Riding in Medellin, Colombia

Medellin is a Colombian city that has been marked by violence for many years, but Paisas (Natives from Medellin) always seem to have a smile even when things go bad.


Medellin is not only an important industrial city but it is also big in mountain biking, why? Because it’s location and geography is different from the rest of the departments (states), here we are surrounded by mountains. The bike scene is pretty big around here, famous roads for roadies and big long trails for mountain bikers.




Besides all the problems of insecurity, corruption, etc, local riders always try to have time to spend with friends and have a good time riding a bike, drinking beer and partying.
It’s not like we can’t go for a spin around town because we might get robbed. That happens even in the best cities around the world. The truth is, Colombia is not what it used to be, Medellin is great city full of kind people, nice ladies and big mountains (haha)




Here’s where the adventure begins, in Santa Helena. A beautiful small town near down town Medellin, about 40 minutes by car, you drive all the way up to the top of the mountain, hop on your bike a pedal about 5 minutes to where the course starts. It is actually one of locals favourite track, it’s long and quite complete, with high speed sections, technical parts, rock gardens and natural jumps.



Good thing about Colombia?

You can ride all year round, from dusty super hot summers that can go up to 35ºC - to rain season, just put on your mud tires and go. It gets quite sketchy once you’ve reached the rockgarden, specially after the rain, but nothing you can’t have fun on.


In Medellin there’s always a time and place to do what you love, in this case it's downhill. All tracks are built by riders, for riders which have found a way to escape the reality and somehow avoid the problems. Mountain biking allows us to forget about the problems while riding your bike.


Once you’re at the top, and you put on your goggles, you enter on your own world, you are right there, a special moment between the track and your bicycle (in few words the track and you), in that moment the only thing that matters is to go fast, the rest is just fun on two wheels.

Colombians are more than glad to welcome all kind of riders (and tourists in general), an opportunity to show the world what a beautiful country we have, although marked by a dark past, we’ve left that behind and focused on the great things we have.