Category: GPS

Items containing GPS data (either the downloadable KML/Z or GPX file) &/or a map that displays such data.

Easter Ride to Jalapa del Valle

Easter Sunday dawned bright and clear in Oaxaca on 17 April 2022, with a forecast high temperature of 33ºC / 92ºF. Four cyclists elected to skip church services and Easter egg hunts in favor of a somewhat challenging ride through the countryside – some of the hill climbs had grades of 12% or more. The destination chosen for the day was Jalapa del Valle, a very small village on the Rio Jalapilla at the western edge of the Etla Valley. Pedaling along at a moderate pace and stopping several times for cold drinks and snacks, the group finished the ride in 5.5 hours. When all was said and done, the gang covered 50.7 kilometers / 31.5 miles from start to finish, with an elevation gain and loss of 688 meters / 2259 feet along the way. A good time was had by all.

Lobera Bound

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.

Introduction To Oaxaca Ride

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.


San Jose el Mogote

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.

Many Bike Riders On The Trail Today

Could it be that a lot of bike riders made a new year’s resolution to spend more time in the saddle in 2022? On this second Sunday of the new year there were literally dozens of bikers on the trail, mostly in groups of between two and six people. Since several members of our Sunday gringo biker group were out of town, only two of our regular riders showed up for today’s outing. We were debating where to ride when six tourists on rented bicycles came looking for the weekly Mundo Ceiba ride to Tule. Strangely, no one from Mundo Ceiba showed up to guide the group, so we stepped in to provide that service. After pedaling to Tule, we left the tourists to be amazed by the giant tree in the church yard and continued on to the archeological ruins at Dainzu. Shortly after starting the ride back to Oaxaca, Annie had a large nail puncture her front tire, entering in the tread and exiting through the sidewall just below the wheel rim. Ouch! She had to push her bike back to Tlacochahuaya, where we found a taller able to supply both a new inner tube and a used replacement tire, all for just 180 pesos. From that point on the ride back to town was uneventful. All told, the outing covered 52 kilometers (32.5 miles) with an elevation gain and loss of 168 meters (550 feet) along the way.


%d bloggers like this: