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Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos

Easter Ride

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1 April 2018: Easter Sunday and April Fool’s Day.  I don’t think those two are related, but it makes for a curious juxtaposition on the calendar . . . .  In any case, forget the chocolate rabbits and marshmallow chicks and grab your bike gear, instead. It’s a typically splendid day for a ride in the country in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico. My good friend, Omar, and I want to ride a loop in the western part of the Etla Valley. We get under way a bit later because today is also the start of daylight savings time in Mexico (the U.S. kicked the clock forward several weeks ago) and the sun has barely risen over the horizon at 8 am. Besides, we have the whole day at our disposal. The goal is to pedal up to the tiny hamlet of San Cristobal on a dirt road I have not ridden before, then come sailing down the mountainside on a trail that parallels a stream. There are four different routes to San Cristobal out of Oaxaca, and this is the last for me to explore. All four are challenging, as there is no way around having to climb over 2100 vertical feet from the floor of the Oaxaca Valley to where the village is perched on the side of the mountain. Being Easter and all, there is very little vehicular traffic along the way. On the return leg of our ride, though, we encounter quite a few Mexican families frolicking in the crystal clear water of the creek, with picnic baskets sitting on blankets streamside. Obviously some frivolity is planned for today after the more somber mood of Holy Week. 

Since Omar lives in Atzompa, I drove my minivan to a nearby shopping center where we linked up. From there we pedaled 24.7 miles (39.7 kms) out and back. We started out at an elevation of 5127 feet (2213 meters) and topped out at 7261 feet (2213 meters), for an absolute gain of 2134 feet (650 meters). However, because of the undulating terrain we actually gained and lost a total of 3474 feet (1059 meters) along the way. All in all a good ride, though my knees are complaining loudly for the effort. Now, where did I put those chocolate bunnies? . . . .

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Racing

Marathon Mountain Bike Race at San Juan Teposcolula

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At 6:30 on Sunday morning the first glimmers of daylight were brightening the sky as dozens of mountain bike racers were loading their gear into pick-up trucks for the drive to San Juan Teposcolula, located in the Mixteca Alta 110 kilometers northwest of Oaxaca city. Between 8 and 9 am a couple hundred  race contestants had converged on San Juan for the first-ever mountain bike race in that rural community. The town center was a beehive of activity, with bikers registering and warming up for the race; townspeople providing food and beverages to the assemblage; and lots of police to provide traffic control on the main highway and back roads used for the contest. The weather was picture-perfect and there was a friendly excitement in the air. The race got under way at 9:30 and the first biker crossed the finish line a bit less than three hours later. The race course followed a meandering 54.6 kilometer route through the hill country nearby, providing innumerable climbs and subsequent descents. Many thanks to the various race sponsors, the good people of San Juan and the folks at ACREO for making the event possible.

To see animated map, click here:  https://www.facebook.com/Accreo/videos/vb.447327002279737/584705118541924/?type=2&theater

Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos

Ride in the Hill Country near La Lobera

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A dozen members of the Pedalazos bike club set out at 8:25 am on a bright Saturday morning to ride into the rolling hill country near La Lobera, located some 14 miles (23 kms) southwest of Oaxaca or 6 miles (9.8 kms) west of Zaachila. The terrain in this part of the Valles Centrales is mostly flat, so the pedaling was easy and the pace fairly quick. It wasn’t until the group turned off from the main road to La Lobera and began riding the dirt roads that wind through the foothills that there was any significant elevation change. From beginning to end, the ride covered 38.6 miles (62.1 kms), with a gain and loss of 2467 feet (752 meters) in elevation. 

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos

Early Spring Ride in the West Etla Valley

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Alex finally gave in to the urge to get a new set of wheels and bought a 27.5″ full-suspension Transition bike. He and Larry took the new rig out for a spin in late February, which is early spring in this part of southern Mexico. After meeting up near the Oaxaca baseball stadium at 9:30 am, the two pedaled through el centro, then out toward Atzompa on the Atoyac River trail. From there they rode 3.9 miles on pavement to San Pedro Ixtlahuaca, where they turned off onto unpaved country roads which took them 7.9 miles through scenic hill country to the town of Cuilapam de Guerrero. Rather than retracing their route back to Oaxaca, the pair opted to ride to Zaachila, where they stopped for lunch, and then proceeded along the highway back to the capital city. These last segments added another 15.6 miles to the overall total of 31.0 miles ridden that day. Along the way they intercepted a group of 36 hikers enjoying one of the outings sponsored by the Oaxaca Lending Library. The “Hoofing It In Oaxaca” program organizes dozens of day hikes and monthly weekend overnight outings during the months of November through March. Today’s hike, like many in the program, follows a route first explored by mountain bikers. It was a beautiful day to be out in the countryside, whether on foot or aboard a bici.

Countryside, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Racing

Sunday Morning Ride & Race

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There was a mountain bike race scheduled for Sunday, 18 February in the nearby town of Santa Maria del Tule, so a group of local riders decided to pedal out that way to watch the contest. We were six gringos and one Mexican; five men and two women; a mix of experienced and newbie riders ranging in age from early 20’s into the mid-70’s. The terrain between Oaxaca and Tule is virtually flat, so ours was a very easy-going outing. The race itself took place in the same area as a previous contest — see:  http://www.oaxacamtb.org/wp/2012/11/mountain-bike-races/ — but followed different and more technically challenging trails on the hillside southeast of Tule. Curiously, there were relatively few race contestants and spectators for the day’s event. There seems to be some difficulty with the organization that sponsors local races, which is unfortunate, as there is a lot of enthusiasm among Oaxaca mountain bikers for these kinds of contests. The normal turnout for a race is in the range of 100-300 contestants. Today’s race fell far short of those numbers. In any case, our group spent an hour or so watching the race, then rode on to Santo Domingo Tomaltepec before returning to Oaxaca by way of Tlalixtac. All told, we pedaled 24.5 miles (39.4 kms) with a total of 1560 feet (475.5 meters) of elevation gain and loss on the loop ride. 

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