Racing Mountain Bikes During Mexico’s Day of the Dead

To anyone familiar with Mexican culture, you might know that November 2nd is a day of incredible festivities, when it is believed that the dead return to visit their loved ones. This time of year also happens to harbor some of the best mountain biking conditions in Mexico. Wait, mountain biking in Mexico? Yes. It’s incredible, and the blossoming riding community has started to embrace organized enduro stage races as much as anywhere else in the world.

The party scene is definitely a little...different. Stept Productions photo.

The Trans Sierra Norte, an enduro race no in its second year, traverses century-old trails in the Oaxacan highlands that were used to connect tiny mountain villages to exchange trade goods. These days, the trails don’t look much different, but make for excellent riding, weaving in and out the forest. The best part? It ends in Oaxaca City right in the middle of one of the biggest Dia de los Muertos celebrations in the country.

Follow along with Yefra Rham, a local trail builder and racer, as he shows off some of the trails to tell the story of how he got into mountain biking.