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Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Easter Sunday Ride

by Larry • 2021-04-04 • 1 Comment

Easter fell on 4 April in 2021, which also happened to be the day Mexico switched to daylight savings time. So the ride began at 9 am, as usual, but in fact it was an hour earlier in terms of daylight and the sun having a chance to take the chill out of the air. We were expecting a large turnout, as eight young Mexican bikers said they would take part in today’s outing. However, only three riders showed up at the appointed time, one of whom was a young man from the U.S. just recently arrived in Oaxaca eager to explore the territory on a rented mountain bike. From el centro, the group rode through San Agustin Yatareni to Huayapam, then out and back on the Los Molinos trail in Tlalixtac – a perennial favorite among local bikers. The threesome covered 22.3 miles ( 35.9 km) on the outing, gaining and losing a total of 1450 feet (442 meters) in elevation on the loop. The highest point of the ride was at the end of the Los Molinos trail, which topped out at 5751 feet (1753 meters). From there it was a swoopy and fast downhill run all the way back to Oaxaca. All in all, a great Easter excursion!

Jake, a visitor to Oaxaca, eager to go for a bike ride.
Easter proved a lovely day for a ride in the country.
Ron is a very strong rider for a guy in his 70’s.
Posing at the ruins of the old water-powered grain mill.
Lots of open space.
Jake pedaled like a champ on his first bike ride in Oaxaca.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Spring Ride

by Larry • 2021-03-21 • 0 Comments

Spring has officially arrived in Oaxaca, though the weather is as perfect today as any other day of the year. Only the Jacaranda trees blooming in all their purple majesty are indicative of a change of seasons. Fourteen riders gathered this Sunday morning to avail themselves of another day of gorgeous sunshine to go for a ride through the countryside. As the group was an eclectic mix of experienced cyclists and newbie riders, the day’s outing was an easy one. Pedaling at a leisurely pace, the band traveled from el centro through Tlalixtac, Tomaltepec and Tule on the way to Tlacochahuaya, which was the turnaround point. Almost all of this distance was covered on dirt roads. After pausing for refreshments at the market, the group retraced their route to Tule where three of the group broke off to take a more adventurous route back to Oaxaca while the rest opted for the paved bike path into town. All told, riders covered 29 miles (46.6 kms) and gained and lost 666 feet (203 meters) in elevation on the outing, which lasted almost exactly four hours.

The group gathers before the ride.
Pedaling through town.
Little traffic on a Sunday morning.
Into the countryside.
Plenty of blue sky and sunshine.
Lots of other bikers out today.
On the way home.
Jacaranda tree in full bloom.

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Riding From The Top Down

by Larry • 2021-02-28 • 0 Comments

This Sunday morning ride was a bit different. After meeting at the plaza in front of Santo Domingo at 9 am, the group of seven riders loaded their bikes into a van for a long but scenic drive up to the plateau above San Pablo Quatro Venados. Once there, they set out first on a two-hour, 11.6 mile (18.7 km) easy ride on the well-graded unpaved roads that crisscross the region, passing through the village of Soledad Peras going both out and back. While hardly level, this route entailed just moderate climbs and descents, taking riders up and down a total of 1150 feet (351 meters). Once returned to the starting point, two cyclists opted to ride in the van back to Oaxaca. The other five riders chose to then cycle back to Oaxaca on the road that passes by Santa Inés del Monte and through Lobera and Zaachila. This extended route added 24.4 miles (39.3 km) to the day’s tally. More importantly, it let the bikers descend a thrilling 4,209 feet (1283 meters) on a combination of unpaved and paved roads. Unfortunately, one of our riders lost control and crashed on a curve while racing downhill just past Santa Inés. A local ambulance took him to a clinic in Zaachila where he was patched up. Three cheers for the Mexican healthcare system! The drive to the trailhead took two hours each way. Those doing just the short ride got home at 3:30 in the afternoon. The guys taking the long way back did not return to Oaxaca until 6:00 pm – delayed by the accident and then stopping for lunch at the mercado gastrinomico in Zaachila.

Unloading bikes from the van.
Riders and bikes ready to go.
A traveling vendor selling paletas.
Yummm!
Lured on by open road and brilliant sky.
Great riding at 9200 feet elevation.
Time for a drink.
Local family meets bike group.
Grabbing a quick nap.
View from near Santa Inés del Monte.
The long road home – thankfully all downhill!

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Another Round on the West Etla Valley Loop

by Larry • 2021-02-21 • 0 Comments

Ten energetic riders showed up for this ride on the West Etla Valley Loop on Sunday, 21 February 2021. Among the group were several regular riders, plus two visitors from Australia – Alee and Ben, both veteran long-distance bikepackers spending some quality time in Oaxaca. Vidal was aboard his spiffy new Specialized bike with custom graphics. Larry was riding the Specialized Enduro on which he had just installed a new 11-speed transmission with some ultra-low gears for steep hill climbs. The gang opted to ride the loop in a clockwise direction, which took them on paved roads to Cuilapam and thence on unpaved farm roads into the countryside. Near the half-way point three of the stronger riders broke off to climb to Cuatro Venados while the rest of the crew continued back to Oaxaca. As usual, the weather was perfect for such an outing, and all had a great time.

Splashing through a stream.
A bunch of happy bikers.
Cranking up a hill.
A lovely day for a ride.

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Lower Mil Rios Trail

by Larry • 2021-01-10 • 0 Comments

Today’s ride took seven cyclists from Oaxaca through the countryside to Tlalixtac and then up the valley where the Mil Rios trail comes down the mountain from near La Neveria. The full Mil Rios trail is ridden downhill because it is steep and difficult in its upper reaches (see other “Mil Rios” entries on the RIDES page of this website). The lower section, though, makes for a fine out & back ride on a Sunday morning. It took the group 90 minutes to pedal from Santo Domingo church in Oaxaca to the entry point to the Mil Rios trail, where there was a toll station at which each rider paid a fee of 10 pesos. The initial few miles from that point were on a freshly-graded dirt road which services the four dams spaced at intervals up the valley. Eventually the road petered out and the trail became a single track running through the forest. A number of stream crossings and rock gardens made the ride interesting. Time constraints dictated when the group had to turn around and head back to Oaxaca. Ultimately the gang pedaled 24.2 miles (38.9 kms) round trip, gaining and losing 1447 feet (441 meters) in elevation along the way. The mercado in Tlalixtac provided a good place for a tasty lunch stop on the way home.