Ron, Phil & Larry set out on a lovely Sunday morning in late November for a moderate ride in the rolling hills of the Etla valley west of Monte Alban. This was Phil’s second outing on his new Trek “Marlin” bicycle, and it turned into more of an adventure than the guys anticipated. While pedaling along a pleasant farm access road running to the northwest out of Cuilapam, our gang ran across Pedro Martinez, a local legend in the mountain bike community, who was guiding a couple of young Brits through the countryside. They warned us of a very unfriendly horse they had encountered not far up the trail. After parting, we continued our journey, very much enjoying the scenery. A half a mile further along we rounded a bend and came upon said cantankerous caballo. Catching sight of us, the horse charged and reared up, pawing the air with his front legs in a challenging manner. We halted, of course! Soothing words and gestures on our part did nothing to placate the animal, which resolutely barred the trail. We decided a cautious retreat was the proper course of action. I wish I had thought to take a photo of the rearing horse, but at the time my main concern was avoiding its hooves. Shortly thereafter Phil discovered he had a flat tire. Sadly, he had no spare tube or patch kit in his gear. Ron and I, being experience bikers, should have been prepared. But we have been spoiled by riding tubeless for a number of years without having any flats. Neither of us had a spare inner tube of the correct size, and our patch kits were so old they were ineffective. Fortunately we were not far from Cuilapam, and found a bike mechanic whose shop was open on Sunday. Three thorns were removed and patches applied to get Phil back in the saddle. The remainder of the return ride to Oaxaca was uneventful. We covered 24 miles (38.6 kms) on the out & back ride, managing to gain and lose 1316 feet (401 meters) in elevation as we went. Hopefully Phil will maintain his enthusiasm for mountain biking, despite the days’ misadventures, while adding a spare tube and a patch kit to his riding gear.
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