Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! 
Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to 
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2007
- Messages
- 2,064
- Reaction score
- 550
- Location
- Houston, TX and Phoenix AZ
- First Name
- Peter
- Last Name
- Shaddock
Hey Gang,
Registration here and open:
Together we've adventured a pretty good amount, in such a short amount of time, the last 6 years often and famously with Sir Curtis Pelo Loco Jones Esquire, RIP.
I wrote in the memorial guidebook that we will honor Curtis on all future Mextreks, loudly, and with hands up!
I found out yesterday that Curtis, in his expertly prepared notes for the afterlife instructed he be cremated and his ashes spread in many of the places he loved most. Curtis loved Mexico, dearly, and entrusted the "Mextrek OG's" with the task!
Mextrek 18 is renamed in Curtis' honor and will be leaning on the short list of OG's to make a plan to help Pelo Loco be one with mother earth again. Anyone not familiar with Mexico's day of the Dead and remembrance of loved ones lost should do a quick google search. What a wonderful way to remember our friend.
We'll be in Santiago, Galeana, San Miguel, Guanajuato, Real De Catorce. Curtis knew and loved each of these places. We'll tuck a bit away for Baja and give Zeke a pinch for the ranch. Maybe Terlingua too. We'll do what we'd want done for us.
Adios Amigos, and Rest in Peace Uncle Curtis!
For all the newcomers to T.A.R.A. and Mextrek, we invite you on one of the most exciting trips on a long time.... Halloween in San Miguel and Day of the Dead in Guanajuato. This will be bookended by 2 days in Galeana riding the Sierra Madre dual sport region and 2 days after riding to the ghost town of Real de Catorce then a final bougie night in Santiago, the playground of Monterrey's nuevo riche. Cost: $50 experienced, $25 added for first timers for guidebook and maps and that little extra care needed!
Rough schedule:
Friday, Oct 27th: Arrive in McAllen by midnight.
Saturday Oct 28th: McAllen to Galeana via Rayones and Cienega del Toro gopher fields
Sunday Oct 29th: Rides out of Galeana, south, along rivers and canyons
+++
Alternate "Lite" weekend:
Monday, Oct 30th: day rides out of Galeana
Tuesday, Oct 31st: head home
Cost $25
+++
Regular ride continues...
Monday Oct 30th: Ride some highway to the gringo HQ of San Miguel de Allende, with dinner overlooking the Parroquia, the most beautiful church in Mexico, in what the town Conde Naste calls "The most Beautiful City in the WORLD".
Tuesday Oct 31st: San Miguel, Market, Hot Springs, and Halloween parties
Wednesday Nov 1st: Ride overland on the picturesque "Silver trail" to Guanajuato and attend evening Dia de los Muertos parade. GTO is DOD headquarters parades, costumes, tunnel parties, etc...
Thursday Nov 2nd: Enjoy Guanajuato with day ride to mummies, 100 foot Jesus, vineyard tour, evening pub crawl
Friday Nov 3rd: ride north thru the forest to the magical ghost town of Real de Catorce, horseback riding to the old mines
Saturday Nov 4th: Head to Santiago via glorious Hwy 20, thru the ski town of Monterreal for a final banquet at the amazing Hacienda 208
Sunday Nov 5th: Santiago to home, wherever that is.
*About MEXTREK:*
Question 1: What is Mextrek
Mextrek is a gathering of like minded adventure / dual sport motorcycle enthusiasts in Mexico. It is meant to be an introduction to the newly wanderlusting souls who have never experienced this heavenly setting. As well as a time and place to meet up with old friends to experience Mexico once again. In short, its the best motorcycle experience a Texan can possibly take in 5 days. And for many, it is the only international motorcycling opportunity that is achievable on a limited budget on a bike you already own.
Question 2: Why Santiago and Galeana?
Santiago: The most accessible town from the border which also offers incredible scenery, riding, and it's upscale heritage means USA style amenities are not lacking. Great food, banks, english speakers, repair shops, etc... Santiago is only 140 miles of fast and smooth pavement from the border. 2 hrs 45 mins per google. Ride loaded to the hotel, drop everything, and hit the trails by 1PM free and unburdened. Once in Santiago you find a vacation town on the outskirts of Monterrey, with vibrant night life, fine dining, and the off-road mecca of choice for well heeled Mexicans in Monterrey. With stunning views, hikable swimmable waterfalls, high mountain passes, deep canyons, and pristine pastoral areas it's pretty amazing. After a day and night of getting our Mexico adjustment over, it's off to...
Galeana. Smack dab in the middle of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. Twisty mountain dirt tracks in all directions. Dual sport heaven. But, as has been proven time and again, the remoteness of Galeana is its greatest charm and its Achilles heel. It takes 5.5 hours from the border, fully loaded with gear, tools, and clothes. And the last 50 miles of twisties and dirt have been the sudden end to many a vacation just getting started, usually a combination of loaded bikes, day 1 exuberance, and often bad luck. But getting a day of riding in before trekking south to Galeana, you will find the finest dual sport riding within a day's reach from Texas. Literally DUAL SPORT HEAVEN!
Question 3: Is Mexico a good dual sport destination?
You have no idea!!!! Incredible. Fantastic. Every single person that has visited is awed. Raw beauty, huge lush mountains. Prairies. Valleys. Waterfalls. Pics speak for themselves.
Question 4: What do I need to attend?
A reliable and trusty adventure or dual sport motorcycle. Anything from a 250KLX to a BMW1200GSA has a place here. Minimum requirement is your bike should be able to maintain a 55 MPH highway cruise speed. As my CRF230F entertained, Mextrek can be done on 14 horsepower. At 60 MPH. With a 90 mile range.
Other basic must haves:
Valid passport or passport card
Class M license
Motorcycle registration in your name matching passport, valid through duration of trip (With a lien special steps need to be taken)
Good safety gear: Helmet, gloves, boots, jacket, pants, ear protection, google mapped cell phone
Ability to carry very basic tools, 4 days of casual clothing, personal effects on your motorcycle. Pack light and a backpack is sufficient.
Question 5: What will this cost?
A. Basic fee goes toward my coordination efforts, and our ride guide's expenses. $50 more for first timers gets GPS files, overview maps, ride guide support every day, 24/7 emotional support before during and after, and a wonderful book by Richard G (Trailboss) detailing the area, prep, and what to expect; .
B. Permits to take your bike into Mexico will run another $55 or so.
C. Budget another $50 a day for food, drinks, and gas. $50 to $75 for hotels. Mexico has gotten much more expensive, but it is still very reasonable.
Question 5: Communication
I use only Whatsapp, a facebook product, in a group message to communicate. It is a lifesaver.
Question 6: Has this sort of thing been done before? Have my friends already been? Are there answers to all my questions already in print?
Mextrek #1
2008 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27799&highlight=mextrek+2008
2008 Reports: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33656
Mextrek #2
2009 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41336
2009 Reports: http://twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=671326#post671326
Mextrek #3
2010 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46716
2010 Reports: http://twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=749178#post749178
Mextrek #4
2015 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102388
2015 Reports: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1384620
Mextrek #5
2016 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106148
2016 Reports: http://twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111763
Mextrek#6
2017 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112382
2017 Reports: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115745
Mextrek #7 June 2018 (Guanajuato and Real de Catorce and El Salto after party V1.0)
2018 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116147
2018 Reports: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117666
Mextrek #8 Oct 2018 (Guanajuato and Real de Catorce After Party V2.0)
2018 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/2018-mextrek-8-oct-20th-23rd-2018.115969/
2018 Report: http://twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1577869#post1577869
Mextrek #9 June 2019 (Santiago, El Naranjo, Xilitla, San Miguel, Guanajuato, Real de Catorce)
2019 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-9-destination-guanajuato-june-22nd-30th-2019.119615/
2019 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mummy-riders-mextrek-9-ride-report.121129/
Mextrek #10 October 2019 (Galeana, San Miguel, Guanajuato)
2019 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/thread...er-24th-to-27th-2019-after-party-v3-0.120425/
2019 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/thread...rt-oct-2019-galeana-nuevo-leon-mexico.122177/
Mextrek #11 October 2020 (Galeana, San Miguel, Guanajuato) - Limited Attendance (Plan B):
Mextrek #11 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/thread...o-october-24-27-2020-after-party-v5-0.122318/
Mextrek #11 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-11-plan-b-october-2020-destination-xilitla.126103/
Mextrek #12 January 2021 "The Fast and the Frostiest" Santiago pre-run event. Limited Attendance
Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-12-the-fast-and-frostiest-edition.126396/
Mextrek #13 April 2021: Santiago "Lite" new rider run.
13 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-13-santiago-lite-april-22nd-to-25th-2021.126115/
13 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/houston-tenemos-problemas-mextrek-13-ride-report.127185/
Mextrek #14, October 2021: Santiago, Galeana, and beyond...Day of the Dead
14 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-14-galeana-and-beyond-oct-23rd-to-26th-2021.127759/
14 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-14-ride-report.128880/
Mextrek #15, April 6 - 10th, 2022 (Santiago and Galeana
15 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/thread...-april-6-10-2022-sa
ntiago-and-galeana.129810/
15 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mex-trek-15-april-2022-ride-report.130220/
Mextrek #16:
16 planning
www.twtex.com
16 report
www.twtex.com
Mextrek #17:
17 planning
www.twtex.com
17 report
www.twtex.com
Registration here and open:
Together we've adventured a pretty good amount, in such a short amount of time, the last 6 years often and famously with Sir Curtis Pelo Loco Jones Esquire, RIP.
I wrote in the memorial guidebook that we will honor Curtis on all future Mextreks, loudly, and with hands up!
I found out yesterday that Curtis, in his expertly prepared notes for the afterlife instructed he be cremated and his ashes spread in many of the places he loved most. Curtis loved Mexico, dearly, and entrusted the "Mextrek OG's" with the task!
Mextrek 18 is renamed in Curtis' honor and will be leaning on the short list of OG's to make a plan to help Pelo Loco be one with mother earth again. Anyone not familiar with Mexico's day of the Dead and remembrance of loved ones lost should do a quick google search. What a wonderful way to remember our friend.
We'll be in Santiago, Galeana, San Miguel, Guanajuato, Real De Catorce. Curtis knew and loved each of these places. We'll tuck a bit away for Baja and give Zeke a pinch for the ranch. Maybe Terlingua too. We'll do what we'd want done for us.
Adios Amigos, and Rest in Peace Uncle Curtis!
For all the newcomers to T.A.R.A. and Mextrek, we invite you on one of the most exciting trips on a long time.... Halloween in San Miguel and Day of the Dead in Guanajuato. This will be bookended by 2 days in Galeana riding the Sierra Madre dual sport region and 2 days after riding to the ghost town of Real de Catorce then a final bougie night in Santiago, the playground of Monterrey's nuevo riche. Cost: $50 experienced, $25 added for first timers for guidebook and maps and that little extra care needed!
Rough schedule:
Friday, Oct 27th: Arrive in McAllen by midnight.
Saturday Oct 28th: McAllen to Galeana via Rayones and Cienega del Toro gopher fields
Sunday Oct 29th: Rides out of Galeana, south, along rivers and canyons
+++
Alternate "Lite" weekend:
Monday, Oct 30th: day rides out of Galeana
Tuesday, Oct 31st: head home
Cost $25
+++
Regular ride continues...
Monday Oct 30th: Ride some highway to the gringo HQ of San Miguel de Allende, with dinner overlooking the Parroquia, the most beautiful church in Mexico, in what the town Conde Naste calls "The most Beautiful City in the WORLD".
Tuesday Oct 31st: San Miguel, Market, Hot Springs, and Halloween parties
Wednesday Nov 1st: Ride overland on the picturesque "Silver trail" to Guanajuato and attend evening Dia de los Muertos parade. GTO is DOD headquarters parades, costumes, tunnel parties, etc...
Thursday Nov 2nd: Enjoy Guanajuato with day ride to mummies, 100 foot Jesus, vineyard tour, evening pub crawl
Friday Nov 3rd: ride north thru the forest to the magical ghost town of Real de Catorce, horseback riding to the old mines
Saturday Nov 4th: Head to Santiago via glorious Hwy 20, thru the ski town of Monterreal for a final banquet at the amazing Hacienda 208
Sunday Nov 5th: Santiago to home, wherever that is.
*About MEXTREK:*
Question 1: What is Mextrek
Mextrek is a gathering of like minded adventure / dual sport motorcycle enthusiasts in Mexico. It is meant to be an introduction to the newly wanderlusting souls who have never experienced this heavenly setting. As well as a time and place to meet up with old friends to experience Mexico once again. In short, its the best motorcycle experience a Texan can possibly take in 5 days. And for many, it is the only international motorcycling opportunity that is achievable on a limited budget on a bike you already own.
Question 2: Why Santiago and Galeana?
Santiago: The most accessible town from the border which also offers incredible scenery, riding, and it's upscale heritage means USA style amenities are not lacking. Great food, banks, english speakers, repair shops, etc... Santiago is only 140 miles of fast and smooth pavement from the border. 2 hrs 45 mins per google. Ride loaded to the hotel, drop everything, and hit the trails by 1PM free and unburdened. Once in Santiago you find a vacation town on the outskirts of Monterrey, with vibrant night life, fine dining, and the off-road mecca of choice for well heeled Mexicans in Monterrey. With stunning views, hikable swimmable waterfalls, high mountain passes, deep canyons, and pristine pastoral areas it's pretty amazing. After a day and night of getting our Mexico adjustment over, it's off to...
Galeana. Smack dab in the middle of the Sierra Madre Oriental mountain range. Twisty mountain dirt tracks in all directions. Dual sport heaven. But, as has been proven time and again, the remoteness of Galeana is its greatest charm and its Achilles heel. It takes 5.5 hours from the border, fully loaded with gear, tools, and clothes. And the last 50 miles of twisties and dirt have been the sudden end to many a vacation just getting started, usually a combination of loaded bikes, day 1 exuberance, and often bad luck. But getting a day of riding in before trekking south to Galeana, you will find the finest dual sport riding within a day's reach from Texas. Literally DUAL SPORT HEAVEN!
Question 3: Is Mexico a good dual sport destination?
You have no idea!!!! Incredible. Fantastic. Every single person that has visited is awed. Raw beauty, huge lush mountains. Prairies. Valleys. Waterfalls. Pics speak for themselves.
Question 4: What do I need to attend?
A reliable and trusty adventure or dual sport motorcycle. Anything from a 250KLX to a BMW1200GSA has a place here. Minimum requirement is your bike should be able to maintain a 55 MPH highway cruise speed. As my CRF230F entertained, Mextrek can be done on 14 horsepower. At 60 MPH. With a 90 mile range.
Other basic must haves:
Valid passport or passport card
Class M license
Motorcycle registration in your name matching passport, valid through duration of trip (With a lien special steps need to be taken)
Good safety gear: Helmet, gloves, boots, jacket, pants, ear protection, google mapped cell phone
Ability to carry very basic tools, 4 days of casual clothing, personal effects on your motorcycle. Pack light and a backpack is sufficient.
Question 5: What will this cost?
A. Basic fee goes toward my coordination efforts, and our ride guide's expenses. $50 more for first timers gets GPS files, overview maps, ride guide support every day, 24/7 emotional support before during and after, and a wonderful book by Richard G (Trailboss) detailing the area, prep, and what to expect; .
B. Permits to take your bike into Mexico will run another $55 or so.
C. Budget another $50 a day for food, drinks, and gas. $50 to $75 for hotels. Mexico has gotten much more expensive, but it is still very reasonable.
Question 5: Communication
I use only Whatsapp, a facebook product, in a group message to communicate. It is a lifesaver.
Question 6: Has this sort of thing been done before? Have my friends already been? Are there answers to all my questions already in print?
Mextrek #1
2008 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27799&highlight=mextrek+2008
2008 Reports: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=33656
Mextrek #2
2009 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=41336
2009 Reports: http://twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=671326#post671326
Mextrek #3
2010 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46716
2010 Reports: http://twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=749178#post749178
Mextrek #4
2015 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102388
2015 Reports: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1384620
Mextrek #5
2016 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=106148
2016 Reports: http://twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=111763
Mextrek#6
2017 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=112382
2017 Reports: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115745
Mextrek #7 June 2018 (Guanajuato and Real de Catorce and El Salto after party V1.0)
2018 Planning: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116147
2018 Reports: http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=117666
Mextrek #8 Oct 2018 (Guanajuato and Real de Catorce After Party V2.0)
2018 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/2018-mextrek-8-oct-20th-23rd-2018.115969/
2018 Report: http://twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1577869#post1577869
Mextrek #9 June 2019 (Santiago, El Naranjo, Xilitla, San Miguel, Guanajuato, Real de Catorce)
2019 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-9-destination-guanajuato-june-22nd-30th-2019.119615/
2019 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mummy-riders-mextrek-9-ride-report.121129/
Mextrek #10 October 2019 (Galeana, San Miguel, Guanajuato)
2019 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/thread...er-24th-to-27th-2019-after-party-v3-0.120425/
2019 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/thread...rt-oct-2019-galeana-nuevo-leon-mexico.122177/
Mextrek #11 October 2020 (Galeana, San Miguel, Guanajuato) - Limited Attendance (Plan B):
Mextrek #11 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/thread...o-october-24-27-2020-after-party-v5-0.122318/
Mextrek #11 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-11-plan-b-october-2020-destination-xilitla.126103/
Mextrek #12 January 2021 "The Fast and the Frostiest" Santiago pre-run event. Limited Attendance
Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-12-the-fast-and-frostiest-edition.126396/
Mextrek #13 April 2021: Santiago "Lite" new rider run.
13 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-13-santiago-lite-april-22nd-to-25th-2021.126115/
13 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/houston-tenemos-problemas-mextrek-13-ride-report.127185/
Mextrek #14, October 2021: Santiago, Galeana, and beyond...Day of the Dead
14 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-14-galeana-and-beyond-oct-23rd-to-26th-2021.127759/
14 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mextrek-14-ride-report.128880/
Mextrek #15, April 6 - 10th, 2022 (Santiago and Galeana
15 Planning: https://www.twtex.com/forums/thread...-april-6-10-2022-sa
ntiago-and-galeana.129810/
15 Report: https://www.twtex.com/forums/threads/mex-trek-15-april-2022-ride-report.130220/
Mextrek #16:
16 planning
Mextrek #16 "Lite", October 5th to 9th 2022
Amigos, The next iteration of Mextrek is occurring this October 5th to 9th, 2022. This trip will be similar to previous 4 day Mextreks, but with a few twists thrown in. New itinerary for this trip includes class 1/2 only option for larger dual sports and newer riders. Peter, AKA Pedro del...
16 report
Mex Trek 16 Oct 2022 Ride Report
Typing this from a warm, comfortable bed in Houston is a good feeling. Riders, post your favorite pictures and videos and stories here!
Mextrek #17:
17 planning
Mextrek #17 Santiago "Lite" April 19th to 24th 2023
Save the date (Date changed) A 5 day, 4 night quick trip to the coolest and closest colonial town to Texas. Awesome mountain and canyon riding, great food, tranquil setting. New this trip we are coordinating with Joaquin to participate in the annual Nuevo Leon ADV rally. Concurrently...
17 report
Mextrek 17 Ride Report! (April 2023)
This year we ended up with 24 riders, from newbies to veterans. This year was in cooperation with the 2023 Nuevo Leon ADV Rally, which meant shirts, stickers and parties for the weekend in Santiago! Moody weather and occasional bike hiccups kept this trip interesting, but all 4-5 days went...
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