I’ve been wanting to make cool Internet maps for a while, but making them click-by-click by hand was such a chore. The idea is to use Google Earth and Google maps, so people who might want to use the bike trails can zoom in and figure out exactly where they are. It’s worth noting that there already exist some nice resources for this – the city’s bike map and the New Mexico Touring Society’s routes page (“routes” in the left rail of their web site). Both have the significant disadvantage, from my point of view, that they weren’t made by me, and I wanna make stuff myself. 🙂 But if you really want good bike info, go to them.
With my new GPS bike goober, it’s a lot simpler to make the route maps, and more fun, so here goes.
It’s fitting that my first formal entry in the Bike Rides of Inkstain is pretty much the crappiest bike trail in Albuquerque. Along the side of Interstate 40, it is best known for its prodigious goathead farms, and for the homeless guys who sleep in the underpasses. This ride is not without its virtues, including the prairie dogs cheering you on as you zip by like some breakaway rider in the tour. And the skate park, which is always worth a stop for a few minutes. Those kids are some sick ollies, or something. I do not recommend this trail. Unless you happen to be at Tramway and Central and are looking for a quick way back into town.
The trail begins at Los Altos Park, between the skate park and the freeway. Taking the bridge over the freeway, you go left (eastish) toward the mountains. It’s a little less than 3 miles to Central and Tramway, no street crossings, a bit less than 300 feet elevation gain.