It is a good bet that some fellows will get together for a weekday ride every Tuesday morning. A flurry of emails usually precedes the outing as people are informed of the ride parameters and sign up for the excursion. Cyclists congregate in front of the church in San Felipe del Aqua at 8:45 am prior to a 9 o’clock departure. Most days the group rides the network of trails in the hills above San Felipe. This affords everyone an opportunity for some serious exercise but does not eat up too much time, as the ride is finished by 11:30 or 12:00 noon. On this particular Tuesday in early November, though, the riders opted for something different. Ron, Larry and Steve rode east on the hillside above San Luis Beltran and Donaji, first on the Libramiento Norte and then on a great single track trail that winds along the contours of the mountain and terminates in Huayapam. After stopping at a juice stand in the local mercado there for some liquid refreshment, they continued through town to the two presas, then pedaled on to the start of the Los Molinos trail in Tlalixtac. This lovely trail is a perennial favorite of hikers and mountain bikers alike. It was a glorious day for a ride in the countryside, with bright sunshine and a forecast high temperature of 84ºF / 29ºC. After posing for a photo at the ruins of the old water-powered grain mill, the three headed back to Oaxaca using a combination of country roads rather then returning on the foothills trail. Once arrived back in San Felipe they stopped for a tasty lunch at the Mónica Hindu restaurant. The day’s excursion covered 20.1 miles (32.3 kms) and encompassed an elevation gain and loss of 2101 feet (640 meters) along the way. The high point was 5802 feet (1768 meters) on the Libramiento above San Felipe. Time in the saddle amounted to 4 hours and 25 minutes. The second map, below, shows just the Los Molinos trail itself.
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