The village of San Marcos Tlapazola is situated 8.8 kms (5.5 miles) south-southwest of Tlacolula de Matamoros where it is nestled up against the mountains which form the southern rim of that part of the Valles Centrales of Oaxaca. It is the destination for one of the longer and more arduous weekly bike rides in our repetoire. Four bikers formed the small group which pedaled this way on 12 August 2023. Their route was essentially the same as shown on the map below, recorded in May of 2022. What distinguished this outing was the fact that torrential rain a day or two earlier had pushed the Rio Salado well above flood stage, necessitating detours around two places where our path crossed the stream. The water was muddy, making it impossible to gauge its depth, and extensive mud on the exposed riverbank discouraged any attempt to continue that way. Not surprisingly, there were a lot of mud puddles to be avoided everywhere beyond Tlacochahuaya. Water and muck notwithstanding, the group soldiered on, completing the circuit in just short of six hours. Then it was time to give our two-wheeled chariots thorough baths.
Author: Larry
Countryside, GPS, MTBing
Variations On A Theme
by Larry • • 0 Comments
Time and again the ride from Oaxaca to San Juan Teitipac is a favorite for the weekly Sunday morning outing. Yes, we have gone this route before – multiple times. But it is just so very pleasant no one ever tires of it, and there are sufficient combinations of country roads to get there and back to keep the scenery interesting. It helps that every Sunday the ladies of San Juan set up an outdoor comedor behind the monastery where hungry cyclists can get their fill of delicious, fresh-made tacos, tlayudas and other treats. Today’s crew consisted of three men and three women, varying in age from the mid 20’s to late 70’s, all evenly matched in biking ability. It was – as usual – a beautiful day to be in the saddle. The group pedaled a total of 59 kilometers (36.9 miles), gaining and losing a modest 231 meters (760 feet) in elevation on the circuit. A good time was had by all.
Countryside, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized
Color Me Mud
by Larry • • 0 Comments
The first day of August was a particularly beautiful day – one that just begged for a long bike ride. So that is exactly what we did. Four friends met at Santo Domingo church at 8 am and set out on a long loop from Oaxaca to San Felipe Tejalapam, then over the hill to San Tomas Mazaltepec and back to Oaxaca – a ride of 59 kilometers (36 miles) with an elevation gain and loss of 512.7 meters (1682 feet). The highest point on the ride was 1855 meters (6088 feet). Recent rains left a number of puddles along the route, which contributed a lot of mud to encrust our bikes and soil our riding gear. Cleaning the bikes afterward required using a putty knife to pry off the bigger chunks of dried muck. That chore notwithstanding, it was a great ride.
requiring some strong pedaling – or hike-a-biking!
GPS, MTBing, Photos
Three Bars To La Cumbre
by Larry • • 0 Comments
The ecotourism camp and bike park at La Cumbre Ixtepeji is just 24 kilometers (15 miles) from Oaxaca, making it a favorite destination for both hikers and mountain bikers, given its close proximity to the city. Enduro riders usually shuttle to the park and then enjoy swooping along the many downhill-specific trails built there in recent years. But La Cumbre is a worthy destination in itself for anyone wanting to test their stamina making the 1161 meter (3808 foot) climb from Oaxaca. That is exactly what this ride was about. Using a combination of back roads and Hwy 175, going by way of El Studiante and Tierra Colrado on the climb up, it took 110 minutes to get from the Candiani neighborhood on the south side of town to the office at the entrance to La Cumbre. The exhilarating downhill ride back – all on the highway – took a mere 60 minutes. The display on my Trek “Rail” e-bike showed five bars at the outset, indicating a fully charged battery. Using the pedal-assist motor to help on the climb dropped the indicator three bars. That left two bars for the return journey – more than enough power, as the motor was shut off for the screamer descent to the floor of the Oaxaca valley. That downhill run pushed the speedometer to 67 kms (42 miles) per hour in some places before brakes were applied to make the next curve. Yee-haw! Total distance covered amounted to 53 kilometers (32.9 miles) on the round trip, which took 3.5 hours – counting a couple of rest stops and time for a cup of hot chocolate at La Cumbre.
Uncategorized
String Cheese & Flat Tires
by Larry • • 0 Comments
The small village of Reyes Etla claims to be the birthplace of Quesillo – otherwise known as Oaxaca string cheese. Legend has it that this notable cheese was created by accident when a young girl helping her mother make cheese botched the recipe. The happy result was this flavorful and chewy concoction prized by chefs throughout Mexico and beyond. On this third Sunday in July Reyes Etla was holding its annual Feria de Quesillo, and was the destination for our weekend ride.
As for those flat tires . . . . Yours truly is a big proponent of tubeless tires. However, my new Trek e-bike came equipped with tubes. I thought I would leave them well enough alone until a problem arose, then make the switch to tubeless. On this Sunday ride an abundance of thorns on the trail caused not one or two, but three flat tires on the front wheel. Thank goodness for a patch kit and a spare innertube – and the forbearance of fellow riders! Come Monday I will be busy converting the factory Bontrager tires to a tubeless setup.
For those of you who prize statistics, today’s excursion covered 48.6 kilometers (30.2 miles) round trip, with an elevation gain and loss of 198 meters (650 feet).
