Switchback Publications

Adiós Colombia. Gracias!

2012-02-28T07:18:00.000-05:00

Cycling Routes, Apres-Velo Activities, and Documentaries for Cyclists Visiting Medellin

2012-02-27T08:23:00.004-05:00

I spent the last 5 months riding in Medellin, Antioquia, and Colombia. Here are the best routes all in one place, along with other information for enjoying Medellin. Email me if you have questions. (Click on the rides below for the Garmin data).

Epic Rides

Colombia's Three "Most Mythical Climbs"

1st - Alto de Letras (the world's biggest mountain pass)
2nd - Alto de La Linea
3rd - Alto de Minas

Climbs to Leave Medellin

The Hardest Ride:

Vuelta de Leche: 72 power-climbs. If you ride with a group of Colombians, you won't be walking the next day.

Other Great Rides

Important Information:

Expect rain. Always carry a vest or rain cape.
Don't rely on your Garmin for its maps and/or routing. Several roads on the South America maps don't actually exist. And, the routing function can take you through Medellin's worst barrios
Watch out for buses. Medellin's bus drivers are careless and dangerous
Don't read the local newspapers
Be very careful descending. You never know what is, or what isn't, around the corner

Best of Medellin

Best steak: La Doctora in Sabaneta
Best babyback ribs: Mundos in Llanogrande
Best burger: Chef Burger in El Poblado near Calle 10
Best cerveza: Club Colombia Blanca
Best rum: Ron Medellin 3 Anos
Best coffee: Espresso Cortado at Juan Valdez
Best bike shops: BikeHouse and EuroBike in Poblado
Best nightlife: Parque Lleras, Rio Sur, La Strada, and Barrio Colombia
Best month to be in Medellin for non-cycling activities: December
Best 'typical' discoteca: Dulce Jesus Mio (My Sweet Jesus) in Palmas
Best icecream: McFlurry at McDonalds
Best lunch: La Casa in Sao Paulo
Best fruit bar: Carulla supermarket in Oviedo
Best malls: Oviedo, Santa Fe, and El Tesoro
Worst bank: Citibank. Horrible.

Documentaries on Colombia and Medellin:

Email me if you have questions.

Scenes from Medellin (WARNING: non-cycling content)

2012-02-26T10:34:00.000-05:00

Photos of Medellin taken over the last 5 months.

Post-ride Bandeja Paisa (rice, beans, chicharron, plantain, chorizo, avocado, and salad) with a Paisa.

Interview with Juan David Cano: Colombia's Colnago Distributor

2012-02-25T07:07:00.001-05:00

Juan David Cano owns and operates Diez Equis, S.A., a Medellin-headquartered importer of Colnago bicycles in Colombia. Colnago is an Italian manufacturer of high-end road bicycles. Founded in Milan in 1954, Colnago has sponsored at least one professional cycling team every year since 1974.

Colnagos in formation on Las Palmas.

As soon as I arrived in Colombia, I noticed that Colnago was one of the most popular brands in Medellin. I assumed that Colnago was long established here. But, a couple of weeks later, I met Juan David Cano on a group sufferfest. It turned out that he had only been importing Colnago for 18 months, after he negotiated exclusive distribution rights for the Colombian market. Juan David talks to Switchback Publications about his Colnago business, and the business of cycling in Colombia.

Switchback Publications: Juan, tell us a little about how you got into the business of distributing Colnago bicycles in Colombia?

Juan David Cano: I am a cyclist, and two years ago I decided to start a business related to the sport I love; cycling. At the same time, I was looking to buy a new bicycle; in fact a Colnago. Why a Colnago? Because it’s a classic brand. One day I called Colnago headquarters in Italy and started asking for a bike. And then in the process, I began asking if they have a distributor in Colombia. I built a relationship with the sales manager, and after six months of back and forth I visited Colnago headquarters in Milan, Italy. They wanted to learn a lot about me and my business background, as well as the Colombian market. We met again at Interbike in Las Vegas and from there I think they realized I was serious about being their distributor in Colombia.

At the beginning, Colnago didn’t know there was a strong market here in Colombia. But after one year, our sales did really well – actually, we landed in the top-20 Colnago distributors in the world – so they invited us to Chicago for the launch of the 2012 collection. Now we are working with them hand-in-hand to do something great with the brand here in Colombia.

SP: What kind of support do you get from Colnago in Italy to help build your Colombia business?

JDC: Sales are doing really well so they want to invest in the Colombia market. For 2012, we want to host a Gran Fondo in Colombia. We also want to enter other cities. So far we’re in Medellin and Bogota. But Cali, Boyaca, Buccaramanga, and Cartagena are good markets for us.

SP: How easy is it for someone to start a business in Colombia, particularly with respect to incorporating the business, completing the paperwork, importing products, and employing people?

JDC: Its not very easy, but its not impossible either. To incorporate a company will take about two weeks with the help of a lawyer. Importing products requires paperwork, but there are companies that can help and make it easier for us. Duties are an issue. Bike duties range from 15-20%. Wheel-set duties are 10%.

There are a lot of regulations for hiring people. If an employee is hurt you can lose your company if you don’t have the right insurance. The law protects employees and is very favorable for the employee. Its best to have everything in order to avoid any trouble.

SP: How do you pitch Colnago to a new retailer, and what kind of reaction do you typically get?

JDC: Every retailer knows Colnago. For me, Colnago is like the Ferrari of bicycles. And actually, Ferrari and Colnago engineers collaborate on their products. But, many retailers assume that all Colnago frames are expensive. That is not completely true. Yes, we have high-end frames, but we also have mid-range framesets. So, our job is to educate the retailer to the fact that we have affordable mid-range bikes.

And, the retailers get very excited, because Colnago is a brand that everyone knows and retailers want to sell it. And, the Colombian peso is strengthening, so that is helping us.

SP: What is the price range for a Colnago?

JDC: Prices generally range from USD$2,000 to USD$12,000 depending on the componentry and wheel-set. The difference is that the high-end bikes are made in Italy, while the $2,000 Colnagos are made in Taiwan.

SP: Ok, and to put that in perspective, USD $12,000 equates to about four years of salary for the average Colombian!

JDC: Mas o menos! (“More or less!”).

SP: Do retail stores in Colombia have exclusivity agreements with the major manufacturers, such as Trek, Specialized, or Pinarello?

JDC: No, the only retailers with exclusivity agreements are the biggest retailers. They often have two roles: distributor and retailer. For example, BikeHouse is the Trek distributor and a retailer. But sometimes that is not good for other Trek retailers, because they cannot compete with the retailer who is also the distributor.

We only sell to retailers. We don’t sell directly to the consumer.

SP: Which bike shops in Medellin sell Colnago?

JDC: Ciclo-Linea in Envigado and Euro-Bikes near Parque Lleras. Plus we have a couple of shops in Bogota.

SP: How competitive is the market for you in Colombia? For example, there are dozens of high-end brands in the US. How easy/difficult is it for a new brand to be successful in Colombia?

JDC: The issue is that many cyclists are loyal to one brand.

SP: How big do you think Colnago could be in 5 years from now?

JDC: We’re planning to grow significantly in Medellin and Bogota. We are also targeting Cartagena and Barranquilla.

There is a lot of work to do with the brand. What we’ve seen is that people love Colnagos. Years ago, it was difficult to get service and a warranty. Now, we can provide all of that. Plus, the Colombian peso is strengthening – approximately 40% over the last 5 years. That is good for us.

SP: Do you think you could you be the #1 brand in Colombia?

JDC: The number one brand right now is Trek. We cannot be number one because we only target the mid-range and high-end segments of the market. That is our target market. We don’t target the low-end.

SP: Colnago sponsors at least one ProTour team in Europe every year. Is that something you would consider in Colombia?

JDC: Actually, yes. We are looking at that and have discussed it with Colnago Italy. Future sponsorship deals will depend on how successful we are here in Colombia. If sales do really well, Colnago Italy will invest money in more marketing activities and sponsorship deals.

SP: Besides Colnago, are there other brands or products you would like to distribute?

JDC: Yes, we currently distribute Campagnolo group-sets and wheel-sets. The main competitor is Shimano. Every shop has Shimano. There is some SRAM in Colombia, but very little. We see a great opportunity for Campagnolo and its positioning is very similar to Colnago: high-end and Italian.

SP: Okay, the last question: what is the key to success for running a business in Colombia? How is running a business different in Colombia than the rest of the world?

JDC: The key is perseverance. Every morning you have to wake up and work on it. If business was easy, everyone would do it. You really have to persevere a lot. If you fail, you have to try again. Its the same all around the world.

Too many people search for too long for the right idea. You can sell anything; it doesn’t have to be the perfect idea. You just need to differentiate your product from the competition. You could sell pancakes, chairs, tables, whatever. Just do it really well.

SP: Great, thanks Juan David. Good luck with your business!

Las Palmas Time Trial

2012-02-24T08:03:00.001-05:00

I time-trialled Las Palmas yesterday. Palmas is the standard by which serious Medellin cyclists are judged. My result of 46 minutes and 24 seconds was.... mediocre (996 VAM).

Las Palmas climbs 771 meters over 11.2km. It traverses Medellin's eastern slopes on the way to the airport and Bogota. Palmas is packed with cyclists early in the morning, especially on weekdays.

Friends of mine TT'd in 43 minutes. Last October, I TT'd Palmas in 46 minutes 53 seconds early in a 178km ride to El Penol and back. I only gave Palmas about 80-90% effort on that day and felt fine during the remaining 150+ km.

I was hoping for 45 minutes yesterday, so 46.24 was a little disappointing. However, its early in the season for me and I rested for 4 weeks over December/January. If I was in peak form, riding my Ridley/Mavic, and properly prepared and tapered, I think 42-43 minutes would be a reasonable target. Yesterday was also very hot (29C/84F), and I didn't have anyone setting the pace. Plus, I climbed Letras, La Linea (932 VAM at 95% effort) and Jerico (834 VAM at 80% effort) in the last week.

On the descent back to Medellin, I passed the GW Shimano team climbing Palmas. I think it was the Pro-Conti team. The photo above is a screen shot from my Contour HD Camera.

What Makes Colombian Cycling So Unique? Part VI

2012-02-23T08:15:00.002-05:00

This post is the sixth installment on Colombian cycling and its unique attributes. The topic today is Colombia's terrain.

Europe's Alps, Dolomites, and Pyrenees protrude from the earth. They launch themselves skyward with sharp, jagged rock and vertical cliffs. Once you're above 2,000 meters, the landscape is closer to a moonscape. I saw plenty of snow on Col de la Bonnette in June. I even saw people skiing on Stelvio in August!

At 2800 meters on Col de la Bonette in June. Europe's highest paved mountain pass.

Climbing Col du Galibier in August at around 2200 meters.

Col du Galibier at 2645 meters.

Colombia is different. Its green, no matter where you go. I rode to an altitude of 3,704 meters last week (click here for my Alto de Letras post), and it was still green. The next day, we visited the slopes of Nevada del Ruiz, Colombia's highest point. Green started to disappear at around 4200 meters. At 4,800 meters it was like Galibier/Bonette.

Secondly, the mountain slopes here in Colombia are far more gentle than in Europe. Very few roads follow a cliff-edge. (Montebello is the only example I can think of). If you had the misfortune of missing a turn on a Colombian descent, you'd likely find yourself rolling through grass down a relatively moderate slope. I think you would probably find it a somewhat soft landing. On the other hand, overshooting a bend in Europe would be deadly.

Approaching the summit of Letras at 3,704 meters. Colombia is still green at such a high altitude.

Moderate slopes on Alto de Minas. Colombia doesn't have cliff-edge roads like Europe.

Italy's Gavia Pass above and below. Note: narrow road, steep slopes, and lack of safety barrier (just a piece of white string in picture below).

Standing at 4,800 meters on Nevada del Ruiz. The point in the background is 5,100 meters.

Click on the following links to read more about cycling in Colombia: Colombians and Road Surfaces, Food and Diet, Support Vehicles, Weather, and Medellin's History.

Jerico

2012-02-22T21:15:00.000-05:00

Just a short post today. We spent the night in Pintada after an 8 hour drive from Cali. It was late afternoon by the time we reached Pintada, and it wasn't safe to cross the mountains at night on the way to Medellin. So, I took advantage of the opportunity today and rode up to Jerico. Several friends in Medellin had suggested the 22km climb over the past few months. Jerico is noted for its mid-teen gradients.

The climb is very enjoyable. The road is quiet with very little traffic. I wasn't sure what to expect at the top, but the town of Jerico is quite impressive. Its an old colonial town with a lot of color.

We drove back to Medellin late today. The pass (Alto de Minas) was full of trucks and we actually got caught in an Andean traffic jam. It took us about 1 hour to move 10km. The problem was too many trucks travelling in both directions trying to maneuver around the tight bends.

Our hotel pool and views (above and below).

Waiting for oncoming trucks to pass on Alto de Minas.

Cali Velodrome

2012-02-20T20:38:00.001-05:00

We drove to Cali this morning. Cali is Colombia's 3rd largest city and is located in the southwest, approximately 100km from the Pacific.

I was interested in visting Cali's velodrome; the Velódromo Alcides Nieto Patiño. Cali has hosted the World Cup eleven times since 1996. The most recent World Cup meet in Cali was held in December 2011. The next World Cup in Cali will be in 2014. (Many of the World Cup athletes raced in Medellin one week after the December 2011 World Cup. I wrote about it here).

Every year, the World Cup is contested over 4 sessions. Each session is held in a different host city and typically lasts 3 days. The athletes race in a variety of events, including pursuit, keirin, sprint, scratch, etc. At the end of the year, the points are tallied to determine the World Cup champion for various categories.

You may think it unusual that Cali has hosted so many World Cup events. However, the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale) and the athletes consider Cali's velodrome to be one of the best quality tracks in the world. Cali has also hosted the Pacific Games and Pan-America Games.

The track is 250 meters in length and made of Abarco wood from the Pacific coast (outdoor tracks are typically made of concrete, like Medellin. The banking is 46 degrees on the bend (max) and 11 degrees on the straight. There is seating for 7,650 people.

I was hoping to see several 'estrellas' today, but races are held on Sundays and today is Monday. There were a dozen or so cyclists training, including Colombia's Junior Champion.

As for Cali, I think its a very nice city, although I also find it quite different than Medellin. First, Cali is hotter because its at a lower altitude (approximately 900 meters). Secondly, most of Cali's population lives on flat land, with just a few on the western slopes. Cali was founded in 1536 and still has a lot of colonial architecture. Medellin has very little. Cali is also far less noisy than Medellin and the traffic is quite orderly. And finally, there are a lot of palm trees.

Cali in relation to Medellin

Sunset over the infinity pool at our hacienda last night.

Waking up this morning.

The hacienda produces coffee beans. We took a tour of the land and facilities. The guide confirmed that all of Colombia's best coffee is exported (for the higher prices). I thought so. Its quite hard to find good coffee here.

Cali

La Linea

2012-02-19T19:03:00.001-05:00

Wow, La Linea was a struggle today. Altimetrias de Colombia describes La Linea as Colombia's Stelvio Pass, but it felt more like Col de Joux Plane, Col du Glandon, or Port de Bales. It was really tough.

La Linea is known as Colombia's "second most mythical climb." It is a 21km climb rising 1,706 vertical meters to reach the summit at 3,275 meters. The first half wasn't too hard. I took it easy for the first few kilometers to gauge how I was feeling 3 days post-Letras. Up until around the 10th kilometer, I was feeling strong so I pushed hard. But then the gradient changed. Most of the second half had gradients of 9%-11%. I started to crumble and struggled through the second half. I finished in 1 hour and 50 minutes with a VAM of 932 (1706 meters/1.83). I was pretty happy with that result considering my form.

The climb was nice, although I spent most of the time looking at clouds. We were hoping for a view, but this mountain range is generally in the clouds.

Unfortunately, La Linea is heavily trafficked. La Linea connects Colombia's primary port, Puerto de Buenaventura, located on the Pacific, with Bogota. We had been told that trucks are prohibited from La Linea on Sundays (as is the case with the mountain passes near Medellin). Instead, I found myself riding in several slow moving convoys. The noise and exhaust of an 18-wheeler chugging up a steep Andean mountain breaks the serenity of an epic climb, but summiting was still a thrill.

Live from Calarca

2012-02-18T18:19:00.001-05:00

Well, I had not planned on riding La Linea this week, but it turns out that our hotel tonight in Calarca is just 2km from the foot of this legendary climb. Colombian ciclistas describe La Linea as Colombia's "second most mythical climb" after Letras. It is imposible for me to ignore this opportunity. We had planned a river rafting trip for tomorrow (click here for pictures), but common sense prevailed, so instead I'll subject myself to several hours of pain and suffering in the Andes.

La Linea is a mountain pass between Calarca and Ibague approximately 100km south of Letras and also in the Los Nevados National Park. The more famous route over Alto de La Linea is from the west side, starting in Calarca. The climb is 22km and rises 1650 meters to an altitude of 3265 meters. I should complete the climb in about 2 hours. Depending on how I feel, and the weather, I'll descend to Ibague for the return trip. Climbing from east to west is a 1400 meter elevation gain over 23km.

La Linea from east to west

La Linea from west to east

I've had two days to recover since Letras. I am not in great form, but 2 days should be enough. On Friday, Camila and I took a guided tour to Nevado del Ruiz. It is a volcano with its peak at 5,321 meters. The tour bus took us to a refuge at 4,800 meters. The volcano's peak is the highest point in Colombia, while the road at 4,800 meters is the 3rd highest road in Latin America. The volcano erupted in 1985 causing lahars that buried 25,000 people.

The high altitude was very noticeable. We felt somewhat dizzy and it was hard to do anything more than walk. The temperature was about 0 celsius.

One of the highlights was a series of very attractive switchbacks at 4500 meters. These were the first tight Euro-style switchbacks I have seen in Colombia. Sadly, cyclists are not allowed beyond the checkpoint at 4,000 meters. Even if we were allowed, a road bike couldn't attack each hairpin bend over the rough gravel, so it wouldn't be the same. (See pictures below).

Euro style switchbacks. Each traverse is approximately 100 meters in length.

The switchbacks photographed from a distance

Letras 3704

2012-02-16T20:08:00.002-05:00

I made it! Letras is the biggest mountain pass on this planet (by altitude gain), and Colombia's "most mythical climb." It was an awesome ride. I was pretty buggered by the last 500 meters, but at that point, who cares?! The altitude never seemed to directly affect me. A slight headache set in somewhere around the 3,000 meter point, but I am not sure if that was because of the thin air or something else.

The climb was really great. 80km is a long way, and we went through a dozen or so small towns/villages. We had plenty of sun at the start (730am) and for most of the day. There was a thick layer of cloud between ~2800 meters and 3400 meters. I could see the cloud for quite a while before we entered it, and I was worried that it would be rain. Luckily, it was dry all day.

The top was a thrilling. All the pain magically disappeared in the final few hundred meters. My highest elevation prior to today was 2800 meteres on Col de la Bonette with Jono Macbeth in the French Alps in June 2011. I blew that away today. Letras sits at 3,704 meters (12,152 feet).

The biggest surprise today was the total elevation gain of 3,785 meters. The 80km climb has 586 meters of descents. That is no small sum.

After summiting, I descended 36km down to Manizales. The descent was fine; not too cold, but quite a few trucks making their way through the Andes.

A big thank you to Camila for driving the team car, re-filling my bottles, handing out food, and making the day much easier. And she took all the great photos too (below).

730am start at 492 meters altitude.

Descending to Manizales behind a convoy of trucks.

Live from Mariquita

2012-02-15T19:47:00.000-05:00

I just arrived in Mariquita after a 6-hour drive from Medellin. We're at 500 meters altitude so its much hotter down here (approx 35-38 degrees celsius) than up in Medellin. I was expecting to see Letras looming over this small town, but it is out of sight.

I am nervous about my form for tomorrow. Lets say that my fitness for 'epic riding' was a '10' last August when I spent 9 days in the Pyrenees with Dave Andersen. After my 4-week break over the holidays, I was hoping to be a '7' by now. But in reality, I am more like a '4'. I had some good training rides, but it didn't quite 'come-together' for me. On the other hand, my weight is reasonable: 71kgs (157lbs). I was generally able to avoid ice-cream and empanadas over the last 3 weeks, except for the Super Bowl.

If I was in my August 2011 form, I could complete a 3,200 meter climb in approx 3 hours and 45 minutes (assuming 850 VAM and ignoring the effects of high altitude). My Colombian friends completed Letras in 5.5 hours. The problem is that Letras' length and altitude is a massive unknown for every cyclist. Letras is much bigger than anything in Europe. My longest climbs in the past were around 2.5 hours (Stelvio, Gavia, Boqueron, and Minas). Friends in Medellin tell me to watch out for three things: 1) the air is thin so you have to climb slower, 2) its very cold at the top (~5 degrees celsius) so you have to bring your winter gear, and 3) its also very windy. So, I'll start slow and pace myself (~600 VAM). I'll speed up in the last 500-1,000 meters if I am still feeling ok.

I'm planning to start the 80km climb at 7am so that we can get up to a decent altitude before mid-morning when the valley turns into an oven. I hope to cross the pass by 1pm and then continue down to Manizales. The descent is approx 1600 meters over 40km. It sounds like great fun, although my friends said its often just too cold, especially since my kit will be soaking wet. I have some of my winter gear (windproof jacket, arm warmers, and leg warmers) with me, and even if I have to change into a dry kit, I think the descent will be worth it. I just wish I had full-finger gloves with me!

We raided the local supermarket today and stocked up. The support vehicle will carry 5 liters of Gatorade, 1.5 liters of Coca-Cola, 6 sandwiches, several bananas, and a dozen bocadillo bars.

If I have a really good day tomorrow, Letras will only be moderately painful. If I have an average day, it will be really painful. And if I have a bad day (I've had more than my fair share over the last 6 weeks), I'm in big trouble.

Letras 3677.

Driving out of Medellin this morning.

The Medellin-Bogota highway winds through the Andes.

Hacienda Napoles is Pablo Escobar's old ranch and private zoo. He stocked the ranch with 18 hippopotamuses, ostriches, zebras, and other African animals. Many of the original animals are still alive and the ranch is now a tourist park. The plane at the entrance is one of his drug planes.

Rio Magdalena

Downtown Mariquita

The supermarket!

Descent into Medellin

2012-02-14T08:07:00.000-05:00

Las Palmas is probably the best climb out of Medellin. It travels towards the east, gaining 976 meters over 16km. This is a 12 minute video of the descent back down into Medellin. The starting elevation is 2,500 meters and ends at 1,530 meters. (A few raindrops cloud the lens in the last minute or so).

Titiribi

2012-02-08T17:07:00.000-05:00

Just a few pictures below of yesterday's medium-length ride (105km) to Titiribi. This small town is southwest of Medellin. There is nothing special about the Titiribi, but the ride from Medellin is quite nice with a couple of decent climbs.

I had lunch in this caseta. Lunch was arepa, tinto, bocadillo, and Gatorade. The owner's young son (approx 12-14 years old) was doing advanced algebra for homework. The equations were longer than anything I did in my last year of high-school.

San Jeronimo II

2012-02-01T08:49:00.003-05:00

As I mentioned in yesterday's post regarding Letras, I planned to ride to San Jeronimo in the next couple of weeks. Well, I rode to San Jeronimo today and got my 2,900 meters of climbing.

The route to SJ is much easier than the return. Essentially, you have 900 meter climb from Medellin to Alto de Boqueron followed by a 30km descent to the small town of SJ. You drop from 2500 meters to 750 meters over the 30km. Once you reach SJ, you've covered half of the distance but, in terms of climbing, you've done less than one third of the actual work.
In the past, I descended to SJ on the new road and returned on the old road. The old road is barely used by vehicles these days. I enjoyed the past two climbs on it. But today, I decided to return on the new road. Its a little steeper (mostly 6%-7% rather than 5%), plus it was dry (the old road looked like it was getting a lot of rain).

It was a good call. The 1,750 meter climb took 2 hours 20 mins. Boqueron was hidden in mist once I summited. I had about 15 minutes of sunshine on the descent down to Medellin before I got dumped on near San Javier (see this blog entry for background info on San Javier and its murder rates).

All in all, today was a good ride and I think I am on track to being in form for Letras.

The view from Boqueron towards San Jeronimo this morning. Normally, its sunny and hot.

Sections of the road from San Jeronimo back up to Boqueron are littered with restaurants, like the one below.

The final 100 meters to Alto de Boqueron.

Looking south towards Medellin.

Letras Training Plan

2012-01-31T07:23:00.000-05:00

I am planning to climb Letras in the third week of February. Alto de Letras is the world's biggest mountain pass (by elevation gain) that I am aware of. Letras has a total elevation gain of 3,187 meters. The climb starts at an altitude of ~600 meters in the town of Mariquita and ends at an altitude of 3,677 meters. (Five small descents account for the difference between gross and net elevation gain).

Source: Altimetrias de Colombia

I mentioned above that Letras is the biggest mountain pass I know of. The volcano of Mauna Kea in Hawaii is bigger - it offers 4,203 meters of elevation gain. But, Mauna Kea is not a mountain pass. And, nothing in Europe comes close to Letras. The biggest climbs I found in Europe were Gavia and Stelvio in the Dolomites, with almost 2,000 meters of elevation gain. The mountain passes in northern India and Chile are at higher altitudes (almost 5,000 meters) but the climbs (as measured from the nearby valleys) are only 2,000 meters or so.

So, until someone tells me otherwise, I am claiming Alto de Letras as the biggest mountain pass in the world.

Letras is located in the heart of Colombia. As I mentioned, the climb begins in Mariquita at around 600 meters. The climb is 80.7km in length and heads towards the west. If I continue west once I summit, I'll have a 42km descent to the university town of Manizales, at approximately 2,000 meters. I prefer to continue west rather than turning around and descending 81km.

The climb begins in Mariquita (A) and heads west for 81km. Continuing west, the ride will end in Manizales (B) after a 42k descent.

And in the big picture, this is where Letras is located.

I have another two to three weeks of training on the calendar, and I really need it. I was in great form by the end of 2011. Rides of 150km and 3,000-4,000 meters were on the weekly menu. I could climb all day with a VAM of 850. But then I took a month off over the holidays and now I am paying for it. I suffered like a dog for most of January. Just last week, I felt like I finally found my form. I rode 120km on Saturday with 2,100 meters. Today, I climbed Las Palmas in 48 mins (a VAM of 929). Not bad at all; I was surprised and encouraged.

As Letras nears, I'm trying to be more specific with my training plan. I hope to complete at least two 3,000 meter rides as well as one 180km+ ride. Both San Jeronimo (over Alto de Boqueron) and La Pintada (over Alto de Minas) will get me to 3,000 meters. I've done each of these rides before and I know they are solid training. I want to ride to Rio Claro (east of Medellin) for the 180km goal. I haven't been to Rio Claro yet but its been on my list since I arrived in October.

I am also taking several difficult steps to lose weight. I have committed to reducing my McFlurry intake to 3 per week. I am also eliminating all donuts, Fruit Loops, and empanadas until I complete Letras. I am continuing to eat a healthy diet (daily staples include chicken, rice, fruit, veges, beans, etc.).

And if you are wondering, I am still powered by the little known secrets of Colombian cycling: arepas and bocadillo (see here for more info), as well as a daily 50mg dosage of Viagra (see Wikipedia here for an explanation of Viagra as a performance enhancing drug). I'll probably increase the dosage to a 100mg pill on the day of Letras.

The Disappearing Watch

2012-01-30T12:47:00.000-05:00

Watches were common on a cyclist's wrist for much of the 20th century. A stage winner wanted to know the time gaps over his opponents, but more likely, were provided by publicity-hungry sponsors.

Watches first appeared in the 1950s but their popularity seemed to fade during the 1980s and 1990s. They could be seen on the rare occasion worn by Fignon in 1992 and Ullrich in 1997. The watch was barely seen again until Lance wore one in the 2004 TDF.

Is Cocaine a Performance Enhancing Drug?

2012-01-23T20:29:00.000-05:00

Well, I am in Colombia (still) and cycling (barely - I took a month off and now I am suffering mightily). Several years ago I read an article on the Internet discussing the use of cocaine and performance enhancing drugs in professional cycling. Since Colombia is the world's leading supplier of cocaine, I thought I would do some research.

Before we get into the results of several scientific studies, here is a brief history of performance enhancing drugs in professional cycling:

It started with alcohol in the early 1900s. Cyclists commonly drank brandy in an effort to dull the pain. Suffice to say that many cyclists didn't know what they were doing back then (I drank of couple of beers during a 2010 end-of-season club ride, and I felt like crap). In 1924, a French newspaper, Le Petit Parisian, reported widespread use of cocaine in the Tour de France. The 1930 Tour de France rulebook stated explicitly that race organizers were not responsible for providing drugs to cyclists (implying that the teams, themselves, were responsible).

Cyclists started using amphetamines in the 1940s. Fausto Coppi apparently took seven packets of amphetamine when he beat the world hour record in 1942. Amphetamines, and a mixture commonly referred to as "Pot Belge" (a mix of heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, and caffeine) were the drug of choice until EPO rocketed through the peloton in the 1990s.

But the results could be tragic. A Danish cyclist, Knud Enemark Jensen, died in a 100km road race at the 1960 Olympics. The autopsy discovered amphetamines and other drugs. Tom Simpson, a British cyclist, died during a stage of the 1967 Tour de France. Amphetamines, alcohol, searing temperatures, and the intense physical effort of competition proved a fatal combination.

Aside from possible death, amphetamines are known to cause 1) a lack of judgement, and 2) a higher tolerance for risk-taking. Generally, this is not life-threatening, especially on an ascent. But plenty of director-sportifs and team-mates had cause for worry on the treacherous European descents. Apparently, there are pictures of Charly Gaul frothing at the mouth in the 1958 TDF (I couldn't find any in a quick online search). I have read other articles in the past describing how Eddy Merckx couldn't even see straight during several queen-stage descents.

Fans quickly realized that drugs ran rampant through the European peloton. RoadBikeRider.com reports that by the 1950s, following the TDF routes was simple - just look for the trail of discarded syringes and empty pill bottles. No need for arrowed routes.

Back to cocaine. According to ESPN, there is little-to-no athletic performance enhancement as a result of cocaine use. In fact, cocaine's reality-distorting properties create a false sense of performance. An athlete may think he/she is performing better, but just the opposite is true.

Furthermore, cocaine causes abnormal heart-rhythms, which can be life-threatening to athletes.

So, there you have it. Don't mix cocaine and cycling.

As for me, my favorite performance enhancer is a can of Coke-Cola 20 minutes before the end of a suffer-fest. The body is so depleted of carbohydrates by this stage, that the sugar reaches the muscles in several minutes. You have to be careful with timing, as the energy-levels peak and then rapidly fall again.

Viagra is also reported to be performance enhancing; inside and outside the bedroom. The Daily News reported in 2008 that Roger Clemens and several other athletes used Viagra on the field. They believed that the active ingredient, sildenafil, opened blood vessels and enriched the muscles. Viagra is available over the counter in Medellin supermarkets. I'll have to pop a pill or two before the group ride this Saturday.

Sources:
http://www.aolnews.com/2007/11/02/is-cocaine-a-performance-enhancing-drug/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Use_of_performance-enhancing_drugs_in_sport
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2004/feb/22/cycling.theobserver
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_Belge
http://espn.go.com/special/s/drugsandsports/coca.html
http://www.roadbikerider.com/issue-no-478-hoop-dreams

Weekend at the Finca

2012-01-17T10:26:00.002-05:00

A 'Finca' is a country farm. My friend, Mauricio, invited me to his family's finca for the weekend, along with his wife, Tatiana, and Camila. The finca is located in an area south of Medellin that is perfect for cycling. We rode Saturday (to Marsella) and Sunday (to Valparaiso). For both of us, it was our first rides after the holiday break. We weren't feeling too strong, but we still managed a couple of 1,000 meter climbs.

The best part about the Finca was the fact that we were far from Medellin. The roads were quiet and the scenery was spectacular. The rides were not long, by any measure, but we logged some decent kilometers for January.

It was very hot - easily in the mid-30s Celsius. Medellin is at 1,500 meters altitude, while the finca is at 800 meters.

Here are some photos from the weekend, as well as my Garmin ride data:

Matasanos (Climb to Don Matias)

2012-01-13T17:14:00.000-05:00

I finally kicked off the 2012 season this week. Wednesday was an easy ride up Las Palmas, but today I climbed Matasanos with Gustavo Duncan of Altimetrias de Colombia.

The name, Duncan, is a coincidence. As you might guess, there are not many Duncans in Latin America. Gustavo told me that one of his ancestors was originally from the United Kingdom. Many UK'ers made their way to the Caribbean in the 1700s and 1800s. At some point, likely in the early 1800s, some of these immigrants traded weapons for land with Simon Bolivar. And thus, there are Latinos in Colombia and Venezuela today with fairly common Anglo names.

Anyway, our ride took us up Alto de Matasanos to Don Matias. It as a 900 meter climb. And Gustavo's father was kind enough to drive our support vehicle. Don Matias is famous for its Bocadillo. Click here for more information on Bocadillo.

I am off to Mauricio's finca (country house) in Pintada (80km south of Medellin) tonight with a few good friends. We'll be riding all weekend. Stay posted for updates.

The main square in Don Matias.

Bring Back Oakley Factory Pilots

2012-01-05T16:10:00.000-05:00

God Bless Factory Pilots. Sleek, functional, and intimidating.

Please leave a comment below if you will support a petition asking Oakley to reintroduce their 1988 Factory Pilot.

The Importance of Good Hair

2011-12-19T20:58:00.000-05:00

It was all about the hair. No doubt. In the old days, sponsors wanted their cyclists to look good, on and off the bike.

Louis Bobet

Hugo Koblet, below, was known for carrying a comb in his jersey pocket. Just prior to the finish line, he would comb his hair to look good for the girls and the cameras.

Its not quite the same these days. Many professional cyclists have terrible hair. Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner are two good examples (see photos as bottom). Lucky for them, helmets are compulsory so they can look good (but only most of the time).

Hugo Koblet always raced with a comb.

Eddy Merckx

Raphael Geminiani

Alfredo Binda

Antonin Magne

Fausto Coppi

Fausto Coppi off the bike

Federico Bahamontes

Felice Gimondi

Ferdi Kubler

Jacque Anquetil

Learco Guerra

Francesco Moser

Rene Vieto

Vito Favero

Miguel Indurain

Levi Leipheimer

Chris Horner

Ciclovia Medellin

2011-12-13T18:13:00.002-05:00

Medellin is one of several Latin American cities that hosts a weekly Ciclovia. Every Sunday from 9am to 1pm, Medellin closes 30km of main roads to vehicles. The roads are dedicated to cycling and other forms of recreational use, including walking, jogging, and rollerblading.

Ciclovia Medellin began in 1989. Back then, only a few kilometers were allocated by the city; all on the city outskirts. Now, Ciclovia runs along the river and through the city center and upscale neighborhoods of Poblado and Envigado. Its the equivalent of shutting down Auckland's Queen St and Tamaki Drive, or, Boston's Newbury St, Storrow Drive and Atlantic Avenue.

Medellin recently hosted the 6th annual Ciclovias Recreativas de las Americas. Speakers and panelists discussed such topics as: "Designing the Street for Cyclists and Pedestrians;" "Night Rides in Cali;" and "Strategy for a Bikeable Lima."

It turns out that cities compete with one another for Ciclovia bragging rights. One of the panel discussions at the Medellin conference was titled "Why and How to Promote Healthy Competition Between Ciclovias Across the Continent." Bogota reportedly hosts the world's largest Ciclovia. According to CyclingInquisition.com, Bogota closes 128km of roads for 2 million people every Sunday (Bogota's total population is 8m). (And aside from Ciclovia, Bogota has 300km of fully-protected bike lanes throughout the city). Competing Ciclovias include Caracas, Quito, Aruba, Rosario (Argentina), Guadalajara, Mexico City, Bogota, Cali, Cuba, Lima, Santiago, and Sorocaba (Brazil).

I finally experienced Ciclivia this past weekend (Sunday mornings can be rough in Medellin). Some parts of the road were fairly crowded with all sorts of users, including kids and elderly. In other areas, I had a four-lane highway to myself. And there are plenty of amenities too, including people to help fix your bike in case of a mechanical or puncture, and others selling food and drinks (see pictures below).

Roadside assistance.

Feed-zone.

3 lanes to myself.

People in green and yellow suits help manage Ciclovia. They wouldn't let me take photos, so I waited for them to turnaround. (Its very difficult to photograph a building or any government employee in Medellin).

The Grand Snail of the Velodrome

2011-12-12T10:30:00.000-05:00

Medellin hosted 3 nights of track racing at the Martin Rodriguez ('Cochise') velodrome in Estadio, Medellin. The event is named Gran Caracol de Pista, which translates to The Grand Snail of the Track (I don't know why its called this, except the lead sponsor is a media company named Caracol). The Grand Snail was held one week after the World Cup in Cali (in southern Colombia), so many athletes from around the world were still here to participate. The biggest 'estrella' was Maximilian Levy of Germany. Other countries included France, Switzerland, Poland, and Malaysia along with most of Latin America.

The races were very exciting. The format included:

Keirin: cyclists are paced by a motorbike. The motorbike slowly increases its speed from 25kph to 50kph and then leaves the track to let the cyclists race the final four laps
Traditional 3-lap sprint
Elimination: 20 cyclists begin the race and every second lap is a sprint to the finish line. Last person across the line is eliminated
The very last race was 40 laps (10km). Santiago Botero won, and Rigoberto Uran (of Team Sky) was third

The overall men's winner for the 3-day tournament was Juan Estaban Arango. He won two golds at the World Cup in Cali last week, and another two golds at the Pan American Games in Mexico in October.

I didn't realize European soccer was so important here, but Saturday's racing was constantly interrupted by the velodrome commentator providing real-time updates of the FC Barcelona - Real Madrid futbol match.

The velodrome is named after Colombian cyclist, Martin Rodriguez ('Cochise'). He won the Vuelta a Colombia four times in the 1960s, two stages of the Giro d'Italia in the 1970s, and broke the hour record in 1970.

What Makes Colombian Cycling So Unique? Part V

2011-12-09T11:08:00.001-05:00

During my first two weeks here, I rode into the mountains on the other side of Medellin. A few days later, a Colombian friend asked about my route across the city. I didn't realize at the time, but I had chosen a road that borders the neighborhood of San Javier. When you think of Medellin as the murder capital of the world (which it was in the 1980s and 1990s), you shouldn't think of Medellin. You should think of San Javier.

This post is about Medellin's violent past. Its not directly related to cycling, but its important that visting cyclists, or any tourist for that matter, be aware of the neighborhoods they enter. A Garmin device or wrong turn can easily route you through one Medellin's dangerous barrios.

Medellin has long been a violent city. In the 1980s, Pablo Escobar's Medellin drug cartel fought an urban war to control the city. They eliminated competing cartels, bribed government officials, and offered rewards for the killing of police officers. Escobar himself was killed by the Colombian government in 1993 after a year-long manhunt. At its peak in 1991, Medellin's murder rate stood at 381 murders per 100,000 people. And the absolute number for the year: 6,500. (The UN's marker for an 'epidemic' murder rate is 10 per 100,000).

A power vacuum ensued with Diego Murillo Bejarano, aka Don Berna, taking control of Medellin's largest drug and crime cartel. Crime rates actually dropped for much of the remainder of the 1990s and 2000s as Don Berna and the other cartels declared a ceasefire. Murders dropped even further after FARC, a left-wing guerilla group, was driven out of Medellin in 2002 by the government's Operation Orion.

By 2007, Medellin's murder rate was down to 34 per 100,000. By comparison, the murder rate in New Orleans in 2009 (the highest in the US) was 52 per 100,000. (Washington DC's murder rate peaked in 1991 at 81 per 100,000).

Don Berna was extradited to the US in 2008 to face drug trafficking charges. The murder rate quickly began to climb again. Rival gangs fought for territory and by 2009 the murder rate had reached 95 per 100,000. Hope reverted back to fear. Later in 2009, a group distributed flyers across Medellin's barrios threatening a 'social cleansing' program targeted at criminals, vagrants, prostitutes, people with HIV, and anyone in 'inappropriate places after 10pm.'

The government responded to the increased violence by deploying hundreds of additional police, but with little affect. Gangs bought cooperation from the police and government. Even now, Colombians worry that violent days will return.

This is all a very simple view of Medellin's history. There is far more to it. Left-wing guerilla groups and right-wing paramilitary groups were the primary actors in the 1960s and 1970s. Criminal gangs were always a factor, but cocaine changed everything in the 1980s. The drug cartels were raking in so much money (Pablo Escobar was reportedly making $60m per day) that they were able to purchase weapons and government allies. Soon, the cartels became the kings of Medellin.

So, how safe do I feel in Medellin? Very safe. Actually, I've never felt unsafe. Crime in Medellin is highly concentrated in certain barrios. I live in Poblado where there has not been a murder in years (it almost feels like Newton, Massachusetts or Murrays Bay, Auckland).

When I do leave Poblado, the Colombians are so friendly and passive that I find the violent crime statistics almost impossible to believe. I spent several hours in Barrio Andalucia watching a downhill bike race. One local from the barrio bought two ice-creams for his children. He then bought another ice-cream and walked across the street to hand it to me. He was intrigued that a non-Colombian would be riding around Medellin watching a local bike race.

But I am careful of where I go. Trouble would not be far away if I ventured into the wrong barrio and crossed an "Invisible Border." Gangs, often young teenagers, aggressively defend their territory. A friend who works as a civil engineer for the City of Medellin told me that people are killed for a variety of reasons: a rival gang member unknowingly strays across the border; for being the boyfriend of a girl fancied by a gang-member; a person is out on the streets despite a 7pm gang-declared curfew; or, a gang simply mistaking you for being a rival gang-member. Fifteen days ago a truck driver was killed because he refused to pay the 'toll' to enter Barrio Castilla.

I didn't have much interest in learning more about Pablo Escobar once I arrived in Medellin. I had watched a documentary once on the History Channel a few years ago. As far as I was concerned, he was a drug trafficker who died 18 years ago. But his legacy is still felt today. Within my first week in Medellin, people mentioned Pablo Escobar to me several times. They would say things such as "I live next to a Pablo Escobar building" or "My office is just around the corner from a Pablo Escobar building." And it wasn't something they were necessarily proud of. It just seemed convenient to describe a location relative to a landmark; the landmark being a Pablo Escobar building. (Escobar owned apartment buildings all over Medellin. One stands on the block next to mine. The building has been vacant since his death in 1993 and is currently very run down. I am told that his estate is still tied up in the Colombian court system).

Colombians are very self-conscious of their reputation. During my visit to Cartagena in 2009, many of the Colombians I met would ask me if I felt safe visiting their country. They were eager to discuss Colombia's image in the foreign media and explain that what we see on CNN or BBC is not the whole story and not all 45 million Colombians are drug dealers or murderers.

The improved security situation is one of the drivers behind the recent boom in cycling. Crime is up, but Medellin is much safer now than in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Very few Colombians ventured into the rural areas to train until five years ago. And I, a gringo with limited Spanglish, certainly could not be roaming the country roads today if things hadn't changed.

Click on the following links to read more about cycling in Colombia: Colombians and Road Surfaces, Food and Diet, Support Vehicles, and Weather.

The vacant, derelict Escobar building one block from my apartment.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Colombia#Medell.C3.ADn
http://www.brookings.edu/opinions/2011/0214_colombia_crime_felbabbrown.aspx
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Americas/2010/1025/Medellin-once-epicenter-of-Colombia-s-drug-war-fights-to-keep-the-peace
http://latamthought.org/2009/03/15/medellin-from-fear-to-hope-to-fear-again/
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1967232,00.html
http://www.coav.org.br/publique/media/New5.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_cities_by_crime_rate
http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/dccrime.htm
http://idbdocs.iadb.org/wsdocs/getdocument.aspx?docnum=362875

What Makes Colombian Cycling So Unique? Part IV

2011-12-05T20:26:00.006-05:00

Carry a rain jacket when cycling in Medellin. I learned my lesson shortly after arriving in October.

Medellin is known as 'La Ciudad de la Eterna Primavera' or 'City of Eternal Spring.' The average temperature here of 22C (72F) remains constant throughout the year with only minimal variations (Colombia sits just above the equator). But it can be very wet here. Medellin's tropical rainforest climate averages 224 rain days per year. The months with the highest number of rain days are April and May, as well as September, October, and November (see chart below).

Source: Instituto de Hidrologia Meteorologia y Estudios Ambientales.

However, my Colombian cycling friends tell me that rainfall in the last couple of years has been much higher than normal. They attribute this to El Nino, with Medellin experiencing unusually high rainfall every 4-5 years. In late 2010, dozens of people living on the slopes of Medellin were buried by mudslides.

I couldn't find any data on the Internet measuring the recent rainfall, but I would estimate its currently raining 6 days per week. I had planned a mid-December cycling trip to Letras and La Linea, located approximately 200km south of Medellin. But the rain has been so severe in the last 3 weeks that Letras (a mountain pass) is currently closed. Apparently, the road was washed away in 21 different areas.

I hate riding in the rain, but I hate sitting at home looking out the window too. If there's a break in the weather, I'll go for it. I've only been here a few weeks so its hard to define any weather patterns, but I find that 1) rain showers typically last a couple of hours, and 2) they generally occur in the afternoons. Sometimes I get caught and sometimes I don't. Twice I rode for 2-3 hours in the rain just to get home. And on a couple of other occasions, several dark, dark clouds sat overhead but never opened up.

There is no sense in reading the weather forecast here, as no one has any idea what will happen in the next hour, or the next day. You just have to be prepared. Europe was easier. A particular weather pattern in the Pyrenees, Alps, and Dolomites would last for several days. We would have either constant rain or constant sun. (Although several days of unrelenting rain is worse than Medellin's intermittent rain).

The good news is that the temperatures are always warm. If you get caught in rain on a European mountain pass, the wind-chills can put you into big trouble. Here, you just have to deal with a seriously dirty bike and worn brake-pads.

We are in early December. According to the chart above, the rains should subside at some point this month. Once the road is fixed, I'll be on Letras. And, if you are having doubts about cycling in Medellin because you don't like rain, here is a refresher on Rule Number 5.

Click on the following links for my previous posts on Colombian cycling.
Part I: Colombians and Road Surfaces
Part II: Food and Diet
Part III: Support Vehicles

A Colombian Wedding and Cycling

2011-12-03T18:08:00.000-05:00

My friend, Camila, invited me to a Colombian wedding. Her high-school friend, Paula, married Alejandro in Medellin last night. I wouldn't normally post about weddings, but a fairly serious Trek Madone and Pinarello riding cyclist was sitting at our table. We spent at least 15 minutes discussing routes, hardware, and VAM, so I guess the wedding now qualifies for my blog.

The wedding started like most others. The ceremony was held in a small church conveniently located next to my apartment building. Everything was in Spanish so I couldn't understand very much, but I think they said something about "I do." The reception was in an all-white room: the walls, lights, tables, and chairs were all white. Dinner was served and then the dancing began. The salsa band played until 4am.

It was a typical Latin wedding except for one thing: the bride's father made a speech. Normally, there are no speeches. As usual, costumes were handed out at 2am.

Another crazy night in Medellin.

Colombian line-dancing.

Quebrada de Las Conchas, Argentina

2011-11-30T18:40:00.002-05:00

This is a video of my MTB ride with Matias, Gonzalo, and Javier from Cafayate to Cabra Corral. The ride took us through 80km of Quebrada de Las Conchas.

If you saw the photos in my post here, you'll love the video. Most of the footage was shot just prior to sunset, so the picture is a little darker than usual. We rode until after dark, around 8.15pm.

The soundtrack is a little unclear, but I think the singer is saying something about Tony Danza.

And, here is an image of the Ruta del Vino we completed last week:

And, the Garmin file from Quebrada de Las Conchas:

The Switchback

2011-11-28T20:20:00.000-05:00

A switchback, also known as a hairpin bend, is a sharp turn on a mountain road. Engineers use switchbacks to give vehicles the ability to ascend and descend a mountain by traversing it, rather than going up or down a prohibitively steep slope. And, constructing a road of switchbacks on either side of a mountain is far more economical than drilling a tunnel.

The 21 switchbacks of Alpe D'Huez.

I found surprisingly little information on the Internet about the history of switchbacks. Some of Europe's mountain passes were cleared thousands of years ago. Great Saint Bernard Pass in Switzerland is the oldest pass in the western Alps, with surviving traces of a Roman road. Today's road may not follow the original road, so I don't know if switchbacks were used by the Romans. However, many Roman roads were built to support military campaigns and transport heavy equipment, so I would suspect that switchbacks were used.

For cyclists, Stelvio Pass and Alpe D'Huez have perhaps the world's most famous switchbacks. Stelvio Pass, located in northern Italy, was built by the Austrian Empire in the 1820s. The northern wall has 48 switchbacks and the southern wall 38. BBC's TopGear rated Stelvio the second best driving road in the world. Alpe D'Huez is a ski station in the French Alps. The Tour de France organizers include Alpe D'Huez in almost every Tour. The road has 21 switchbacks, each one named after a stage winner.

Switchbacks are most common in Europe, due to the steep gradients. Switchbacks are far less common in other countries. I have seen two in the US (admitedly, I have only been cycling on the east coast). Both were on the southern slopes of Mt Greylock in western Massachusetts. Several passes in Vermont and New Hampshire come close, but I don't think the turns are acute enough to qualify as a switchback.

Real cyclists love switchbacks. On the ascent, the switchback stands as a marker. The signs on each corner of Alpe D'Huez provide a slow (and sometimes demoralizing) count-down, from twenty-one to one. And you get a 180 degree change of scenery.

Descending a series of switchbacks at speed is thrilling. Its also a learned skill. I was a clumsy descender when I began riding in Europe. I would brake all the way through the switchback, and only release once I was on the straight again. Many cyclists would pass me in alpine races. I thought they were just suicidal, but later I read a couple of articles on technical descending. Now, I brake prior to the corner and release as I enter the switchback. I also keep my torso down to lower the center of gravity. By following these steps, the bike accelerates through the corner. You have better control of the bike when it accelerates through the turn. Braking through the corner destabilizes the bike.

It took some practice, but now there is nothing I enjoy more than effortlessly gliding down a series of tight European switchbacks at high speed.

A switchback on Stelvio Pass.

A sign indicating 40 switchbacks remain until the summit of Stelvio Pass.

A Swiss switchback on Umbrail Pass.

What Makes Colombian Cycling So Unique? Part III

2011-11-27T21:53:00.000-05:00

I am back in Medellin after two superb weeks in Argentina. Its been a month or so since I wrote about Colombian cycling, so today I am writing the third installment: Support Vehicles. You can read Part I here (The Colombians and Colombia's Road Surfaces) and Part II here (Food and Diet).

Colombian cyclists often arrange a support vehicle for long rides. The support vehicle serves three purposes: 1) to carry spare wheels and fix any mechanical problems, 2) to hand-out food and liquids, and 3) for safety (by trailing us if the traffic is heavy). A support vehicle is just like having a team-car, but without the sponsors' logos.

If we're a small group (say 3-4) we'll have one motorcycle. With larger groups, say 12 or so, we'll have a motorcycle and at least one SUV. Usually, the driver is an ex-cyclist and bike mechanic. We often have Jorge accompany us (Jorge goes by the nickname 'Sapuca'). Sapuca is a former track-cyclist and very agile on his motorbike.

What I like most about a support vehicle is the convenience. The driver hands out water bottles and food upon request. It saves a lot of time; we don't have to stop every 30-60 minutes at a gas station or shop to replenish the bottles. Plus, its kinda pro to have an SUV pull up alongside the paceline and hear "Senor...Gatorade, Coke Cola, or agua?"

Other times, the driver will leapfrog ahead of us and stand on the side of the road to hand out water bottles.

But there might be a little secret for choosing to ride with support. I won't name any names, but on two occasions, I caught a fellow cyclist getting towed by the support motorbike. Both times, we were nearing the end of a big climb and the cyclists were at their limits. I turned around to see the cyclist with one hand locked onto the motorbike!

As far as I know, support vehicles for non-pros is unique to Colombia. I haven't cycled in every country in the world, but I never saw such a thing in the US, Italy, Spain, France, Basque Country, or New Zealand. (Tour companies are the exception).

As soon as I arrived in Medellin and started meeting local cyclists, they all insisted upon a support vehicle for my long solo rides in rural areas outside Medellin. I can understand the convenience of support, but it doesn't feel right to have a motorized vehicle trailing behind. Rural areas are quiet and peaceful - perfect for a non-motorized vehicle.

On the other hand, I'm in Colombia. Maybe I should reconsider.

Sapuca

The SUV leapfrogs ahead to hand-out water bottles.

Above and below: we are trailed by the motorbike and SUV.

ARG by MTB Day 4: Cafayate to Cabra Corral

2011-11-20T00:46:00.000-05:00

Another awesome day in Argentina! We started at midday with a tour of the Michel Torino vineyard (where our hotel was located). After downing several tasting glasses of white and red wines, I was ready to ride.

We spent the last 2 days riding south. Today we took Route 68 northeast back towards Salta, where we landed on Wednesday morning.

An hour or so into the ride, we entered Quebrada de las Conchas, which is another amazing valley of unreal red rock formations. Route 68 winds its way through the Conchas valley, following an almost dry river bed.

Gonzalo was back in the saddle today. Unfortunately, Javier is still unwell. Instead, he shot most of the fantastic photographs below.

We rode until darkness; around 8.15pm. By that time, it was almost impossible to hear anything above the noise of insects. I don't know what they were, but they made a high-pitched sound. It was so loud that in some places we couldn't even stop.

The ride distance for today was 90km with 1800 calories expended. In comparison, today was 80% of yesterday's distance with only 50% of yesterday's calories. Road surface makes a huge difference (we had harsh headwinds on both days).

Tonight we have a hotel on the edge of Argentina's second largest lake, Lago de Cabra Corral. We can't actually see the lake yet - its night - but tomorrow we're either going sailing or rafting before our ride back to Salta.

The first of two natural amphitheaters just off Route 68.

The second amphitheater.

Pictures of our hotel and bodega last night in Cafayate.

We toured the vineyard tour with Ernesto Galperin (on the left). He founded one of the world's largest leather and tanning companies, here in Argentina. And, his son founded Mercado Libre, the eBay of Latin America.

The new production line can fill, cork, and label 7,000 bottles of wine per hour. The old equipment can manage 1,800 bottles per hour.

ARG by MTB Day 3: Molinos to Cafayate

2011-11-19T00:07:00.001-05:00

Today was by far the best riding we've had in Argentina. The scenery was truly spectacular, as you'll see below!

My day started at 9am. I went to the hotel dining room and was shocked to see two of my Argentine friends finishing their breakfast! I cannot believe an Argentine would be up so early. In fact, I am convinced they stayed up all night.

Unfortunately, Gonzalo and Javier didn't ride today. Gonzalo has a sore back after yesterday's Tour de France-like effort and Javier came down with a slight fever.

Matias and I left Molinos at 10am for the 115km ride south to Cafayate. The first 90km was gravel and sand. To say it was hard work would be an understatement. I think 115km on a mountain bike with today's surface easily equates to 200km on a road bike. Plus, the winds kicked up in the afternoon putting dust everywhere. I found my front teeth caked with dust every 20 minutes or so.

Today's highlight was Quebrada de las Flechas, an area of rock and limestone formed 15-20 million years ago. The rock juts out of the ground at a 45 degree angle. Quebrada de las Flechas looks a lot like parts of the Negev Desert in Israel.

Sixty kilometers into the ride, we ran out of water. With the next town 30km away, the only option was to stop a passing car and ask for agua. The locals here are very kind. (At the time we didn't know where the next town was - it could've been 2km or 20km).

Matias and I have each punctured twice in the last two days. Apparently, cactus pins are causing the punctures, according to our driver.

Our hotel tonight is in a vineyard. We're looking forward to the wine tasting tomorrow at 10am.

Vineyards.

A map of our route, the Ruta de Vino.

Entering Quebrada de las Flechas.

I mentioned in yesterday's post that our hotel in Molinos was the home of the last Spanish governor of the Salta area. These are photos of the hotel.

ARG by MTB Day 2: Cachi to Molinos

2011-11-18T07:13:00.000-05:00

Today we started cycling at the 'prompt' Argentine time of 3pm. I thought we were under the gun considering we had a 60km ride to Molinos, and all of it was on a windy, undulating, gravel road.

The scenery was very different than yesterday. Today was hot and dusty, and the vegetation was mostly scrub and cactus. We passed a few small towns, several dozen homes, and the world's highest vineyard, Bodegas Colome.

In one town, we bought a bag of coca leaves. Coca is the plant used to produce cocaine (although coca leaves are perfectly legal and do not stimulate the central nervous system in the way that cocaine does). Andeans chew coca leaves for its mild energy boost, similar to coffee. They also use coca leaves to treat altitude sickness, asthma, ulcers, and a variety of other illnesses.

I stuffed about 10 coca leaves between my gums and cheek (in the same way that people chew tobacco). I am not sure how much energy I got from the coca, but after 20-30 minutes my gums went numb, just like Novocaine. The leaves didn't taste too good either. Andeans add quinoa ash to flavor the coca leaves.

By 7pm, and with an hour of light remaining, we reached the halfway point. Thirty kilometers stood between us and Molinos. Gonzalo and I finished the ride at 9.30pm after riding about 90 minutes in pitch black. The support vehicle tailed us to illuminate the road.

We are staying in a hotel that was once the home of the last Spanish governor of the Salta area in the early 1800s.

At our Cachi hotel.

We did a small tour of Cachi before leaving.

A typical Argentine lunch: beer.

We took Route 40 south today. Only 4,497 kilometers to the start of the road!

A local artisan community making ponchos.

Icecream and water.

Stuffing coca leaves into my mouth.

Gonzalo's longest ride ever.

ARG by MTB Day 1: Salta to Cachi

2011-11-17T10:07:00.000-05:00

Today, we started our 5 day MTB trip in northwest Argentina. We are four: Matias Hodara, Gonzalo Chernitsky, Javier Vilamowski, and myself. Flights were dicey in Buenos Aires this morning. Just 5 minutes before we were due to board at 6.30am, all flights out of BA were put on hold due to volcanic ash from Chile. I knew about problems in the south west, but I wasn't aware of ash reaching the east coast of South America. Not knowing whether we would be waiting hours or days for flights to resume, all we could do was take a seat. The Argentines didn't seem too stressed, but I was quite worried (perhaps another sign that I over-stayed in the US). Luckily, flights were taking off again within a couple of hours. It all seemed very odd.

Our driver and support vehicle met us at Salta airport. We had a three hour drive up to Piedra del Molino at 3500 meters altitude. We planned to ride the 50km descent to Cachi but unfortunately rain was coming down way too hard near the summit. So we drove 10km or so to 3100 meters altitude and then jumped on the bikes.

We had some fast downhills and long flats. The terrain changed quickly from lush green to dry desert as we moved west. Most of the distance was open road, but we also saw a couple of small towns.

We got to Cachi around 8pm. Cachi is a small colonial town (2,000 people) of adobe homes located at 2,280 meters. We have a very nice colonial-ranch style hotel just outside of town. We found a good restaurant for dinner with locals playing Argentine style Tango music on guitar. Dinner was typical food from the area: empenadas, tamales, humita, pinchos de cabrito (goat), cazuela, and llama (similar to camel). We definitely over-ate, as we didn't burn many calories on the descent (all we did was sit and steer).

Matias in Salta.

The drive from Salta (1400 meters) to Piedra del Molino (3500 meters).

The summit at 3500 meters. Unfortunately, it was too wet to ride the descent from here.

Changing roadside at 3100 meters.

And we're off!

Musicians at the restaurant in Cachi.

Buenos Aires

2011-11-15T10:48:00.000-05:00

On Thursday of last week, I borrowed Matias' hybrid and rode the 35km into Buenos Aires from the suburb of Tigre. BA is perfectly flat, so it was a pretty easy ride. The weather was great and the traffic was easily manageable (despite what I read online). And, just as my Colombian friends had warned me, Buenos Aires is the nicest European city I have seen.

Below are pictures from Thursday's ride, lunch and dinner with Matias and his wife, Flor, plus some other pictures from BA.

More Paris-Roubaix in South America.

Segafredo - one of my favorite espresso brands.

I followed Avenida Libertador all the way into Buenos Aires.

Lunch with Matias and Flor at Evita Museum.

Bamboo bicycles.

Uruguay!

2011-11-13T11:28:00.000-05:00

I've been staying with my friend, Matias Hodara, and his family in Buenos Aires for the past few days. Yesterday, we conceived a plan to take the boat from Buenos Aires across the Rio de la Plata to Uruguay, ride 80km from Colonia to Carmelo, and then return by boat to Tigre (near Matias' house). We were three: Matias, his friend, Gonzalo Chernitsky, and myself, plus mountain bikes. It would be a good test - the three of us (and a fourth) will be riding together for 5 days in northwest Argentina next weekend.

We woke at the shockingly early time of 6am ("shocking" by Argentine standards but normal for the rest of the world) to catch the boat. After a 2 hour boat ride and a change of time zones, we berthed in Colonia. Colonia is an old Spanish town designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The population today is only around 20,000 but it draws many tourists. It sits opposite Buenos Aires on the Rio de la Plata, the River of Silver. (The Spaniards shipped silver from Peru down the Rio de la Plata to the ports on the Atlantic coast).

Although in South America, we each ordered Desayuno Americano (American breakfast) at a local cafe before hitting the road. We rode a quick tiki tour of Colonia and then found the main road to Carmelo.

The ride was very nice. Uruguay is mostly an agricultural economy. We were surrounded by cows and sheep for most of the day, so I felt quite at home. The terrain is fairly flat with some rolling hills.

We were all looking forward to lunch near the half-way point. Apparently, there was a bodega near a gas station at kilometer 40. We found the gas station, but not the bodega. So, instead of a hearty Argentine lunch, we had no option but to eat at the gas station (there was nothing else until Carmelo). I downed three ice-creams, two alfajors (Argentine cookies), a bag of Dorito chips, and a bottle of Pepsi. Matias and Gonzalo ate variations of the same.

Interview with Colombian Cyclist, Mauricio Leyva (Part II)

2011-11-07T09:15:00.000-05:00

This is the second part of a two-part interview with Colombian cyclist, Mauricio Leyva. You can read Part I here.

Switchback Publications: Now lets talk about Medellin. I have been here about a month and I love this city. What do you like most about Medellin?

Mauricio Leyva: I like the weather, the girls - my wife is from Medellin - and the people are very nice and friendly.

And the family. In Medellin, the family is very important; its the nucleus of society. And in the family, the most important person is the mother. So whats really nice in Medellin is the values and the culture.

SP: As I mentioned, I've been here about a month. I find Medellin a very peaceful, calm city. But it wasn't always like that. Back in the 1980s, Medellin was a very different place. It was violent and unsafe. What was Medellin like for you in the 1980s?

ML: In the 1980s, I was in school. The word in Spanish is "zozobra" which means "anxiety". You fear all day long because you don't know what is happening. It was very hard because most young kids play in the street. But we had to stay in our houses. It was hard for our parents because they always worried if we went outside.

Its no mystery that a lot of bombs were exploding in the city. We didn't live the way that kids live today, or the way that kids live in other cities around the world. That era made us stronger and it made us want security.

Today, we have the results of that era. We choose leaders who offer security to us.

SP: Was it a constant fear, or only at certain times?

ML: It was constant. In our school and in our houses. If you talk to anyone from Medellin, every one was touched directly by the violence. Someone in the family was kidnapped, or hurt by a bomb, or a car stolen. The violence touched everyone in a certain way. That has an impact on everyone's life.

SP: Looking forward, what will Medellin be like in 10 or 20 years from now?

ML: Medellin will be a really important industrial city. We are the second biggest city now in Colombia, after Bogota. Today, we are building our future. In the economic aspect, its going to be better. We have a lot of nice companies that give back to the community. I think Medellin will be an important business center not just for Colombia but for Latin America. As I told you, I work in financial services. Different financial services companies are looking to Medellin and seeing it as an important city.

SP: Finally, what would you like readers to know about Colombia that we haven't mentioned?

ML: I could tell you a few things, but I think the most important things may come from you, Duncan. We are used to it, but you are a foreigner. For example, you say how friendly Colombians are. For us, its normal. I read that people in Medellin consider Medellin as their house and you always want to receive people as nicely as possible.

SP: Colombians are the friendliest people I have met. I met more people here in my first week than I did during my three months in Europe. Several people invited me to dinner, including you, Juan David, and others. I meet cyclists on the road and we become friends.

ML: For us, its normal. For other Colombians, it may not be normal to be so friendly. Its normal for us to help others and make things easier for them. If you enjoy it, you'll come back and your friends will come too.

SP: Finally, what was it like for a Colombian to win a stage of the Giro d'Italia?

ML: It was great. But, each time we see a Colombian cyclist on ESPN or a TV sports channel, its great. For example, just knowing Mauricio Soler was riding with two broken wrists after crashing last year. He was suffering. Even those stages we enjoy. We are really proud of our cyclists. We feel pride just to know a Colombian is racing in Europe.

SP: Thank you so much Mauricio. This has been a great interview.

Fun in the Barrio: Clasico El Colombiano Urban Downhill

2011-11-06T19:25:00.000-05:00

Every year, the local newspaper, El Colombiano, hosts 5 days of various cycling races in Medellin. The event is called Clasico El Colombiano and the races include a time-trial, road circuit, downhill urban, BMX, gravity, and mountain biking.

I spent a couple of hours watching the downhill urban this afternoon. Its similar to this event in Valparaiso, Chile, although today's course was not quite as suicidal, unfortunately.

It seems the organizers look for a barrio with a steep pitch, lots of urban obstacles, and perhaps a stray dog or two. Here are photos from today's Clasico El Colombiano Urban Downhill.

I planned to race in the road circuit, but I was out too late last night. I did see some of the riders from the EPM and Shimano GW development teams that I met on Wednesday. I probably couldn't have held on anyway, since the pros were racing, including Movistar.