Escarabajo: (noun) Beetle in spanish. Term used to describe Colombian cyclists.
The modern history of the Escarabajos' attendance to the Rosarito /Ensenada ride started in the spring of 1998 when Ruben Tabares and Steve Wood invited us to ride south of the border for the first time. One ride was enough, we were hooked. We started bringing more friends to share the experience, drink a few margaritas, and eat some tacos on the street. Team "Buenas Nalgas" was officially named after the Spanish "pick up lines" that Ruben was teaching Steve Wood.
On Thanksgiving Day 1999 Ruben Tabares passed away while riding his bike in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Coming to the Rosarito ride with a group of friends is our tribute to Ruben, he enjoyed each moment to the fullest with a laugh and a big smile until the end.
The ride got a jump start in 2002 with Juan Diego Currea and his crew, old and new faces reunited to keep the ride's history rolling.
Here is a brief history of our previous rides:
"Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it" Cantinflas
Rosarito - Ensenada I
April 18,1998
Riders: Steve, Cliff, Ruben, Jairo , Andres
Best Ride Time: 3 hr 10 min
Support Staff: Las Tias Strip Joint
Accommodations: Ensenada,Roach Motel
Highlights:
First attendance by the Escarabajo team. After the ride, we were thankful for the invention of "Icy Hot". Jairo and I called it a night after going to one too many strip joints where the girls were older than our own aunts.
I snored like an elephant with the flu (this was before my snoring surgery / exorcism) and Jairo got lucky with his bike. Ruben and Steve partied the night before the ride and the night after ( that's if you call strip joints "partying")
Rosarito - Ensenada II
September 26,1998
Riders:Steve, Cliff, Ruben, Jairo , Blanca, Andres
Best Ride Time: 3 hr 38 min
Support Staff: Mercedes
Accommodations: Ensenada,Roach Motel
Highlights:
"Wake up white people!!, they have stolen our cars!!" Ruben's wake up call becomes the signature phrase of the trip. Blanca cracks a rib while going downhill, and still finishes the ride. Ruben and Steve partied the night before the ride and the night after, once again. During this trip, Steve Wood was in charge of the accomodations (very bad idea), we had to do
our own valet parking in order for other hotel guests to park their cars.
Rosarito - Ensenada III
April 17,1999
Riders: Steve and Olga (tandem), Cliff, Sonia and Ruben (tandem),Jairo ,Mercedes, Blanca, Andres, Derek , Bernadette
Best Ride Time: 3 hr 26 min
Support Staff: Jennifer , Gina,
Accommodations: Rosarito,Motel Sonia
Highlights:
After getting our toilet paper from the front desk we wondered if $25 a night was such a good bargain. However, the criminal element at the motel was quite friendly and did not mind our block party hosted by DJ Ruben- using his van's stereo-. The best way to describe Motel Sonia is Gina's words and facial expression when she first saw the motel's facade , while grabbing her face in panic, she mumbled , "OH MY GOD" . This time Ruben and Steve partied the night before the ride , the next day they decided to make it a little more challenging and rode 50 miles on tandems, carrying girls that had probably never been on a bike before (dead weight). The night after, they partied just a little, once again. Blanca fell victim to the heat, but again, finishes the ride. This will be Ruben's last Rosarito ride.
Rosarito - Ensenada IV
April 20, 2002
Riders: Oscar, Juan Diego, Andres
Best Ride Time: 3 hr 16 min
Support Staff: Steve, Eva , Jason, Harold Parker, Jairo, Mercedes, Felipe,
Blanca
Accommodations: Rosarito, Beach House
Highlights:
After 3 years of absence, Rosarito IV marks the first time in the ride's history that we don't allow Steve Wood to arrange the accommodations for the Escarabajo Team, what a great idea!! This time we have real towels, plenty of toilet paper, warm water, and no white trash ladies calling us "BIKER FAGGOTS". Jairo, Steve, and Blanca are "M.I.A." (Missing in Action) for the ride, presumably under "Beach House Arrest". Rookies JD and Oscar kicked ass on their first time at the ride. The first "World Taco Eating Championships" WTEC are held, the record is set by me: 22 tacos in one afternoon, Oscar retires because of diarrhea.
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Rosarito - Ensenada V
April 5, 2003
Riders: Steve, Gustavo, Daryoush, Juan Diego, Andres, Cliff
Best Ride Time: 2 hr 57 min
Support Staff : Oscar, Jason, Jason's boyfriend (some Nicaraguan dude),
Bernardo
Accommodations: Rosarito, Oceana Condominiums
Highlights:
This time we are staying in style, Oceana Condominiums, steps away from Papas and Beer. Now we go even further in isolating the riders (nonsmokers) from the support staff (smokers, etc), by staying in two different condominiums. Juan Diego did not make the cut and stayed with the smokers, the next day he rode like an animal!! (he should have been tested). It has been reported that his wake up call consisted of Jason "Caballo" pouring beer over his head while screaming, "Levantate hijueputa" (wake up son of a bitch), in heavy Nicaraguan accent. Daryoush takes a Margarita shower at the "Ensenada Fiesta" given to him by a cycling fan. Oscar is MIA for the ride (tested positive). Jairo is being detained by the "Barranquilla
Police Department" (BPD). During the "World Taco Eating Championships" WTEC,the previous record of 22 tacos is not broken, Oscar retires because of diarrhea once again.
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Rosarito - Ensenada VI
September 27,2003
Riders: Daryoush, Steve, Ted, Pete, Juan Diego, Andres
Best Ride Time: 2 hr 47 min
Support Staff: Felipe ,Bernardo, Jason "Caballo" , Christian, Sergio (you
are not dreaming, yes, Sergio Molina), Oscar
Accomodations: Rosarito, Oceana Condominiums
Highlights:
Rosarito VI marks the second time that an all male team is assembled to compete in this race. Mix this with beer, tacos, mariachis, lobster, and you get a ride that is worth repeating. The " World Taco Eating Championships" WTEC are held with no clear winner, the previous diahrrea incidents keep the contestants from attacking. Steve Wood was the king of Chicks and Beer, he did not make any tips because it is illegal in Mexico to tip men, but his -no shirt, pants down- dance is one for the record books. Keep in mind that all this fun is happenning the night before the ride. The ride was a perfect fall ride, great weather and an excellent beer & taco party at the end of the 50 miles. Ortegas followed, with the traditional lobster feast, and we closed the night with a tequila drinking contest at Papas & Beer. Yadi Yada Yada
Photos:
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Rosarito - Ensenada VII
September 25,2004
Riders: Steve Wood, Ted Logan , Carlos , Harold Perlaza, Mauricio Perlaza,
Juan Diego Currea, Sergio Molina, Hugo Gordillo, Jairo Ospina, Shawn
Miller, Julio Jaramillo, Andres Roldan.
Best Ride Time: 2 hr 19 min
Support Staff: Jason "Caballo" , Christian, Oscar , Andres Palacios
Accomodations: Rosarito, Oceana Condominiums
Highlights:
A record setting rider attendance on this occasion. The Perlaza brothers finally made it after years of threatening to come. An all american team assembled as well , no need for an interpreter because Jason's language is impossible to translate. This time some us started the party on Thursday with a quick tour of the historical monuments in town . Tacos and beer was
the diet of choice. At night, Shawn and I turned the dining room into a velodrome and raced around it with no clear winner. The clear winner was Chicks & Beer, they took our money and our dignity, three nights in a row.
Photos:
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Rosarito - Ensenada, Ocho
September 24, 2005
Riders: Marta, Molisa, Juan Diego, Dean, Otto, Hugo, Andres Roldan
Best Time: 2hr 45 min
Support Staff: Jason "Caballo", Bernardo, Danny, Miguel, Andres Palacios
Accomodations: Rosarito, Oceana Condominiums
Highlights:
This trip sets the bar high for any future trips to Rosarito. Marta rules at Chicks and Beer and takes the kingdom away from Steve with a single lap dance. Andres R. shows his abilities spinning on the pole and Andres P. wastes no time as well. The lines between the two condos are finally erased, we all face the fact that partying is more important than a dumb bike ride. Otto and Dean have a surfing workshop followed by a volleyball game at Papas and Beer. The ride goes on with no incident, except, a common hangover lingers around all of the riders. The most
significant event of the trip is Bernardo's invention of the "Baby Shot", this invention will revolutionize the world of drinking; Juan Diego seizes the opportunity and buys a franchise of the baby shot on the spot. Caballo and Juan diego tie Jairo with a record five trips to Taco land. Steve Wood does not attend for the first time the Escarabajo Tour. Chicks and Beer observed a minute of silence in his honor. Macho Taco, Ortegas, Chicks and Beer, Papas, El Nido restaurant continue to suppport the Escarabajo Team.
Photos:
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Rosarito - Ensenada, Nueve
September 30,2006
Riders: Andres Roldan, Otto Laszlo, Jairo Ospina, Daryoush Bahar
(Pedro), Dean, Steve Wood, Carlos Morales, Rodrigo Luna, Hugo Gordillo, Tony (and dog), Ed Daniels, Frank , Orsy, Monty.
Best Time: 2 hr 34 min
Support Staff: Jason "Caballo", Bernardo, Miguel, JD (Sidelined by Diahrrea) , Eddie, Gabriela
Accomodations: Rosarito, Oceana Condominiums
T-Shirt artwork "Team Buenas Nalgas" : Sergio & Jennifer Molina
Rosarito all Stars ! An MVP team was assembled this year. Steve Wood after 2 years of absence and Daryoush after 3 years returned with a vengeance, the Magtek team was out in force too, and some new riders as well. The team spent its pre-ride preparation hours with the usual tour of the historical monuments in town and a shopping trip to TJ.
The World Taco Eating Championships (WTEC) claimed another victim once again, JD Currea saw his riding hopes go down the toilet as the diahrrea ate away his intestines. He was not able to whistle or laugh for fear of letting his innermost foods out for the world to see.
The ride was grazed by beautiful weather and great support as always, Otto drafted every possible rider in the field and made a great time to the finish line. At the Ensenada Fiesta, Otto was in charge of entertainment and decided to moon 10,000 men, women, and children to show them how Hungarians really party. He was thrown off the stage, but this was a show stopper as only the Ottoman can do.
Back in Rosarito, Otto made everybody appreciate the joy of being alive after he drove us from Rosarito to Puerto Nuevo in the Ottovan, among prayers, screams, and laughter, we were glad to enjoy one more spiked margarita, rice, beans, and lobster. Keep pedaling !
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Rosarito - Ensenada, Diez
September 29 ,2007
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