How it all began-Part 2

My first group ride was with about 10 people, a lot of them as new as I was, along with Gerardo and some other veterans of the sport.  We rode to a nearby meteorological station, a 40km ride, with about 700m of elevation gain.  It took me almost 3 hours.  I came home wrecked.  

But I was hooked.  

After that, every Saturday was a group ride, and that group largely became my riding group.  We explored new routes we found on Strava (or were recommended to us), and they progressively got longer, included more climbing (which is hard to avoid around here) and took us further afield.  I got better at the sport, upgraded my bike to one that fit me, bought a second bike, then a third, and then a gravel bike.  I rode as much as I could, and joined rides with a lot of local groups that I was introduced to.  

I kept riding with those from the original group ride though.  We had a WhatsApp group where we shared memes, cycling articles, jokes, and plans for rides.  We entered some events, and traveled together to those events.  

It’s during one of those trips that the idea for EpicCycloTours originally began to percolate.  I’m by no means a lazy traveler.  I rather enjoy arriving somewhere I don’t know and just figuring out what I’m going to do then and there.  You end up in places that aren’t necessarily hotspots, but you also get a pretty real feel of the city or town you’re in, as well.  But…that’s tourism.  If you’re traveling for the implicit purpose of doing something specific (cycling, in this case, the process of finding and booking hotels, restaurants and places to procure cycling gear in case an emergency arose isn’t necessarily a straightforward thing to do, even with the power of the Internet.  I found myself wanting a local ‘guide’ of sorts, someone dedicated to cycling (or, specifically, my cycling) who could take some of the ‘paperwork’ tasks off my plate, and let me focus on riding my bike.  

This idea of mine took a long time to take shape.  I forgot about it for long periods, as other life events took centre stage, but I’d be reminded of it every now and then as I organized a group ride, hired drivers for follow cars, drew routes, or fixed someone’s flat on the side of the road.  There’s a whole lot about riding bikes that isn’t actually riding.  

One thing that cycling has provided me with is the opportunity to see places in my part of the world that I otherwise likely wouldn’t have ever discovered.  Mountain ranges that prior to cycling were nothing more than horizons.  Towns of a few dozen families that only show up on a map if you zoom right in.  Naturally formed valleys and rock formations that aren’t in any guidebook.  

And beautiful, challenging roads that have taken my breath away (literally and figuratively).  We have loads of them here, and as I’ve ridden them and studied them, I’ve often marveled at the fact that this part of the world isn’t on a whole lot more cycling radars.  Rolling countryside, long, winding climbs, steep climbs, twisty descents to valley floors and deserted side roads leading to remote communities or World Heritage Site cities. Some of it rivals the images broadcast across the world during the Tour de France, Giro D’Italia or Vuelta de España.  

So why aren’t more cyclists making Querétaro and its surrounding communities their next destination for a cycling tour?

The answer to that question is multi-faceted.  Cycling, as a sport, is one largely focused on the European continent.  All of the major races are there, and we tend to view the sport through those competitions.  It’s natural that someone looking for a cycling tour would look to climb L’Alpe Huez, or Mont Ventoux or Passo del Stelvio or the Mortirolo.  Those names are seared into cycling lore.

Mexico, for its part, is a destination known best for its stunning beaches, outstanding cuisine, and tequila.  More seasoned travelers make their way inland to some of our mountain ranges and major cities.  Mexico City, after all, is the most populous city in North America.

But there’s a Venn diagram where these two elements (cycling and Mexico) are a natural fit.  The area in and around Querétaro could easily host a week-long cycling race at the highest level, and any helicopter footage of that race would arm the commentators with monuments and views that would delight their viewers.  

Riders of that as-yet imaginary race (some day) would find challenging routes, epic climbs, outstanding vistas and a local population that is both curious and passionate about cycling.  

Fer and I decided that we wanted to share these routes with others, and start a business around it.  Could we manage to ride our bikes for a living, all the white bringing economic activity to the region and sharing wonderful experiences with like minded bike-riders?  We think so.