Five cyclists showed up for this Friday group ride from Oaxaca to La Raya and back, using a combination of roads and trails which formed a large loop through the countryside of the Zimatlan valley to the south of Oaxaca. It was a great five hour ride of a bit over 56 kms (35 miles) on a warm spring day.
A delightful but challenging ride on logging roads circling through the mountains near the village of El Carrizal. This is a high country outing on terrain that ranges between 2606 meters (8549 feet) to 3102 meters (10,177 feet) in elevation with gradients between 8% and 20%. Be forewarned the trail is rough and rocky, so your suspension will get a workout. Cyclists must register at the Officina de Bienes Communales in San Miguel del Valle and pay a fee of 100 pesos apiece. Local guide(s) not required, as all of ride is on designated roads. Elapsed time in the saddle varies from two hours on ebikes to four hours on pedal-powered conveyances. As a bonus, riders can scream 5.8 kms (3.6 miles) down the mountain to San Miguel, followed by the shuttle driver. Shuttle time: two hours from Oaxaca to trailhead.
There is a lovely, secluded valley situated between the villages of San Antonio Buena Vista and Santa Cecilia Jalieza in the outer reaches of the Teitipac region of the Tlacolula valley to the southeast of Oaxaca city. Well off the beaten path, few people venture this way. The valley is most beautiful in the summer and fall when the hillsides and farm fields are a vibrant green. But the area has an austere aesthetic even in the driest part of the year, when the blue sky contrasts with the various shades of brown and grey vegetation. This loop ride covers 75.2 km (46.7 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 437 meters (1435 feet). Expect to spend five to six hours in the saddle to finish the course, riding at a moderate pace and with a stop in San Juan Teitipac for brunch.
This was an exploratory ride to see what lies between these two towns in the hill country north of Oaxaca city. Three riders shuttled to San Juan where they unloaded their bikes and began the long uphill climb to cross a mountain ridge to the next valley. The excursion was a success, though the guys managed to get a bit less than halfway to San Miguel before leg fatigue prompted them to turn around. The little used paved road between the villages made for pleasant pedaling, despite the unrelenting climb, as there were terrific views of the valley below through the pine forest. The riders covered just 13.0 kilometers (8.1 miles) of the 31.6 kilometers (19.6 miles) distance between towns, gaining and losing 654 meters (2146 feet) in elevation along the way. Perhaps some intrepid cyclists will go the whole distance at some point in the future.
Our Sunday group ride this week took the gang to the obscure town of San Juan del Estado, located in the northeastern portion of the Etla valley. The out & back distance amounted to 66.8 km (41.5 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 389.5 meters (1278 feet) along the way. A total of eight cyclists – seven men and one woman – took part in the outing.
