This was my third trip to Ruidoso, NM for 12 Hours in the Wild West and the riding they have here is top notch! The course is just how I like it, a big climb with lots of downhill and good challenging technical thrown in.
I really didn’t know who was going to be my competition, I stopped looking at race lists a long time ago… I did know the race had sold out and there would be around 60 solos so there were going to be lots of people to race bikes with.
Lately I have been spending my free time pondering the energy in us and in the world around us. It’s everywhere and what I really dig about these lap races is all of the people going around in a circle for 12 hours creates one big merry-go-round of energy.
I have always felt it’s presence in these endurance races, back when I first started doing lap races, I just chalked it up to hippy shit. Over the years I have come to understand that everything and everyone in this world is made of energy it only makes sense that when you get 500 people going around in a circle you can tap into that.
For my part I try to leave nothing but good energy on the course as to not disturb the the circle of stoke!
Well enough hippy shit for now, I came into the race hoping for 11 laps and 125 miles. It’s a challenging course to rack up a lot of miles on and it’s definitely a mountain bikers course. That’s why when I did end up reaching my goal I was very happy.
The cycling community in Ruidoso, albeit, small is very passionate about there trails and riding. It’s great to see people that take such care and ownership of there community, and I love to see these people every year, (you know how you are) great to see you guys! There are races I have done and going back is an afterthought and there are races I look forward to going back to, this race falls in the latter category.
photos: Mark Stambaugh