We try to mix up our Sunday rides for the sake of variety. However there is only a finite number of routes leading out from Oaxaca and so eventually we have to repeat outings. So it was on this last Sunday of June that our band of bikers set out to pedal to the Danzante of Zimatlan again. This is a gigantic statue of a man dressed in the regalia of the Danza de la Pluma which stand atop a hill a short distance from the town of Zimatlan, some 25 kilometers (16 miles) south of the capital city. Getting there and back is a relatively easy endeavor, as the terrain is remarkably level. Today’s four riders enjoyed a very mild temperature of 24º Celsius (76º Fahrenheit) on the excursion, which was accomplished in five hours, including time out for lunch at the mercado gastronomico in Zaachila on the way home. The group’s timing was good, as a series of afternoon rain showers swept through Oaxaca not long after the gang wrapped up the ride.
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Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized
Huayapam / Los Molinos Ride
by Larry • • 0 Comments
For the past three weeks Tlaloc, the god of rain, had a stranglehold on the Valles Centrales. Oaxaca lay beneath heavy cloud cover for days on end. Residents could not see the top of Cerro San Felipe, let alone catch a glimpse of blue sky. Rain showers moved through the valley half a dozen times a day. The city received 11.0 centimeters (4.35 inches) of rain in the past six days. So it was a welcome surprise when Sunday morning brought sunshine at last! Today’s ride was laid out to minimize riding through mud. There are numerous ways to get to Huayapam while remaining either on paved roads or byways that have good drainage. Our riders managed to arrive there dry and unsplattered with mud. Pushing their luck, they then decided to check out the Los Molinos trail, a perennial favorite of hikers and mountain bikers alike. The first three-quarters of the distance to the ruins of the old water-powered grain mill was in great shape. Only in the final segment did the single track trail get mired in mud. From the mill the riders opted to cross a creek and climb to the nearby Hwy 175 so as to have dry pavement for the downhill ride back to the city. This outing was a test drive of sorts, as Ron M. was aboard his new Priority brand bike designed for bikepacking. The sturdy rig is equipped with an internal gear hub mounted inside the bottom bracket, is driven by a rubber belt rather than a chain and rolls on extra-wide 29 inch tires. Ron declared himself delighted with the bike at the end of the day’s ride.
Ron baptizes his new Priority backpacking bike in the stream
near the ruins of the old grain mill at the end of the Los Molinos trail.
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Sunday Ride to Tejalápam
by Larry • • 0 Comments
Oaxaca was blanketed with cloud cover over several recent days with cooler temperatures and a constant threat of rain – though, in fact, the city received little precipitation through the week. However, skies were clearing when the ride got under way at 9 am on June 13 and there was no need for the rain gear riders carried with them. The small group of four cyclists concentrated their efforts on the back roads of the Etla Valley to the west of Monte Alban, covering a total of 52.9 kms (32.9 miles) while cruising up and over a couple of ridgelines, gaining and losing 563 meters (1847 feet) of elevation on the circuit. Riders set out at 9 am and were back in their respective homes by 1:15 in the afternoon, thus avoiding the rain showers that arrived about an hour later. All in all, it was a pleasant Sunday outing.
Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized
Another Grand Loop Ride
by Larry • • 0 Comments
The first Sunday in June was a special day for a couple of reasons. First of all it was election day in Mexico, with people voting for candidates running for local, state and national offices. We passed a number of polling places on today’s ride where folks were lined up to cast their ballots. Secondly, recent heavy rains occasioned the appearance of the large winged ants – called chicatanas – which are considered quite a delicacy hereabouts. Both while waiting for riders to assemble at Santo Domingo church and all along the route of today’s ride we saw dozens of people scavenging for the insects, deftly capturing them and putting them in plastic bags to be carried home to the kitchen for preparation in a meal later in the day.
The route for this Sunday outing was a long loop that took participants 56.2 kms (34.9 miles) from Oaxaca south into the Zimatlan valley through San Bartolo Coyotepec (famous for black glazed pottery), then up and over a ridge of hills to San Sebastian Teitipac in the Tlacolula valley before angling back to Oaxaca through San Francisco Lachigoló and Santa Maria del Tule. Those rains referenced above meant slogging through a lot of mud along the way. The 233 meter (763 foot) foot climb up and over the hills separating the Zimatlan and Tlacolula valleys was a challenge, but the ride down the far side was a blast. Overall, riders gained and lost 509 meters (1670 feet) on the circuit. Time in the saddle amounted to 5.5 hours, including time for a delicious lunch at the Milenario restaurant in Tule on the final leg of the journey. Once back home the first order of business was to give our bikes a thorough cleaning and wash our filthy clothes and shoes!
A chicatana – a one-inch long flying ant. 
People scurry to catch the ants. 
One of many polling places in Oaxaca. 
A sign for a foot race in the hills. 
Taking a pic of blooming cacti. 
Time to rehydrate. 
Dropping through a rock garden. 
Lots of mud on the bike! Shoes and shorts were just as dirty.
Caution! Goose crossing. 
Enjoying the scenery. 
Nearing the top of the ridge separating the Zimatlan & Tlacolula valleys. 
Gorgeous view of the Tlacolula valley.
Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Uncategorized
Teotitlan Today
by Larry • • 0 Comments
Teotitlan del Valle was the focus of our attention this last Sunday in May of 2021. One member of our Sunday cycling circle proposed shuttling our bikes to Teotitlan, then riding from there up to Benito Juarez – a round trip of 37.6 kilometers with a climb of a whopping 1280 meters on the dirt road that snakes up the mountainside. Others in the group countered with the suggestion that we simply ride from Oaxaca to Teotitlan and back, thus bypassing the need for shuttle vehicles and saving the strain of pedaling steadily uphill for almost twelve miles. The flatlanders won out. So we met at 9 am at Santo Domingo and pedaled to Teotitlan, going by way of Tlalixtac, Santo Domingo Tomaltepec, Tule and Tlacochahuaya. The total distance covered amounted to 62 kms (38.5 miles). The map below shows the route followed on a previous ride which was similar but a bit shorter. Today’s ride was completed at 2:30 pm, which allowed for time to grab a light lunch at the mercado in Teotitlan before starting the trip back to Oaxaca.
