6/04/2012

Arroyo Honking and Such in Santa Fe

A couple of Fridays back I had to drop the old car off for service down in the way other end of Santa Fe. I took the opportunity to bring the pugs to do some arroyo honking back up to town and have some fun while they replaced the fuse box on the Golf.

in the wild intersitials of Santa Fe
IMG_5126

I used to ride the arroyo a bunch before Aida was born. Elena would drop me off in south santa fe hell while she did some errands and I would ride up the arroyo to the bike trails and head downtown for some coffee and such and then she would pick me up on the way back home. Lots has changes since then. The Lamy trail between Siringo and downtown is completely paved now. The Rail Runner, passenger rail from Albuquerque to Santa Fe, was added in the last few years. As such, all the interesting stuff and single track on the trail is gone. Including Hunter and the Zia Caboose, for those of you who were long time readers. The path is really well used now, which is good, but the old path was good too. For old times sake, check out old ride reports Santa Feans with mad sand skills, Lack of Big Rides, Caboose Home, Return to the Zia Caboose, Return of the son of the Zia Caboose, Boring Same old Folding Bike Santa Fe Post.
Anyone know what became of the Zia Caboose and Hunter? I think he was set up along the tracks diagonal across second from the Brew Pub for a while, but no sign of the caboose or even where the hell it would go.

Wheeled Detritus! my favorite thing to find.
IMG_5127

Anyhow, when I have ridden the arroyo before, it was mostly hiking and riding, only really riding during monsoon season when the sand was a bit more packed. It is rough going on a normal MTB, and virtually unridable on the picnica. On the Pugsley, it was completely feasible. Just like the snow, lower the pressure until you can ride. Between the Santa Fe auto maul and Rodeo drive, it is pretty soft slow going, above Rodeo all the way to Siringo, it was pretty ridable. Hard work going up arroyo into the wind that day, but pretty easy coming back down. It was dry enough that I am pretty sure it was more or less unridable on a normal MTB. It was pretty smooth on the pugsley. I fell over in the deeper sand a couple times, but for the most part the section from Siringo to Rodeo was completely ridable and eerily clean of crap. There must have been a big arroyo clean up day. Good job peoples, the arroyo looked grand in this section.

Cruising down arroyo

There was still good stuff here and there to see. It was hot and smokey from the big fire down in the Gila, so I did not take quite as many photos as usual of the sights. But there was some wheeled detritus and other good things along the way.

Land Cruiser and pick up with engine in it parked at the Second Street Brew Pub
IMG_5128

Once I hit the Lamy trail and went through the railyard, I got lots of comments on the pugsley. Mostly of the "look at those tires" variety, the winning comment of the day was from a slightly inebriated looking fellow fixing a car in a parking lot. He ran up toward me yelling "does it float?". I did get the chance to talk to Santa Fe fixture Ray for a bit. We chatted about bikes and some other stuff. He graciously let me take a pic of him and his service dog and his Worksman Trike. He loves the wheels as they don't need truing. The wheels did sport some damage was from someone backing into him in the Trader Joes Parking lot.

Ray and his rig
IMG_5138

I stopped in the other Second Street brewery Railyard edition for some lunch and a beer. It was pretty fun to watch all the cyclists pass through the railyard on the way to wherever on a fine Friday afternoon. I picked up a growler to deliver to the fellers at Mellow Velo. It sort of fit in my musette, but I used another bag to kind of tie it in there.

Pugsley, Raleigh International, fully loaded Surly LHT. A great rackful of bikes.
IMG_5129

When I got over to Mellow Velo, I delivered said growler checked out David's latest acquisition, a Schwinn Hollywood, to go with the coveted Schwinn Flying Star. Dammit, covet, dammit. I was also able to watch the shop van get painted in its new Wonderbread/Mondrian livery.

A side
IMG_5131

flip side
IMG_5130

So anyone want to give me their Flying Star or Holywood?
IMG_5133

After chatting a bit at the shop, I took a nice easier ride back from whence I came and picked up the car. Total riding was probably about 16 miles or so, maybe 6 or 7 in the arroyo. It was a good day.

IMG_5143

I picked up 700 billion goatheads getting out of the Arroyo back at the automaul. Fortunately I had slimed the tires that morning. Fortunately surly thought to put removable cores in their fatbike tubes. I am not really sure if any of the goatheads actually made it through the tires, they are pretty thick, but I will probably spend some time with a pocket knife prying out thorns before winter. While I was removing thorns in front of the service area, most of the mechanics came out to check out the Pugs. I probably should have let them ride it, but I was worried that the tires were going to go completely flat due to all the thorns. They are still holding air two weeks later, so maybe next time fellers.

A small fraction of the 700 billion goatheads
IMG_5146

I drove back through town stopping at Trader Joes for supplies and was delighted when a previously unknown to me blog reader stopped me and introduced himself. Whats up Rick? This has happened to a few times and it always makes me really happy. It is hard to find the time to blog about stuff anymore, and I always wonder if it is just me, my ma, the seven of you who comment regularly and random google searches providing all my traffic. Stuff like this tends to spur me to slightly greater blogging heights. Anyhow, if you see me and know me through the blog, please say hello, then I can take your photo and have something to blog about. I will even hook you up with some Tarik Saleh Bike Club stuff if I have some with me.

Me and loyal(?) reader Rick in Trader Joes
IMG_5147

After I loaded up with frozen pizzas and coconut oil infused dessert products, I headed home to the family. I grabbed Aida and plopped her in the trailer and rode downtown for the Red Elvises show at the duck pond. Aida really liked it.

Aida, Me, Red Elvi
IMG_5155

Dancing with Mila and Clay
IMG_5158

Like I said, good day.

10 comments:

Andy D. said...

As a lax/otherwise overcommitted bloggist myself, I prefer quality over quantity. This post definitely delivered. Excellent descriptions and photos. Sounds like a great day. I'm inspired to request admission to your fine bike club.

How much slime do you have to inject into those big fat Surly tubes? I'm not yet divulging why I want to know, but goat heads are plentiful here too.

I've got a '64 Hollywood, but as it's been in my wife's family since new, I can't part with it. There's something about Schwinn curvy mixtes that just makes a great bike. Great Elvi pic too, BTW.

Khal said...

Love the picture of those goatheads. I need to learn tire surgery a little better than I know it presently.

Anonymous said...

I read your blog pretty regularly, I'm not even a bike aficionado. I just think you're funny, I miss you and I like to see pics of your beautiful ladies!

xoxox, shannito

cyclotourist said...

And that my friends, is how to have a perfect day on a bike, Southwestern US edition.

Ray said...

Does she really have pink cowboy boots? I hope she figures out how lucky she is after her "I hate you!" years.

Tarik Saleh said...

Andy D,
I see why you ask now... I dumped about 6-7 ounces in each tire I think. Just under half of the 16 oz bottle in each. I do have lots of Schwinn mixties and such, but no little ones. I can probably convince David to part with one or both, but it will cost me dearly...

Khal,
I recommend a sharp pointy pocketknife and/or a dental pick and the patience that a few beers can bring. At some point tires become lost causes, but i have pulled out 100's of thorns in 14" tires before, so just practice practice practice...

Shannito,
Hey! Whatsup? Hey to the family, maybe we will be in Denver one day to visit.

CycloT,
The funny part is I did not consume any Huevos Rancheros or Breakfast burritos or Green Chile, thus it could have been a perfecter SW bike day. I will try to do better...

Ray,
Pink boots yes. She says they are cowgirl boots. I hope it makes up for later teenage angst.

Thanks for reading all...

Andy D. said...

Thanks for the info. I've been riding all over places that I know are risky, so I have a date with a big bottle of Slime tomorrow.

Mine also has pink boots, definitely of the cowgirl variety.

Bryan B said...

I read because I'm a fan of breakfast burritos and low volume tires. This blog fills that void in a unique manner.

Also, I read you because John Speare is my homeboy.

lemmiwinks said...

Another lurker here, I dig it all but especially the bike stuff. Though I do enjoy the ski race reports too.

Desert Dirt said...

Tariq - I remember the cool caboose that used to be parked at the mothballed grain elevator. It's gone now. There are two cabooses stored on rails south of Zia Rd but neither are the restored one from your previous posts. I guess that guy just picked up and hitched a ride somewhere? I wonder how that works exactly. I'd add that I've been riding tubeless this summer and haven't flatted yet. I feel like my bike is magic now. It's like my bike is secretly a monster truck and I can ride anywhere I please. I like the cool photo with Clay and the munchkins.