Oregon Cycling Magazine

by Tom Baldinger

In an almost mythical era in the past, I was youthful and svelte. I was tall, skinny and fast.

I relished hill climbs, hair-raising descents, epic treks. I acquired a reputation as a glutton for punishment and for leading my peers on unexpected bushwhacking episodes. I was a young man in a mountain biking mecca and I rode hard. During a summer between school years I needed a job, as most kids do. Naturally I looked for a way to make money riding my bike. Santa Fe, New Mexico was a small town, and there was no messenger service to work for. I had grown up there, and was intimately familiar with the trails in the area. It’s a city with a large tourism industry in the summer, which was to my benefit. It occurred to me that I could work as a tour guide.

I began to put up flyers in local hotels, bike shops, etc. After some legal advice and a disclaimer, I was good to go. Mountain biking is a dangerous sport but no one ever tried to sue me for crashing. I charged five dollars an hour per person, and did only day tours. Without a car of my own, logistics might have been a problem. Fortunately, the geography was perfect. Most of my rides started directly from downtown, and trails could be reached within 10-30 minutes of pedaling. In addition, I had a willing business partner with a large van. She drove groups up to the mountains when alpine rides were in order. Thanks mom!

Santa Fe itself is at 7,000 feet, and the mountains top out at over 12,000 feet. Altitude was often the biggest issue for pedaling visitors. Most of the tours were two to four hours long, and varied in difficulty depending on the experience of my participants. As a certified hammer-head, I had to remind myself to go slow and wait when necessary. In addition I’d go over technique, teaching my tour takers the finer points of mountain biking.

The opportunity to be a guide enriched my life in many ways. One of the things I liked most was meeting new people from other places. I was a sponge, soaking up as much as I could. It was a joy to me to show people a beautiful area under the steady hum of fat tires. While on rides, I would stop and point out historical sites, local flora and fauna and the peculiarities of local terrain. I have had three jobs where I got paid to ride, and being a tour guide was by far the most fun. I have also worked as a pedi-cab operator and a messenger. Although both of these jobs had their high points, unencumbered mountain biking is hard to beat. It’s a job like no other. If you’re in the right place and the job is open, take it! You won’t be disappointed.

Possibly Related

• August 2007: The yoga of mountain biking
• September 2008: Stop or yield
• August 2008: Twice-weekly local mountain bike shuttle starts up in Bend
• March 2008: Riding out the Great Winter of 08
• January 2008: Journey to the center of the world