NMES Rules and Responsibilities
- All riders must be friendly and must always display a good attitude before, during, and after the ride. Please, no whining, no complaining, and any other B.S. :-)
- All riders are entirely responsible for themselves at all times during the ride. The routes are suggested here and people will be expected to follow the entire route. Self sufficiency is a must. There will NOT be any rally points, and navigation through the route is entirely up to the individual! Bring your own maps, GPS, notes, etc. and do not expect others to wait for you.
- Self-sufficiency is a must on these rides– this cannot be stated enough here. Most rides DO NOT have a SAG drop / Water stash so you must be prepared to carry your water/food requirements.
- All riders should bring along money, a GPS, water filtration unit and cell phone. Some rides are very remote and you should consider bringing a Satellite Communicator (Spot Tracker, Garmin inReach, ect). You never know if/when you will need these items.
- All riders must carry proper identification and personal emergency contact phone number at all times while cycling.
- All riders must wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet at all times while cycling. No exceptions!!!
- All riders are responsible for knowing and obeying all laws.
- All riders must follow the basic rules for safe cycling: When on the road – Ride to the right, single file. Stop at all stop signs and red signals. Protect and warn one another about road hazards and traffic. Don’t overlap wheels. Practice safe pace line and group riding etiquette. When on trails follow IMBA’s Trail Rules
- All riders must carry and use legal bicycle lights when cycling at hours of darkness. Know your abilities and carry a light if at all a chance of finishing in the dark.
- Drafting is allowed only if the riders agree to it. Do NOT draft anyone’s wheel who you have not asked permission from. This is not only rude, but also unsafe.
- Since these ride are grassroots rides the participants are asked to keep track of their own time via GPS to verify time and mileage. No prizes will be given for order of finish. Honesty is a must and for 99.9% of the participants this will not be a problem. If you feel the need to cheat, or exaggerate your finishing time, you will be ignored. Morons, idiots, and self proclaimed hot shots will be met with laughter, ridicule and bagged on for years to come. Boast to your buddy, but not to someone that doesn’t know you or even care what you have to say.
Believe us – we know these routes – and the vast majority of the participants know each other, therefore it will be pretty easy to determine if you are lying. This is friendly group and these venues provide a competitive outlet at a very reasonable price – free! We claim to have the highest return on investment for any ride/event/race in New Mexico! If you understand these rules and can handle yourself in the back country, then the NMES will not be a problem for you. - If you question your ability to complete such a ride, we suggest you pre-ride or parts of the course and use that as your determination (that only YOU can make) for participating.