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Ride to Teotitlan

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On this bright Sunday in mid-March a covey of twelve riders set out from Oaxaca for the town of Teotitlan del Valle, famous as a village of weavers. Presented with several options as to which route to take, the gang chose to keep to level terrain rather than do some hill climbs. So we stuck to back roads on the valley floor, pedaling through Tlalixtac and Santo Domingo Tomaltepec on the way to Tule, then continuing east to Tlacochahuaya and Dainzu before heading north through Macuilxotchitl and into Teotitlan. The group reached Teotitlan at noon, so a lunch stop was in order. Since Conchita’s restaurant was handy and offered tasty dishes at a reasonable price, the gang spent an hour there. The return to Oaxaca went quickly, as it was a gradual downhill slope all the way. Here are the day’s stats: Distance traveled – 63.4 kilometers (39.4 miles) Elevation gain and loss – 326 meters (1070 feet) Time elapsed – 6 hours.

  • Getting ready to ride.
  • Into the countryside.
  • A beautiful day to be out on a bicycle.
  • Road construction in Tlalixtac.
  • Most of today’s ride was on flat terrain.
  • Arriving in Teotitlan.
  • A tasty lunch at Conchita’s restaurant.
  • Pedaling through Tlacochahuaya on the way home.
  • A stop in Tule to admire the lovely zocalo and see the giant tree in the church yard.

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Another Ixtlahuace Loop Ride

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After several weeks of easy Sunday rides, today’s outing was a more challenging loop through the rolling hills west of Monte Alban. Six riders rode from Oaxaca out through Atzompa and Cacaotepec to Tejalápam, then crossed a ridge of hills to San Andres Ixtlahuaca and thence back to Oaxaca. This route covered 48.8 kilometers (30.3 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 465 meters (1525 feet) on the circuit. Counting a stop for lunch in Atzompa at the end of the excursion, the group was enroute for five hours. The weather was perfect, of course, with sunshine and blue skies. The forecast high temperature for the day was expected to hit 31º C (88º F) by mid-afternoon.

  • Group photo before the ride.
  • “Look, ma, no hands!”
  • About 20 miles of pavement on today’s ride, with another 10 miles on dirt roads.
  • A wrong turn had the group crossing fields on no road at all!
  • Anna proved to be a strong rider on the uphill sections.
  • Rest stop at the high point of the outing.
  • Only one flat tire marred the day’s excursion.

Countryside, MTBing, Photos, Uncategorized

Presas of Tomaltepec

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Patrick G. was the ride leader today – Sunday, 27 February 2022 – and elected to take the gang out to the presas in the mountain valley just above Santo Domingo Tomaltepec. A mixed group of fifteen men and women assembled in the plaza in front of Santo Domingo at 9 am for the start of the ride. Two of them were newcomers to the band – Sam S., visiting Oaxaca with his wife and two children from Whitehorse in the Yukon Territory of northwestern Canada, and Ulises, a young Oaxaqueño. After pedaling to Tule, where several of the group were fascinated by their first view of the massive tree in the churchyard, the riders moved on through Santo Domingo Tomaltepec and then took a dirt road up valley to the second and more scenic of the two reservoirs. Four of the band were enticed into the lake for a swim while the rest spent time relaxing and chatting in the woods. Most of the riders turned back to Oaxaca at that point, with just two pressing further on to the ultimate end of the trail before heading for home. The total distance covered on the day’s excursion was about 38 kilometers (24 miles), with an elevation gain and loss of 228 meters (750 feet). The ride was rated as easy and the group moved at a leisurely pace. Everyone seemed to enjoy another perfectly wonderful day.

  • Cyclists arriving in Santa Maria el Tule.
  • Pausing to admire a wall mural.
  • One of the happy bikers in today’s group.
  • Fascinated by the ancient cedar tree in the church yard.
  • Pedaling through the countryside between Tule and Santo Domingo Tomaltepec.
  • Toll station: paying the 15 peso fee to ride through communal land.

    Countryside, GPS, MTBing

    Lobera Bound

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    Oaxaca has enjoyed a recent influx of tourists with an interest in mountain biking, as was evidenced by the fact that six of the ten riders who showed up for today’s Sunday ride were visitors just passing through the state. They rode an assortment of bikes rented from local shops, some of which included helmets in the deal and some that did not. Our destination for the day’s excursion was Lobera, a frequent end-point for Sunday outings. The group skirted the major road construction taking place on Simbolos Patrios on the way to the airport, then followed both dirt and paved roads through the countryside on the way to Zaachila, where the band stopped at the mercado gastronomico for fruit drinks. From there it was a straight shot going west to Lobera. Though other options were available, the gang decided to return to Oaxaca using the same route. By the end of the ride the group had covered 58.6 kilometers / 36.5 miles, with an elevation gain and loss of 286 meters / 937 feet, mainly in the last mile up the hill to Lobera. Ride participants spent just over five hours in the saddle.

    Countryside, GPS, MTBing

    Introduction To Oaxaca Ride

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    A family of four recently arrived in Mexico from Senegal in west Africa, hoping to make Oaxaca their home for a couple of years. All of them – parents and two pre-teens – enjoy bicycling and were eager to start exploring the region on two wheels. We arranged to meet at their home in Tlalixtac, where we loaded their bikes in the van for the short drive to Tule. From there we pedaled east through the level terrain of the Tlacolula valley, passing through Guendalain, Lachigoló and Tlacochahuaya before turning around at the archeological ruins of Dainzu. We followed the same route on our return, stopping in Tule for lunch. The kids – a girl of 11 and a boy of 8 – were excited and rode like champs, easily keeping up with the adult riders. Today’s outing was an easy one, intended as a gentle introduction to the multitude of trails available in the Valley of Oaxaca. The group covered 15.3 miles, with a minimal elevation gain and loss.


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