The first Sunday of March 2023 promised to be another pretty hot day in Oaxaca, with the thermometer registering a high of 30.5ºC (87ºF). It has been unusually warm for early spring, with temperatures just shy of the hottest days of the year in April and May. A group of five riders set out at 9 am for a ride through the Grande Valley to the town of Zimatlan and back – a round trip of 57.7 kms (35.9 mi). The gang was back in Oaxaca before 2 pm – a ride of under five hours, including time for lunch at the mercado gastronomico in Zaachila on the last leg of the journey home. The ride was rated “easy”, despite the significant distance, because of the level terrain throughout.