Baja California Sur, Mexico Peninsula, February 2010
Biking Cape Loop
http://www.moon.com/destinations/baja-cabo/essentials/getting-around/bicycle-0
The 230 mile Cape Loop takes you through La Paz, Todos Santos, Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, Buena Vista/Los Barriles, San Bartolo, El Triunfo and San Pedro. Close to La Paz the traffic may be too heavy but you can ride on the parallel dirt road. The longest distance between hotels is 70 miles. Otherwise camping is available. Organized bicycle tour companies originate in Baja, the US and Canada.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?355687-Baja-Mexico&s=2f5e6644f06f3b6869d496a070bee117
I would fly to Cabo San Lucas to start the tour. Southern Baja is much safer with far less traffic. If you have knobby tires, nice low gearing and a sense of adventure, there are plenty of dirt roads along the Sea of Cortez up to La Paz. You can camp anywhere you like on pristine beaches with nobody in sight for miles. Beautiful.
Actually a loop from Cabo to La Paz up the east side and then from La Paz to Cabo down the west side would make a good trip. Todos Santos on the Pacific side is a quaint surf town with a growing expat community.
(dgm) Interesting section from the Moon Cabo book. Happily we already decided on this route ourselves.
"While we understand the attraction of this epic cycling tour, we believe the dangers of riding along the highway have been downplayed for too long. In the early days of the paved road, when traffic was lighter, cycling may have been a safer option, but today, motorists, RVers, and truckers drive at faster speeds and in greater numbers. The problem is the width of the road. When two 18-wheelers approach from opposite directions, they pass with inches of pavement between them. If the driver must choose between colliding with an oncoming truck or pushing a cyclist off the road, the cyclist is inevitably going to lose out. Shoulders and guardrails are non-existent on many of the most dangerous stretches of road.
If your dream is to ride your bike the length of Baja, consider an off-road route a la the Baja 1000. This way, you can enjoy more of the coastal and mountain scenery and avoid putting yourself in danger on the highway.
In Southern Baja, the Camino Rural Costero between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo Pulmo is a fantastic route along the coast, as is the dirt road between Los Barriles and Bahia de los Muertos."
Maps, books and references
Article: Baja California - Tijuana to Cabo San Lucas
Book: Lonely Planet - Baja California and Los Cabos
Book: Bicycling Baja (Paperback)
Map: Bikely trails in Baja California
Map and reference: Todos Santos
Places to stay in Todos Santos: (on the least expensive side)
http://www.casablancabb.com/index.php
http://www.serendipityventures.com/
http://www.loscolibris.com/index.htm
Flying with a bike
American Airlines 800-433-7300
Mexicana Airlines 800-531-7921
Details for checking a bicycle on American Airlines
Pre-trip preparation
Trainer: Elite Fluid Alu A-Frame
Map tool: Garmin specific GPS maps for Baja($20)
Reference: french list of gear to bring on a bike
Limited time $50 rebate for Garmin cycle computers/GPS
pannier: front
pannier: back
tent
{http://www.rideyourbike.com/boxbike.html Box: how to box a bike]
Box: the art of boxing bike
Medical coverage
Course: Level 1 mechanic - 2 days
Hotel reservations
Feb 18 and 28 San Jose del Cabo: Feb 18 and 28. Back up plan if something happens to our El Delphino Blanco reservation, La Fonda del Mar B&B
Feb 19 Possible place to stay: Cabo Pulmo
Feb 20
Feb 21
Feb 22 - 24 La Paz: Posada Luna Sol
Feb 25
Feb 26 Todos Santos
Feb 27
List of items to bring
Mobile devices
GSM carriers in Baja California
- http://www.gsmworld.com/cgi-bin/ni_map.pl?x=2&y=4&z=2&cc=mx&net=pc
- http://www.gsmworld.com/cgi-bin/ni_map.pl?x=2&y=4&z=2&cc=mx&net=rm
Both seem to support roaming with Rogers/Fido, neither seems to cover the southeast tip.