donmontalvo
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- Don
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Anyone have trail rating for 165 coming down off of Sandia Crest in NM?
TL;DR follows...
Back in 2019 I took three weeks off of work to tour the country on my 2017 Harley-Davidson Dyna Street Bob (FXDB). I was passing through the Sandia Mountains and went all the way up to the top to Sandia Crest which was on my list. When I left I rode down 536 and then I found myself at a fork on the road. Take a right and stay on 536 which is paved...or take a left onto 165 which looks like a fairly easy dirt road.
A local on a guy on a mountain bike told me 165 starts out as a fairly decent dirt road, but it turns into a gravel road, and then into a “hellacious” rocky road. He explained its a mountain biker’s favorite. He was heading onto that road so I asked him if he thought I’d make it on my Harley. He looked at me like I was about to set my hair on fire.
He tried to talk me out of the idea but I was having too much fun and was looking for a challenge. He told me if go slow and carefully negotiate the rocks and holes, I should make it. But he warned me that I would probably bottom out a few times along the way. He wished me luck and took off.
Boy was he right. I bottomed our a dozen times or more. I was carrying about 80 pounds of gear on the Harley. I blogged every day of the three week tour. Out of all the rides, 165 was by far the scariest yet rewarding ride of my entire motorcycling life.
The bike plus gear weighed maybe 750 pounds. That’s a lot of weight to have to keep momentum on, on such a challenging road. As it turned out, I manage to keep the bike upright the entire way. Except when I stopped to pee, and the kickstand slipped off a rock. Luckily a hiker stopped to help me pick the bike up, easy to do on the road, not so easy standing on 3-6” rocks.
Thankfully I had an engine guard and really sturdy Pelican saddlebags that also has a tubular steel protective frame. So only my highway pegs got scratched. Not sure why I didn’t take the time to mount my GoPro to my half helmet, I still yell at myself for that missed opportunity.
My blog has a Relive route that includes that includes 165:
https://donmontalvo.com/2019/08/18/short-day-but-technically-challenging/
Fast forward five months.
I now have a Harley-Davidson Road Glide (FLTRX) that will never be taken off road! But I digress. I also now have a 2020 Jeep Wrangler Sport 3.6L V6 two door. In the next week or two I’m adding a 2.5” lift and replacing the stock 31.5” All Weather tires with 33” All Terrain tires.
There appear to be several Jeep Trail rating scales. Given how I did 165 on a Harley, I can’t imagine 165 requiring any of the upgrades. The upgrades are just in case since I also plan to visit Moab and Sedona on my next vacation.
So I’m posting here hoping there are folks on this forum that are familiar with Sandia Crest area. I’m hoping to get a trail rating difficulty rating for 165. I plan to not only blog about the vacation, but this time I plan to get some good footage.
I’m planning ahead for a two week Summer vacation and 165 is in my list.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandia_Mountains
Thanks in advance for any info you might have on 165.
TL;DR follows...
Back in 2019 I took three weeks off of work to tour the country on my 2017 Harley-Davidson Dyna Street Bob (FXDB). I was passing through the Sandia Mountains and went all the way up to the top to Sandia Crest which was on my list. When I left I rode down 536 and then I found myself at a fork on the road. Take a right and stay on 536 which is paved...or take a left onto 165 which looks like a fairly easy dirt road.
A local on a guy on a mountain bike told me 165 starts out as a fairly decent dirt road, but it turns into a gravel road, and then into a “hellacious” rocky road. He explained its a mountain biker’s favorite. He was heading onto that road so I asked him if he thought I’d make it on my Harley. He looked at me like I was about to set my hair on fire.
He tried to talk me out of the idea but I was having too much fun and was looking for a challenge. He told me if go slow and carefully negotiate the rocks and holes, I should make it. But he warned me that I would probably bottom out a few times along the way. He wished me luck and took off.
Boy was he right. I bottomed our a dozen times or more. I was carrying about 80 pounds of gear on the Harley. I blogged every day of the three week tour. Out of all the rides, 165 was by far the scariest yet rewarding ride of my entire motorcycling life.
The bike plus gear weighed maybe 750 pounds. That’s a lot of weight to have to keep momentum on, on such a challenging road. As it turned out, I manage to keep the bike upright the entire way. Except when I stopped to pee, and the kickstand slipped off a rock. Luckily a hiker stopped to help me pick the bike up, easy to do on the road, not so easy standing on 3-6” rocks.
Thankfully I had an engine guard and really sturdy Pelican saddlebags that also has a tubular steel protective frame. So only my highway pegs got scratched. Not sure why I didn’t take the time to mount my GoPro to my half helmet, I still yell at myself for that missed opportunity.
My blog has a Relive route that includes that includes 165:
https://donmontalvo.com/2019/08/18/short-day-but-technically-challenging/
Fast forward five months.
I now have a Harley-Davidson Road Glide (FLTRX) that will never be taken off road! But I digress. I also now have a 2020 Jeep Wrangler Sport 3.6L V6 two door. In the next week or two I’m adding a 2.5” lift and replacing the stock 31.5” All Weather tires with 33” All Terrain tires.
There appear to be several Jeep Trail rating scales. Given how I did 165 on a Harley, I can’t imagine 165 requiring any of the upgrades. The upgrades are just in case since I also plan to visit Moab and Sedona on my next vacation.
So I’m posting here hoping there are folks on this forum that are familiar with Sandia Crest area. I’m hoping to get a trail rating difficulty rating for 165. I plan to not only blog about the vacation, but this time I plan to get some good footage.
I’m planning ahead for a two week Summer vacation and 165 is in my list.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandia_Mountains
Thanks in advance for any info you might have on 165.
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