#Mexico

tag

Radar

The Rapha Film Fund Presents: Unspoken Road

“Being different is beautiful.” – Uriel Torres

A film by Chad Unger, winner of the Rapha Film Fund, Unspoken Road is a portrait of Deaf and Queer brother and sister, Nora and Uriel Torres. The siblings, originally from Mexico, discuss how growing up in a small town in California they experienced discrimination and isolation, but as they came of age discovered the therapeutic and life-affirming value of cycling.

2024 Ruta Del Jefe: En Cuenca Los Ojos de México

Reportage

2024 Ruta Del Jefe: En Cuenca Los Ojos de México

After a two-year hiatus and a mission to find a new event location, Ruta Del Jefe relocated from Appleton-Whittell Research Ranch in Arizona, US, to Cuena Los Ojos in Sonora, México. The 2024 event was nestled in the hills of Cuenca Los Ojos conservation ranch just south of the Arizona border, straddling the line between biomes, states, and countries.

While the event was, of course, a weekend full of riding bikes across beautiful terrain, it was also infused with workshops, informative presentations, bird walks, dancing, coffee, chocolate, and incredible local food.

With its redoubled focus on advocacy, community, and stewardship, Ruta Del Jefe stands out among the myriad cycling events these days as a singular experience. Make sure to check out our mega gallery and multiple perspectives from this impactful event below in both Spanish and English…

The Radavist 2024 Calendar: April

Radar

The Radavist 2024 Calendar: April

“Ruta del Jefe” is the fourth layout of the Radavist 2024 Calendar. It was shot with a Canon R5 and a Canon f2.8 24-70, in Cuenca Los Ojos, Sonora, Mexico. Photographed by Josh Weinberg.

“Our Ruta del Jefe Reportage is on the way and it’s gonna be big!”

For a high-res JPG, suitable for print and desktop wallpaper*, right-click and save link as – The Radavist 2024 – April. Please, this photo is for personal use only!
(*set background to white and center for optimal coverage)

The mobile background this month is a vertical crop from the same photo. Click here to download April’s Mobile Wallpaper.

Radar

VIDEO: Bike Sports Goes Gravel in Oaxaca

Oaxaca, Mexico, and its surrounding mountains, the Sierra Norte, have gained popularity in mountain biking and bike touring due to the efforts of the TranSierra Norte enduro race, and route development by a handful of local cyclists, but traditional gravel riding has gone relatively unreported and untapped in the region. But, in part thanks to the mountaintop Zapotec communities and local farming, the region is interlaced with hundreds of kilometers of high-quality gravel roads and trails, ready for rides of any length.

Juanito and His “Burra”: A Fabio Duarte Touring Bicycle

Reportage

Juanito and His “Burra”: A Fabio Duarte Touring Bicycle

When Karla and I arrived at Básica Studio’s workshop in México City, one of the first things I noticed was a yellow bicycle parked on its kickstand standing a little apart from the other ones on the rack. A complete set of fenders and heavy-duty racks made it clear this bike was intended for fully loaded touring, and the letters on the down tube, F. Duarte, spelled a brand I hadn’t seen before. We soon found out this bike belonged to Juanito, one of the mechanics at the shop, and I knew I had to see this bike and this guy in action.

Connecting Mexico’s Highest Volcanoes: An Adventure in Bikepacking and Alpinism

Reportage

Connecting Mexico’s Highest Volcanoes: An Adventure in Bikepacking and Alpinism

Sònia Colomo and Eloi Miquel packed up their bikes and left Catalunya in January 2022. They arrived in Latin American with the plan to pursue some of the best multi-day mountain biking routes around. But, after completing the 2,800km Baja Divide, a friend told them needed to check out some of the highest volcanoes in the country. And that’s where the adventure started—they decided the only thing to do was change course and link a few 4,000m and 5,000m peaks by bicycle. They knew the logistics wouldn’t be easy, but the draw of the mountains was too great to ignore. Read on for Sònia’s recap of their human-powered bikepacking and alpinism efforts to link four volcanoes.

Following the Footprints of the Jaguar: Ruta del Jefe Migrates to Cuenca Los Ojos

Reportage

Following the Footprints of the Jaguar: Ruta del Jefe Migrates to Cuenca Los Ojos

Ruta del Jefe is a weekend of adventure cycling, education, community, and advocacy that has taken place in the Sky Islands region of southern Arizona, which we’ve previously reported on here, here, and here. Beginning in 2024, the event will occur in Cuenca los Ojos, a protected landscape in Sonora, Mexico’s Sky Islands. Below, this two-part collaborative story (“The Watershed of the Springs” by Sarah Swallow and “La Aventura” by Daniel Zaid) details what’s next for Ruta del Jefe along with other recreational and educational opportunities in these borderlands. 

Caminos del Sur: Bike Touring from Volcano to Forest In The State of México

Reportage

Caminos del Sur: Bike Touring from Volcano to Forest In The State of México

As residents of the desert state of Sonora when not touring, Radavist contributors Daniel Zaid and Karla Robles decided to pay a visit to the lush state of México further south. Daniel teams up with Nicolás Legorreta, the physicist, cyclist, and nature enthusiast behind the bike bag company Peregrinus Equipment. The two embark on an overnight tour, starting at the 15,000’+ reaches of the volcano Nevado de Toluca and making their way back to Nicolás’ home of San Simón el Alto. With a route that’s all downhill, what could go wrong? 

Radavist X Komoot: New Beginnings on the Baja Divide

Radar

Radavist X Komoot: New Beginnings on the Baja Divide

Jutting out into the Pacific Ocean south of California, west of Mexico, the Baja Peninsula encompasses four deserts, roughly 3,000 kilometers of coastline, and the right mix of challenge and remoteness to attract intrepid travelers of all kinds. For those of the bikepacking variety, a relatively new route has quickly become a must-ride: the 2,692-kilometer Baja Divide. Those with schedules to keep may take on the Divide in sections, riding for a week or two before hopping on a bus back to where they started. And then there’s Sònia Colomo.

Into the Gran Desierto de Altar with La Ruta Chichimeca Bike Tour

Reportage

Into the Gran Desierto de Altar with La Ruta Chichimeca Bike Tour

The 1st of July marks the start date for the most awaited cycling event of the year. Tens of cyclists from different origins gather to dedicate the next weeks of their lives to riding a different route every day, with a rest day every week. Those who manage to finish the route will have over 4000 kilometers under their legs. We’re not talking about the Tour de France here, this is La Ruta Chichimeca!

From the Road to Mexico City: Rattlesnakes, Hot Springs, and Bacanora with Ray Molina

Reportage

From the Road to Mexico City: Rattlesnakes, Hot Springs, and Bacanora with Ray Molina

Perhaps you remember Beau? That crazy fella who rode his bike from Boulder, Colorado to Mexico City in the middle of the summer that we profiled last year? Well, John reconnected with Beau after his tour and asked if he had any stories he’d like to share. Little did we know we’d get a tale like this… Also, Beau is doing another postcard project, so read on below for those details as well!

Beyond the Divide: Mountain Biking in Baja Sur

Reportage

Beyond the Divide: Mountain Biking in Baja Sur

There’s more to biking in Baja than the Divide

Twenty minutes after sunset and the sky has a glowing ember look. Night is taking over. In the distance — in the hills — you can see the front and rear lights of a bike. At first, it seems like it must be a motorcycle, but there’s no noise. It’s a mountain bike. The rider zooms up and down small climbs and descents, and then flies past us in a cloud of dust we can’t quite see, but can smell. The person on the bike, whoever they are, is having a great time.

I’m driving the entirety of Baja — with my husband and our dog — from Mexicali to Todos Santos. We started in Colorado. All in, the trip south is over 2,000 miles. We camp a lot — in a little van we built out last year. It’s great, but not quite van life. More, a step up from tent life. We’ve got our mountain bikes — an Ibis Mojo and a Revel Ranger — and a lot of peanut butter.

Visiting Atom Cycles: Handcrafted Steel Bicycles and Components From the State of México

Reportage

Visiting Atom Cycles: Handcrafted Steel Bicycles and Components From the State of México

Dulce Ortiz and Wladimir Labraña are the couple behind Atom Cycles, the handmade bicycle building project in Ojo de Agua in the State of México, just outside of México City. What started as a love story between a Mexican woman and a Chilean man isn’t mine to tell, but it resulted in the fusion of the expertise of a graphic designer and a metal construction technician to bring to life fillet brazed bicycle frames, racks, and an expanding range of bicycle accessories.

Peregrinus Equipment, Light Handmade Bikepacking Bags From the State of México

Reportage

Peregrinus Equipment, Light Handmade Bikepacking Bags From the State of México

In the mountains of the State of México, about two hours by car to the west of México City, there’s a little town named San Simón el Alto; in this town, there’s a house which would pass as any other house save for the sign that reads “Bebidas exóticas”, exotic drinks, and an outdoor bar, a Biergarten if you will, with chairs in an inviting position. Wandering in the garden, a big turkey makes sure everything is in order and slowly approaches whoever stays idle for too long, be it dog, cat, or person. To the right there’s the house and one of the doors opens up to reveal two sewing machines, rolls of Xpac and Liteskin, and a few half-made bicycle bags. This is Peregrinus Equipment, the bike bag enterprise run by physicist, cyclist, and nature enthusiast Nicolás Legorreta.

Folding & Furious: A 20″ Wheel-Powered Adventure

Reportage

Folding & Furious: A 20″ Wheel-Powered Adventure

Karla and I headed to Tijuana when we heard that the local government was giving the covid vaccine to anyone who wanted it. We used a Fabio’s chest as luggage bags because although we didn’t bring our bikes, we had the idea of borrowing some to move around the city and try to fit in an overnighter, so we also brought our sleeping bags and bike touring tool kit. With the Baja Divide being so close the thought of jumping on it crossed our minds but we decided to settle for something that required fewer logistics and that could be started and finished from the place we were staying in.