Recap: National Bike Rally Albuquerque, NM

It doesn't take much to make me chase clouds.

We were graced with few but quality attendance at the National Bike Rally, similar to many other recent conference-type events, likely due to state of economy. No one else from Pittsburgh nor California was present, which meant that I had no partners in crime but had good reason to make new friends and experiment with sharing/exchanging accommodations. The people that did attend; however, represented a good portion of the local cycling community in Albuquerque and nearby Santa Fe and a handful of very dedicated advocates from Washington DC, New York, Texas and Australia.

Unexpectedly, some optimistic and creative attendants leveraged the state of economy – and their unemployed state – to become certified in things that they would normally pay for when employed. While I am also unemployed, I missed the memo about the early arrival necessary for the League (of American Bicyclists) Certified Instructor safety training. Instead, I got to hear about the skills and best practices gleened by Gal From Down Under, Lynette Chiang and Lisa Miles, from Bike Santa Fe, while on many of the group rides organized by New Mexico Touring Society (whose jersey I had the honor of wearing, as I was the first person to register for the rally), at a film screening of Route 66 by Bicycle: Pedaling the Mother Road, and at the closing ceremonies, honoring the late Gail Ryba, whom was the honorary Volunteer of the Year recipient for 2009. Gail is survived by her family, husband Tom Robey and daughter Lynn, and a legacy of bicyclist safety training – as she secured a grant from New Mexico Department of Transportation.

Being an opportunist, I participated in the longest of the road-only options on the two days that I was able to ride in Albuquerque – a 40 mile ride along the Bosque trail, through the Pueblo of Isleta, meeting the Mayor of Belen, returning via Rail Runner train, and then the 100 mile Albuquerque Century – which was the hottest 100 degree ride I have ever experienced!   I also got tremendous enthusiasm and support to mountain bike in Santa Fe after the Rally, from Rob and Charlie’s bike shop manager, Steve Newhall, who showed me around the town and trails, loaned me a sweet demo bike, and helped me to return ship my cyclocross bike via FedEx – a feat that was not simple.

It was hot on the plane when we boarded, and the air conditioning was not working, so I promptly passed out (not asleep – passed out) for at least an hour.   I was told that I would have strange dreams while in New Mexico, but this was excessive!  A couple of things I took home with me, was that I need to travel more with loose plans even if it makes me nervous and I don’t know anyone where I’m going. I would like to get the LCI training, to complement the USA Cycling Coach, Wilderness First Aid, and Leadership Development training I already have.  Cyclists from various backgrounds (road, mountain, urban) need to develop a cooperative strategy to ensure access for everyone.  I expect to return to Santa Fe to visit my new friends, maybe participate in the Santa Fe century, and do a lot more mountain biking and possibly skill-share some trail advocacy, bike handling/educational clinics for the community.  There are more clouds to chase, yet.