Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos

A Ride In The Country

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Nine people showed up for this ride in the country on the first Sunday of August in 2021. It was a perfect blue-sky morning with a pleasant temperature and a slight breeze. Two riders were newcomers to the group, one visiting from Atlanta, GA and the other from Salt Lake City, UT. Another came aboard his Brompton folding bike, which has seen extensive use traveling through several Mexican states.

Pedaling along city streets and then highway, the group covered the distance to Cuilapam in about half an hour. After a brief stop to view the ruins of the never-completed monastery there, the band proceeded out into the country, riding various dirt roads and at times cutting across meadows planted in tall grass. There was no particular destination for the day’s outing – we were just looking to enjoy some time in the saddle, content to explore the network of farm roads criss-crossing the hills. All told, the group covered 41.7 kms (25.9 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of about 462 meters (1516 feet). Total time on the ride came to just a bit over four hours.

  • At times dirt roads disappeared entirely in fields of grass.
  • At one point we hiked our bikes across a field of newly planted aguave.
  • The lack of a road or trail did not stop our group.
  • Neither did a fence line stretched across the trail.
  • The Brompton folding bike needed some bolt tightening to keep the seat up.
  • A great view looking out over the Zimatlan valley.
  • A stop for a drink of tejate when passing thru Cuilapam on the return journey.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos

A Favorite Loop Ride Revisited

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This week’s Sunday ride saw our gringo group retrace the route of one of our best loop rides. After taking the paved bike path to Tule, we rode on through Rojas de Cuauhtemoc, Santa Rosa Buenavista and San Sebastian Teitipac before beginning the climb up and over the ridge of hills separating the Tlocolula and Zimatlan valleys. Up to this point the route was on relatively level ground and so the pedaling was easy. The trail over the hill, though, was gnarly and much steeper, making even the strongest riders dismount for some hike-a-biking. Once over the crest, though, it was a fun and fast descent into San Bartolo Coytepec and then an quick and easy ride back to Oaxaca. Ride participants covered 49.5 kms (30.9 miles) and gained and lost a total of 392 meters (1287 feet) in elevation on the circuit, which took just over four hours to complete. We encountered a dozen or more cyclists riding the loop in the opposite direction. It is a toss-up as to which direction is the easiest or best way to go.

  • Rest stop at a dam along the way.
  • Getting ready for the climb up and over the ridgeline.
  • View looking west toward San Bartolo Coyotepec from the top of the hill.
  • Snack time!
  • A happy cyclist.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing

Oaxaca-San Felipe-Viguera-Mogote

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The archeological ruins in San Jose el Mogote were the destination for this mid-summer ride. It was a beautiful day for such an outing. From the center of Oaxaca we rode up and through San Felipe del Agua to the Libramiento Norte and from there over the hills and down into Viguera. Once back in the Valley of Oaxaca we followed the abandoned railroad line which passes by the main archeological ruins in Mogote. For the return trip we stayed with the railroad right-of-way all the way back to the Central de Abastos market in Oaxaca. The ride covered a distance of 45.0 kms (28.0 miles) with an elevation gain and loss of 471.5 meters (1547 feet) and took about four hours to complete.

GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Tomaltepec Presas

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Eight people showed up for the ride today which took the group on a moderate 43 kilometer (26.2 mile) traverse through the countryside linking Oaxaca with Tlalixtac, Santo Domingo Tomaltepec and Tule. The weather could not have been nicer, with a pleasant temperature and blue skies overhead. We encountered quite a few other cyclists similarly enjoying a Sunday morning outing.

  • The two presas above Tomaltepec were brim full after recent heavy rains.
  • This is the first time in several years water flowed over the spillway.
  • A family fishing from the dam.
  • Zowee! The water is deeper than it looks!

Uncategorized

Ride to Rancheria San Cristobal

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The first Sunday of July fell on the 4th of the month – Independence Day in the U.S. Someone was firing cohotes (skyrockets) into the air in front of Santo Domingo as our cycling group gathered at 9 am, but they were likely not in celebration of that holiday. Nevertheless ours was a free-spirited bunch heading out for a ride to Rancheria San Cristobal and back. Since San Cristobal is perched at 2149 meters (7050 feet) near the top of a steep mountainside overlooking the Valley of Oaxaca, we knew our legs and lungs were in for a good workout. There was a lot of huffing and puffing to get to our destination, which entailed climbing over 1900 vertical feet from the valley floor. All told, the band pedaled 49.1 kilometers (30.5 miles) going out and back – a respectable distance for a Sunday outing. Counting a stop for lunch at the D’Villa Torta sandwich shop in Atzompa on the way home, the group spent about six hours in the saddle. Despite the hard work pumping up the mountainside, there were smiles all around at the end of the ride.

  • Ron savors the view from near the top of the climb to San Cristobal.
    Kristina & Ben are still pedaling up the switchbacks.
    The light line squiggling off to the right side of the photo is the road we came up on.