Category: MTBing

Items related to actual riding of mountain bikes.

GPS, Hiking, Mountains, MTBing, Ride Routes, Trail Info

Ixtlan Revisited

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In November of last year (2013) we visited Ixtlan de Juarez. Unfortunately, cold, rainy weather cut short our exploration of the miles of logging roads that create a maze in the hills above the town. We returned yesterday (5 January 2014) in excellent weather and rode a very satisfying 11 mile (17.7 km) loop, beginning and ending at the main church in town.

Except for the small portion on paved city streets, the entire loop is on dirt roads which are in relatively good condition and have decent gradient. There are numerous junctions with lesser trafficked logging roads (we stayed on what seemed to be the most-used road) along the route and a couple of single track trails that dropped off into the woods.

The loop can be ridden in either direction, but clockwise is recommended, as that way the grade going uphill is a  manageable 5.8%, whereas the descent averages a “Yee-haw!” 9% for a fast paced, brake-burning downhill run.

The ride begins in the center of town, at an elevation of 6505 feet (1983 meters) and tops out at 8556 feet (2608 meters). The total elevation gain pedaling 7.0 miles (11.3 km) to the top amounts to 2119 feet (646 meters), with a scant 33 feet (10 meters) of downhill along the way. The blistering 4.0 mile (6.4 km) descent is even more consistent, with a meager 20 feet (6 meters) of climbing thrown in for grins.

Give yourself a whole day to play in the forest and enjoy riding this and other nearby trails.

MTBing, Outing, Photos

¡Feliz Navidad de Colorado, mis amigos!

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Hello, friends in Oaxaca!  I hope your holidays are going well.  My friend Carlos Silverberg (of www.MountainBikeOaxaca.com fame) teased me the other day via email saying he was headed out with a tour on the EcoTrail…the best downhill trail I know of in Oaxaca.  Although it’s a bit colder here in Colorado, United States, than in Oaxaca, I too was thinking of getting out on the bike.  Work and weather have gotten in the way of that for too many weeks here.  So, while Carlos and crew were out burning up some brake pads, I was out enjoying a delightful 60F December day on South Table Mountain.  Thinking of Oaxaca and many of you while on the trail, I thought I’d throw up some pictures…and a comparison elevation graph for my ride and the last time I did the EcoTrail with Carlos.

 

I’m looking forward to seeing you in January in OAX, friends!

Countryside, Foothills, Mountains, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

New Bicycle Signs On Highway

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Highway 175 that leads from Oaxaca city into the Sierra Norte mountains seems to be a fairly popular weekend ride for roadies and mountain bikers. The climb to La Cumbre Ixtepeji is brutal, whether accomplished entirely on the paved highway or by detouring on the dirt road through Tierra Colorada. The highway is steep, curvy and has no shoulder at all. It also has heavy vehicular traffic — all of which makes it a dangerous place for a bike. In recent weeks (December 2013) a number of new signs have been erected along the route cautioning motorists of bike riders and reminding them to share the roadway. This, and the newly-completed bike path to Tule, indicates the state government of Oaxaca looks favorably on the biking community.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Trail Info

Bike Trail to Tule

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Oaxaca recently completed another section of the “Rails to Trails” project converting the old railroad line running from Oaxaca city to the town of Tule into a dedicated bicycle path. The latest addition takes bike riders to a point in Tule just a few blocks from the parish church where the famous gigantic cedar tree towers over the landscape. The newest segment is nicely paved and features solar-powered street lamps to light the path at night. While a portion of the new bike path shares the right-of-way with a four-lane road, the major part is well away from vehicular traffic. Unfortunately, the bike trail starts well away from the center of Oaxaca and may be difficult for some to locate – the bike path starts at the intersection of Ferrocarril and Norte Cinco.

 

 

GPS, Mountains, MTBing, Photos, Trail Info

Ixtlan de Juárez Ride

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On a bright Saturday morning a group of friends, five in number, set out from Oaxaca city into the Sierra Norte, eager for a pleasant ride in the mountains. Looking for some place new, Ixtlan de Juárez seemed a good candidate for the day’s exploration.

A look at Google Earth shows a tantalizing network of dirt roads north of the town center. But as so often happens, the weather in the Sierra Norte did not match that in Oaxaca city. Where the Valles Centrales basked in sunshine, Ixtlan had a heavy cloud cover and intermittent light rain. We got in one satisfying loop, with a visit to the Mirador on the hilltop near town, before the clouds grew more threatening. We decided to break for lunch and zipped downhill on Highway 175 to the nearby town of Guelatao – famous as the birthplace of Benito Juarez. Just as we finished chowing down, the heavens opened up and we abandoned any hope of more biking in the afternoon.

While the ride shown on the map below is satisfying, it is rather short. However, you can zoom in and will see some of the dirt roads that excited our interest. If you have better luck with the weather, you will doubtless enjoy many additional miles of riding in the area.