Oaxaca

We're spending a few days in Oaxaca before a bike trip with @oaxacabikeexpeditions .

The city, the food, the people, it's variety, culture and beauty are everything we hoped it would be.

Explicit mentions for the staff at the Hotel Victoria, tours by Oaxaca Dreams (Eloy and Luis), Oaxaca by Locals (Fanny and Carlos), Continental Istmo (Zenon and Israel). All of them educated us, inspired curiosity and wonder, showed us the depth of the region's history/culture and, a good timeAttachment 476725Attachment 476726Attachment 476727Attachment 476728Attachment 476729Attachment 476730Attachment 476731Attachment 476732Attachment 476733Attachment 476734

I made a Google maps album of places to eat, pastry shops, Gelato shops, ice cream places etc in Oaxaca. Courtesy of local boy Sharon's friend Pablo.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Zaop3agLKNnLGeu57

Some notes

Ok lunch - 120 pesos at rest
Dinner- 220 pesos at rest.

Maybe 25% less at street food

High end lunch 300 pesos
Dinner 600 pesos

So prices are 30- 50% of Canada prices.

Groceries cheaper. Local mercado wet market you eat 50% of Ok restaurant. And wet market is close to Centro so can walk everywhere

Pastelaria not as good as Peru. As good as Guatemala which is as good as Honduras. Get fresh baked goods in the morning is best

Buy polystyrene cooler from Oxxo. Buy ice from stores and buy 10 ltr water. Saves lots of money. Beer is cheaper than Coke. Fruit juices is cheapest

Oh and local IPAs are expensive. But Sharon is happy!!!!!Attachment 476756Attachment 476757Attachment 476758Attachment 476759Attachment 476760Attachment 476761Attachment 476762Attachment 476763Attachment 476764Attachment 476765

Is your toe-fungus happy when Sharon is happy?

Asking for a friend. (Looks fabulous, can’t wait to trade notes on trails!)

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Originally Posted by rideit

Is your toe-fungus happy when Sharon is happy?

Asking for a friend. (Looks fabulous, can’t wait to trade notes on trails!)

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We've just ridden the 1st day which is the harder blue trails.

The outfit is very professional. OBE is punctual with staff being good at handling groups.

They have a lead and tail both with radios and first aid and stuff to fix bikes. Good at telling guests what is coming up without being overbearing. Also fast and able to lead me into little gap jumps and also assess people's skill level. Alexis and Jorge Ivan were the guides for the 1st day.

Trails are well built. Some are purpose built. Some are takeovers or maintenance of hiking or animal trails. We rode the shorter higher elevation trails from approx 3000 - 2700m in thr Parque Ixtepeji area NE of Oaxaca proper which are maintained by Locals (including OBE) with permission of the communes. To me, it feels good to support trailbuilders.

Trails are on Trailforks. They are reachable via rougher (but 2WD) vehicles. We shuttled with another Alexis as dedicated driver and also a photographer. They are narrow, true singletrack carpeted with pine needles. This is the tail end of the rainy season so these higher trails have tackiness, little dust and have good traction. The guides progressed us from fast benchcut, then trails with smaller to bigger jumps then to some with steeps and roots.

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Most excellent. Thanks for the report!

Nice! That area was prob my favorite on a recent trip down there. Although i couldn't muster the courage to hit that gap.

Simply awesome. Great idea with the google map.

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Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

Simply awesome. Great idea with the google map.

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I have a google map with recommendations shared to me by the folks at TSN (OBE competition) if anyone is interested.

Curious where you ride the next few days and your thoughts of dropping down into different elevation zones.

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I have a google map with recommendations shared to me by the folks at TSN (OBE competition) if anyone is interested.

Curious where you ride the next few days and your thoughts of dropping down into different elevation zones.

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Post it up!

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Originally Posted by MakersTeleMark

Post it up!

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https://maps.app.goo.gl/VSCPpV27o2jDhMhi8?g_st=iw

Rad. I want to live my last years there.

Did you stay in the same place the whole time, or stay in a specific spot for the riding days?

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

https://maps.app.goo.gl/VSCPpV27o2jDhMhi8?g_st=iw

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That's a good list. We went to Alfonsinas, also Ancestral Cochina in Xochimilco..

Mine is really light on bars and drinking as I don't drink bit heavier on ice cream and bakeries.

Dromond. We're staying at Hotel Victoria the whole time. OBE price for big big double room is $ 65/night and pretty nice even by Us/Can standards. That includes breakfast ( decent breakfast is $10). The breakfast is buffet style and has incredible variety. The best of any hotel I've stayed at. Every day I've tried something different and they keep rotating. It's so big I don't eat lunch till 2.

Has a pool which is nice to retreat in midday heat.

Location is good. 20mins walk to Centro if able-bodied. 10 mins to Xochimilco. There are places closer to Centro and tons of Airbnb. $50 will get you an OK (clean, but not luxury) place.

You can save money elsewhere. Example. Water is 25 pesos for small 250ml bottle. We paid 32 pesos for a big 10l bottle and have used one a week and keep refilling water bottles.

Polystyrene cooler from OXXO (like a 7-11) for 25 pesos. Bag of ice also 25 pesos and lasts 2 days and beer/pop is much cheaper from shops than buying at bars/hotels.

A big loaf of Pan Cazuela is 50 pesos and is perfect for mid-day food and cheaper than lunch but I admit to usually splurging on lunch and big juice for 200 pesos even after the food.

Admittedly much of this is moot because with OBE you get lunch and dinner with your dayAttachment 476847Attachment 476848

Eggs and enchiladas Lee? I gotta get down there.

Oaxaca day 2 with Oaxaca Bike Expeditions

Longer laps in Parque Ixtepeji with 2550m descending. Some laps of 1000m+ descending a variety of bio geo climactic zones. Amazing that we spend so much time above 2500m where, in BC, Canada we would be standing on a glacier. Instead we're on pine needled loamy forest trail.

Again we had the pleasure and privilege of being shown around by Alexis and Chicquis, both of which build and maintain trails in the region

If you had to twist my arm I'd say that I appreciate the quality of the higher trails which are shorter and spend more time in the subalpine. They're routed with such attention and brakeless, chainless, pumpable fun, it's inspirational. The longer trails with more vertical are also really fun but many other regions and countries have them. The higher elevation Oaxacan trails are rivalled only by BC singletrack in quality imo

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Have you had Chilaquiles?
I’m eating here tomorrow!

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Originally Posted by rideit

Have you had Chilaquiles?
I’m eating here tomorrow!

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Yes! Three varieties at the Hotel. Verde, Rojas, con queso

I recognize your guide from his GG bike. We ran into him a few weeks ago with a group. Looks like a large (mixed) group? I even see a hard tail bike, are the skill sets wildly disparate? Is there much waiting with a group that large or does the tail guide enable everyone to set a decent pace?

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Originally Posted by zion zig zag

I recognize your guide from his GG bike. We ran into him a few weeks ago with a group. Looks like a large (mixed) group? I even see a hard tail bike, are the skill sets wildly disparate? Is there much waiting with a group that large or does the tail guide enable everyone to set a decent pace?

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The guide is Alvaro Cabrella aka Chiquis! He does a lot of trailwork and is a good rider. When we went down LLano Careta he told me to take the direct steep lines and was yelling encouragement plus showing me the 'secret' lines. We bonded over trailbuilding!

The guy with a hardtail is my friend who's bike packing so he brought just his hardtail and is riding two days with us. Usd 150/ day to join each day with OBE includes snacks, your ( big) lunch, and all transport and beer. He's actually a former pro roadie and strong af so by no means the slowest rider.

Our group could all ride but there is diverse skillset in that some of us are used to 1000m+ continuous dh and some aren't. With that we would do a few stops so it would be less exhausting for less experienced riders. With lead and tail guide not an issue.

With that said I discouraged friends who were more xc and less steeps experience from coming on our group. There are OBE groups who are more chill (ie they do more of the higher elevators lower angle trails) but that isn't our group.

Chiquis says hi! Some more food pics

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That's some solid shoulder season work Lee! Looks amazing, thanks for posting.

Oaxaca Bike Expedition Day 3. Mil Rios aka Sendero Schki Bvag. Just the one run on this half day as we first took care of (i) bike maintenance, and (ii) jugo mandarina.

Then off the Mil Rios which is less often ridden but which has been in the Trans Sierra Noete enduro. 1200m downhill approximate with an easy 130m of climbing. Fast, fast, fast. Tons of cheap air. Berms, lips, rootballs, rock ledges to send as speed. Then some rocky, pumpable, jank downhill followed by a shady canyon ride out to the road. Very acceptable

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Drooling

Best "normal" place we've eaten in Oaxaca courtesy of Oaxaca Bike Expeditions where dinner is included. Fast, good, massive and not bad price.

Tlayudas Combinado is massive and 165 pesos ie $12 Cad. Three different fresh salsa and huge glass of fresh lemonade Attachment 476997Attachment 476998Attachment 476999Attachment 477000

WeareOne 152 bike at OaxacaAttachment 477015Attachment 477016

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

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

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.

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 issueAttachment 477071Attachment 477072Attachment 477073

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.

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Martinez, El Toro, Herradura picsAttachment 477172Attachment 477173Attachment 477174Attachment 477175Attachment 477176Attachment 477177Attachment 477178Attachment 477179Attachment 477180Attachment 477181

Some Lucha Libre very local and pro wrestling shots. We were lucky and an event was on midweekAttachment 477182Attachment 477183Attachment 477184Attachment 477185Attachment 477186Attachment 477187

FKNA awesome pics dude

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!

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.

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Originally Posted by 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!

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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 tapeAttachment 477301

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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

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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.Attachment 477320Attachment 477321Attachment 477322Attachment 477323Attachment 477324

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Originally Posted by 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.

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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 concentrationAttachment 477333Attachment 477334Attachment 477335Attachment 477336Attachment 477337Attachment 477338Attachment 477339Attachment 477340Attachment 477341Attachment 477342Attachment 477343Attachment 477344Attachment 477345Attachment 477346