Bike tour includes Mt. Taylor

By Bill Donovan
Staff Writer

GALLUP — It is definitely not as well known as the Tour de France, but local board members for Adventure Gallup hope that one day the Tour of the Nations becomes something that will bring Gallup a lot of worldwide attention.

The first Tour of the Nations will be held August 5 to 10, with bicyclists from all over the word coming to Gallup to participate in something that has never occurred before - a chance to take a five-day bike ride through four of New Mexico's pueblos, and get a chance to see Indian culture up close and personal.

Matt O'Mara and Elaine Bobo, board members for Adventure Gallup and Beyond, appeared at Tuesday's meeting of the McKinley County Commission to explain the event and thank county officials for their $15,000 donation to the Adventure Gallup program.

Adventure Gallup, the brainchild of former Mayor Bob Rosebrough, is sponsoring the tour to raise funds to help pay for some of the group's efforts to promote the biking trails that were developed during the Rosebrough administration.

The tour costs $600, and so far 66 people - the average age is 53 - have signed up to take part in the event. The deadline for applying is June 1.

Both Bobo and O'Mara said the tour is worth the money, since participants will be given the opportunity to visit three pueblos - Isleta, Acoma and Zuni - go on bike tours of the area. Besides the tour, they will be able to stay overnight in each pueblo and be treated to a traditional meal and dances.

Cycling is not allowed on the Interstate, so the group will take winding roads to get a change to see New Mexico scenery at its finest. There will be an opportunity for the better riders to take a side trip up to Mt. Taylor when they get to the Grants area.

The tour will end August 10 in Gallup, where they will be treated to another meal - courtesy of Gallup merchants - and a ride to Red Rock Park where they will have an opportunity to observe the Ceremonial.

O'Mara said that while the group has very little promotional money, they have been able to get the word out about the tour to people across the world by putting in on Internet biking sites.

As a result, one person from England and another from Germany have signed up. There is also talk that a group from Germany may participate in the tour next year.

"We want to start off small this year," said Bobo, "but the future is unlimited."

O'Mara said these kinds of bike tours are becoming more and more popular. There's a well-known bike tour in Iowa that had 8,000 people sign up, which forced the group to hold a lottery to determine who would have an opportunity to go on the tour.

The good thing about the New Mexico tour, said Bobo, is that no other tour in the world can offer what Adventure Gallup is offering a chance to go to the historic pueblos.

And although pueblo leaders in the past have been reticent about opening up their pueblos totally to tour groups, both O'Mara and Bobo said they have had nothing but support from leaders of the three pueblos.

For more information about the tour, call (505) 722-4327 or e-mail momara@nwnmcog.com