New Mexico Off-Road Runner’ish
A great early-season trip to test the legs and equipment after the long winter break.
We’re talking desert bikepacking!
As I was gearing up for a full season of bikepack racing, the need for a more relaxed, warm’ish, and sort of testing ground trip grew. I’ve had my eye on the New Mexico Off-Road Runner for years now and thought it’d be a perfect training trip to prepare me for the race season to come. The NMORR is an off-road route connecting Sante Fe to Las Cruces, NM. The terrain is relatively fast rolling with tolerable technical bits for the average rider. However, it’s New Mexico, and the riding shall not ever be underestimated. I got exactly what I was looking for and some over the 5 days I spent pedaling south.
Route
Like nearly every bikepacking trip, something changed from the start. In this case it was my route. I was hoping to take a train up to Santa Fe and start riding from there, but snow and rain kept me in Albuquerque, NM. For the first day I rerouted all dirt roads to pavement to avoid the peanut-butter clay that happens when there is moisture. The following days I was able to get on dirt that was dry and mostly fast rolling. The constant 20-30 mph headwind kept my pace slow, though. Day 4 was a rest day in Truth or Consequences as a wind storm swept through the valley. 40 mph winds do not equate great riding conditions, especially when there’s traffic. The last day I attempted to make it down to Las Cruces, but an accident turned everyone on the highway around, including myself. So my final destination was Hatch, NM. Not a bad destination!
Bike & Equipment
The gravel build on this Giant Revolt has been one of my favorites. The sizeable tire clearance gives room for the 47c Teravail Cannonballs, and the D-Fuse seatpost is comfortable for long days in the saddle. You can’t go wrong with SRAM’s mullet build - Force levers and brakes paired with a GX AXS rear derailleur and eagle cassette. The gearing opens up the mechanical advantage for multi-mile climbs on a loaded bike, which is ideal for bikepacking. And who doesn’t like the copper finish? I’m really happy with the 3mm grip tape but found the tape to be too sticky for bare hands. My only qualm with the build was the Specialized Pro saddle with Mirror. I found it to be slightly too small and uncomfortable for all-day riding. I’ll be swapping the saddle out before my upcoming race.