On the Wild Side

Zia Rides Race Series #2: 12-Hours in the Wild West 

(May 12, 2012) Ft. Stanton, NM – The day began with the strains of Willie Nelson drifting across the venue reminding everyone not to let their babies grow up to be cowboys. This was as appropriate an opener as one could get, because the cowboys and cowgirls showed up in force in Ft. Stanton, NM near the beautiful mountain resort town of Ruidoso. And as the song states, "He ain't wrong, he's just different” – a line that would apply to just about anyone, male or female, that considers participating in an endurance mountain biking event.

They traveled from as far as Austin, TX and Boulder, CO for a chance to see who could ride the most laps withing a 12 hour period on some of the most beautiful trails to be found in New Mexico. But the opportunity to do so would be contested by Mother Nature herself as an unseasonable downpour brought much needed rain to the Ruidoso area on the evening before the race.

That did not deter the solo, duo and riders of teams of three and four persons from dropping by in a steady stream at The Bike Shop in downtown Ruidoso for packet pickup. Spirits were high and camaraderie apparent as racers met and chatted about plans for tomorrow. Many stayed in hotels nearby, while others camped at the venue about forty minutes away on highway 220, just off the Capitan Highway near historic Ft. Stanton. The Bike Shop was one of the major sponsors of the race, who also fielded several riders.

Zia Rides, the promoter of this the second of their Zia Rides Series, were wary of weather that might thwart their plans after a freak snowstorm brought the Dawn 'Till Dusk season opener to an early ending. Safety being an overriding concern, they were hoping for a break in the weather that would allow the race to proceed. After off and on rain through the night, and an hour's delay to the start of the race, they got their wish.

The morning of the race brought the clear skies that everyone was hoping for. The Sheriff's Posse were on hand to help along with Search and Rescue, who patrolled the course on horseback during the race. The Old West aura they lent was fully appropriate given the title of the event, but more importantly, their services helped ensure the safety of everyone participating. Teams lined up for a riding start at 9 AM and began competition for category wins as well as such honors as “best team name” and “fastest lap”, among others. The course proved to be one of the fastest ever as the parched earth drank up the welcome rain and the warm sun did the rest. Some of the course was on jeep trails, but much of it was on single track where the fresh tread marks formed a perfect ribbon that defined the line of choice amongst riders that day.

The course features some beautiful views and amazing vistas, but to get there, riders had to climb. At the top of one of the steepest hills sat “Whiskey Station,” sponsored by Therapy Associates, which offered beleaguered riders a bit of wild-west hospitality in the form of a shot of whiskey.

Several riders commented that the hill seemed to get steeper and steeper with every lap. But if a stiff drink wasn't the reward one was looking for, the second pass by Whiskey Station also brought the beginning of the amazing downhill section. The hard-packed mountain dirt made conditions near ideal for allowing riders to go as fast as they dared from that point on.

 As testament to the quality of the conditions over the ten-plus mile loop, the honor of fastest lap went to Tim Bolton of Klimit Coaching at a smoking 43 minutes and 11 seconds. A member of a duo team rounded out by Alex Christenson, they battled closely with the ultimate victors in the duo male category, Daniel King and Rob Shaver, who rode an amazing 13 laps with an average time of 49:36 as team Mid-Life Crisis.

Interesting names appear to be a hallmark of these races. Riders voted for the best out of all entrants and locals Paul Regalado and Cody Thurston took that honor with Hold My Beer and Watch This. Those participating in their first 12-hour event received a treat in the form of a confection known as “The Big Cherry”, which added a bit of fun to the awards ceremony.

Continuing with race results, however, the solo single-speed category was taken over by Bradley Berger of Bach Builders, who rode 11 laps total (yes, that's right: one gear, eleven laps). The female solo category went to Ligia Ford (Wheelin' and Dealin') with seven laps to her credit. Matt Barkley, sponsored by Orange Seal Cycling and Texas Cycle Werks, along with Greg Leschisin both rode eleven laps in the solo male category, with Matt pulling off the win with a lead of just over four minutes.

The duo women's category was taken by Helen Morell and Angie Cline – team Dirtgirlz – with seven laps total. Finally, the co-ed team winners were Jill Hueckman and Leslie Handy (Trek Store/Bandwagon) who pulled off 11 laps with almost 40 minutes to spare. Several other teams also managed to crank out 11 laps before the the sun set on the end of the race at the appointed 8 PM official finish time.

 But before that occurred, teams and individuals watched the encroaching weather and had to decide when to call it a day. Around 7 PM, hard rain was just over a mile away as it seemed to magically skirt the course itself as it soaked nearby territories. And though the rain was encroaching, the sun shone brightly underneath the cloud cover, forming a spectacular double rainbow that was breathtaking to behold.

Ultimately though, the race did not end early and the awards ceremony began promptly at 8:01 PM. Maybe a little luck was due to the hard-working crew of staff and volunteers that compose Zia Rides, led by Lindsay Mapes, who's organization has secured the location of the 2013 and 2014 USA Cycling Mountain Bike 24-Hour National Championships to be held in Gallup, NM. Poised at the cusp of what may be a meteoric rise to fame as one of the greatest venues in endurance mountain biking in the United States, those registered for this years “24-Hours in the Enchanted Forest” will have it to themselves for one more year before about 300 or so of the nation's best mountain bike riders meet there in 2013. Unless, of course, “the best” have been riding there all along... Only time will tell. See you there!