This moderate 27.5 mile (44.26 kilometer) loop takes riders around the western side of the city, going from el centro, climbing through San Felipe del Agua, up and over the Libramiento Norte to Viguera. From there the route winds through Atzompa, Audelo, Arrazola and Xoxocotlan back to the city center. Most of the heavy climbing is in the first 7 miles (11.3 kms), with 1083 feet (330 meters) elevation gain to the top of the ridge. From there on it’s just moderate ups and downs pedaling through the countryside. Expect to accomplish the loop in about four hours unless you stop for a snack along the way home.
Category: Countryside
Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos
San Antonino Castillo Velasco
by Larry • • 0 Comments
The pleasant and prosperous village of San Antonino steps into the spotlight twice each year – on Palm Sunday when the residents stage a massive procession from the cemetery to the church in the town square; and again on November 3 when townspeople place lavish floral decorations on the graves of their ancestors in preparation for an all night vigil in celebration of Day of the Dead. Both of these events draw visitors from surrounding places and are social highlights of the year. A round trip bike ride from Oaxaca to San Antonino covers 52.7 miles (85 kms) through mostly level terrain, using a network of unpaved country roads to avoid traffic on highways. (The map below shows the route going just one way.) Riders were duly impressed by the elaborate floral decorations placed on gravesites, and enjoyed lunch at the many food vendors arrayed on the street in front of the cemetery. On this day in early November cyclists managed 15-16 mph riding south, but struggled to make 11-12 mph on the way home due to strong headwinds. The ride got underway at 10 am and wrapped up at 4:30 pm – a long but rewarding outing.
Countryside, GPS, MTBing
San Lucas Tlanichico
by Larry • • 0 Comments
The people of Tlanichico celebrated their town’s patron feast day with a three-day fiesta October 17-19, 2025. Since they had put so much effort into organizing the feria, our Sunday ride group felt it was only fitting we stop by there for brunch. Mostly blue skies and moderate temperatures made for excellent cycling weather. The round trip covered 47.8 kms (29.7 miles) on mostly flat terrain with no hills to speak of, utilizing a combination of city streets, asphalt highways and unpaved country roads.
Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized
Diaz Ordaz and Yagul
by Larry • • 0 Comments
Expecting to ride trails in Llano Grande, four riders shuttled into the mountains only to find the weather cold and drizzly. Delicate as they are, the riders decided to do a short out and back from Diaz Ordaz to Yagul instead. A rocky ride along a river bed followed by well packed sandy trails took us into the valley around the Yagul reserve. The group encountered several caves, ancient rock art, spiny single track, finger wagging officials and herds of animals. A nice ride leaving the group wanting more miles and more time in the saddle.
Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Ride Routes
Presas of San Lorenzo Cacaotepec
by Larry • • 1 Comment
This is an unusually challenging route for the Sunday morning bike group. While the total distance of 28.2 miles traveled is rather typical, the numerous steep hill climbs on loose and rocky roads, with some sketchy single track on top of that, gives this outing a difficulty rating of 3 or 4 out of 5. The weather was ideal and the scenery quite nice, with a stop at the ruins of an old monastery in Cacaotepec as an added bonus. The map shown below is incomplete, as the battery on my GPS unit gave out well before the end of our journey. Extrapolating from the data that was recorded, the round trip distance should amount to 28.2 miles (45.4 kms), with an elevation gain and loss of around 1300 feet (396 meters). There were four newcomers to the group today, a welcome addition which brought the total number of participants to fifteen. The lunch stop at the market in Cacaotepec was particularly festive, with lots of beer and mezcal consumed. A good time was had by all.
