Rick B. laid out a great 33 mile (53 km) loop ride through the countryside south and east of Oaxaca city for the Nitos ride on Sunday, 2 August 2015. Most of the route was relatively level, so the going was easy — even though we followed dirt roads most of the way rather than riding on the highways. The start/finish point in downtown Oaxaca has an elevation of 5083 feet (1549.3 meters). The low point on the ride was 4989 feet (1520.6 meters), while the high point crossing over the mountain ridge separating the Zimatlan and Tlacolula valleys topped out at 5912 feet (1802.0 meters). The climb up to the ridge was a challenge, but the going down the other side was great fun! The total elevation gain and loss going around the loop came to 1877 feet (572 meters). The group left the church of St. Agustin in el centro at 8:00 am and finished the ride at the same point just shy of 2:30 pm.
Category: Foothills
Countryside, Foothills, Hiking, Mountains, MTBing, Photos
Mountain Biking In Colorado
by Larry • • 0 Comments
Mountain bikers who live in Colorado are a lucky lot. As is the case in many of the western States in the U.S., a large part of Colorado’s territory — 35%, or over 23 million acres — is public land. These public lands include national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, monuments, wilderness areas and lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. Most of these lands are owned and overseen by the federal government. But whether under the umbrella of federal, state or more local authority, these lands may be used by the public for recreation. Residents of Colorado spend millions of dollars of tax revenue every year to preserve, protect and improve their public land. In the mountains near Denver there are dozens of city, county and state parks where people may hike or ride mountain bikes. In most places, trails are well mapped and equipped with signs. Most trails are well maintained, either by governmental agencies or local volunteer groups. New trails are always being proposed and are generally built in a collaborative manner by local interest groups (i.e. mountain bike clubs) working in cooperation with government agencies. The result is a terrific network of trails which mountain bikers and all outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy.
Today’s outing was a ride in Golden Gate Canyon State Park in the mountains not far from Golden, Colorado, the western-most suburb of the Denver metro area. The loop ride on the Blue Grouse and Mule Deer trails covered 11.2 miles (18.0 kms), with an elevation gain and loss of 1500 feet (457 meters). The trailhead sits at an altitude of 8400 feet (2560 meters) and the highest point of the trail crossed the 9400 feet (2865 meter) mark. Nine members of the Rocky Mountain Bicycle Boys bike club took part. After completing the ride, the group stopped for lunch and liquid refreshments at a local brewery in Golden.
To view a map of the trail network at Golden Gate State Park, click here.
Countryside, Foothills, Mountains, MTBing, Photos, Racing
The Bailey Hundo
by Larry • • 0 Comments
Oaxaca is just half the size of Denver, but boasts more mountain bike clubs and more frequent races. However, there are some really classic races to be had in Colorado. The sixth annual Bailey Hundo took place on Saturday, 20 June 2015. This 100 mile cross-country race on the looping trails of the Buffalo Creek Recreation Area in the Pike National Forest is fast becoming a legend. Four hundred eager riders jostled for a place at the starting line in the little community of Bailey, which sits in a mountain valley about an hour’s drive west of Denver. Enthusiasm ran high — perhaps to counter the dread of having to pedal 100 miles before the day was out! The weather was ideal and trail conditions excellent for the day’s contest. Riders ranged in age from late teens into their sixties. Both female riders and fat-tire bikes were well represented. Congratulations to all who took part in this very challenging event!
To view a trail map showing the route of the 2015 Bailey Hundo, click here.
Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos
Summit Cyclery Club does Oaxaca Flume
by Deron • • 1 Comment
With a visit from mountain bike journalist James Murren, www.MountainBikeOaxaca.com guide Carl Silverberg invited local riders to make a show of force for a group ride on Carl’s renowned singletrack masterpiece, Oaxaca Flume.
Of the 23 riders coming out for the day’s ride, almost all of them were with the Summit Cyclery riding club. The gringos drove to Carl’s home in San Pablo Etla where the men of Summit Cyclery met us after their morning warm-up riding from the shop in Colonia Reforma. Nothing like 18 kilometers (11 miles) to get you fired up for the 8.3km climb up 790 meters of dirt road to the trailhead! They breed them strong here!
After the grind to the trailhead, the gang had some snacks and a short rest before jumping into the 17.7km (11mi) descent back into Etla. It would have been a bit longer ride if your esteemed author hadn’t missed a turn for the final side loop up the valley of the flume. Oh well! Once you get that much downhill singletrack rolling and flowing, it’s hard to look for hidden cutoffs (especially ones that lead to a bit of climbing).
A beautiful, sunny day with a bunch of fellow MTBers on an absolutely ass-blast of a trail. We had fun all the way around . . . well, after the climb to the trailhead, anyway. Oh, and then the Summit gang decided to cool off with a ride back to the shop . . . only wimpy gringos need a car to get home after an MTB ride. 🙂
Countryside, Foothills, MTBing, Photos, Racing
Titan Zapoteca MTB Race
by Larry • • 2 Comments
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.
