday night rides are not for the faint of heart. By mid-summer, there can be as many as 75 riders taking off, and after a few miles of warmup pace, the ride turns into a race for those so inclined. Usually the fast riders wait to turn on their turbochargers until they reach Bosque Road just past Canutillo Middle School and Gallegos Park, The pace will suddenly jump to 26 to 30 mph in spurts, forming a peloton of hard-core riders in front. The pace may back off a bit afterward, especially on the bumpy, chip-sealed sections of Vinton Road and Westside Drive, then may speed up again once the riders turn south on Hwy 28. Because we have so many riders packed together at times, with many struggling to hang on to the fast pace, Wednesday night rides have been the scene of some of our worst accidents. Last summer I went down when I clipped the wheel in front of me, sending me to the asphalt at 24 mph. Not only the worst case of road rash I had ever suffered, but it also ranked among the worst my friends had seen. I was still able to get back on the bike and finish the ride (I was halfway done at the time), but decided to go to a clinic the next day for a tetanus shot and some professional bandaging.
The pace varies with the wind, which can be very strong in the spring – usually a crosswind coming from the west. Thunderstorms may hamper the ride during mid-summer and occasionally other times.
Some of the advanced riders may opt for a slightly longer route, returning via McNutt and Artcraft. Other riders can choose a shorter distance, cutting over to Hwy 28 via Vinton Road North or South instead of going all the way to Washington Street.
A map of the typical Wednesday night ride is posted at
www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/el-paso/572451579
Last night (April 14) was an unusually perfect evening for April. The temperature was in the 70s, the wind was a comfortable 10 mph from the west. I was with a group of club riders who started a few minutes before 6 p.m. Somewhere along Bosque Road a peloton of faster riders passed us and three of us managed to hang on at the rear. They dropped up on Westside Drive and the three of us hung together with vague hopes of catching back up. At the southward turn on Hwy 28, we passed some club riders who had started earlier and were taking a break at Gadsden High. I slowed a bit too much and my two colleagues, Fred (the Ironman Recumbent Rider) and Fidel dumped me. Eventually another group caught up to me and I was able to hang on long enough to catch back up with Fred and Fidel and couple of other riders. We finished the ride averaging over 21 mph, not bad for early in the season.
Back in an earlier biking phase in the mid-1990s, the route was shorter and more social. We would ride 10 miles up to La Union Station, have a beer and return. The only reason for going fast was to allow time for a second beer. It was a lot of fun and attracted riders of all abilities.
When I returned to riding in 2007, the Wednesday night rides had become more of training ride, with lots of fast riders leading the way. Usually there are several groups leaving River Run and riders generally find plenty of company at whatever pace they want to ride. El Paso Bicycle Club members often hang out afterwards at Hello Pizza at River Run.
La Union Station later closed down, but a couple of years ago it reopened and just this past year regained its beer and wine license. So in 2010, on the first Wednesday night of the season, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day), we re-inaugurated the traditional Pub Ride. La Union Station usually isn’t open Wednesday nights, but agreed to host the cyclists that night. It was so successful that La Union agreed to host it on a monthly basis, so upcoming Pub Rides will be May 5 (Cinco de Mayo), June 2, July 7, Aug. 4, Sept. 1 and Oct. 6. Pub Rides will start at 5:30 p.m. for those who can get there early.
Wednesday night rides are not for the faint of heart. By mid-summer, there can be as many as 75 riders taking off, and after a few miles of warmup pace, the ride turns into a race for those so inclined. Usually the fast riders wait to turn on their turbochargers until they reach Bosque Road just past Canutillo Middle School and Gallegos Park, The pace will suddenly jump to 26 to 30 mph in spurts, forming a peloton of hard-core riders in front. The pace may back off a bit afterward, especially on the bumpy, chip-sealed sections of Vinton Road and Westside Drive, then may speed up again once the riders turn south on Hwy 28. Because we have so many riders packed together at times, with many struggling to hang on to the fast pace, Wednesday night rides have been the scene of some of our worst accidents. Last summer I went down when I clipped the wheel in front of me, sending me to the asphalt at 24 mph. Not only the worst case of road rash I had ever suffered, but it also ranked among the worst my friends had seen. I was still able to get back on the bike and finish the ride (I was halfway done at the time), but decided to go to a clinic the next day for a tetanus shot and some professional bandaging.
The pace varies with the wind, which can be very strong in the spring – usually a crosswind coming from the west. Thunderstorms may hamper the ride during mid-summer and occasionally other times.
Some of the advanced riders may opt for a slightly longer route, returning via McNutt and Artcraft. Other riders can choose a shorter distance, cutting over to Hwy 28 via Vinton Road North or South instead of going all the way to Washington Street.
A map of the typical Wednesday night ride is posted at
www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/tx/el-paso/572451579
Last night (April 14) was an unusually perfect evening for April. The temperature was in the 70s, the wind was a comfortable 10 mph from the west. I was with a group of club riders who started a few minutes before 6 p.m. Somewhere along Bosque Road a peloton of faster riders passed us and three of us managed to hang on at the rear. They dropped up on Westside Drive and the three of us hung together with vague hopes of catching back up. At the southward turn on Hwy 28, we passed some club riders who had started earlier and were taking a break at Gadsden High. I slowed a bit too much and my two colleagues, Fred (the Ironman Recumbent Rider) and Fidel dumped me. Eventually another group caught up to me and I was able to hang on long enough to catch back up with Fred and Fidel and couple of other riders. We finished the ride averaging over 21 mph, not bad for early in the season.
Welcome to Biking El Paso
This is a new blog I created to promote bicycling in El Paso. I won't say too much about it right now because I don't know exactly how it will evolve. My intent is to recruit some fellow cyclists to post about their favorite rides to encourage other to explore the various cycling options in the El Paso region. It will take a while to get this going, but hopefully it will benefit the area's cycling community.
-- Randy
-- Randy
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