Colombian Cycling Culture is a Sight to Behold

“As I sat in a restaurant on the outskirts of the city… I watched as thousands of cyclists of all ages and styles passed in front of my eyes – a sea of cyclists. Street vendors were all selling bike gear – helmets, sunglasses and uniforms. Everything was about cycling. I had never even dreamed of anything like that, but once one of our Dutch riders told me that he also had never witnessed anything similar, I realized that what I was seeing was absolutely unique.“

– from Colombia’s Crazy Cycling Culture, 2017

I remember reading this blog by Cristiano, our South America Head of Operations, and thinking it all sounded quite cool but it wasn’t until I experienced this myself in July that I could truly appreciate what he was saying. Cycling into Bogota on a Sunday means joining a river of local cyclists who are out enjoying the quieter weekend traffic. It reminded me of being at a bike race where all you see are cyclists in every direction – but this was a public road on the outskirts of a massive city where it felt as if cyclists had simply taken over the streets.

Up into Bogota

While participating in this year’s South American Epic, I chose to tackle this big climb into Bogota. Cristiano had mentioned it was a ‘classic’ route for local cyclists. Starting from La Vega, you almost immediately start climbing and it doesn’t relent for 25 km during which you ascend 1600m. I did see a lot of cyclists on the climb and it was exciting to be amongst the local crowd enjoying their weekend ride but as I reached the summit the true scale of the local cycling scene became apparent.

Shanny at the top of the climb

It isn’t just Bogota – each day in every place across Colombia we saw cyclists. The range of riders was extremely wide – women and men of all ages chugging uphill on knobby-tired mountain bikes or whizzing down another hill on slick carbon racing machines (there is only uphill or downhill in Colombia, nothing is flat!). Some were in serious looking pelotons and others were in pods of one or two friends, out to enjoy themselves at a more moderate pace. Some wore sleek and flashy cycling kits, others were in baggy shorts, but everyone was just there to ride.

Especially on the weekends, even in the more remote or rural areas we passed through like Elias and the southern city of Pasto, we saw many cyclists out enjoying the natural beauty of their country and the natural challenge of the climbs in the Andes. If the mountains in Ethiopia and Kenya created a running culture, they have certainly created a cycling culture in Colombia.

“Riding on rural climbs, it is common to see local cyclists in pro gear training on the climbs, stopping to watch the Tour de France at a local cafe, then climbing another mountain – perhaps we have seen the next Nairo Quintana or Rigoberto Uran…So it is safe to say, the Colombians love their bicycles, and for us riding on the tour, it makes us feel more welcome and slightly safer as we pedal across this cycling crazy nation.” – from ¡Mucho Gusto Colombia! Blog, 2017

“I haven’t been in any other country that has had such an avid cycling culture…everyone greets each other. Theres a real sorority/fraternity. The passion they have…all linked through cycling was tremendous.” -2024 South American Epic participant Tom Perlmutter

I was glad to have experienced Colombian cycling culture and hope I have a chance to return. In this video our Content Creator for the 2024 South American Epic sits down with some of the tour participants and a local cycling advocate to gain further insights into what the local culture is all about.

Have you been to an under-the-radar cycling destination? Tell us about a cycling-mad country you have visited in the comments below.

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