Bici a Oaxaca

    Oaxaca is not known for being bicycle friendly.  Some would even say it's not pedestrian friendly, a comment I disagree with, but every Friday night, the cars are required to stop for the cyclists who claim the streets.

Last Friday night, we were with friends, listening to music at an outside bar, when I heard a raucous group approaching, whistles and laughter and loud music leading the crowd.  Bicyclists!  Hundreds of them, zooming past.  I want to do that!

After asking around, I learned the group ride is casually hosted by Mundo Cieba, a non-profit group.  Mundo = world, ceiba = a type of tree.  Mundo cieba works to plant trees in deforested areas in Oaxaca, (other places?).  The bike ride is intended to raise awareness about  bikes as transportation, to call attention to our carbon footprints and to make bicyclists more visible to drivers.

The weekly ride works so well in Oaxaca because of the Fiesta mentality:  any reason for a party is good enough!  It's called paseo de todos the ride for everyone, because entire families show up weekly.  Last night, I'd guess 200 people gathered at the Sto.  Domingo at 9:00.  The leader  and a small group of volunteers showed up, wearing a green vests.  The leader was towing a small trailer with his bike, tall flag waving in the breeze.  In the trailer was a boombox blasting tunes, adding to the fiesta mood.

Stuart and I rented bikes at Lobo Azul, a great coffee shop who's walls are covered with political posters from all over the world, promoting peace.  We pedaled and pushed our way up the hill to the Sto. Domingo.  A green-vested dude came around, passing out whistles, silbatos  to us all.  When the mood quieted during the ride, one of the dudes would shout through his stolen highway cone (as a megaphone), "Arriba la bici!", which was answered with great shouting and whistle blowing.  Stuart and I were the only gringos in the entire crowd, with the exception of three young, german speaking women.

Stuart and I positioned ourselves in the middle of the pack.  A group ride with children, people in terrible physical shape and experienced riders can be tricky:  be careful of the wobblers and slow pokes, they spell danger!  We pedaled down the hill, turned left and left again, and headed up Fiallo towards Colonia Reforma, around Reforma, and back down to Centro.  The riding crowd drew people to doors of the houses and shops, restaurant patrons and waiters waved and called to us, we responded with whistle toots and shouts.  Volunteers swooped skillfully through the crowds, zooming ahead to stop traffic at intersections, and making sure any crashes were up and riding again.  Stuart peeled off about half-way through, we'd arranged to meet later for beers, and I kept going.  We rode up the steep hill by the Soledad Church, the reward a fabulous view of the hillsides, from above the valley, and then a fast swoop down the hill and back towards centro.  We negotiated car-sized potholes and drainage grates, double-parked cars and road construction, and each other.  Topes speed bumps were fun, the oldest cobble-stoned streets were not so much fun.

After the cruise around the zocalo, I turned back towards Lobo Azul, with a few other people, and returned my bike.  I'd been riding almost 2 hours.  Estaba fantastico!
 
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arriba la bici!

(Lobo Azul is on Armenta y Lopez, one block south of the zocalo.  Bikes rent for 50 pesos, you'll need ID.  The rental bikes are not the best, but, hey, it's a rental!  Pick your bike up earlier in the evening for a better ride.  The coffee is great at Lobo Azul, as is the artwork)