Could it be that a lot of bike riders made a new year’s resolution to spend more time in the saddle in 2022? On this second Sunday of the new year there were literally dozens of bikers on the trail, mostly in groups of between two and six people. Since several members of our Sunday gringo biker group were out of town, only two of our regular riders showed up for today’s outing. We were debating where to ride when six tourists on rented bicycles came looking for the weekly Mundo Ceiba ride to Tule. Strangely, no one from Mundo Ceiba showed up to guide the group, so we stepped in to provide that service. After pedaling to Tule, we left the tourists to be amazed by the giant tree in the church yard and continued on to the archeological ruins at Dainzu. Shortly after starting the ride back to Oaxaca, Annie had a large nail puncture her front tire, entering in the tread and exiting through the sidewall just below the wheel rim. Ouch! She had to push her bike back to Tlacochahuaya, where we found a taller able to supply both a new inner tube and a used replacement tire, all for just 180 pesos. From that point on the ride back to town was uneventful. All told, the outing covered 52 kilometers (32.5 miles) with an elevation gain and loss of 168 meters (550 feet) along the way.
Author: Larry
Countryside, GPS, Photos
First Ride in the New Year
by Larry • • 0 Comments
We wanted to kick off the new year (2022) with a significant ride, and so chose the Tejalápam / Mazaltepec loop to do it. Today’s riders were all gringos – none of our Mexican amigos joined in. There were eight guys and one gal in the group. After meeting in the plaza in front of Santo Domingo at 9 am, the band pedaled through Atzompa to San Lorenzo Cacaotepec, then swung west on paved roads to San Felipe Tejalápam. From there we followed a freshly-graded gravel road up and over a ridge of hills and then down to Santo Tomas Mazaltepec. This was the most challenging part of the outing, where the major portion of the climbing was concentrated. The grade in places was over 15%, which prompted some riders to dismount and push their bikes uphill. The descent into Mazaltepec was fast and fun. It took the group 90 minutes to ride from Oaxaca to Tejalápam, then 60 minutes more to get to the crest of the hill. From there the group reached Mazaltepec in just 20 minutes. Then it was a bit over 90 minutes more to get back home to Oaxaca. Overall the gang covered 60.2 kilometers (37.4 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 413 meters (1356 feet) on the loop.
Bikers rendezvous at 9 am for the day’s ride. 
The hill climbing was strenuous, but the view well worth the effort. 
Nearing the top – elevation 1834 meters (6018 feet). 
Our lone female rider keeps up the pace. 
Downhill at last!!! 
Taking a break. 
Cold drinks and snacks at a miscellanea in Mazaltepec.
At the doll ranch in Atzompa. 
The municipal building in Santo Tomas Mazaltepec.
Uncategorized
Pre-Christmas Ride to Huayapam
by Larry • • 0 Comments
Christmas is less than a week away as a small group of four riders assemble in the plaza in front of the church of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca for the regular Sunday morning ride. Though the calendar says it is 19 December and nearly the shortest day of the year, it is bright and sunny, with a forecast high temperature of 81º F / 27º C — in other words, just another perfect day in paradise. The plan is to pedal through San Felipe del Aqua, San Luis Beltran and Donaji on the way to Huayapam, then ride the Los Molinos trail which parallels Hwy 175 as it winds into the mountains toward La Cumbre. Our destination is the ruin of the old water-powered grain mill that last functioned over a hundred years ago. Two of the cyclists are recent converts to mountain biking, so today’s outing will be a challenge for them, but they are eager for the experience. When all is said and done, the foursome cover a distance of 39.3 kms / 24.4 miles, with an elevation gain and loss of 552 meters / 1813 feet along the way, finishing the ride in 4.5 hours, counting a stop outbound in Huayapam for fresh juice drinks and another on the way home for lemonade.
The ruins of the water-powered grain mill at the end of the trail. 
Annie poses with a local farmer harvesting his crop of squash. 
Dhruba, Annie and Patrick chat with the friendly farmer, who says this was the last
in a series of seven grain mills that once lined the mountain stream.
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Danza de la Pluma
by Larry • • 0 Comments
Sunday, 12 December 2021 Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of Mexico. Well before first light Oaxaca was shaken by the explosion of innumerable cohotes – skyrockets shot into the pre-dawn darkness – as church bells pealed throughout the city. In Teotitlan del Valle preparations were under way for the annual performance of the Danza de la Pluma – the elaborate dance pageant reenacting the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 1500’s. In a far less elaborate ritual, ten mountain bikers set out to pedal 29 kilometers (18 miles) from central Oaxaca to the imposing statue of a feather dancer that stands atop a hill near the town of Zimatlan in the valley of the same name. Though involving a significant round-trip distance, the ride was rated easy because the terrain covered is remarkably flat – save for the short but steep climb up the hill to the base of the statue. Pedaling at a leisurely pace, the ride took a bit over five hours to complete. The six men and four women riders declared the outing a worthwhile endeavor.
How would you like to ride a bike with a helmet like this big fella’s?
Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized
Once More Around The Loop
by Larry • • 0 Comments
The Sundays of December 2021 are turning out to be warmer than usual, with daytime highs consistently near 85º Fahrenheit / 29º Celsius. Most of our cyclists are fine with that, as the morning chill burns off quickly and the temperature is ideal when we start pedaling at 9 am. Today’s excursion was a repeat of a favorite – though challenging – loop that took the group through Tule and San Sebastian Teitipac before crossing a ridge of hills and descending into San Bartolo Coyotepec and then back to Oaxaca. There were several new riders among the nine participants who showed up, and they were apprehensive about the length of the ride and the challenge of riding the rough and steep trail over the ridgeline. To their credit, all stuck to the task and succeeded in finishing the ride, which covered 50 kilometers (31 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of about 396 meters (1300 feet).
In the Tlacolula valley. 
At the high point of the ride. 
Starting the long descent.