Oaxaca Trip Report: How to Mountain Bike Mexico "Wild Rye Style"

When you think of Mexico, no doubt that what immediately comes to mind is good times with tasty cold beers, tequila, and tacos. What you may not know is that there is also a RAD mountain bike community in Oaxaca, known for its amazing trail system. The Wild Rye Sales Manager and a few of our pro-teamers flew down to shoot our Spring '22 collections and to experience firsthand their hand-cut, ripping mountain bike trails. The city, the culture, the trails, the people, and the adventure did not disappoint.

"Our adventure started when I called my boy Tony Martin at 2WheelEpix to organize our Spring '22 Wild Rye photoshoot. Tony was more than happy to pull out all the stops for us. 2WheelEpix, a mountain bike guiding company that provides 'unforgettable tours around the world' works with a local Oaxacan guiding company called Coyote Aventuras. Between the two of them, they took care of all the planning. The hotels, shuttles, food, drink...EVERYTHING! If you are headed to Oaxaca, I couldn't recommend these guys more highly—definitely hit them up!

Our photoshoot days were LONG. We woke up early before the sun rose, planned our lewks in the dark over cups of fresh local coffee, loaded up all the bikes and gear, and headed out for full days exploring the amazing local trail systems with our photographer Emily Tidwell. We rode incredible downhill trails, all supported by shuttles. All the trails are hand-built by the locals—knowing this, you can feel the sense of passion and community when you get to enjoy their hard work with ripping downhills. The trails have fun features, drops, and very steep, loose dirt. You can also get incredible views overlooking Oaxaca and the surrounding mountains. The terrain was  incredibly diverse with all skill levels to choose from— we rode through wet and tacky jungle, dry and arid desert, and it was incredibly humbling to ride under the GIANT agave plants. 

When we wrapped up for the day, we'd cruise through the colorful streets of Oaxaca at dusk. We walked around the eclectic markets to shop local crafts and art, ate amazing food, and of course, drank cold Mexican beers. It was so memorable! 

When we weren't exploring the trails or the city, we took in a few cultural experiences in more rural areas. We went to a small family Agave Farm for the lifestyle portion of the shoot, but obviously made sure we sampled the mezcal while we were there! There's nothing like driving around a beautiful farm in the back of an old-school pick-up truck, looking at the mountains, sipping on mezcal with a bunch of amazing people. That's  A+ living." 

- Wild Rye Sales Manager Holly O'Brien

Thinking of heading south of the border for an Oaxacan Mtb Adventure?

Give TwoWheel Epix a call to start your planning today! +1 (208) 721-1922