Gear Down – Mountain Biking in Costa Rica
In Costa Rica’s Pacific Northwest, the anti-region to Seattle, sunny days are the norm, with sun shining for at least part of each day, 365 days a year.
A region too hot for some, this is a welcome environment for the solar powered enthusiast, with more than enough Costa Rica to discover daily: hiking, surfing, and kayaking just to name a few. Oh yeah, and one more thing: mountain biking.
While it’s true the fixed gear bike has floated the world of biking out of heavy gear assemblies and into the the pleasant world of “how the hell do I pedal up this dang hill?” there are still plenty of options for the off road enthusiast, even in Costa Rica, especially in Costa Rica: trails (and “roads” as they are sometimes known), not-trails (everything else), and gear.
But where and how?
Let’s start with “where not?” The road.
In the city roads are ruled by cars, and cars are driven in a quasi-Chicago way, with road rules which can outweigh laws. The rules are simple: honk, nudge and go. I see people biking in the city and place bets on the number of days left they will be enjoying patacones.
Joking aside, like most cities where cycling is not treated with regard, San Jose (Chepe) has a growing movement of enthusiasts fighting for bike lanes and rights. They are organized at Chepe Cletas if you want more information on where and when, but the site is in Spanish, so gear up your Español.
Other resources, if you insist on cycling in the streets, for information on where and when in and around Costa Rica include the Ruta de los Conquistadores, a site dedicated to Costa Rica’s most popular bike races, Federación Costarricense de Ciclismo, Costa Rica’s governing body for cycling, and the site for Ciclismo en Vivo, another big race in Costa Rica… but these are all controlled environments more suited for the conservative road-types.
Not a fan of silly spandex clothing? What about the nature-trail fan or the lunatic off-roader like me?
Outside the city, streets are not consistently set up for long distance biking safely, rarely with enough room for cars to stay on the roads, especially in the Nicoya peninsula.
That said, there are much fewer cars off road and better views. For a detailed rundown on resources for finding where to start beyond this blog, check out my previous blog on hiking. Many hiking trails will lend themselves well to skilled hiker but proceed with caution.
“But I don’t have a bike…”
The problem for some in considering a new pair of wheels is cost. A beach cruiser can be purchased for $50 – $200 used in most of the Facebook garage sale sights… but a mountain bike worth having will run into the quadruple digits after import taxes are applied, and that’s just for the bike.
The savvy enthusiast will bring his bike on the plane with him when he comes down, and try to skate Aduana, but to this person I say “good luck with that.”
I haven’t owned a decent mountain bike since my Fuji was stolen on the streets of LA in 2002, so when my wife and some friends took me to Las Catalinas this last birthday, I couldn’t have been more pleased.
Las Catalinas is the only Gold Coast development of it’s type, carved into the bay of Playa Danta, located roughly between Flamingo and Coco, just North of Playa Potrero. The uniqueness of this development is that the devs are dropping in an infrastructure before the homes and business are settled.
They have paved inroads, cobbled paths, ornate street lighting, and the beginnings of what has been described as “Costa Rica’s Aspen.” And, drum roll, they have marked trails for all skill levels. Not only are there trails for anyone to use, but there is a shop where gear can be purchased or rented.
We rented four bikes, one a Cannondale, and three Treks from Pura Vida Rides. One of the bikes had rear suspension, but the other three were fixed, my preference for hopping rocks.
Outfitted with the Cannondale, I had the good fortune of the bigger wheels, so I found getting up and down the hills a squish easier than everybody else. We took a trail out over the Pacific, with views ending where the Earth disappears, stopping only where the cliffs demanded us to stop and take a breather.
The rental costs were fair for two hours, much less costly than a purchase, but they will sell their used bikes after the season is over for a fair price. Another friend recently purchased a ‘Dale from them for just over $1000, used, but you wouldn’t know it the way Pura Vida takes care of their equipment.
Every bike is wiped, cleaned and tuned after every ride. I can’t say enough good things about this place and will be back soon.
Wherever and however you choose to make your biking experience in Costa Rica take flight in Costa Rica, road or trail, wear a helmet and bring ample water with you as always, get out there and get active. And don’t play in traffic.
How Do You Feel About This Article?
Written by VIP Member Damon Mitchell who spent over 10 years in the fitness industry before he moved to Costa Rica in search of a better work/life balance. Currently he lives in Playa Tamarindo in Guanacaste, where he and his wife Cristina are owner-operators of Pizza&Co pizza express, located in Plaza Conchal 2.
Daily, Damon runs on the beach or works out at Tamarindo Fitness Center, keeping fit by doing a combination of old-school weight lifting, calisthenics, TRX, stability ball work and just about anything he can do to create new and fun exercises. Most recently he is learning to surf.
You can email Damon here if there is anything specific about staying fit and healthy in Costa Rica you would like him to cover in his next article.
Gear Down – Mountain Biking in Costa Rica
Article/Property ID Number 4486
[custom_script adID=186]
Andrew Makarik
to@welovecostarica.comAndrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.
Are you into beautiful Costa Rica?
All interesting things you want to know about Costa Rica are right here in our newsletter! Enter your email and press "subscribe" button.
