Oh, does my body hurt, but oh, how much fun I had last night.
Francisco invited me to the Paseo Nocturno en las Montañas that happens every Wednesday, organized by Gdl Bikers/MTB. After outfitting me with the requisite gear, we were off to La Primavera.
Having been riding for about 10 years, Fransisco is well equipped to offer a bike and gear to visitors.
We had to ride through the streets of Zapopan before getting to La Primavera, which was actually the most difficult and dangerous part of the adventure. Francisco made sure we were decked out with plenty of reflective gear and lights to make it a little safer, but most of the people we passed didn't have any safety gear, including helmets. I wish I could have gotten some pictures of the trip, but I was too busy navigating the dodgy streets and keeping alert of cars, who have control of the spaces here, to take time out to snap any.
After a grueling 30-40 minute ride to the park, including a 10-20 minute non-stop climb up a hill, we arrived to find some of the rest of the group prepping.We had to wait about 15 minutes for a few more people, as traffic was backed up due to a lot of accidents in the area.
The group was incredibly welcoming to a newbie, making sure my bike was adjusted correctly and checking in with me throughout the ride to make sure I was okay. The main part of the group did split off to go on some more challenging areas after a time, leaving just me and Francisco to take a beginner's route, but they all encouraged me to join in again the next time I'm in the area.
Taking pictures and movies was almost impossible due to the nature of the ground and needing to maintain control of the bike through some dangerous terrain, but I got a few shots of the location, though lighting is bad and you can really only see the few feet ahead of my bike. I'm most upset I wasn't able to get footage of the cows we passed. Just hanging out on the trails, enjoying the local vegetation.
Despite it being my first time on unfamiliar terrain and navigating it all at night, I came out of the experience with only a scrape on my right shin, my most common biking injury.
And finally, after a ~30 km ride, we stopped by a taco stand to replenish our strength. And then about 10 minutes after I entered my room at the hostel, I was fast asleep.
