Author: Larry

When riding the foothills trail from San Felipe del Aqua to Huayapam a few weeks ago, one member of the group pointed out a forest road going higher into the mountains, which he said made for a nice ride. I decided to go that way today. Glad I did. It was a pleasant, if rather short, ride. There were great views looking out over the Oaxaca valley. And where the road ended there was a spider web of hiking trails, some continuing up the mountain, and others dropping down and (probably) ending at the entry gate to the Benito Juarez National park. We will have to plan an exploratory hike here one day to map the hiking trails and find out where they lead.

San Pablo Cuatro Venados is a small village perched precariously on the steep slopes of the mountains which form the western rim of the Valles Centrales where Oaxaca is located. For over three and a half years, beginning in early 2020, Cuatro Venados was virtually inaccessible, thanks first to the Covid quarantine and then to the fact the road from San Pedro Ixtlahuaca was being paved – a two and a half year project – and closed to all traffic (even mountain bikes). So on this cloudy Sunday in late June it seemed a worthy destination for a solo ride. Leaving Oaxaca at 8 am, it took about 2.5 hours to pedal to Cuatro Venados, going by way of San Andres Ixtlahuaca. The climb on the newly-paved road was certainly easier than on its rocky, rutted predecessor; but with a gradient between 15% and 18% and elevation gain of 739 meters (2426 feet) it was still a challenge, even on an eBike. Needless to say, the return was much easier and faster, with just a short delay for taking cover during a sudden rain shower.

No appointments on the calendar for 30 May 2023, so a spur-of-the-moment decision to do a solo ride from Oaxaca to Benito Juarez, a tiny village at an elevation of 2858 meters (9377 feet) in the Sierra Norte. The first part of the route was no challenge, as there is little altitude gain from Oaxaca to the weaving village of Teotitlan del Valle and the unpaved country roads are great fun. But from there it is a significant climb along a winding dirt road to Benito Juarez – 1180 meters (3871 feet) elevation gain in the space of 20.9 kilometers (13.0 miles). The ride was a test of a new Trek “Rail 5” e-bike – to see how the different power settings worked on a steady climb and to find out how long the battery would last. The bike performed admirably in all four power modes, but the battery drained quickly at the MTB and Turbo settings. The battery was fully charged at the start, showing five bars on the display. Running in the Eco mode from Oaxaca to the presa above Teotitlan – 29.5 kilometers (18.3 miles) – ran the battery down to four bars. On the climb to Benito Juarez, using the Tour mode most of the way, but kicking in the MTB and Turbo settings the last several kilometers, drained another three bars, leaving just one bar on the display for the trip home. That was not a concern, since it was a downhill run most of the way back to Oaxaca. The power was shut off for the screamer of a descent to Teotitlan. The motor was turned back on to the Eco setting in Teotitlan to see how long the charge would last on the final leg of the journey. The battery ran out of power approaching Santa Maria el Tule. So, all in all, a good test run. Total distance traveled: 95.6 kilometers (59.4 miles) / total elevation gain & loss: 1461 meters (4793 feet) / total elapsed time: 8 hours, 15 minutes. By the way, the battery was not the only thing that ran out of energy by the end of the ride . . . .

Our regular Sunday group rides continued with a lovely and leisurely excursion into the valley of the Rio Jalapilla which runs through Cieneguilla and Jalapa del Valle on the western edge of the Etla valley. The band rode the easiest of the four routes to Jalapa, passing through San Lorenzo Cacaotepec and San Felipe Tejalapam on the way out and back. This route covered 68.6 kilometers (42.6 miles), running gradually uphill from Oaxaca to the turn-around point, with an elevation gain and loss of 546 meters (1792 feet) along the way. The day’s destination was a rustic rural restaurant along the banks of the small river, where some of the party splashed in the stream before everyone enjoyed a satisfying lunch. On the way home one member of the group took a hard fall, but was able to continue pedaling toward Oaxaca – albeit with a cracked helmet and shredded jersey. All told, the band of five men and two women spent seven hours completing the ride, arriving back in the city shortly before 3 pm.

Back on Sunday, 26 March, the usual gang of cyclists assembled at Santo Domingo for a pleasant ride to Villa de Etla, a 41 kilometer (25.4 mile) round trip excursion. The route for most of the way followed the old railroad line that once linked Oaxaca with Mexico City and the Pacific coast. This entailed pedaling through the old railroad yard behind the depot. Unfortunately one of the riders (yours truly) took a tumble crossing some tracks and broke his hip. Ouch! That put a end to his ride and necessitated hip replacement surgery.

Fast forward seven weeks to 14 May. After weeks of recuperation the injured biker was ready to get back in the saddle and joined in this Sunday’s ride to the statue of the Danzante on a hill near Zimatlan. Full of trepidation and a bit shaky, he set out, once again riding that new Trek e-bike. The pedal assist feature enabled him to ride the full distance without fatigue and with increasing confidence. Kicking the motor into high gear, he zipped up the hill to the Danzante, leaving the rest of the group to push their bikes up the final steep section. So it was a successful resumption of cycling, but one that required a good nap upon returning home.