Where do I begin describing to you what I discovered by bicycle when I moved to New Mexico—the Land of Enchantment? To me, living here is as close as you can get to a foreign country without leaving the United States. After 10 years I still don't consider myself a local. It feels more like I'm on an extended vacation in an exciting foreign land.

I love the flavor, the culture, the feeling of enchantment—whatever you want to call it—that you don't often find in other places. And you can experience it all from the bike—in the architecture, the food, the language, the people, and the festivals.

I put together a cycling guidebook—Road Biking New Mexico—of the highways and back roads of the Land of Enchantment, some of the best cycling in the Southwest. The 40 rides include main streets through old mining towns, ancient trade routes of the Anasazi, paths taken by Spanish conquistadors, and Western trails established by American pioneers.

Choose from popular scenic drives like the High Road to Taos, the Enchanted Circle, or the Gila Inner Loop. Or follow historic paths like the Old Santa Fe Trail. And there is no shortage of Indian ruins in New Mexico. You can visit these well-preserved sites at several national monuments along good cycling routes such as Bandelier, Aztec, El Morro, and Gila Cliff Dwellings.

If you are ready for a challenge, you can climb any number of roads that lead to ski areas—in Taos, Santa Fe, Albuquerque, and Ruidoso. You'll cycle to elevations between 9,000 and 10,600 feet. Some of the best views from a bike are earned on these ski hill climbs.

There are several perimeter rides in the book for cyclists who'd rather go around instead of straight up. You can loop around Taos, Santa Fe, Alamogordo, Las Cruces, and Albuquerque—the latter route was accepted by the Perimeter Bicycle Association of America. If you are in it for the long haul—centuries (100 miles)—the state has a few annual events, including the Santa Fe Century in May and the Enchanted Circle Century in September.

And the book offers some unusual trips as well—things you might not have done before on a bike. You can ride between Chama, New Mexico, and Antonito, Colorado, returning by scenic narrow-gauge train. Or you can cycle under a full moon in the largest gypsum dune field in the world at White Sands National Monument.

The state's scenery is enchanting and diverse...including high desert grasslands, mesas, canyons, dramatic mountain ranges, red sandstone cliffs, and deep canyons. You are not often bored of the views from the bike.

My favorite scenes from the saddle include: herds of antelope, centuries-old adobe buildings, colorful hot air balloons, snow-capped peaks in early summer, cholla and yucca in bloom, and strings of red chiles hanging out to dry. I love that you can watch practicing artisans in their studios or eat Indian fry bread from a roadside stand. For me, this is all part of the foreign feel.

As for the terrain, most of the state is high desert. While it's not as rugged and steep as the Rocky Mountain states, New Mexico has a fascinating high elevation fact. We have the highest low elevation of any state in the U.S. Basically the whole state is high with an average elevation of 5,700 feet. A fun fact for cyclists.

Noticing the effects of altitude seems to start about a mile above sea level, or 5,000 feet, and all but three of the rides in the book are above that. At a minimum, the elevation will sap your energy if you are coming from lower areas, but you may also feel dizzy and nauseous or get a headache. Limit your activity for a day or two, hydrate, pace yourself, and keep alcohol to a minimum.

Several of the rides are above 9,000 feet. One extreme climbs a scenic byway to Sandia Crest at 10,678 feet. At the other end of the spectrum, you can cycle miles of flat in Las Cruces at about 3,800 feet.

From the steep-walled canyon of the Taos Box in the Rio Grande Gorge and the river's beautiful floodplain filled with cottonwoods to the Valle Caldera -— a huge collapsed volcano—and the badlands south of Grants with its a massive lava flow, I have thoroughly enjoyed every ride in this book. If I had to pick a favorite, I'd go with O'Keeffe.

She loved the Southwest, and there's a loop ride where you can see some of the landscape that captivated this world famous artist—colorful mesa, towing cliffs, unusual rock formations. Plan your trip to include a visit to her home and studio in Abiquiu, as well as the historic Ojo Caliente Mineral Springs, one of the oldest health resorts in the country.

Since finishing the book in 2000, I have gotten into self-contained bicycle touring. My love for this adventure makes me prefer long rides -— anything I can make into an overnight.

The Jemez Mountain Trail, a national scenic byway, makes a great out-and-back from Los Alamos to the tiny village of Jemez Springs with its historic bathhouse and a state monument with excavated ruins of an ancient Indian village and 17th-century mission. Along the way, you can picnic on the East Fork of the Jemez, hike to Jemez Falls, dip your feet in the Jemez River, watch the elk graze in the huge caldera, and shoot pictures of interesting geologic formations such as Battleship Rock and Soda Dam,

Another great overnight is the High Road to Taos, where you cycle into New Mexico's colonial past on one of the state most popular scenic drives. From the historic plaza in Santa Fe to the historic plaza in Taos, you cycle through old Spanish villages where you can experience bit of the 18th century.

I spent the night in a B& B in Truchas, where Robert Redford filmed Milagro Beanfield War (gotta rent this one). And the ride is much improved since I wrote the book because of a new frontage road out of Tesuque all the way to Pojoaque. After a day in Taos staying at the youth hostel just north of town, catch your pre-arranged shuttle back to Santa Fe.

Here's hoping you are on two wheels soon experiencing the incredible culture and landscape that gives New Mexico that travel-abroad-cycle-tour feel. In addition to using Road Biking New Mexico as your guide, you can check out New Mexico Touring Society, a recreational cycling club based in Albuquerque with local weekly rides and multiday tours around the state. Happy cycling!