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

Article: crazy guy on a bike

Book: Lonely Planet - Baja California and Los Cabos

Book: Bicycling Baja (Paperback)

Map: excellent baja map

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

Los Cabos Airport shuttle

Pre-trip preparation

To do list

Item
Spare brake pad components Spare folding tire

Reference: french list of gear to bring on a bike

Trainer: Elite Fluid Alu A-Frame

Bag: Handle Bar

Tools and parts

• Leatherman Juice S2 (pliers, scissors, slot & philips screwdrivers, etc)
• General jack knife
• Tire levers
• Spare brake pads
• Spare spokes
• Brake cable
• Duct tape
• bike toolkit

Bike Computer

Garmin Edge 705 Limited time $50 rebate for Garmin cycle computers/GPS

Map tool: Garmin specific GPS maps for Baja($20)

Lock

Racks

Front Rack: AC Lowrider front rack

Back Rack: Sherpa rear rack

Panniers

Andree:

• Front Pannier: 20 Litres, 1.1 Kg
• Back Pannier: 40 Litres, 1.8 Kg

David:

• Front Pannier: 30 Litres, 1.4 Kg
• Back Pannier: 43 Litres, 1.6 Kg

Tent

• MSR Hubba Hubba
• Footprint sheet: MSR Hubba Hubba
• 2 x silk (very lightweight) sheets

Tires

• 2 X Spare inner tubes
• Spare folding tire

Bike boxing

• Box: box your bike
• Box: how to box a bike
• Box: the art of boxing bike

Lights

• front and rear

Medical

• First aid kit
• Verify medical insurance

Course: Level 1 mechanic - 2 days

Weather

Wind conditions: http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/CaboPulmo/metars/latest

Things to do

desert

Day by day

Overview

Full scale map with milestones

Day by day

Feb 18 - San Jose del Cabo - RESERVATION COMPLETE

Casita: El Delphino Bianco

• Back up plan if something happens to our El Delphino Blanco reservation, La Fonda del Mar B&B

{{#set_internal:Is route point |Place=San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico |GPS=23° 3' 35.41" N, 109° 42' 9.05" W |Arrival=Feb 18, 2010 |Departure=Feb 19, 2010 }}

San Jose del Cabo Feb 18 - Feb 19

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Feb 19 - Cabo Pulmo

Possible place to stay: Cabo Pulmo

{{#set_internal:Is route point |Place=Cabo Pulmo, Baja California Sur, Mexico |GPS=23° 26' 43.31" N, 109° 25' 26.48" W |Arrival=Feb 19, 2010 |Departure=Feb 20, 2010 }}

Cabo Pulmo Feb 19 - Feb 20

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Feb 20 - Punta Pescadero

Hotel: Hotel Punta Pescadero

{{#set_internal:Is route point |Place=Punta Pescadero, Baja California Sur, Mexico |GPS=23° 20' 15.91" N, 110° 11' 7.30" W |Arrival=Feb 20, 2010 |Departure=Feb 21, 2010 }}

Punta Pescadero Feb 20 - Feb 21

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Feb 21 - La Ventana

Camping?

Accommodation references: The Best of La Ventana

{{#set_internal:Is route point |Place=La Ventana, Baja California Sur, Mexico |GPS=24° 2' 40.16" N, 109° 59' 17.10" W |Arrival=Feb 21, 2010 |Departure=Feb 22, 2010 }}

La Ventana Feb 21 - Feb 22

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Possible place to stay: Palapas Ventana Baja Joe Kirt and Marina

Feb 22 to 24 - La Paz - RESERVATION COMPLETE

Hotel: Posada Luna Sol

{{#set_internal:Is route point |Place=La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico |GPS=24° 9' 43.18" N, 110° 18' 57.07" W |Arrival=Feb 22, 2010 |Departure=Feb 24, 2010 }}

La Paz Feb 22 - Feb 24

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Feb 25 - Todos Santos

Hotel: Hotel California

Casita: Los Colibris

{{#set_internal:Is route point |Place=Todos Santos, Baja California Sur, Mexico |GPS=23° 27' 0.24" N, 110° 13' 31.35" W |Arrival=Feb 25, 2010 |Departure=Feb 26, 2010 }}

Todos Santos Feb 25 - Feb 26

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Feb 26 - around Pozo de Cota

Camping on the beach ?

{{#set_internal:Is route point |Place=Pozo de Cota, Baja California Sur, Mexico |GPS=23° 0' 54.63" N, 110° 5' 16.44" W |Arrival=Feb 26, 2010 |Departure=Feb 27, 2010 }}

Pozo de Cota Feb 26 - Feb 27

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Feb 27 - Cabo San Lucas

Inn: Cabo San Lucas Inn

{{#set_internal:Is route point |Place=Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico |GPS=22° 53' 38.00" N, 109° 55' 12.22" W |Arrival=Feb 26, 2010 |Departure=Feb 27, 2010 }}

Cabo San Lucas Feb 26 - Feb 27

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Feb 28 - San Jose del Cabo - RESERVATION COMPLETE

Casita: El Delphino Bianco

{{#set_internal:Is route point |Place=San Jose del Cabo, Baja California Sur, Mexico |GPS=23° 3' 35.41" N, 109° 42' 9.05" W |Arrival=Feb 28, 2010 |Departure=Mar 1, 2010 }}

San Jose del Cabo Feb 28 - Mar 1

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List of items to bring

Bikes

• David G: http://www.trekbikes.com/ca/en/bikes/bike_path/fx/72fx/
• David H: http://www.bikepedia.com/QUICKBIKE/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=2007&Brand=Specialized&Model=TriCross%20Sport%20Triple&Type=bike
• Andree: http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=45904&eid=4670

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.