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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.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Racing

Mountain Bike Race at Cuilapam

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There was a mountain bike race held on Sunday, 20 October 2013 in Cuilapam de Guerrero, a village just 11 kilometers southwest of Oaxaca city. Unlike the other races listed here, this one was not league sponsored but was organized by the people of Cuilapam as part of a weekend fiesta. The race course ran alongside (and frequently crossed) the river and then ventured into nearby countryside. The route was unusually flat and had no technical aspects to speak of; however, the frequent water crossings certainly added some challenge to the enterprise. The race circuit covered 4.5 miles (7.2 km) and had an elevation gain & loss of just 243 feet (74 meters).

GPS, Mountains, MTBing, Photos, Racing

San Pedro Ixtlahuaca Marathon Race

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Read about and enjoy pictures of the marathon race that ran a loop course over nearly twenty miles of dirt roads on Sunday, 13 October 2013. The account is one of the entries in the file describing the multiple race venues around Oaxaca city. Click this link to skip to the list of race venues: San Pedro Ixtlahuaca Marathon Race.