Erin Green, our professional triathlete and one of the greatest ambassadors for our brand.

Erin has always been a great part of the Blue family and it is a pleasure to work with her and her husband Matt!

After retiring from a 7-year career as a professional triathlete in 2019, Erin Green decided it was time to explore her native Idaho from a different perspective. Becoming an avid gravel rider and mountain biker, Erin has since logged thousands of miles on Idaho’s endless remote backroads and flowy singletrack. She is also a volunteer coach with a local youth mountain bike team in Boise, Idaho and is passionate about mentoring young athletes to find joy in their sport. When she’s not on her bike, Erin is running her own private dietetics practice, Erin Green Racing and Nutrition, camping with her husband Matt, and spoiling their cat, Rally.

photo courtesy of Matt Green. Thanks, Matt!

Groove Off- Road Racing

We are proud to announce our multi-year partnership with Caroline Mani and the Groove Off Road Racing Team. Caroline is a five time French National Cyclocross Champion and brings her years of experience along with Lauren Zoerner, a two-time National Champion and three-time Colorado State Champion who rode for the Blue Competition Cycles Factory Team in the past. We are excited to have this mutli-discipline team representing our brand in cyclocross, gravel and XC! Welcome to the Blue family!

Welcome to the Blue family Blue Ridge Cross!

 Blue Ridge Cross (BRC) is a junior cycling team dedicated to the support and enrichment of young female athletes. BRC currently supports 5 riders racing 3 different USA Cycling age groups: 13/14, 15/16, UCI 17/18. We are building a sustainable program solely focused on Female Development. Our race focus will be UCI National Events and the USAC National Championships in Louisville, KY - September through December 2023/24. Our UCI 17/18 rider Maddie Fisher previously qualified to race in Europe over a two-week block in 2022 and we are targeting for her to return to Europe in 2023/24 with an opportunity to qualify for  the world championship.

Drills Are For Everyone! by Jarrod Shoemaker

Jarrod Shoemaker retired this year from being a professional triathlete. He is now excited to be coaching elite and age group athletes to help them achieve their dreams. He is the 2009 ITU Duathlon World Champion and competed in the 2008 Olympics as well as being the 2010 and 2012 U.S. National Champion in triathlon. With many races on hold it opens up a new opportunity to improve your skills. Here is some of his advice on doing drills to improve your cycling.

Jarrod believes biking is not just about hoping on your bike and riding it. To be a proficient cyclist you should practice riding your bike in all conditions, practice drills and skills and become comfortable cornering. Most triathletes just see themselves riding in a straight line and think they do not need to learn to be skillful in bike handling, but just like learning how to swim and learning different parts of the swim stroke, learning more about the bike will make you a better cyclist.

Jarrod Shoemaker

- Pro Triathlete, Olympian

Being comfortable on the bike takes time and some work, but once you are comfortable you are better able to react to situations that occur around you, like a crash in front of you, a rogue water bottle skittering across the road or a pothole you did not see ahead of you. Below are a few good drills to practice in a park lot of area that is closed off to traffic.

The biggest piece of advice is: Look Where You Want To Go (Not Where You Don’t Want To Go)

1)      Slalom -  Place a few small cones, or water bottles, or pieces of bark mulch, or anything else softer and moveable (not rocks or other hard objects) in a line. Practice weaving in and out of them. One of the first things you will notice is that going slow and actually turning your bike is much harder than going a bit faster and leaning your body. As you get better move the cones closer together.

2)      U-turns – A lot of races have u-turns and unless you practice them they can be quite foreign. Set up a cone, or use the end of a line as the turnaround point. When approaching the turn try to do most of your braking before you start to make your turn, the allow you bike and body to flow into the turn and around it. The biggest thing is to look OUT of the turn, not down at the ground in the turn. Attempt to stay off the brakes while you are in the middle of your turn.

3)      Rocking the bike – While riding in a straight line start to shift your weight one way and then the other. Moving your bike out to the side. Although you feel like you are moving your body, in reality you are more moving your bike, because your center of mass has to stay in the middle and you weigh a lot more than your bike. As you get better with this drill and much more advanced, you can try to reach down and touch the ground on the side opposite where your bike is.

4)      Stay in Your Square – In a parking lot use one or two parking spots and start to do circles trying to stay in the spots. The tighter the circles you can go and you can stay in one spot. The key to this is actually to use your brakes to counteract the force of your pedaling. What??!?! Yes, try slowly engaging your brakes while you are trying to pedal forward and you will see that you actually can control your bike with how much pressure you put on your brakes. Just remember to let the brakes go if you get in trouble, not squeeze them!

5)      One Leg Drills – While riding your bike un-clip one shoe and just pedal with one leg, try to do this for 20 seconds, then 20 with both and then 20 more seconds with the other leg. Try to keep a smooth stroke while pedaling with one leg and focus on the pull back along the bottom. This also will help with balance on the bike.

6)      Follow The Leader – Once you have advanced and feel confident, find a friend and take turns following each other around the open area. Reacting to somebody else and their moves makes you learn to be loose and confident, as opposed to being stiff and rigid. Try to follow them as close as is possibly safe as they go through u-turns, corners, and slalom. It is a great way to learn to react and move your bike without really thinking.

Although those are just a few good drills, they are great to start the learning process of how to feel more confident riding your bike. Take some time in a parking lot or closed off area to get yourself feeling more confident on your bike and it will show in how loose and comfortable you can ride. A great example is riding with a cross wind, did you know that the more tense you are the worse you will do when gusts of wind push you, instead you should be loose and relaxed allowing the wind to push you are you to react.

Have fun and be safe!

Enjoy the Journey, For the Destination May Suck! by Kirsten McCay

I am Kirsten McCay and I just became the newest member of the Blue Factory Racing Team. I live in Colorado and I’ve been a highly competitive triathlete for over 20 years and have had my share of ups and downs during my long training and racing career. I have been fortunate enough to have raced in Kona for the Ironman World Championships, I’ve qualified for the Age Group World Championships, and I’ve been on the top of the podium in many local and regional races. But my triathlon experiences haven’t always been so jubilant. Recently, my “A” race for the entire 2020 season was postponed 4 months because of the COVID-19 virus. Most races are being canceled or postponed over the next couple months, with no one knowing when they will resume. And I just got my brand new BLUE Triad Elite triathlon superbike and I don’t get to race it for months or longer!

My advice to you: keep training as if you were going to race. You likely blocked out the time anyway to prepare, so keep your training going as much as possible. But since you don’t know when you will actually race again, make sure you are doing all your favorite workouts! That way, if your race never happens, you will have enjoyed your training time. If that means training with a friend, call up an old friend or training partner that you haven’t seen in a while and catch up while you are training. If that means binge watching a show you’ve been wanting to watch for a while but haven’t had the time, get on your treadmill or your trainer while you are watching. If you have a fave cross-training workout (mine is the step-mill), get on that as much as you want.

Even the training you may not love, the high mileage weeks, the hill climbs, the long runs and rides, they all have a lot of value on your mental state and outlook on life. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, working out, getting outside, getting fresh air and sunshine, and getting your blood flowing, have all proven to help with stress, alleviate symptoms of depression, and increase your general health and well-being.

There was a time, about 12 years ago, when I stopped enjoying my training. I trained hard only to do well in races. For about a year, I didn’t perform as well as I wanted to. The season culminated with my “A” race which didn’t go as planned, and I ended up crossing the finish line in tears. My husband at the time saw me cross and immediately ran over to make sure I was OK. He thought I had hurt myself or something, but I hadn’t, I was just disappointed in my performance and my result. I told him I wanted to do better, I didn’t have fun at all, AND I didn’t even make my goal time. He suggested I take a break from racing, and I agreed. I spent the next 2 years taking a break from training and racing and focusing on some other areas in my life that had been neglected. In those 2 years, I actually signed up for a couple races thinking I was ready, but then as they got closer, I realized I wasn’t excited to train, so I chose to cancel the races.

After 2 years, I was ready. I missed training and racing and I picked a race and started training. I enjoyed training, but didn’t actually LOVE it. I raced for a year and then had a bike accident where I broke my collar bone. It was 2 weeks before my “A” race that I had been training like crazy for with a huge goal. I was out for the season. I was so depressed, I cried, ate a crap ton of junk food, gained weight, felt sorry for myself, and laid in a recliner for 8 weeks letting it heal. When I was able to move again, I was extremely grateful for movement and training and strength and started training with a vengeance. I loved every single workout that I had previously taken for granted. I enjoyed every minute I spent swimming, biking, and running, and saw my training and my sport with fresh eyes. I trained more than ever with a big goal for the following season which I crushed!

Ever since then, I incorporate all my favorite workouts into my training. It helps me love and appreciate even the previously dreaded workouts like time trials, speed workouts, and long long days. This year I am back to a full season of racing after taking about 2 years off while I was pregnant and had a baby. I trained through my pregnancy and after my obligatory 6 weeks off after delivery, I was back to building up my strength and endurance and get back into racing ASAP.

This year I have another big goal for my triathlon season. I started picking up my training miles in December and by mid-March I was up to 22 hours a week. I was right on track to rock my May 2nd Ironman in St George, UT when I got the email about the postponement 2 days ago. Was I bummed? Of course! Was I devastated? Not at all! I am going to keep enjoying my training for another 4 months and I will be so ready to race in St George on September 19th.

You can follow me on Instagram #fitnessdivakir and on Facebook @FitnessDivaKir and of course @rideblueusa and #bluefactoryteam

Coloradoan takes on CX Europe and the World Championships

Cyclocross World Championship Race Report by Eric Brunner, Boulder Colorado

I am Eric Brunner from Boulder, Colorado and a member of the BLUE Factory Team. I spent the past six weeks racing in Europe with USA cycling after winning U23 Nationals and being selected to Team USA for Cyclocross Worlds. During that time, I competed in eight races including four World Cups and culminating with the Cyclocross World Championships in Dübendorf, Switzerland.

Overall, the trip felt constructive. It provided the opportunity for me to live a bit like a pro cyclist for a while, without the distractions and demands of school at the University of Colorado or daily life. Things like not having to plan my own logistics and getting massages several times per week add up and take some of the stress away. Although the first couple races were a shock, especially not having raced in Europe in a couple years, I was proud to have finished better in each consecutive World Cup of the trip. After the final two-week block of races that included Nommay, Hoogerheide, and Worlds, I was satisfied because I knew that I performed like I should be able to.

This year’s Worlds felt like a big step up. I raced aggressively and tactically the entire 50 minutes and finished 13th, my best Worlds or World Cup result. The majority of the course was completely flat, but a few steep hills and five flyovers provided a considerable amount of elevation gain and difficulty. Surprisingly, given the rain earlier in the week, the conditions were relatively dry at race time on Saturday. The ground was spongy and damp but not very muddy. The course was physically demanding enough that it almost felt like a deep mud race—gaps were large and the best strategy was to ride at your own pace without worrying about other riders.

BLUE Norcross custom USA National Champion paint scheme.

One of the most memorable parts of the trip was racing in the National Champion’s skinsuit. Although riders are not allowed to wear champion’s jerseys at Worlds, I did get to ride a stars-and-stripes painted bike for the championships. BLUE surprised me with the custom Norcross Team Edition frameset and my coach Grant Holicky brought it to Switzerland a couple days before the race. It’s really rewarding when people and brands believe in you enough to give that special of support, and I’m looking forward to an even better season starting in the fall.

That’s it for this season. Thanks for reading!
Eric Brunner

BLUE Factory Team

#bluefactoryteam @rideblueusa @bluestagesracing

Taking the Blue Highways to the National Championships - Maxx Chance

Kudos to the New King of SSCXWC.

Rider Profile: Maxx Chance

A few weeks back I had the opportunity to chat with Team Blue rider Maxx Chance.  He was fresh off his win at Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships (SSCXWC) in Utah and was eagerly preparing for USA Cyclocross Nationals in Lakewood, Washington. Maxx was bubbling with an enthusiasm that I’ve not seen in a long time, an enthusiasm born of pure joy. It was the same infectious joy that most of us still remember – that moment when the training wheels came off and we were flying solo down the road.

Already a bad-a$$ in 2011.

In 2008, at the tender age of 12, when most boys his age were busy playing video games, Maxx launched his cyclocross career. That first year he raced eight races, and won his final race. His win gave him the motivation to return the following year to kick some proverbial booty, and kick booty he did. He climbed onto the podium 15 times out of 18 races, and was victorious in 11 of those races. He had similar incredible results in his third year, with six wins and a total of 12 podiums. His breakout moment was winning the Colorado State Championship Open Category 4 Men’s title – at just 14 years of age.

Maxx’s cycling career trajectory continued with a series of enviable results: in 2014 he placed 2nd in the USAC Junior 17-18 National Championship event and was chosen to represent the USA at the World Championships, where he placed a solid 26thagainst the best junior cyclocrossers in the world. Moving up to the collegiate ranks, Maxx placed second at the 2015 Collegiate National Championships. The following year, he once again placed second at Collegiate Nationals and was the overall Under-23 winner at the US Open of Cyclocross, a UCI C2 event. In 2017 Maxx finally won Collegiate Nationals and placed 3rd at USAC Under-23 Nationals. In 2017 and 2018 Maxx was again chosen to represent the USA at the Cyclocross World Championships in the Under-23 Category. He placed 33rd in 2017 and 39th in 2018, an excellent results for an American.

After ten years of focusing on cyclocross, Maxx decided it was time to earn money cycling and switched to road racing. He began his road career in 2018 racing for 303Project. In 2019 he was recruited to ride for Wildlife Generation presented by Maxxis. He has achieved solid results in regional and national racing, capped by a fifth place in the USAC National Championship Under-23 Road Race. While cyclocross has had to take a back seat to his career on the road, but his passion for dirt has not dimmed. In fact, it seems to have grown.

This year Maxx took an unorthodox path to the USAC Cyclocross National Championships, earning a Single Speed World Champion title along the way. Unlike years past when he raced an average of 28 cyclo-cross races per year, this year Maxx raced just nine races (most UCI-sanctioned events), including the Pan-American Cyclo-cross Championship in Ontario, Canada. He traveled more than 4,200 miles, much of those in a car with his Blue Stages Racing teammates, Eric Brunner, Denzel Stephenson, and Coach Grant Holicky. While Maxx earned six top-ten results in those nine cyclocross races, his most memorable race – and result - was at SSCXWC 2019.

Bunny-hopping the Barrier of Fire.

 SSCXWC 2019, Santa Clara, Utah – Revenge of the Lizard King

I’m not sure if Maxx knew exactly what he was getting himself into when he registered for the Single Speed Cyclocross World Championship (SSCXWC). While it was only his second single-speed cyclo-cross race ever, he arrived as fully prepared as one can be for this weekend of insanity. Three days before the event he stripped his Blue Norcross team edition cyclocross bike down to the bare bones and converted it to a single-speed race machine with a $30.00 chain tensioner. He also put together a special race “kit” that consisted of a mesh crop top with blue sequin seashell pasties and matching iridescent blue tights. The race weekend began innocently enough, with a civilized 35-mile gravel ride. That was the end of innocence. The Feats of Strength qualifier event was the highlight of Friday afternoon. The racers were put through their paces, which included a wheelbarrow race with actual wheelbarrows, a hatchet throw, picnic tabletop burpees, a mad dash through a sandy volleyball court, bicycle basketball, and dildo T-ball (with the option of firm or floppy). The 220 entrants were winnowed down to 148 men and 40 women, lining up for their respective world championship races.

Saturday things got really real.  As a sick twist on the Le Mans style start, every racer had to put one shoe in a pile located 100 yards from the start line. This created a mad dash and frantic search before racing even began. The first obstacle on the course was the 900-gallon Jell-O wrestling pit, complete with marshmallows and carrots. This was followed by a flaming barrier over which most competitors bunny-hopped, while the avid spectators roasted weenies on sticks. Next was the Breaking Bad Trailer; gutted, spray-painted, and filled with rabid spectators, baby dolls, ear-splitting music, and Fireball shots. As if this wasn’t challenging enough, the course changed every lap. In some instances, it was routed to send the racers through every mud puddle possible. In another sadistic version, racers were herded through a nearly impassable boulder field. There were not one but two steeply pitched flyovers, often preceded by a beer hand-up. Maxx and three competitors were running neck-in-neck, cheating like gentlemen, matching each other pedal for pedal on the bike and fireball shot for fireball shot off the bike.  So the organizers decided to prolong their pain. The 60-minute men’s race was extended to a 75-minute, four-man battle. In the end, Maxx charged across the line for the win. He was whisked into an idling truck and taken directly to the waiting tattoo artist. Given the choice of the Lizard King and the middle-finger SSCXWC logo, he opted for the middle-finger, placed as close to his nether regions as possible. He was then escorted back to the celebration party where he was anointed Single-Speed World Champion and crowned with the Golden Single Speedo, in which he danced with abandon the entire night. According to the race organizer, Cimaron Chacon, Maxx was the dream SSCXWC champion. “He raced hard, played hard, cheated honestly, and endured every challenge with a smile on his face, often laughing maniacally ,” said Cimaron. He was just like a kid, freed of his training wheels.

Blue on Blue.

 USA Cycling Nationals Update

Maxx was hoping for a cold, sloppy, snowy, and technical National Championship race in Lakewood, Washington. The weather gods smiled upon him, blessing him with everything but snow. He raced to a solid 10th place in a field of 54 of the nation’s top racers. 

His Blue teammate Eric Brunner returned home with two National Champion jerseys – Collegiate and Under-23. While impressive, this was not his first championship jersey. He has been Colorado State Collegiate champion twice, this is his second time as National Collegiate champion, and he has placed both second and third in the USAC National Cyclocross Under 23 division. Eric is currently racing and training in Europe in the lead up to his third appearance in the World Cyclo-Cross Championships.  (You can read more about Eric’s win at nationals and his Blue Norcross Cyclocross bike here.)

Two additional Blue athletes have been chosen for the USA World Cyclocross Championship team, Lauren Zoerner and Tea Wright. Blue Factory Team rider Lauren, 16, who has been racing since she was eight years old, was chosen to represent the USA in the Junior Women category. In her ten-year career, she has been National Champion twice, and has podiumed six times. She also has a Colorado State Championship title. In her lead up to the World Championship, Lauren raced two World Cup races and one Superprestige race in Europe before breaking her wrist. Sadly she will not be able to race the World Championships. 

Tea Wright, 17, has been racing since she was just eight years old. She has two National Championship jerseys to her name and one Colorado State Champion jersey. In additional, she has been runner-up twice – once in the National Championship and once in the Colorado State championship. Her father’s love of mountain biking inspired her launch her own successful racing career. She is looking forward to representing the USA in the Cyclocross World Championships. Currently she is a Blue Factory Team rider and is the latest addition to the 2020 Blue Stages Racing Team.

 2020 is looking very bright for the racers of Blue Stages Racing Team!

Watch Out Cyclocross Worlds ~ The Blue Wave is Coming

This Saturday, February 1st, two Blue racers will line up against the best cyclocross racers in the world at the UCI 2020 Cyclocross World Championships in Dübendorf, Switzerland. Three Blue riders were chosen for the Team USA: Tea Wright and Lauren Zoerner of the BLUE Factory Road Team and Eric Brunner of the Blue Stages Racing Team. Eric will be racing in the Men’s Under 23 category, and Tea will be racing in the Women’s Under 19 category. In a sad twist of fate, Lauren broke her wrist while racing in Europe and will not be competing – this year.

At 22, Eric is the old man of this group. He has three National Championship titles to his name - one Under 23 and two Collegiate - as well as two Colorado State Championship titles. This will be his third trip to the Cyclocross World Championships, where he has raced in both the Under 23 and Under 19 categories. This season Eric has been in Europe since December 22 and has competed in seven races, including four World Cup races (Namur, Zolder, Nommay, Hoogerheide) and the Telenet Superprestige Diegem. With experience comes wisdom, and I believe Eric must be wise in cross beyond his years.

Tea has been racing cyclocross since she was eight years old. Just 18, she has already won two National Championship races, the first at age 11, then at age 14. She was also crowned the Colorado State Champion in 2013. This will be her first time on the start line of the World Championships.

Lauren, a junior of 17, is also a two-time National Champion and three-time Colorado State Champion. She traveled to Europe to test the waters ahead of the world championships, and raced two World Cup races (Namur and Zolder), and the Telenet Superprestige Diegem before being sidelined by a broken wrist. 

Women Who Rule the Road
BLUE Factory Team: Olivia Cummins, Lauren Zoerner, Tea Wright, Taylor Johnson, Ashley Zoerner, and Carly Wegren (former member)

Race times (Central European Standard Time)
Under 19 Women – Saturday, February 1st, 11:00 a.m.
Under 23 Men – Saturday, February 1st, 1:00 p.m.

There are a number of options for viewing the event. I will be glued to YouTube watching coverage on whichever channel I can access - Red Bull with Helen Wyman, GCN with Jeremy Powers, or the UCI channel are all good bets. You may have to jump over a barrier or two to access the live stream, so I recommend you warm your computer up early so you don’t miss one minute of the action.

 Please join us in congratulating these amazing athletes on their selection to Team USA, and wishing them the best of luck on Saturday!

Blue Stages Racing Team- Denzel Stephenson, Ashley Zoerner, Maxx Chance, and Eric Brunner

Your Winter Dose of LSD

Where LSD = Long Steady Distance not Lysergic Acid Diethylamide 

Are you sitting on your trainer, staring out the window at the snow piling up on your back deck? Or maybe you’re bundled up like the Michelin Man, taking advantage of a sucker hole in the foul weather, the one that ends in a sideways downpour with gusts that nearly blow you into the ditch. Perhaps you have surrendered to Mother Nature and have taken up swimming, skiing, or surfing Netflix from the comfort of your couch. But what you’re dreaming of is heading out in your summer jersey and shorts, logging hundreds of base miles under the warm summer sun. What would you say if I told you that you could have all that, and endless tacos too?

Ready to Roll - Your future Blue Hogback outfitted for your next amazing back packing adventure

Less than five years ago endurance beasts Lael Wilcox and Nicholas Carman were in a similar state. Not content with Netflix surfing (OK, these two are adventure monsters so I doubt they do a lot of Netflix surfing), they decided to conquer the Baja Peninsula by mountain bike. The result of their efforts is the 1700-mile Baja Divide bikepacking route. The route officially starts in San Diego, California and ends in San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur. While the route varies year to year due to the Baja 1,000 race, extreme weather events, erosion, and other forces of nature, it is always comprised of approximately 95% dirt and 5% pavement. The dirt sections are a combination of dirt road, cow path, sandy arroyo, firm beach riding, rutted single or double track trails, gnarly washboards, baby heads, and unforgiving technical climbs. Tackling the entire route in one shot is not for the weekend warrior. 

The ride is brutal, but it is not without rewards. If you want to check out from civilization, sleep under a blanket of brilliant stars, explore Spanish missions and cave paintings and magical towns, skinny-dip in the Pacific Ocean, swim with whale sharks in the Sea of Cortez (Gulf of California), enjoy the solitude of a land unspoiled by urban sprawl, all while feasting on tacos, fresh caught ceviche, and gallons of tasty cheap beer, the Baja Peninsula has all that and more. The more I’m referring to is the incredible people you will meet along the way. This includes ranchers with their farm-fresh eggs; the mom & pop tienda owners who will happily sell you a pouch of refried beans and fresh corn tortillas warm from the cooler, let you camp in their yard, and maybe even offer you the use of their hose to clean off some of the trail grime. You’ll meet the goat farmer who will sell you fresh queso de cabra (goat cheese); the fishermen who will shuttle you to a secluded island, catch a fish or five, transforming some of it into ceviche and cooking the rest over a campfire, and collect you the following day; and fellow adventurers with whom you will swap your tales of woe and feats of daring. You might even end up sharing a bucket-load of tears with your new friends. I’ve heard this ride can bring a grown person to their knees. 

Like anything in life, you can opt to devour the entire Baja Divide or you can cut it up into bite-sized pieces.

 The Whole Enchilada

If you choose to ride the entire 1,700 miles, you will be logging almost 92,000 feet of climbing. The current record for the Baja Divide is 11:11:20 (11 days: 11 hours: 20 minutes), but that does not include the final portion of the Cape Loop from San Jose del Cabo through Todos Santos and back to La Paz. Most people seem to opt for a relatively leisurely pace of around 50 miles per day, which often translates to ten hours per day in the saddle. Depending on your fitness -- and your masochistic tendencies -- you will want to plan on four to six weeks to complete the entire route.

 The Food Log (aka the Little Burro; aka the Burrito)

Another option is to tackle the route in parts. There are four sections, and each has its own distinctive flavor. The northernmost and southernmost parts are easiest to access, via the San Diego International Airport in the north and the San José International Airport in the south. If the never-ending washboards and ankle-deep sand have sucked your will to pedal, you can always hop on Mexico Highway 1, cutting out some mileage and some wear and tear on your body. It’s also possible to stow your bike in the luggage cargo and ride the Aguila bus between sections. One last option is to hitch a ride with a passing local. I would not recommend this last option for riders traveling alone, especially women. The Baja Peninsula is quite safe, but there is no reason to take unnecessary risks.

The Northern Sierra 
San Diego - Vicente Guerrero
305 miles, 24,425 feet of climbing

Tecate, your first taste of Mexico, is a strange mix of border town, brewery, and Pueblo Magico (a designation conferred by Mexico’s Secretariat of Tourism for towns that offer visitors a “magical” experience - based on the natural beauty, cultural richness, traditions, folklore, historical relevance, cuisine, art crafts and hospitality of the area). Tecate is one of three Pueblos Magicos on the Baja Peninsula. The other two are Loreto and Todos Santos. In my experience traversing Mexico, Pueblos Magicos are truly magical. 

If you are a wine aficionado, you might consider a circuitous detour through Mexico’s wine country in the Valle de Guadalupe on Mexico Highway 3. The area is beautiful, the pavement is excellent, and there is a plethora of wineries, restaurants, and lodging options. This could easily be a stand-alone excursion. 

A visit to Salvador at FASS Bike Shop in Vicente Guerrero is a must. Salvador is an OG (original gangster) mountain biking enthusiast and enthusiastically supports every Baja Divide rider who crosses his threshold. If you need service – or any last-minute equipment, advice on the ride, or just a sympathetic ear -- Salvador is an amazing guy.

The Valle de Los Cirios 
San Vicente - San Ignacio via Bahia de Los Angeles
559 miles, 22,003 feet of climbing

The Valle de Los Cirios (the valley of the cirios) is a magical place of a different variety. The cirios, also known as the Boojum tree, is a Dr. Suess-esque cactus that is found in no other place on earth. In 1980 the Valle de Los Cirios was declared a protected national area, and is slated to become an UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area is as stunning as it is remote, a mix of giant cardon cactus (endemic to Baja), cirios trees, a variety of beautiful palm trees including the magnificent Mexican Blue Fan Palm, amazing boulder formations (known as Baja’s Rock Garden), and a plethora of wild animals including pumas, bighorn sheep, deer, coyotes, eagles, hawks, and owls. The town of Cataviña, smack in the middle of the region, boasts a cheap Pepto-Bismol pink hotel, the upscale Hotel Misión Santa Maria Cataviña, a couple small cafés, and a small army of locals selling expensive gas from five-gallon containers. The closest gas stations are 76 miles to the north and 120 miles south, and many people forget to top off the tank before hitting this section of highway. 

Descending into the Bahia de Los Angeles (bay of the angels) provides the tired bikepacker with another spectacular vista. The “angels” are a series of 16 islands in the middle of the bay. One of the islands is home to rattle-less rattle snakes, but since they’re a  protected species you won’t be allowed to accidentally set foot on their island. The bay is also the seasonal home of a variety of whales, including orcas and whale sharks. I strongly recommend spending the night at Campo Archelon. Originally built as a sea turtle sanctuary, the Campo now rents cabins, beachfront palapas, and kayaks. The owners are very friendly and helpful, and can arrange boat trips to fish for yellowtail, cabrillo, dorado, and grouper; island visits and clam-gathering excursions; whale-watching tours (Bahia de Los Angeles is a temporary home to orcas, blue, humpback, sperm, minke, mako, and fin whales); excursions to swim with whale sharks; or a simple sightseeing adventure by boat. 

The Missions 
San Ignacio - La Paz
558 miles, 22,931 feet of climbing

San Ignacio is a refreshing emerald oasis nestled in a prickly sea of brown.  The town, a vast date palm oasis, is home to the impressive Misión San Ignacio de Kadakaaman and provides a taste of old Mexico. My favorite camping spot, Los Petates, is located on a pond of agua dulce (fresh water). The owner Manuel keeps the place immaculate, with palm palapas, secondhand tables, a BBQ area, showers and flush toilets, and repurposed school bus seats to lounge on. You can paddle around the pond in a plastic paddleboat, and at night the symphony of bullfrogs, crickets, coots, and other creatures serenades you to sleep. Manuel also arranges tours to the cave paintings of the Sierra de San Francisco and other points of interest. 

The one not-to-be-missed excursion from San Ignacio is a visit to the gray whales in the Laguna San Ignacio. Each year the gray whales return to one of three locations on the Pacific coast of Baja: San Ignacio, Laguna Ojo de Liebres just south of Guerrero Negro, and San Carlos on the Bahia Magdalena, just west of Ciudad Constitución. During the mid-December through March birthing season local fishermen become tour guides, shuttling small groups out into lagoons heaving with mama and baby whales. The whales are very playful, circling the boats, diving deep under the water and lifting the boats out of the water with big exhalations, breaching, lunging, spy-hopping, bow-riding, porpoising, lob-tailing, and slapping. They pop up, just out of reach, then closer and closer to the boat until finally the mama comes up for a little human love. Later in the season, the mama whales actually push their babies towards the boats, introducing their wee wanes to humans. The Baja Divide route travels the 42-miles from town to the Laguna de San Ignacio. The first half is rolling, beautifully paved road, the second half is a grueling slog through the salt flats on gnarly, never-ending washboards. Once you reach the laguna there are a number of whale-watching tour operators that offer lodging, food, and boat trips out to commune with the whales. 

The Cape Loop 
La Paz - San Jose del Cabo - Todos Santos - La Paz
255 miles 20,777 feet of climbing
See below for extensive details of this segment.

 The Taco Combo Plate with a Side of Guacamole

If you love the idea of a sunny Baja riding holiday but the thought of a grueling 1,700 miles is just too daunting, you have two completely different, but entirely delightful options. The Cape Loop is dotted with lovely towns, each with an exhilarating collection of single-track trails. For a challenging yet comfortable route, you can fly into Los Cabos, ride the divide route and recover between sections in one of the sweet local villages, partaking of the local single-track offerings between legs. Another option is to rent a car and drive from town to town, feasting on single-track, tacos, guacamole, and beer. The influx of bike-riding expats combined with the increase in local mountain bike enthusiasts has given rise to an incredible system of trails scattered throughout the Cape from La Paz to Los Cabos. All of the towns in the area offer a range of accommodations and plenty of great food options.

The following are some of the highlights:

Los Cabos (population 305,983) on the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula encompasses both San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas. The entire area has become a major tourist destination with as many as one million visitors each year. Originally Los Cabos consisted of two distinct towns, one a sleepy fishing village (Cabo San Lucas), the other home of the Mission San Jose del Cabo (founded 1730) and a sweet but touristy downtown area that hosts an Art Walk every Thursday. With the influx of tourists the two towns have become big and crowded and more than a bit dirty, but the beaches are gorgeous and there are good number of trails throughout the region.

San Jose del Cabo – Todos Santos
Mileage: Road – 65 miles, Bike – 55 miles

Todos Santos (population 6,485) is a Pueblo Magico and home to a plethora of expats. Many of the early arrivals were artists and surfers who transformed the town into an artist community with gallery-lined streets, a wide array of food ranging from gourmet French and Italian cuisine to the bacon-wrapped hot dog vendors that dot the street corners at night, and a plethora of lodging options. There is an extensive series of trails, ranging from swoopy singletrack to rocky fire road grinds to secluded beaches. Todos Santos is also home to the newest branch of Over The Edge Bicycles, who will  hook you up with all things bike.

Todos Santos – El Triunfo
Mileage: Road – 45 miles, Bike – 50 miles

El Triunfo (population 327) is a former mining town just 32 miles south of La Paz. It is home of the Reto Baja 100k Mountain Bike race held every November. It is also home to two museums, one devoted to its mining history, the other to pianos. For such a tiny town, there is amazing food to be found, specifically the Café El Triunfo, with delicious meals and bakery goodies, and Bar El Minero, which serves up homemade salchichas, garden fresh salads, and a wicked paella on Sundays.

El Triunfo – La Paz
Mileage: Road – 32 miles, Bike – 25 miles

La Paz (population 244,219) is the capital of Baja California Sur located on the Sea of Cortez. The most delightful feature of the town is the malecón (an esplanade along the ocean), lined with restaurants, hotels, and a plethora of boats that are happy to take you on a tour of the Islas Espirito Santo and Partido to swim with sea lions and whale sharks, gorge yourself on freshly made ceviche and tostadas, comb beautiful deserted beaches, and watch exotic birds such as the Blue-Footed Booby. It is also the gateway to two of the most beautiful beaches in Baja, Playa La Balandra and Playa El Tecolote. 

La Paz – El Sargento/La Ventana
Mileage: Road – 29 miles, Bike – Unknown (This is not an official part of the Baja Divide route)

El Sargento/La Ventana (population 255), located a 45 minute drive southeast of La Paz, was a small fishing village founded in the 1940s by pearl diver Salome Leon. Together with El Sargento it has become a kiteboarding and windsurfing mecca. It has two gorgeous series of trails, one north of El Sargento the other south of La Ventana. The afternoon winds are fierce so you will want to get your ride in early.

El Sargento/La Ventana - Los Barriles
Mileage: Road – 49 miles, Bike – El Triunfo to Los Barriles - 55 miles

Los Barriles (population 1,174) is located on the Sea of Cortez roughly halfway between La Paz and San Jose del Cabo. The town has become the Baja capital of kiteboarding and windsurfing. There is also an incredible series of trails, so you can ride all morning, feast on tacos and cerveza for lunch, then hit the surf after a nice siesta.

Los Barriles  - Cabo Pulmo 
Mileage: Road –35 miles, Bike – 30 miles

Cabo Pulmo (population 58) is part of a 17,570-acre Marine Protected Area and National Park, declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2005. This is the most remote location on the divide route, and is considered by some to have the best trails. In addition to riding you can scuba dive or snorkel in one of only three coral reefs on the west coast of North America. The fishing village of Los Frailes also offers incredible snorkeling from the shore – no boat or guide necessary. Here you’ll also find miles of pristine beach and glorious swimming.

Cabo Pulmo – San Jose del Cabo[SE2] 
Mileage: Road – 61 miles, Bike – 40 miles

Nos vemos, Mexico! (See you soon, Mexico!) 

I have traversed the entire Baja Peninsula five times. My first trip I traveled in the luxury of my wee Chinook RV with my faithful canine companion Luna by my side. The next four trips I was accompanied by Luna and my two new Baja Beach Babies, Pequeña and Loquita. My final trip down the peninsula I was going “home” to my sweet one-half acre mango oasis, La Finca de La Luna, in Todos Santos, Baja California Sur. If you find yourself riding through Todos Santos please give me a shout. Sometimes it’s good to see a friendly face, get an intro to the local bike shop, or hear a (well researched) opinion on the tastiest tacos in town.

Web Research 411:
Baja Divide Website: https://bajadivide.com
Baja Divide Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bajadivide/
Trailforks Trail Maps: https://www.trailforks.com/region/baja-california-sur/?activitytype=1&z=7.9&lat=23.62033&lon=-110.41668

 For a brutally honest blow by blow of the Baja Divide, accompanied by amazing and gorgeous video images, check out Ryan Van Duzer’s Youtube channel. I do offer two caveats. First, while he is an adventure junkie, he is not a dedicated mountain biker, evidenced by the fact that he bought new bike shorts and a new bike (yes, saddle and all) immediately before embarking on this ride. Second, on occasion he has a bit of a potty mouth, so if that offends you, you might want to skip his videos here.