One could not watch the sunrise in Oaxaca today because of heavy overcast, but the clouds burned off by the time we began our weekly ride at 9 am. Ours was a small group of just seven riders for this excursion to Zimatlan and back. The paucity of bikers did nothing to detract from the enjoyment of the day, though. Our route outbound was a mix of paved and dirt roads, staying in the countryside away from traffic as much as possible. The return leg was on pavement all the way. No one brought a camera on the outing, so there are no photos to display below. Total distance amounted to 54 kilometers (33.6 miles), with a very mild elevation gain and loss of just 141 meters (464 feet) on the round trip, which was completed in almost exactly four hours.
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San Pablo Etla
by Larry • • 0 Comments
Manuel P. was the ride sponsor for this Sunday outing on 20 November 2022. He chose to lead the group on an easy ride to San Pablo Etla and back, a round trip distance of about 26 Kilometers (16.5 miles). My GPS unit malfunctioned, so there is no map of today’s outing. There are, however, some photos of the fourteen riders who took part in the excursion – several of whom were new to our group. We departed from Santo Domingo at 9:10 am and returned about 12:30 pm.







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Round Trip to Zegache
by Larry • • 0 Comments
On this 13th day of November four members of our Sunday riding group set out from Oaxaca to pedal to Santa Ana Zegache and back – a round trip distance of 64.9 kilometers (40.3 miles). It was a lovely day – of course! – with blue skies in the morning, turning partly cloudy as the day progressed, and with temperatures at about 27º C (80º F) for the day. Though the distance traveled was significant, the ride was rated easy to moderate because of the mostly level terrain. The gang departed from the plaza in front of Santo Domingo at 9 am and returned to the city shortly after 2 pm. A grand time was had by all.

Our Four Musketeers at the church in Santa Ana Zegache.
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Taken again by the charm of Tomaltepec
by Larry • • 1 Comment
Regular visitors to this site know that the ride through the countryside to the two presas in the valley above Santo Domingo Tomaltepec is a favorite Sunday outing for our informal group of extranjeros and local cyclists. The sky was grey and drizzle was falling when the gang assembled in front of the church of Santo Domingo in the center of Oaxaca at 9 o’clock the morning of 16 October 2022. Ten riders turned out for the day’s ride – nine guys and one gal. The drizzle stopped and the sky gradually cleared for what turned out to be an excellent day to be in the saddle – also in the reservoir, where three of the gang took a swim. The ride out and back was delightful, if uneventful, covering a distance of 39 kilometers (24.4 miles). The elevation gain – all of it on the outbound leg – amounted to 221 meters (725 feet). That ensured that the ride back to town was all sweet downhill. There were lots of fall wildflowers blooming merrily all along the way.
Countryside, Foothills, GPS, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized
Mil Rios Redux
by Larry • • 0 Comments
As noted previously, the Mil Rios trail a few miles from Tlalixtac is a popular destination for Oaxaca cyclists. Getting from the city to the trailhead is an easy ride on mostly level dirt roads and takes about 90 minutes. There is a toll station at the trailhead where riders have to pay 20 pesos each. Once past the graded dirt road that serves the several dams built along the stream, the trail becomes a single track that winds through the woods and crosses the creek multiple times. Since the Mil Rios trail begins in the high Sierra Norte mountains not far from La Neveria, riders can go as far up the valley as they want or can manage. The further you go, though, the steeper the trail gets. And when cycling uphill you have to keep a careful watch for bikers screaming down the trail. On today’s ride – Sunday / 10 July 2022 – ten bikers set out from Santo Domingo at 9 am. Two had to turn around before leaving the city, and another two turned back at the trailhead, leaving just six to complete the ride. It was a lovely day, and everyone enjoyed the outing.