Queretaro (Queretaro), 09.10.05

Photoset Show

GPS Cycling Data: Distance: 203.8 Km, Ascent: 1294 m, Time: 7:59 hr, Avg. Speed: 25.5 Km/hr, Max. Speed: 60.1 Km/hr.

Travel Report:

With this ride I would close a cycle that involves ten cycling rides that I would term as my beginning cycling rides. These ten cycling rides represent my first solo cycling rides, performed to know ten different cities around Mexico City and the road conditions of the routes needed to arrived at them.

The destinations of theses ten beginners cycling rides were: Cuernavaca, Morelos (70 km); Tlalmanalco, Mexico State (60 km); Amecameca, Mexico State (38 km); Tula, Hidalgo (78 km); Xochitepec, Morelos (94 km); Pachuca, Hidalgo (87 Km); Toluca, Mexico State (60 km); Puebla, Puebla (112 km); Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala (104 km); and Querétaro, Querétaro (204 km).

As you could probably infere, I was trying to test me, cycling solo, to the cities that surround Mexico City (Mexico capital), in all four directions: north, south, east and west. I was also trying to advance in each ride the number of kilometers cycled along the route, and also the total ascent required to complete each ride. I mean: I was trying to adapt to longer and higher rides, between Mexico City and its surrounding cities.

As I was a novice knowing by first hand those inter-cities routes, I was extremely pleased with what I was doing :-) In fact, I miss now that novice happiness, because when I ride again that very same routes, I don't feel as happy as in my novice years :-( But I guess, that is the way life is !

Once I finished this ten cycling ride novice cycle, I changed my kind of destinations. I started to prefer visiting archaeological sites, dispersed in the states that surround Mexico City. But that is another story :-)

Let's talk about this cycling ride to Querétaro ! The ride started in the north-western Metro terminal of El Rosario, in Mexico City. I avoided the Periferico, and instead choosed to ride the free highway to Cuautitlán. At the thermoelectric power plant of Lechería I merged myself with the (paid) highway to Querétaro, reaching soon the toll collect station of Tepoztlán. Passing Coyotepec, wonderful vistas and landscapes can be appreciated along the route.

After Tepeji del Rio comes a steep ascent towards Jilotepec, agravated by the desert-like temperature conditions of the environment along this northern route.

After Jilotepec I arrived at the toll collect station of Palmillas. A recent rain had already fallen on this region, Fortunately, all I saw of the rain was the water on the pavement :-) After the last toll station, the side lane of the highway had morphed in an incredible cement lane ! Just as the main (car) lanes in the highway ! It is not required to say that this change of terrain made us cycling faster :-)

Passing by San Juan del Río, the terrain is relatively plain. So, it helped us advancing faster. This probed to be a helpful aid, since Queretaro is located mote than 200 km away from Mexico City.

Cycling a little more I arrived with no big problem finally at Queretaro ! My wife was already waiting for me at the Kiosk in the center of the city :-)

We took a lot of photographies of the city of the beautiful city of Querétaro, between that day and the next (as we decided to stay another day in the city). All those photos are shown in the following photoset.

Thank you for reading. Till the next travel.