Five amigos set out this Sunday morning from central Oaxaca for a ride through the countryside to Lobera and back. This was in no way a groudbreaking ride, as it is a favorite route for people wanting to pedal into the Zimatlan valley south of Oaxaca. It was, however, the first time two members of the pack had ridden this way. The group spent nearly an hour pedaling to Zaachila, where they stopped at the mercado gastronomico for refreshing glasses of fresh-squeezed fruit juices. Then it was on to Lobera, following the paved road that leads through Lobera, on up to Santa Ines de Monte and eventually to San Miguel Peras deep in a secluded mountain valley. There were lots of other cyclists cruising this same road. The ride would have been uneventful but for the fact one member crashed hard while streaking downhill on a curve just after departing Lobera. Fortunately, he escaped with few scrapes and bruises, but suffered a moderate concussion that left him with no recollection of the accident. Hey, some things are best forgotten anyway! The round-trip distance traveled amounted to 31.2 miles (50.2 km), with an elevation gain and loss of 1088 feet (332 meters). Elapsed time in the saddle amounted to a bit over four hours.