Category: Uncategorized

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Another Sunday in the Saddle

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It is late November but the weather in Oaxaca continues to be ideal for mountain biking. Blue skies and mild temperatures are a strong lure to get riders out into the countryside for another Sunday ride. As is often the case, the rolling hill country of the Etla valley beckons today’s group of riders. From the esplanade in front of Santo Domingo the band pedaled to the Plaza Bella shopping center, then up the hill towards Monte Alban before cutting off on a side road leading down to Arrazola. From there various dirt lanes led through farm fields, across ridgelines and down along streams — all open country basking in the sunshine. Eventually the route took riders into Cuilapam, where they stopped for icy drinks at a stand set up near the ruins of the never-completed monastery. From that point it was an easy run back into Oaxaca on pavement. The day’s outing covered 25.0 miles (40.0 kms), with riders gaining and losing 2354 feet (717meters) of elevation on the circuit. The high point in the hills northwest of Cuilapam was 5807 feet (1770 meters). Riders spent about four hours in the saddle.

  • Tinkering with the rear derailleur before the ride.
  • Because of the pandemic there are few tourists on the pedestrian mall.
  • Not much vehicular traffic on Sunday, either.
  • The long climb up towards Monte Alban.
  • A sparkling clear day.
  • Caution! Lots of loose rubble on the downhill.
  • Crossing a spring-fed stream.
  • Through the rolling hills.
  • One last climb.
  • A fast downhill to Cuilapam.
  • Stopping for colorful agua frescas.
  • Riding the highway from Cuilapam to Oaxaca.

GPS, Mountains, MTBing, Uncategorized

Mil Rios Trail – Access thru Teotitlan & Benito Juárez

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The Mil Rios ride is a true classic. The Mil Rios trail can be ridden in and of itself, using a shuttle to reach the trailhead not far from the village of La Neveria. It can also be tackled as part of a long and demanding loop ride passing through Teotitlan del Valle and Benito Juárez to get to the trailhead – as shown in the map below. Riders will struggle to climb 4778 feet (1456 meters), but get to cruise down 4586 feet (1398 meters) on the way home. Caution: the Mil Rios trail is steep and rocky in many places, so good bike handling skills are necessary.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

How Far Will You Pedal For Lunch?

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It rained Saturday afternoon and evening in Oaxaca (ninety-five hundredths of an inch) and Sunday dawned overcast and gloomy. The day’s suggested ride was a long one that would take about seven hours to complete, so anxious eyes were cast skyward. There were no rain clouds in sight at 9 am, so the group of four riders decided to proceed as planned. The proposed route was a loop that could be ridden in either direction. After some discussion, the band opted to pedal clockwise, so the itinerary took the riders from Oaxaca to Tule, Rojas de Cuauhtémoc, San Juan Teitipac, Santa Cecilia Jalieza, then over the hill to San Pedro Guegorexe and to the Azucena Zapoteca restaurant near Tilcajete for lunch. After their meal the group would decide whether to return to Oaxaca on Hwy 175 or stick to country roads that would take them through San Martin Tilcajete, Santa Ana Zegache and Zaachila. The highway option would be about 20 kilometers shorter, but would entail a climb up and over a ridge of hills. Following a very pleasant lunch, the fellows opted for the shorter (highway) route home. When the ride was complete, the day’s numbers were tallied. Riders pedaled 44.5 miles (71.6 kms) with an elevation gain and loss of 2320 feet (707 meters) on the circuit. The high point was the top of the ridge separating Santo Domingo Jalieza and San Pedro Guegorexe, which registered 5895 feet (1797 meters) on the GPS unit. From there it was a quick vertical descent of 818 feet (249 meters) on 4.2 miles (6.7 kms) of dirt road into the valley. Tlaloc, the ancient god of rain, looked with favor on the bikers and held off rain showers until all were safely home. 

 

 

 

Uncategorized

Biking Around Oaxaca During The Coronaviris Crisis

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Both the city and the state of Oaxaca have been affected by the coronavirus crisis. The first two confirmed cases of Covid-19 were reported on 16 March 2020 and that number grew slowly over the next few weeks. As in cities around the world, steps were taken here to limit the spread of the pandemic. Most public venues (schools, movie theaters, ball parks, concert halls, etc.) were shuttered and gatherings of more than 10 people were banned. People were urged to avoid groups and distance themselves from others. Everyone was encouraged to stay in their homes. As a consequence, the city is eerily quiet, with little pedestrian or vehicular traffic about.

Mountain bikers have been affected, too, as local bike clubs cancelled their weekly group rides. However, individual riders continue to pedal trails in the mountains and around the Valles Centrales as a way of staying in shape and to keep from going stir crazy because of forced isolation. If anything, there seem to be more bikers on the Libramiento and the trail network in the hills above San Felipe del Agua than usual on weekday mornings. 

This post was put up on 1 April. It is hoped the pandemic will peak sometime this month and that the number of infections will begin to taper off in May and June. In the meantime, mountain biking serves as a way to keep one’s sanity in a world gone crazy.

Uncategorized

Bound For Teotitlan

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A bright Sunday morning beckoned members of the Nitos Ciclistas en Movimiento bike club to pedal 64 kilometers out and back from the center of Oaxaca to Teotitlan del Valle in the Tlacolula valley. Fifteen riders took part in the day’s excursion. Leaving from the plaza in front of the grand Santo Domingo church at 8:15 am, the group arrived in Teotitlan two hours later, where they visited the dam and reservoir just north of town before stopping for a late breakfast at the city market.