Author: Larry

Countryside, Foothills, MTBing, Photos, Racing

Titan Zapoteca MTB Race

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The 4th annual marathon race sponsored by the Titan Zapoteca mountain bike club took place on Sunday, March 15 on a wicked 42 kilometer (26 mile) loop course laid out around San Pablo Guila in Oaxaca, Mexico. Mountain bikers from various clubs all around the Oaxaca Valley converged on San Pablo for the contest. There were several other events taking place in the town at the same time, so the streets were jam-packed with vendors, visitors and townspeople. The race itself was an arduous one, as the course included steep climbs, some really scary technical descents and seemed to go on forever. The map below shows only 18 miles of the 26-mile total, as this reporter got leg cramps and had to cut the ride short, heading back into town on a paved road rather than riding the last 8 miles cross-country to finish the course. Amazingly, most of the riders who started the race actually did cross the finish line, earning a special pendant made for the event. The townspeople in general and the race organizers in particular did a splendid job of making the bikers welcome in their community.

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Countryside, MTBing, Outing, Photos

Wednesday Ride Takes A Turn

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The weekly Wednesday ride took a different turn on March 4. Originally the group planned to ride a singletrack trail from Oaxaca up into a mountain canyon. However, one of our party asked if his cousin, recently arrived from Mexico City could join in the outing. Turns out the cousin was a young lady of 13, who had never ridden a bike with multiple gears. So the group switched gears, so to speak, and changed course, opting for an easy ride on the paved bike path to Tule, then on to Santo Domingo Tomaltepec and back to Oaxaca on dirt roads running through – and with a lunch stop in – Tlalixtac. It turned out to be a pleasant few hours in the saddle, and the young cousin made it safely back home, tired but happy.

Hiking, Mountains, MTBing, Outing

Zapotrek – Responsible tourism in Oaxaca, Mexico

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Eric Ramirez is an enthusiastic young man with a passion for exploring the natural wonders of Oaxaca. He offers hiking excursions, bicycling tours, cultural tours, mezcal tours, eco-archeological tours and rock climbing. He speaks excellent English. Visit Eric’s web site at Zapotrek.com or contact him personally at eric@zapotrek.com or 951-257-7712

Countryside, MTBing, Photos

Wednesday Gringo Ride

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There happens to be a group of gringos in Oaxaca this winter who enjoy mountain biking, and Wednesdays seem to be the best day of the week for the group to get together. In recent weeks the gang has ridden trails in San Pablo Etla, La Cumbre and Huayapam. Today (18 February 2015) the ride was on the plateau above the village of San Pablo Cuatro Venados on the western rim of the Valley of Oaxaca. A network of little-used dirt roads provided the arena for several hours of pleasant pedaling at an altitude of just over 9,100 feet (2774 meters). Several of the group opted to bicycle back to Oaxaca, using the road that descends through Santa Ines de Monte and on down to Zaachila on the valley floor, rather than packing the bikes in the van and driving back the way we came up.

MTBing, Racing

Mountain Bike Race Calendar For 2015

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The preliminary schedule for cross-country mountain bike races in and around Oaxaca for 2015 has been announced. Dates have yet to be set for downhill and marathon races.  Click here to view the race calendar.