Men's Journal

This ride features steep climbs at high altitude, but there’s almost no traffic and breathtaking views of the Gila Hot Springs and the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. Photo credit: Map by Alan Kikuchi

Team Garmin-Slipstream’s CEO Jonathan Vaughters earned his reputation riding the most stunning road routes across the U.S. Here’s one of his favorites.

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2. The Gila Monster
Silver City, New Mexico (108 miles)

Team Garmin-Slipstream holds its pre-season camp in Silver City every year, and the team members have a love/hate relationship with this one. It’s an incredibly lumpy ride with steep climbs, all at high altitude — about 6,000 feet (be prepared with a low bottom gear and high motivation). Despite that, there’s almost no traffic and you get breathtaking views of both the Gila Hot Springs and the Gila Cliff Dwellings National Monument. But don’t dawdle: The most stamina-testing leg of the trip comes after the 180-degree turn at the cliff dwellings. This seven-mile climb is a beast of a ride and hits pitches of more than 10 percent. But once you’ve conquered it, Pinos Altos (the first place to stop for snacks in more than 30 miles) is just up the road. The weather is nearly always nice, so you can go all year. Just bring enough water for the five- or six-hour ride — most of it is in the desert.

We’ve posted all five of Jonathan’s favorite rides. You can click here to see the final one — Tour of the Valleys, starting from Putnam, VT. Click here to see route number four — Mount Haleakala, in Maui, HI. Or here to see route number three — The Peak to Peak Highway, starting from Boulder, CO. You can also click here to see route one — From Orange Groves to the General Sherman, starting from Visalia, CA.

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