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: MTBing
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.
GPS, Mountains, MTBing, Photos
Ride The Rails, Part Two – San Sebastian Sedas / Olivera / Huauclilla / La Rosa & back
by Larry • • 0 Comments
On a subsequent visit our intrepid cyclists managed to complete the challenging 34 mile (54.8 kms) lollypop loop ride shown below, which required a long, steady grind climbing 1690 feet (515 meters) to get up and over a ridge of hills before a thrilling downhill run back into the river valley to hook up again with the abandoned railroad line. This time our excursion began at the old railroad station in San Sebastian Sedas, eliminating the miles of riding the narrow highway from Tlelixtlahuaca. From the old railroad station there is an uninterrupted 8.6 miles (13.8 kms) descent to Olivera; thence a long climb to Huauclilla, followed by a screaming descent. With a drive time of 75 minutes from Oaxaca to San Sebastian Sedas and a minimum of five hours of steady pedaling, this excursion will take most of the day – say nine am to 5 pm start to finish. Add another hour if you want to stop for lunch on the way back home. Yes, this is an arduous outing, but the scenery in this remote area is worth the effort.
and proceeded eight miles downhill to the village of Olivera.
one can see the old railroad grade running down the other side of the valley.
MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized
San Agustin Etla
by Larry • • 0 Comments
The Sunday group of 15 cyclists rode to San Augustin Etla and back from Santo Domingo via the Ferrocarril. A familiar ride for this group that included breakfast at the local market. A pleasant 48 KM (29 miles) ride with rains and no other surprises
