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

Reference: french list of gear to bring on a bike

Trainer: Elite Fluid Alu A-Frame

Bag: Handle Bar

Bike Computer
Limited time $50 rebate for Garmin cycle computers/GPS

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

Lock

Rack
Front Rack: AC Lowrider front rack

Back Rack: Sherpa rear rack

Pannier - Andree
Front Pannier: 20 Litres, 1.1 Kg

Back Pannier: 40 Litres, 1.8 Kg

Pannier - David
Front Pannier: 30 Litres, 1.4 Kg

Back Pannier: 43 Litres, 1.6 Kg

Tent: MSR Hubba Hubba Footprint sheet: MSR Hubba Hubba

Box
Box: box your bike

Box: how to box a bike

Box: the art of boxing bike

Light: front and rear

Medical coverage

Course: Level 1 mechanic - 2 days

Things to do

desert

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

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.