OaxacaMTB.org

Oaxaca has enjoyed a recent influx of tourists with an interest in mountain biking, as was evidenced by the fact that six of the ten riders who showed up for today’s Sunday ride were visitors just passing through the state. They rode an assortment of bikes rented from local shops, some of which included helmets in the deal and some that did not. Our destination for the day’s excursion was Lobera, a frequent end-point for Sunday outings. The group skirted the major road construction taking place on Simbolos Patrios on the way to the airport, then followed both dirt and paved roads through the countryside on the way to Zaachila, where the band stopped at the mercado gastronomico for fruit drinks. From there it was a straight shot going west to Lobera. Though other options were available, the gang decided to return to Oaxaca using the same route. By the end of the ride the group had covered 58.6 kilometers / 36.5 miles, with an elevation gain and loss of 286 meters / 937 feet, mainly in the last mile up the hill to Lobera. Ride participants spent just over five hours in the saddle.

A family of four recently arrived in Mexico from Senegal in west Africa, hoping to make Oaxaca their home for a couple of years. All of them – parents and two pre-teens – enjoy bicycling and were eager to start exploring the region on two wheels. We arranged to meet at their home in Tlalixtac, where we loaded their bikes in the van for the short drive to Tule. From there we pedaled east through the level terrain of the Tlacolula valley, passing through Guendalain, Lachigoló and Tlacochahuaya before turning around at the archeological ruins of Dainzu. We followed the same route on our return, stopping in Tule for lunch. The kids – a girl of 11 and a boy of 8 – were excited and rode like champs, easily keeping up with the adult riders. Today’s outing was an easy one, intended as a gentle introduction to the multitude of trails available in the Valley of Oaxaca. The group covered 15.3 miles, with a minimal elevation gain and loss.

The word went out on Friday that our Sunday bike ride would take us to the archeological ruins in San Jose el Mogote, some eleven miles north of Oaxaca, on a route that would follow the abandoned railroad line from Mexico City. A total of ten people showed up to join in the outing, four of them newcomers to our band. There were a number of other cyclists milling about in the plaza in front of Santo Domingo, too, as ours was not the only group meeting at the same time and place. The excursion itself was an easy ramble through the countryside, as the terrain was practically flat the whole way. On the return leg, though, most of the riders took the more challenging option of pedaling up and over the Libramiento Norte from Viguera to San Felipe del Aqua. It was a sparkling clear day and a good time was had by all.