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On this bright Sunday in mid-March a covey of twelve riders set out from Oaxaca for the town of Teotitlan del Valle, famous as a village of weavers. Presented with several options as to which route to take, the gang chose to keep to level terrain rather than do some hill climbs. So we stuck to back roads on the valley floor, pedaling through Tlalixtac and Santo Domingo Tomaltepec on the way to Tule, then continuing east to Tlacochahuaya and Dainzu before heading north through Macuilxotchitl and into Teotitlan. The group reached Teotitlan at noon, so a lunch stop was in order. Since Conchita’s restaurant was handy and offered tasty dishes at a reasonable price, the gang spent an hour there. The return to Oaxaca went quickly, as it was a gradual downhill slope all the way. Here are the day’s stats: Distance traveled – 63.4 kilometers (39.4 miles) Elevation gain and loss – 326 meters (1070 feet) Time elapsed – 6 hours.

After several weeks of easy Sunday rides, today’s outing was a more challenging loop through the rolling hills west of Monte Alban. Six riders rode from Oaxaca out through Atzompa and Cacaotepec to Tejalápam, then crossed a ridge of hills to San Andres Ixtlahuaca and thence back to Oaxaca. This route covered 48.8 kilometers (30.3 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 465 meters (1525 feet) on the circuit. Counting a stop for lunch in Atzompa at the end of the excursion, the group was enroute for five hours. The weather was perfect, of course, with sunshine and blue skies. The forecast high temperature for the day was expected to hit 31º C (88º F) by mid-afternoon.

Christmas is less than a week away as a small group of four riders assemble in the plaza in front of the church of Santo Domingo in Oaxaca for the regular Sunday morning ride. Though the calendar says it is 19 December and nearly the shortest day of the year, it is bright and sunny, with a forecast high temperature of 81º F / 27º C — in other words, just another perfect day in paradise. The plan is to pedal through San Felipe del Aqua, San Luis Beltran and Donaji on the way to Huayapam, then ride the Los Molinos trail which parallels Hwy 175 as it winds into the mountains toward La Cumbre. Our destination is the ruin of the old water-powered grain mill that last functioned over a hundred years ago. Two of the cyclists are recent converts to mountain biking, so today’s outing will be a challenge for them, but they are eager for the experience. When all is said and done, the foursome cover a distance of 39.3 kms / 24.4 miles, with an elevation gain and loss of 552 meters / 1813 feet along the way, finishing the ride in 4.5 hours, counting a stop outbound in Huayapam for fresh juice drinks and another on the way home for lemonade.

Sunday, 12 December 2021 Today is the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of Mexico. Well before first light Oaxaca was shaken by the explosion of innumerable cohotes – skyrockets shot into the pre-dawn darkness – as church bells pealed throughout the city. In Teotitlan del Valle preparations were under way for the annual performance of the Danza de la Pluma – the elaborate dance pageant reenacting the Spanish conquest of Mexico in the 1500’s. In a far less elaborate ritual, ten mountain bikers set out to pedal 29 kilometers (18 miles) from central Oaxaca to the imposing statue of a feather dancer that stands atop a hill near the town of Zimatlan in the valley of the same name. Though involving a significant round-trip distance, the ride was rated easy because the terrain covered is remarkably flat – save for the short but steep climb up the hill to the base of the statue. Pedaling at a leisurely pace, the ride took a bit over five hours to complete. The six men and four women riders declared the outing a worthwhile endeavor.