Bicycling

bkueck wrote:

Hi ,   

I love to bicycle and wonder what bicycling culture is like in Mexico.
Specifically,
1) how hard is it to buy bikes for a tall person ( 6'2")
2) how much do they sell for
3) Are roads, trails, sidewalks, etc. conducive to biking
4) Is it generally safe to bicycle in Mexico

Thanks all.

Many use bikes bkueck,

Some areas even have places that would be nice to ride on.  That said , I would have to say they are heavy duty bikes for the most part, and they have the right away legally, yet I would not ride on the streets the way they do. Most just can't afford a car, or motorcycle.

They worry a lot that their bike could be taken, so they are very protective. Biking is not recreation for them, it's their life. I'm sure there are bike stores in el central, but I haven't looked for them. A quick look at the yellow pages here netted 1 race type bike store, 1 repair shop and 2 just bike stores. My neighbor has a bike and he is a big man so obviously larger bikes are around.

There are places where you could ride a bike safely, but not the streets. There is a walkway here that wraps around the bay it is for bikes, runners and walkers. The streets are risky, not so much because of potholes and cars, but motos ( motorcycles but more often scooters). They are a reckless group whose main goal seems to be get there as fast as possible, and sometime include your whole family.

You will need someone else to tell you costs, I haven't had a bike in many years.

Thanks, Travellight.
Great response and very helpful.

Hi bkuek!

My husband and I are avid cyclists and lived in Playa del Carmen for a year.  We have also traveled in other parts of Mexico (Campeche, Chiapas, Yucatan states).  Unfortunately, bike culture in Mexico isn't close to what you'll find in the US or Canada.  There are a few bike shops around, but they mostly sell single-speed cruiser bikes (aka beach bikes).  They're pretty much one-size fits all, so you'd do better to ship your own bike down if you're very tall (or short).  There are not many bike paths and lanes, so you're likely to be riding on the roads with other vehicles, which may or may not bother you.  We are road cyclists, so that was okay with us, but we drew the line at riding on highways, and sometimes those are the only option to get from place to place in Mexico, limiting where we could ride.

As Travellight noted, many locals use bikes as their transportation to/from work and other places, so there are certainly people on bikes, but it's a different sort of riding.  Not many wear helmets nor ride bikes with gears, but we are always happy to see people riding bikes no matter what.  We enjoyed riding a bike path in Playa del Carmen but found riding on the roads a little frustrating due to the numerous speed bumps (often made of metal & slippery), lots of taxis passing closely, and no bike lanes.  But we love Mexico and do hope to return one day.  Where there's a will, there's a way, and cyclists will always find places to ride!

bkueck wrote:

Hi ,   

I love to bicycle and wonder what bicycling culture is like in Mexico.
Specifically,
1) how hard is it to buy bikes for a tall person ( 6'2")
2) how much do they sell for
3) Are roads, trails, sidewalks, etc. conducive to biking
4) Is it generally safe to bicycle in Mexico

Thanks all.

I live in Chapala (close to Guadalajara). We have a bike path along most of the highway between Chapala and Jocotopec but it is not the best in some areas and non existant in others. As 'travellight' mentioned for many it is a means of transportation for those who cannot afford a car. Yet for many others from Guadalajara where lots have money, it is recreation. We have many biking groups pass though here on the highway during the weekends. They ride in packs (often with a warning car) on the road.  Serious biking groups from Guad seem common.
Bikes for taller people are no problem. I am 6'2" as well and I purchased an extended seat pipe.
I bought a very low end bike but they had bikes up to 10,000 pesos here in Ajijic. The bikes I see on the road in the serious biking groups look like they are at least that.
In general, I would say biking is quite unsafe here. Roads are narrow, often potholed. Lots of stray dogs and even tourists can jump out in front of you. I only mention this because a good friend had a tourist step out in front of him from behind a tree on the bike path and he ended up seriously hurting his elbow. The tourist???  Anyway, lots of obstacles here in this area. Cars rule.

Thank you, CaribeGal. Very helpful.