Square Wheels

Ignoring the hassle and cost of getting our bikes to Cancun, have any of you recently ridden on the roads there? It looks like a nice place to ride with miles of coastal roads.

Again, I'm not worried about the cost of getting the bikes there, just want to know if the roads are "safe" for cycling, and if it's safe to cycle outside of the resort areas.

K.Katso

In my opinion, no. I rode a motorcycle on those roads and I didn't feel safe. You're better off taking a cycling break and spending your time on the beach.

StanSeven

You're better off renting bikes and finding out good routes from the place you rent from.

Square Wheels

Thanks, my question still partially applies, is it safe to ride there? Based on what K.Katso says, probably not.

Urymoto

Didint seem so safe to me....

Up North

Your asking if Mexico is safe to cycle?? It's not safe to walk, run or breath there! One of the most corrupt, lawless places on earth. Yes you will say Rivierra is safe from troubles but no it's not, many tourist have been killed in recent years in Cancun. Stay on your resort, safe and Mexico don't work for me.

indyfabz

Ignore those who say the entirety of Mexico is dangerous since they are ignorant. People cycle tour Mexico all the time without incident. You might check Crazy Guy On A Bike for journals. However, having been there in the 90s, I doubt if there is any great day riding in the immediate Cancun area. You may have to get a ways outside of the heavily developed areas.

K.Katso

I wouldn't say the entirety of Mexico is dangerous, but the coastal highway South of Cancun definitely is in my opinion. I rode it on a motorcycle. There were a lot of big trucks and buses, and the shoulder was pretty rough and sometimes non-existent. This was in the early 2000s, so maybe the pavement has changed but I doubt if the traffic has. There was also a bus the locals called "the collector" that didn't have any official stops, it just stopped frequently to pick people up from the side of the road. People would suddenly appear out of the jungle to wait on the shoulder for this bus, and you would also have cars wildly swerving around it when it stopped. A lot of the other side roads were pretty beat up. All conditions that just aren't good for cycling in my opinion. You're probably better off renting a mountain bike and going to some trails with a tour group. Again, just my opinion based on my own experience.

StanSeven

Ever hear that country song about people from Mississipi going to New York and vice versa? Both expected to be killed because they heard the area is bad.

If Mexaco was bad, there wouldn't be bike rental places. The roads aren't great so renting a mountain bike might be a good idea. Think of it this way - you have an opportunity to see a new part of the world that's unique and exciting.

Find a place that rents bikes and ask them about riding there. Maybe there's a group or at least an employee to go with you

Nachoman

Square Wheels

Thanks for everyone's replies. I know a few of you stated that it was only "your opinion", that's exactly what I was asking for.
I went to Mexico once about 20 years ago and found it very safe, at least I wasn't killed, so that is my evidence. My resort had bikes we could borrow, I took one out a couple of times and rode around in residential areas. It was eye opening.

I think coupled with the hassle of breaking down and reassembling our bikes, transporting them, keeping them in our room, the reported poor road conditions, and the risk of being killed, we'll skip bring our bikes.

RPK79

If you ride a bike in Mexico what do you put in the water bottle?

Square Wheels

The same water I will drink in the resort. I'd bring extra bottles, but I think I've already decided to forgo the bikes.

jeff@work

I was there for a month in early 2013 and didn't think it was that bad. I rode the hotel zone a few times and saw other cyclists out there. I think the hotel zone is the sketchiest area due to the amount of traffic, but looking back at my files i rode it several times. I prefered this route as there was way less traffic and took you out to some remote beaches https://www.strava.com/activities/38763118
You could also take a day trip out to Cozumel to ride, it's certainly more bike friendly there.

goenrdoug

I can't speak on Cancun, but I took a couple of trips to Baja last year and really wanted to ride (feed the obsession) but once we drove around a bit and saw the conditions, I thought better of it. I felt like I would have been jumped, my bike stolen and possibly murdered.

I'm not a guy who watches Fox news and believes everything they say, btw. We had a great time there, enjoyed the fantastic wine country (yes!) and made some great friends, but the only way I'd ride there would be if I could do so with locals or in an organized event like this one: Rosarito Ensenada

indyfabz

One of many CGOB journals:

crazyguyonabike.com: Bicycle Touring: Finetastic Adventure 2013, by Marti Fine

goenrdoug

Wow! That's pretty impressive stuff! I have yet to strap stuff to a bike and go camping/riding massive distances/touring.. Looks like I will be doing some reading on that site, however! Bye bye doing actual work, today!