Jane had asked her friend Jonathan for a good riding route to Madrid and this is what he recommended:

Unfortunately, we made one wrong turn getting off I-25 and ended up on Waldo Canyon Road.  This is close to the route we took:

Unlike the recommended route, which is paved, this road is washboarded gravel.  The road is clearly for the ranchers driving all wheel drive trunks – not for a street bike.  There were ups & downs with some tight turns, but just before reaching Cerrillos, there is switchback which is slopped downward at a serious angle.  The decline is so steep, I would guess that some 4 wheel drive vehicle have trouble traversing this section of road.

We made it safely to Madrid and once there, one of the gallery owners advised us on our route.  He helped us figure out where we went wrong, what road we were actually on and the name of the steep switchback: the locals call it The Devil’s Throne.  Wrong turns and exploring new areas are all part of the adventure!

Slightly different from the portrayal in Wild Hogs, the town of Madrid is a mixture of artists, hippies & bikers.  The main drag is populated with galleries, which contain some amazing works, a few eateries and the Mine Shaft Tavern.  If you are in Albuquerque, even if you aren’t riding, Madrid is definitely worth visiting.