gpsKevin Adventure Rides - Tuk Tuk Oaxaca

TUK TUK Oaxaca Run

January 18 – 25, 2025

Ride postponed

Bucket list ride around Mexico? or just something you should do before you leave this place?

Grab your friend or wife and let's have a dumb adventure of a lifetime

About this Adventure

This is a 6 day Tuk Tuk ride around Central and Coastal (Pacific) Mexico. The ride is designed for couples or single riders with friends or dogs. Kind of a silly relaxed ride around the back country and through the mountains of Mexico. The ride is limited to 8 Tuk Tuks which will be rented from locals in the area. Riders will fly to Oaxaca, Mexico and we will make a loop to the coast and back. Each day will be a mix of driving, sometimes slowly and experiencing the local culture and attractions. Riders are recommended to have motorcycle riding experience as the Tuk Tuks operate similar to a motorcycle. The first day of the ride will be a training day with a practice loop around the sites in Oaxaca.

This adventure is about exploring the rich culture, people and places of Mexico. But we are talking rural Mexico from the vehicles that you would not see in your own country. Yes, this adventure is about taking Tuk Tuk's from one place to the other. The country at 60 kmh and often slower. The vision here is to take all back routes and avoid the main highways and crowded towns. Most of the time there will be rural paved routes and sometimes it will be dirt roads. For those wanting a tougher adventure there will often be tougher dirt road alternatives. And yes, Yoda Roberto, a native of Mexico, will be sure to show us the historic sights along the way and help us receive a warm welcome from the locals.

Ralph tries a Tuk Tuk on the last Chiapas ride

Roberto and Keith on test ride in Baja

We will take time out to see the sights: Ruins at Monte Albán

Signup info:

This is an invitation only ride. To signup for this ride you must have received an invitation from gpsKevin or Magic Yoda Roberto.

A ride signup includes one rental Tuk Tuk for the 6 day ride, a private room with 2 beds and up to 3 people. The ride is meant for couples with or without a child or a couple of buddies sharing the adventure in one Tuk Tuk. Note: a Tuk Tuk can hold up to 3 people, one driver and 2 passengers and a dog if you like. Price for the ride is $2,495 plus $1,000 for the rental of the Tuk Tuk. One ride signup is $3,495.

You may reserve your TUK Tuk Spot by leaving a $400 deposit

After your signup riders will receive an email from me with further ride information and instructions.

Riders must make full payment by November 15th 2024

Riders will receive ride packets in the mail one week before the ride.

Ride Details

I know many of you also enjoy dreaming about the ride and making your plans, so here is the detail, enjoy!

Ride Plan Tuk Tuk in Oaxaca

Is this route right for you?

These route are for experienced adventurers; you should be very experienced in backcountry travel and prepared for any difficulty or failures. This route includes options: both easier and harder routes. As an example, for those wanting to avoid river crossings, we have added workaround route options. For those just tired and wanting to end the day early, we have added easy paved shortcuts. And for those tough guys wanting more, we have added some challenging routes. This is an adventure we do together so come prepared to offer help to fellow riders that may need it.

This ride is inspired from this video

Ride Yodas

Master Yoda gpsKevin

Magic Yoda Roberto

What are these Adventure Rides like? These rides are designed along the theme of exploring the world. They include a mix of remote dirt routes, back paved roads, sometimes some very seldom ridden paths and pavement. Rides are a mix of all these things and sometimes some surprises due to weather conditions. These rides are for experienced, well seasoned riders that are capable of turning a washed out road experience into just part of the day's fun. Riders should be comfortable with turning around when necessary and finding an alternative route around unexpected obstacles. These rides are not for new riders. As an experienced rider, the tough part of having a great motorcycle adventure is the routing and logistics. What routes do I take? Where do I stay? How do I find the best routes and places?

View the ride maps

OK since many of you like to study more detail about the ride, below are the ride maps.

Legend:

The Blue lines are MAIN routes

The Cyan lines are Alternate main routes

The Red lines are Harder routes

The Green lines are Easy options

The Black lines are the out and back viewpoints

TVS Mototaxi

New in MX for $4,500

Piaggio Truck

TBD

Kingway Mototaxi

New in MX for $3,800

Piaggio Mototaxi

New in MX for $5,000

What can I take on this ride?

The theme is 3 wheels and 2 or more people.

If you want to bring a different vehicle you must be approved by gpsKevin.

We have done the homework for you: We have studied and developed and ridden to find the best possible routes and then we have put them into great daily rides. As riding skills and desires for riders can be different, we have developed and include route options. We find that many riders like to ride with their best friends, however their friends may not always have the same riding skills and desires. As the day's ride progresses, riders have choices of easier and harder routes. This allows you to tailor the ride more towards your own riding desires and allows you to make choices that might better suit your friends when necessary. Sometimes riders may just want a break too.

How does the ride navigation work?

This is a self-led GPS ride; all riding is on your own. You are responsible for your own riding. You are given a GPS map file and instructions on how to use your Garmin GPS unit. People will hook up in small groups of less than 6 riders and tend to ride together. You are not encouraged to ride alone. You are responsible for your own riding and yourself.

(see my ride Navigation Video)

Are you right for this ride?

When something goes wrong on a ride, would your riding friends say that you are more likely to need help or more likely to give help? You should be in the more likely to offer help camp. This ride is filled with riders that are more likely to give help, so most of the time the riders never need help. Additionally there is all the normal stuff: come prepared to maintain your bike, fix your bike on the trail, repair flat tires, deal with bad weather and rain and make a joke or two.

How do I make the GPS stuff so easy?

I develop very high quality ride maps custom for our ride. They come from much of what I and others have ridden. I take the best from all my rides and make new ones.

(See my Custom Ride Maps Video)

Note from me, gpsKevin

My goal for this ride is simple: great riding. You can count on great routes and places to ride.

But in addition, the ride is about discovering new places, meeting new friends, seeing new parts of the world.

Thanks,

gpsKevin

FAQ's

Q: Would this be a good ride for new riders?

A: No, this ride is for intermediate and experienced riders only. The riding has easy route choices and tough route options.

Q: What are motel room arrangements?

A: Reservations are double occupancy. Two riders sharing one room with 2 beds.

Q: Can I use my cell phone?

A: Sorry, at this point we do not support cell phone GPS use for our rides. The IMG files will not run on a cell phone.

Q; What do I do if I don't have a Garmin GPS?

A: Buy one, you need it. Get a Garmin, it is still the most reliable

Q: Is the riding really on my own?

A: Yes, but we recommend you bring a friend

Q: How good are these routes?

A: They are 99% perfect. Or sometimes, 99.9% perfect. Or sometimes, 95% perfect. So be prepared for a little imperfection.

Q: What are Custom GPS Ride Maps?

A: Custom GPS ride maps are electronic maps designed specifically to show the paths and path choices for a particular ride. The maps show the paths as clear bold lines so the riders can easily see them even on small screens. The lines are often comprised of groups of arrows or chevrons so that riders can easily tell the recommended direction of travel. The lines come in multiple colors so that riders can easily choose between Hard and Easy options. Custom ride maps make ride navigation much easier than ever before.

Just for fun here are some more Tuk Tuk videos that inspire me.