George and Deborah's Great Adventures: 01/27/15

Tuesday 27 January 2015

Cycling in Mexico City

The last time we were in Mexico City we heard about a recommended bicycle tour of the inner city. This time we decided to take it. The reservation was made from home for a 10 am departure (only time available) for a four-hour tour. We booked with the Reforma-Chapultepec, Aztec Bike Tour Company and our English-speaking guide, Renne. Renne turned out to be a student studying Ballet at the university. Her English was great and her historical knowledge of the city was superb.

Our bikes were well-worn Trek 18 speed cruisers with comfort seats. They were old but they worked just fine. We seldom needed to shift gears for hills.

Our ride covered much territory and consisted of dedicated street bicycle paths, separate bike lanes, park trails and quiet streets. Bicycling in Mexico City is not for everyone. You need to be strong on your bike dexterity with all the varying road surfaces, transitions between surface levels, and of course; you are riding in a city of over 20 million people. That said, at no time did I feel unsafe or at-risk from a motor vehicle. I would not though, as the website suggest, bring young children on this tour.

Renne stopped at various points of interest and gave us the back-stories certain things. One example was why a particularly wide, straight street ran from the city’s only castle, directly to the centre of the city, unlike the surrounding roads. It turns out that when Macimillian and Carlota were the Emperor and Empress of Mexico, Carlota wanted to be able to watch Max go to work everyday so she demanded that street be build to give her an unobstructed view of her hubby’s movements.

The best part of the ride for me was the final half hour through Chapultepec Park. The Park is huge but closed on Mondays, except if you are on a bicycle. When we arrived at the closed gate, a policeman let us in, asked us our specific exit location, and radioed ahead to another policeman to expect us. You are not to dilly dally but proceed directly. We had a half hour of cruising through the trees, flowers and paths without any distractions. Again, this in a city of over 20 million people. Loved it!

Our last comment - Mexico City must be overladen with smog because the media tells us that but for our only two visits it has only been blue sky above us.

We will let the pictures tell the story of the ride.