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Our regular Sunday group rides continued with a lovely and leisurely excursion into the valley of the Rio Jalapilla which runs through Cieneguilla and Jalapa del Valle on the western edge of the Etla valley. The band rode the easiest of the four routes to Jalapa, passing through San Lorenzo Cacaotepec and San Felipe Tejalapam on the way out and back. This route covered 68.6 kilometers (42.6 miles), running gradually uphill from Oaxaca to the turn-around point, with an elevation gain and loss of 546 meters (1792 feet) along the way. The day’s destination was a rustic rural restaurant along the banks of the small river, where some of the party splashed in the stream before everyone enjoyed a satisfying lunch. On the way home one member of the group took a hard fall, but was able to continue pedaling toward Oaxaca – albeit with a cracked helmet and shredded jersey. All told, the band of five men and two women spent seven hours completing the ride, arriving back in the city shortly before 3 pm.

Back on Sunday, 26 March, the usual gang of cyclists assembled at Santo Domingo for a pleasant ride to Villa de Etla, a 41 kilometer (25.4 mile) round trip excursion. The route for most of the way followed the old railroad line that once linked Oaxaca with Mexico City and the Pacific coast. This entailed pedaling through the old railroad yard behind the depot. Unfortunately one of the riders (yours truly) took a tumble crossing some tracks and broke his hip. Ouch! That put a end to his ride and necessitated hip replacement surgery.

Fast forward seven weeks to 14 May. After weeks of recuperation the injured biker was ready to get back in the saddle and joined in this Sunday’s ride to the statue of the Danzante on a hill near Zimatlan. Full of trepidation and a bit shaky, he set out, once again riding that new Trek e-bike. The pedal assist feature enabled him to ride the full distance without fatigue and with increasing confidence. Kicking the motor into high gear, he zipped up the hill to the Danzante, leaving the rest of the group to push their bikes up the final steep section. So it was a successful resumption of cycling, but one that required a good nap upon returning home.

A certain senior member of our Sunday ride group was anxious to try out and show off his brand new e-bike on today’s ramble to the archeological ruins of Dainzu. A total of a dozen riders took part in the day’s outing – three ladies and nine fellows in all. The weather forecast called for mild temperatures with moderate cloud cover – and a slight chance of rain. As it happened, there was a major road bike race going on in el centro as our group assembled and then headed out of town. The roadies had the right-of-way, with police blocking traffic at all intersections. Once clear of the city, today’s route wound through the countryside, using a number of different unpaved roads. It was a pleasant ride going to Dainzu and back again, taking nearly five hours. Three flat tires marred the ride but did not destroy the positive karma of the day. All told, the group covered a distance of 53 kilometers (33 miles). That new electric mountain bike performed well and could be ridden without the motor providing any pedal assist for the whole trip – but of course the new owner had to occasionally kick in the motor to see how fast he could go.

The first Sunday of March 2023 promised to be another pretty hot day in Oaxaca, with the thermometer registering a high of 30.5ºC (87ºF). It has been unusually warm for early spring, with temperatures just shy of the hottest days of the year in April and May. A group of five riders set out at 9 am for a ride through the Grande Valley to the town of Zimatlan and back – a round trip of 57.7 kms (35.9 mi). The gang was back in Oaxaca before 2 pm – a ride of under five hours, including time for lunch at the mercado gastronomico in Zaachila on the last leg of the journey home. The ride was rated “easy”, despite the significant distance, because of the level terrain throughout.

It would seem a lot of folks made New Year’s resolutions to spend more time on their bicycles because on this first weekend of 2023 there were dozens and dozens of bikers on the trail. While some were riding solo, the vast majority were pedaling in groups of two, four or more. The bike path to Tule was especially crowded, but even dirt roads out in the countryside saw a lot of two-wheel traffic. There were just four riders in our regular Sunday group because several people were still enjoying the holiday. And because some in our group were recovering from bouts with dengue fever or covid, today’s outing was an easy one, consisting of a ride out and back to Rojas de Cuauhtemoc. It was cool when we set out at 9 am, but the day warmed nicely, with vibrant blue sky and lots of sunshine.