Oaxaca

[Dromond]

Did you guys bring your own bikes? How many days of riding are you doing?

[lemmy]

Monte Alban is one of the most important archaelogical sites in mesoamerica , definitely worth a visit!

[jacob_dbu]

I just came back from this exact trip for day of the dead! Alexis is an awesome dude. I wasn't as keen on Javier personally...felt more like a businessman than a guide, but I respect the hustle. I tipped all the guides individually.

The riding is incredible. The food is great. Looks like you are enjoying.

[LeeLau]

lemmy. Visited Monte Alban. Totally recommend. Did it as a tour via Oaxaca Dreams who had a guide who gave the Zapotec, Mixtec and historical background. Even after doing reading it still is insightful to hear. As part of the tour we also got to visit a local artist collective in Arrazola which specialized in Alebrijes which was very very cool. They tacked on a massive meal and black pottery studio visit but I was incapacitated by too much food.

Jacob. Alexis is a super nice guy and showed me some sweet lines to get down the El Toro chunk. Really fun to chase down and get dropped

Dromond. We rented bikes. I got a Transition Spire and Sharon got a Patrol. They're very well maintained. Alexis runs Cervantes Works as suspension-tuning so helped us dial in the bikes and OBE also supplies wear and tear like brake pads. We are a week in Oaxaca before and a week in Cancun after so bringing bikes would be pretty tough so decided to rent. No regrets there although many have flown with bikes without issue

[LeeLau]

Oaxaca day 4 - Puma, Tierra Negra, Carbonera, Martinez, El Toro, Herradura.

Some well routed, wonderfully shaped trails up high. Then on to El Toro; a crown jewel steep technical descent that felt right at home for BC riders. It drops from 3200m from the foggy cloud forest of today to 1800m in valley with cactus.

[LeeLau]

Martinez, El Toro, Herradura pics

[LeeLau]

Some Lucha Libre very local and pro wrestling shots. We were lucky and an event was on midweek

[jmedslc]

FKNA awesome pics dude

[Dromond]

Great to hear regarding the quality of the bikes. I can imagine that a lot of people would want to ride for 4-5 days then do something else, so it makes a ton of sense as long as the bikes are in good condition and you can get the right size. The photos and trip look awesome!

[zion zig zag]

We didn’t get to ride El Toro while we were there. What did you think of it? Was it similar to other top to bottom rides you did or was it significantly better?

We went out to Arrazola back in 2018 and picked up some alebrijes, that was a highlight for sure. This trip my wife went rug shopping in Teotitlan De Valle while we were riding and said that was pretty cool to see how they’re made.

[LeeLau]

Great to hear regarding the quality of the bikes. I can imagine that a lot of people would want to ride for 4-5 days then do something else, so it makes a ton of sense as long as the bikes are in good condition and you can get the right size. The photos and trip look awesome!

I heard from Alberto that both OBE and TSN will customize for the groups so you can have a days break in between. Eg 3 days riding. A day to sight-see. Then another 3 days. A couple in our group said they would have loved to have a day rest in between plus they were stressed for time to shop and sightsee as their schedule was so tight. That would have been a boon for them

I had a friend bike packing who joined us for 2 days, one of which was El Toro. Usd 150/day included all transport + that big lunch. He met us at the Hotel Victoria where OBE guests (and most TSN guests) stay. As long as our group was OK with him joining this was OK with OBE. That would also seem to be a good option for those with more time constraints or here with family or non biking friend obligations. We also scoped out some ride-from- Oaxaca rides for him (mix of bike paths and gravel). There's definitely options to mix things up

The OBE guides also helped fix guest bikes. One came with Xc tires and another with half worn brake pads despite warnings. With 2000m+ descending each day and some people perhaps not so used to multiple big descending rides there would be mechanicals plus a few crashes. Definitely take the advice to bring spare consumables with you. For example even with dry conditions I went from 100% pads on the rental to 40% remaining in F and 20% R and I'm pretty light. Also due to tariffs consumables like pads are approx 2x that of US or Cad prices and not always can be found. It was nice that the Spire I had was tuned for my weight and had new tires + pads.

I did have one shoe fall apart but fixed with gorilla and duct tape

[LeeLau]

We didn’t get to ride El Toro while we were there. What did you think of it? Was it similar to other top to bottom rides you did or was it significantly better?

We went out to Arrazola back in 2018 and picked up some alebrijes, that was a highlight for sure. This trip my wife went rug shopping in Teotitlan De Valle while we were riding and said that was pretty cool to see how they’re made.

jmedslc. Thanks! Alexis usually ran first but as he got more comfortable with our pace and the group he would let me run ahead first when we regroup to let me take pics and video. I would then tuck in behind Chicquis who ran sweep as he built so much of the trail and had such sweet cornering technique and good lines that it was inspirational plus we dorked out about trailbuilding which was also inspiring.

zion. We did Llano Careta, 204, Peńa Prieta, Donaji, Universal Soldado (Boca de Leon), Mil Rios, Chamanes as top to bottom rides. Here's the strata fyi and OBE said none are secret so is OK to share. PM if you need gpx fyi.
https://www.strava.com/athletes/7752111

I thought El Toro was everything it was chalked up. Steep. Chunky. Technical. Fantastic routing and natural biodiversity change from top to bottom

But I would put the trails of the last day (Peńa Prieta, Donaji) higher because they were good top to bottom whereas El Toro had Herradura to finish which was sandy and a bit more blown out. Also PP and Donaji ( in particular) had ever so slightly more of that middle of nowhere backcountry feel. Ultimately it's splitting hairs.

PP is also the steepest and that's just my personal jam. El Toro and Donaji by comparison were solid blacks with some double black. PP had fairly long double black.

Also got some alebrijes as we figured we had baggage space

[LeeLau]

Day 5 at OBE in Oaxaca. We rode Huerta (farmer's field): Flanders flow (Trufas variation): Soldado universal (boca de león); Chamanes for a total of 2200m vert.

This is the San Pablo Etla region west of town with a turn after the Monte Alban road up to the mountains to a different zone. Some riders use this as more pedally region which they do as more "xc" style rides.

It still has the character of Oaxaca rides of being a fairly long drive from town (1 hour approx to highest trailhead at 3000m approx asl), a decent but narrow dirt road, biodiverse forest transitioning to desert from cloud forest as you descend and we'll routed, beautifully built trails.

The area itself is a bit less ridden than some of the Parque Ixtepeji trails and is a tad drier. If anything the trails are even more shockingly pine-needled and loamy and a bit less steep so a bit faster.

[LeeLau]

Day 5 at OBE in Oaxaca. We rode Huerta (farmer's field): Flanders flow (Trufas variation): Soldado universal (boca de león); Chamanes for a total of 2200m vert.

This is the San Pablo Etla region west of town with a turn after the Monte Alban road up to the mountains to a different zone. Some riders use this as more pedally region which they do as more "xc" style rides.

It still has the character of Oaxaca rides of being a fairly long drive from town (1 hour approx to highest trailhead at 3000m approx asl), a decent but narrow dirt road, biodiverse forest transitioning to desert from cloud forest as you descend and we'll routed, beautifully built trails.

More

[LeeLau]

OBE day 6. Martinez to Pena Prieta. Then Donaji back to town! 1900m+ descending on this half day

Perhaps my favourite trails of the trip. So raw. So natural. Such a backcountry feel but still well routed. Peńa Prieta in particular had mentally engaging steeps that required lots of concentration

[406]

Looks awesome

[LeeLau]

The page for updating Lucha Libre events is here fyi under Carteleras Lucha Libre Oaxaca

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php...ibextid=ZbWKwL

This time in Barrio Xochimilco and with different amateurs and pros

[LeeLau]

One other thing that should be highlighted out of the Oaxaca Bike Expeditions trip is that you're accompanied by a professional photographer.

Alexis Garcia is not only a good, safe driver. He also loaded our bikes, helped with mechanicals and is a superb photographer.
This really stood out for me when I had the chance to download and look at his shots on a big computer monitor. They're high enough quality to print. Even the pictures taken when the fog was painting the cloud forest at 3200m in dark earth tones don't show excessive image manipulation or pixelation. Alexis barely had time to run down the trail, set up, take good pictures of riders he's never worked with before yet managed to get wonderful images.

[plugboots]

Hmmmm...never really considered this area before. Very cool.
Dang, this is the largest margarita I've ever seen.

[LeeLau]

Video

https://youtu.be/Tn9KJZdLex0?si=5TzOjC2Vwvc-KTmz

[phillip.moneyhun@gmail.com]

Super cool!