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Today’s ride through the countryside was a thirty-mile excursion through the Tlacolula Valley to the archeological ruins at Dainzu and back. Six riders met at the rendezvous point in the plaza in front of Santo Domingo at 9 am. They were met by a crowd of about fifty cyclists preparing for a rally / ride through central Oaxaca on behalf of the Alianza party, which has candidates vying for positions in the elections scheduled for early June. Gringos are forbidden from participating in Mexican politics, so we declined the offer of free Alianza T-shirts. Opting for an easy ride, the group chose to get to Santa Maria del Tule on the paved bike path, which was unusually crowded today with an equal mix of bikers and people out for a Sunday stroll. From Tule we continued east on dirt roads through Tlacochahuaya and on to the archeological ruins of Dainzu, which was our turn-around point. Passing through Tule again on the way home, we stopped for a light lunch at one of the many curbside comedores on the main street. All told, riders pedaled 30.6 miles (49.2 km) on the outing, with a negligible elevation gain and loss of about 650 feet (198 meters).

Steve and Erin planned to set out on a multi-day ride from Oaxaca to San Jose del Pacifico and beyond on a Sunday morning and invited our clutch of mountain bikers to accompany them as far as Ocotlan. We happily agreed. So we set out at 9 am on 2 May 2021, pedaling past the airport and south into the Zimatlan valley to Santa Ana Zegache and Santiago Apostol before reaching Ocotlan. After a light lunch of tacos dorados at the city market, we went our separate ways — Steve & Erin to continue on to Ejutla, where they would spend the night; and the remainder of the group returning to Oaxaca by way of Highway 175. The round trip distance on the loop ride amounted to 47.6 miles (76.6 kms), with an elevation gain and loss of approximately 1150 feet (350 meters). The lowest point on the route was 4845 feet (1477 meters) in the Zimatlan valley, while the highest point was 5462 feet (1665 meters) crossing the ridge of hills on Hwy 175 between Guegorexe and Santa Maria Coyotepec on the south side of Oaxaca. Ride time amounted to 6.5 hours, including time for lunch at the market in Ocotlan.

It had been a while since our Sunday ride took bikers to Jelapa del Valle and back, so that was the destination chosen for this ride on 18 April 2021. Five fellows showed up at the appointed time and place. The group rode from Oaxaca to Atzompa and then followed the highway to San Pedro Ixtlahuaca, proceeding from there on dirt roads that led over the ridgeline and down into the valley of the Rio Jalapilla. Climbing up and over the hill proved the most challenging part of the day’s outing. Once in the river valley it was easy to pedal through Cieneguilla and on to Jelapa del Valle, where the community store proved a great place to stop for cold drinks and ice cream bars. At this juncture the group had to decide whether to climb back over the ridge to return to Oaxaca or follow the river through San Felipe Tejelápam and San Lorenzo Cacaotepec. The latter route was chosen, though it was notably longer. Being mostly downhill, it did not take any more time than the shorter over-the-hill route and required less effort. The ride took just a few minutes over four hours to complete.

Seven cyclists set out from Oaxaca for a ride to Lobera and back on the second Sunday of April, 2021. The day dawned bright and clear, with a temperature of 54º F (12.2 º C) at sunrise and a forecast high temperature of 94º F (34.4º C) by 4 pm. Cloud cover was expected to develop through the afternoon, but no rain was predicted. There was no breeze to speak of to moderate the the heat, but it was still fine cycling weather. In fact, the band encountered eight other groups of bikers riding the paved road running from Zaachila to Lobera and beyond – half riding road bikes and the rest on mountain bikes. The map below shows the route followed, which covered 32 miles (51.5 kms) with an elevation gain and loss of 1268 feet (386 meters) along the way. An unexpected highlight of the outing was a stop at a small comedor tucked away in a grove of avocado trees called “Sabor A Ti” which offered excellent fare served by a very competent young staff. From start to finish, the ride lasted five hours, with riders getting back to town at 2 o’clock in the afternoon.