Category: Uncategorized

Uncategorized

Round Trip to Zegache

by  •  • 0 Comments

On this 13th day of November four members of our Sunday riding group set out from Oaxaca to pedal to Santa Ana Zegache and back – a round trip distance of 64.9 kilometers (40.3 miles). It was a lovely day – of course! – with blue skies in the morning, turning partly cloudy as the day progressed, and with temperatures at about 27º C (80º F) for the day. Though the distance traveled was significant, the ride was rated easy to moderate because of the mostly level terrain. The gang departed from the plaza in front of Santo Domingo at 9 am and returned to the city shortly after 2 pm. A grand time was had by all.

  • Our Four Musketeers at the church in Santa Ana Zegache.

Uncategorized

Taken again by the charm of Tomaltepec

by  •  • 1 Comment

Regular visitors to this site know that the ride through the countryside to the two presas in the valley above Santo Domingo Tomaltepec is a favorite Sunday outing for our informal group of extranjeros and local cyclists. The sky was grey and drizzle was falling when the gang assembled in front of the church of Santo Domingo in the center of Oaxaca at 9 o’clock the morning of 16 October 2022. Ten riders turned out for the day’s ride – nine guys and one gal. The drizzle stopped and the sky gradually cleared for what turned out to be an excellent day to be in the saddle – also in the reservoir, where three of the gang took a swim. The ride out and back was delightful, if uneventful, covering a distance of 39 kilometers (24.4 miles). The elevation gain – all of it on the outbound leg – amounted to 221 meters (725 feet). That ensured that the ride back to town was all sweet downhill. There were lots of fall wildflowers blooming merrily all along the way.

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Mil Rios Redux

by  •  • 0 Comments

As noted previously, the Mil Rios trail a few miles from Tlalixtac is a popular destination for Oaxaca cyclists. Getting from the city to the trailhead is an easy ride on mostly level dirt roads and takes about 90 minutes. There is a toll station at the trailhead where riders have to pay 20 pesos each. Once past the graded dirt road that serves the several dams built along the stream, the trail becomes a single track that winds through the woods and crosses the creek multiple times. Since the Mil Rios trail begins in the high Sierra Norte mountains not far from La Neveria, riders can go as far up the valley as they want or can manage. The further you go, though, the steeper the trail gets. And when cycling uphill you have to keep a careful watch for bikers screaming down the trail. On today’s ride – Sunday / 10 July 2022 – ten bikers set out from Santo Domingo at 9 am. Two had to turn around before leaving the city, and another two turned back at the trailhead, leaving just six to complete the ride. It was a lovely day, and everyone enjoyed the outing.


Countryside, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Dodging Raindrops

by  •  • 0 Comments

The summer rainy season has begun in earnest in Oaxaca, and so the weatherman plays a deciding role in planning and executing rides. On this Sunday ride (19 June 2022) the goal was to pedal to Teotitlan and back. Three riders set out from Santo Domingo at 9 am, with the goal of passing through Tule, Tlacochahuaya, Dainzu and Macuilxochitl before reaching the turn-around point in Teotitlan. However, clouds building above the Sierra Norte suggested it would be wise to stop the ride at the ruins of Dainzu and head for home before things got wet. That turned out to be a good decision, as raindrops began to fall as our group wrapped up the ride. Of special note was the number and variety of bike riders on the trail today. We encountered nearly two hundred cyclists on our 4.5 hour outing, including a large group of sixty or so riders of all ages clustered in the zocalo in Tule. Upon inquiry, we learned the riders where from seven different clubs in Oaxaca. It was gratifying to see so many riders again after the hiatus in group rides caused by the pandemic.

  • Cyclists from seven different clubs in Oaxaca join forces for a large group ride.
  • Riders gather in the zocalo in Tule.

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Ride on the Lower Mil Rios Trail

by  •  • 0 Comments

The lower part of the Mil Rios trail runs from Tlalixtac some two or more miles up into a mountain valley. Its close proximity to the city makes it a fine place for a Sunday excursion, whether aboard a mountain bike, on horseback or simply hiking. The stream coming down the mountain feeds a series of small reservoirs behind four dams that divert water into an aqueduct providing irrigation to farm fields in the valley. The trail crosses the stream in several places, but there was not a drop of water in the creek at this late date in the dry season. Our group of riders racked up 37 kilometers (23 miles) on this out & back ride, climbing and descending a total of 335 meters (1099 feet) along the way. Ride time was 3.5 hours.

  • Ours was a small group of cyclists for today’s ride.
  • Dhruba chose to ride the pedestrian bridge over the Panamerican highway.
  • An agent from the community was collecting a toll of 20 pesos to ride the trail.
  • It was easy pedaling on the well maintained service road,
  • Today was Rafa’s first time riding the Mil Rios trail.