# Any insights on the Enchanted Circle Century?



## RtR Pir8 (Feb 24, 2009)

I'm planning to ride the Enchanted Circle Century on Sept. 9th, anybody done it in the past and care to comment? I'm familiar with a large part of the route from the auto perspective but I would love to hear about good strategies for doing it on bicycle. Cheers and thanks.


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

RtR Pir8 said:


> I'm planning to ride the Enchanted Circle Century on Sept. 9th, anybody done it in the past and care to comment? I'm familiar with a large part of the route from the auto perspective but I would love to hear about good strategies for doing it on bicycle. Cheers and thanks.


That was my first century back in 1988 and I've done it 15-18 times since then.
Expect the start to be cold. It's downhill and shady all the way to Questa. Personally I always roll out 15-20 minutes early to avoid the crowd flying down the narrow road at 25-30mph.
At Questa, get ready to climb and heat up. Many people, including me, shed some of the warm stuff as you start climbing the Garrapata Ridge immediately. Consider some throw away layers as the day should be quite pleasant after that barring any rain.
There has been a rest stop between Questa and Taos plus one at Taos. The second one is easy to miss as it is in the park on the left pretty much right across the street from Michaels (a good Mexican food place).
After turning left at the light you head up Palo Flechado Pass. There will be a surprise stop sign before getting out of town. Be careful.
Palo Flechado is a long climb that isn't that steep at all until less than a mile from the summit. After a big hairpin turn to the right, it's a steep climb to the top.
The descent is tight and technical. Be careful! You will likely meet traffic coming up the pass and don't want to venture into the oncoming lane.
After the descent, you turn right for an 8 mile out/back (16 total) to the Black Lake fire station - a rest stop. Essentially you climb over a ridge, drop down to the station, and climb back over the ridge to the main highway. 
Turn right toward Eagle Nest and ride across the valley. There's a gas station in Eagle Nest where many people stop. Turn left toward Red River and it's slightly uphill to the Moreno Ranch. From there it is 6 miles to the top of Bobcat Pass. Look for a mile marker after 4 miles since that's where the climb gets serious, 9-10% serious for the last two miles to the top. You can look for the next two mileage markers for motivation. 
At the top of the pass, it's a 4 mile downhill to the finish. Don't be surprised if you have to pedal at first as the wind will likely be blowing in your face at the top. As always, look for fallen rock on the descent, but enjoy the ride down.
It's a challenging ride for sure.


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## hcarreathers (Jun 23, 2009)

I did this ride yesterday. My first century! It was fun a quite a challenge. The Palo Flechado Pass is long for sure. Quite a feeling of excitement when you get to the top! Bobcat is the single toughest climb I've ever attempted.
Hats off to the organizers. The rest stops were well stocked (and I was near the back) and came at perfect times. It was almost impossible to run out of water if you left the rest stop fully loaded. 
All and all it was a blast! Great weather and great people. I'll be back for more.


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

hcarreathers said:


> I did this ride yesterday. My first century! .


Congrats! I talked to a local guy today who said the weather was perfect.

I'm sure Red River needs all the support they can get. The town hasn't changed that much in 40 years although they did add the nice sidewalks, the ball field & park, and the new community center a few years ago. 

The hotels/motels are all very old though.


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## Barger285 (Sep 9, 2012)

Consider some throw away layers as the day should be quite pleasant after that barring any rain.


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## MerlinAma (Oct 11, 2005)

Barger285 said:


> Consider some throw away layers as the day should be quite pleasant after that barring any rain.


The event happened yesterday.


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## hcarreathers (Jun 23, 2009)

The weather couldn't have been better. It was cold to start and I've never wanted to climb as much as I did that morning. The valley outside of Red River is COLD in the morning. It warmed up nicely and never got really hot, and the wind stayed away for the most part.


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