Mexican Cargo Bike with steam oven

Mexican Cargo Bike selling Tamales

Mexican Cargo Bike selling Elotes

We also saw one fully kitted cyclist on a carbon Look, and we discovered some people using their bicycles as their main mode of transportation, and not just people who can’t afford a car, but those who choose to ride a bike in the city.
We visited a few bike shops in the West end of the city:
Bicirama in Calle Aldama, Bicimundo across the street (where they had a knockoff of a Trek with a faux full carbon finish and “Discovery Channel” wheels, just weird), and Taller de Bicicletas Cruz Jr at the back of Hotel Rivera del Angel, in Mina street.

Bicirama

Bicimundo

Fake Trek

We found out that the single speed bikes are hand made in factories in Mexico city and Puebla. They don’t have a brand or a name. They’re popular because for about 2000 Pesos (150 US Dollars/100 Euros approx.) you can have a basic and reliable vehicle.
The frames are made of thick chromoly tubing, lugged, with wishbone seatstays and usually a double top tube. It has eyelets for racks on the rear horizontal dropouts and also on the fork. The geometry is super relaxed, with a long wheelbase and tire clearance up to 28×1.95.
The wheels look like they just came out of a trendy fixed gear bike shop I know in Paris, with large flange hubs, fancy twisted spokes (laced in radial or 2 cross pattern), and deep section profiled rims, all in crazy color schemes.
The drivetrain is normally a no-name chainset with platform pedals, thick BMX chain and a freewheel. The bars look like a copy of the Nitto Moustache with a short 1″ quill stem.

Singlespeed bike at Bicirama

Twisted spokes laced in a 2 cross pattern to a large flange singlespeed hub

Singlespeed at Taller Cruz Jr

This is utilitarian, practical cycling at its best: affordable basic quality human powered vehicles for the people.
(Pedal) Power to the people!

Banesto singlespeed

Singlespeed with rear rack

Singlespeed Cargo

We met Chris from Middlesborough, England, and rode together the 71km to Mulege. After a long internet session it got very late so we wild camped on the side of the road, between cactus, near the coast. Chris and I both had flat tires in the morning.

14thNov.

15km  and we found La Playa Escondida (Playa Ecomundo, La Playa del Ciclista for us from now on), a small piece of paradise in Bahia Concepcion. It was wiped out by the hurricane in September so there’s no Palapas, toilets or anything, and it’s beautiful and quiet, and also free. There we met Charles, Inga, GianLuca, TJazz and Niña from Canada. We borrowed their kayaks and stand-up paddle board, went fishing and shared stories, beer, scalops, ceviche aand rice around the campfire. They’re the coolest family I’ve ever met. Thank you guys.

15thNov.

It’s just the three of us on the beach, seagulls and fish. It’s almost like being on a desert island, lovely. Some tourists made it down the rocky trail but they always leave. Nice.

17thNov.

We’re still here. we needed a rest. This is so unique that we don’t really want to leave. We’ve fixed the “loo with a view”. Yesterday I caught a fish that we’re using as bait to catch bigger fish, no luck so far. We spend a lot of time in the water, fishing (trying to) and swimming. 

18thNov.

Wake up to the sun rising above the islands, the seagulls are finishing the popcorns from our campfire dinner last night (had crab for dessert, we caught it in a bucket) while we have breakfast and see dolphins. Pack up and leave our playa escondida, a bit sad. After 18km we stop in Buenaventura so we can use the free wi-fi at the small lovely restaurant on the beach and split a delicious cheeseburger for lunch.

54km with some hills to El Rosario where we camped at the back of a Motel next to Mama Espinoza’s Restaurant and had the best hot shower ever (and first one in a while). My front panniers are now the lowest I can have them on my Surly rack, and the front of the bike feels a lot more stable.

6th Nov.

Heraclio gave us a lift up hill (teletransportation) out of El Rosario to El Arenoso and from there we rode 77km through the beautiful scenery of El Valle de Los Cirios: weird trees, cactus, amazing rock formations, nice cool (overcast) weather, pretty, flat (except for some gentle rolling hills), expectacular. We paid 100 pesos for a spot to camp at the Desert Inn where we met Andrea, a very nice german lady who offered us a place to stay in Berlin if/when we get there.

7thNov.

56km of desert, hills, heat to free camping at Loncheria La Nueva Chapala, the only place that has survived 50 years strong in the area: best dinner we’ve had in a long time.

8thNov.

We managed to start rolling befor 8am! and arrived at Punta Pietra at noon after 64km with some small hills and some headwinds. Free camping at the rear of the local Abarrotes and ice cream before another early night.

9thNov.

We get up with the sun and go to bed when the sun goes down. We roll at 7:20am. The road deteriorates after Rosarito but we make good progress. We met Seth and Parker from San Francisco who are riding the Panamerican Higway from Prudho Bay to Ushuaia on Big Dummies (we plan to meet up for some beer in La Paz). Longest day so far with 98km. The last 8km pushing the bikes through sand trying to find the beach. We end up free camping (again! Viva Mexico and the hospitality of its people) at the back of a tiny hotel in Villa Jesus Maria.  

10thNov.

After breakfast we met Ramon, the owner of the Hotel Villa del Mar, and had a very nice chat while we waited for the fog to clear. Arrived to Guerrero Negro. we’re half way into Baja California now.40km of easy straight (a bit boring) road. Stock up on food and water. First shower in 4 days, (slow) wi-fi and camping for 150 Pesos. It’s too early to go see the whales at the Laguna del Ojo de Liebre so we’re leaving tomorrow, heading east.

11thNov.

We didn´t make it to San Ignacio, we were 40km short when Mr. Steve let us stay at his rancho. He bought us a soda and cookies and gave us some awesome grape tomatoes (perfect bicycle snack) from the farm he works at. We had a shower, shared dinner with the farm workers, and slept in our tents. 105 km.

12thNov.

Bryan was way ahead of me when after 70km got a lift uphill with Chui and Sergio, 2 very nice fishermen from San Hipolito who also gave me a can of delicious Caracoles de Mar. Their taste reminded me of my hometown. I waited for Bryan just before La Cuesta del Infierno to ride the downhill to Santa Rosalia. After 95km we managed to find free camping (once again!, speaking spanish definitely helps)  by the (not in use) swimming pool at Hotel El Morro. Nice!

We’ve arrived at El Mar de Cortes, the east coast of Baja. I´m looking forward to seeing the sunrise on the sea tomorrow morning.

They belong to Faustino, the guard of what used to be a campsite. We´re free camping on the beach near Cielito Lindo. This is beautiful. And it feels so good to be back on the road.

We left Ensenada on El Dia de Los Muertos, and felt a bit sad to say goodbye to Delia, Jose and Canica, but it was great to finally keep going. The first day back on our bikes was hard and the hills made the 71km very difficult. That night we stayed with El Señor Pancho and his wife, a very nice couple who own a cheese store near San Vicente.

My legs felt better on Tuesday riding 61km to a campsite near Ejido Ruben Jaramillo. It was so hot when we got there, we jumped in the swimming pool straight away. Sometimes I forget it´s November.

We´re back along the coast now until El Rosario, just before the hills, the big ones, and the desert. And then we we´ll be on the east coast, the Sea of Cortez.
While I write this, the moon is coming out above the mountains; it´s big and yellow… preciosa. Paco and Lola have fallen asleep next to us, on the sand, and all I can hear is the waves.

Thanks to our Tour Dad and most valuable member of the True Wheel Society now we have our package with my shoes and some more stuff we needed and we can get back on the road.

About a month ago, for some unknown reason my feet started to hurt way too much, so after riding over 5 thousand miles on my Sidi’s, I realized I needed new cycling shoes. Luckily we got a sponsorship deal with Keen Footwear, so I ordered the Commuter sandals. Matt took care of the shipping and after paying the stupid import duties (I call it theft) and a very long delay in Tijuana, finally the shoes arrived yesterday.

We love it here in Ensenada, we really do. Delia makes us feel at home in La Casa del Ciclista. But we need to keep going: in almost 3 weeks, we’ve watched over 26 movies (Julio from the DVD shop is our best friend now), we’ve eaten all the donas, fish tacos, adobada and asada tacos, tortas, enchiladas, tamales, ice cream and birrias; we’ve been to La Bufadora (a very nice ride to a rather disappointing tourist trap: a tidewater blowhole in a rock); we’ve read all our books and done a lot of drawing; and we’ve seen the big grey whales.

We’ve had a lot of time to think and reconsider what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. This is it. This is our lives now. This is what we do for a living: we ride our bicycles, we keep going. Because we do.

Now the Santa Ana wind has calmed down and my feet are very happy.

Thank you Matt.

4 Ortlieb Roller panniers, 1 saddle bag and one handlebar bag.
1 coffee travel mug and 2 water bottles (plus 6 more, one in each pannier and 2 in my Pac Ultimate messenger bag, which goes on my rear rack)
Reload hip pouch
Lights
Lots of socks
3 pairs of underwear
Adidas Samba shoes
2 Dickies shorts
Jeans
Pearl Izumi (water resistant) shorts
2 padded cycling shorts
Swim shorts
Leg warmers
Rapha arm warmers
Endura (winter) tights
Sealskinz gloves and socks
A few cycling caps (House Of Pistard, LCEF, Campy, DeOro, …)
7 tshirts
2 shirts
Rapha stowaway jacket
Gore Tech waterproof jacket
3 cycling jerseys (Tserv, Freewheel, Trackstar)
Swobo long sleeve wool jersey
Half of my broken heart
Howies base layer
Devold base layer long sleeve wool jersey (thanks Grant!)
7 tubes, 1 spare tire
Pedal Revolution hoodie
Rin Project wool jersey
Canon G7 camera
Iphone
Vango Cooking pots kit
Military cutlery/knife/corkscrew kit
MSR whisperlite internatinale multifuel stove
REI towel
REI sleeping pad
Big Agnes Lost Ranger sleeping bag
Big Agnes Seedhouse 1 person tent
1 (big) map of the world
1 tarp
Lots of dreams
Brake/shifter cable/housing set
Spare chain
One bag with lots of bolts and nuts
Another bag with zip ties
Extra SPD cleats for my Sidi’s
Toilet paper
More maps
Small shovel
Spokes
Water filter/purifier pump
Some tools: Topeak Alien multitool, Parks spoke tool, Parks chainbreaker, chain whip, Pedros cone wrench, Swiss Army knife, puncture repair kits, tire repair kit, pliers/cutter, adjustable wrench, electrical tape, shoe goo, …
Boneshaker (a bicycle almannac BA 42-300)
Adventure Cycling Handbook
Polar Bear pipe
Food (beans, rice, pasta, nutella, …)
Moleskin(grows back)
External hard disk
Things I forget
Postcards
Mini U-lock and Kryptonite cable