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In a minutes time, you can see all of the upcoming Texas bike rides for the month of June!
Check out more upcoming rides on our Texas Bike Rides page
Think we missed something? Fill out the Contact Us form and tell us about it!
Without further to do, the Texas bike rides for the month of June, 2011!
The 6th Annual Spindletop Spin honoring the memory of Tom Mulvaney invites you to join their ride on June 4, 2011 at 290 Crockett St, Beaumont, TX
We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Cindy Torrans, Fundraiser Coordinator of Spindletop Spin to ask some questions about their upcoming ride
Why Join the “Spindletop Spin”?
The best organized ride in Southeast Texas
How long has the event been around and how did it start?
The Spindletop Spin is gearing up for the 6th annual event. The Spindletop Spin is the brain child of one of our local attorneys, Tracy Richardson. He is an avid cyclist.
What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?
The motivation behind the Spin is to benefit the Jefferson County Bar Association Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting educational programs for at-risk youth, providing representation to the indigent, promoting community understanding of the legal system and fostering the administration of justice.
How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
The Foundation provides assistance through many community programs, including:
Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?
The Spindletop Spin has many committees, Logistics, Food, Volunteers, Ride Organization and Maintenance. We have approximately 200 volunteers. The event is planned all year long but we go into high gear starting the month of April. The Spindletop Spin’s budget ranges from $23,000 to $25,000.
What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?
Watching it grow. We are ecstatic to report that the Spin continues to set records! With almost 600 bike riders last year, it has proven to be one of the most successful events for Southeast Texas.
How many riders do you assist during the average race?
Do you mean help with issues when you say assist? If so that number is very low, approximately 7-10 cyclists all day.
What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event? (prefer the rewarding/unforgettable experience ;o))
The most unforgettable experience was the year a 12 year old did the 72 mile route (at the time this was the farthest route) in less than 5 hours.
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
Join us on June 4th! Big supporters go to our website and click on the tab “I want to help Sponsor”
What is your role in this race and to the success of it?
I am the fundraiser coordinator. The success of this event is all of our volunteers!
Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?
For those who have never experienced riding in an organized event, you do not know what you are missing. Along the routes you can make new friends and get a first-hand view of the willingness of many working for one common cause. What that cause may be varies among individuals, but for one day they are all riding to benefit the citizens of Southeast Texas by supporting our programs.
Visit www.spindletopspin.com or www.active.com to register to ride.
Thanks Cindy Torrans for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!
Click here to view the event details of the 6th Annual Spindletop Spin
In the left corner we have the Kuat Sherpa who came recommended to us by several folks Karen, Tracy and Gary – in the other the Saris Thelma, recommended by Chris after extensive research and 3 years of use.
Kuat Sherpa:
Kuat is a relative newcomer to the automotive rack business. They specialize in hitch mounted racks and bring a new fresh perspective to the segment. Their racks are user-friendly and designed to withstand the elements.
Kuat manufactures their racks from aluminum so they are light and resistant to the elements.
The Kuat Sherpa retails for $449.99; a very nice bike rack for the money. Well thought out design, easy to use, and included locks, make this a rack worth considering–a great choice for frequent cyclists.
Saris Thelma:
Saris is an established manufacturer of bicycle racks. They manufacture transportation racks as well as parking racks and have a wide variety of options to choose from to transport your bike.
One of their more popular hitch mounted racks is the Saris Thelma. The Thelma retails for $319.99. It is manufactured from aluminum and fiberglass reinforced plastic so it is light and resistant to the elements.
This ingenious rack is lightweight and very easy to load a bike. There is a bit of initial assembly of the rack that is akin to assembling IKEA furniture. After this initial build the ease of use is very good.
A good choice for the money, the wheel trays make loading the bicycle very easy, it sits in place while you secure the wheel straps. If you are going to be removing the rack from the vehicle frequently this may be a good choice. They are both similar in weight but the Thelma folds a bit flatter.
Wrap up:
Both are very capable racks and perform very well. Both are light and manufactured to withstand the elements. Both have a lifetime warranty.
The biggest difference between the two is the price.
The Kuat has features and construction that justify the $130 difference. The ratcheting arms utilizing a mechanical closure are nice. Included locks are an added bonus. Being able to use the rack for all wheel sizes is a strong feature as well.
The Saris Thelma is a capable performer. This Made in the USA rack is a very stable performer that will get your bikes where you are going safely and securely.
Conclusion:
Between the two racks the Saris Thelma is a great choice for the occasional cyclist as well as the budget conscious cyclist. The Kuat is an excellent choice for the more frequent cyclist. The higher price point is more than justified in the added features.
Honorable mention:
Several other hitch bike racks were suggested.
Hollywood Sport Rider 2 by www.hollywoodracks.com was recommended by Larry as well as the Swagman Cross Country series by Robert.
Most Information provided by Gary Thornton , a 25-year bicycle industry veteran. Throughout his career Gary has worked for industry leading companies in sales and marketing. When not working in the bicycle industry he enjoys riding his bicycle, traveling with his bicycles, working on bicycles, reading and writing about bicycles. Gary also runs the whimsical bicycle lifestyle blog My Life Behind Bars at www.velorambling.com
Here is a quick interview with Scott Strom who is helping to organize the Fort Worth ‘Ride of Silence’ event and was kind enough to do a quick interview with us today.
Please be so kind and introduce the Ride of Silence to folks that are not familiar with it.
On the third Wednesday of May, at 7 PM local around the world, cyclists will take to the roads in a silent protest of the carnage taking place on the streets.
Chris Phelan organized the first Ride of Silence in Dallas in 2003 after endurance cyclist Larry Schwartz was killed by a passing bus mirror on an empty road. The Ride of Silence is a free ride that asks its cyclists to ride no faster than 12 mph for no longer than an hour, and to remain silent during the ride.
The ride hopes to raise cycling awareness during bike safety month to motorists, police, traffic engineers, insurance companies, and city officials. The ride is also a chance to mourn, funeral-procession-style, those who have already been killed. There are no fees charged to participate.
This is OUR ride. We have charity rides for AIDS, diabetes, MS, disabled veterans, cancer and all sorts of other things. This ride is about bicycling. It’s our chance to, very politely and quietly, ask drivers to please stop killing us.
How did this Texas bike ride go global?
As I understand it, the first Ride of Silence drew a crowd of 1000, based purely on Word of mouth getting around. Clearly, people were really ready for an outlet of this kind when Chris put the ride together in memory of his friend. Chris felt very strongly that the world needs to be safer for cyclists and others and wanted to keep his friend’s memory alive. He decided to do the ride annually. He did interviews, used social media, created a web page, and other people started doing the ride in cities all around the world.
How did you personally get involved in Ride of Silence?
If I ever heard about the ride before last year, it didn’t really register with me. I think my daughter heard about it through Facebook and sent me a link. I found the directions to the Fort Worth ride and joined in.
I have only been cycling for a little over 2 years now. I rode a bike as a kid, and had one in the eighties. It embarrasses me how little I ever rode it.
In ’09, I decided that I needed to get some exercise to lose weight. My doctors have been telling me that for a long time, but I finally decided to do it. I tried walking at the mall and on the local school track, but I couldn’t stay on my feet for more than 5 minutes at a time. I had severe hip and leg pain that wouldn’t let me stand for any longer than that. I was working with my doctor on finding and fixing that, and trying to lose weight at the same time. I pulled the last bicycle we gave my son out of the garage, put new inner tubes on it and started riding. I found that I could ride much longer than I could walk and could get some really good exercise. I picked up a used bike for my wife and we started riding together.
The pain turned out to be from a broken vertebra from an injury 34 years earlier. I had spinal fusion and I’m now able to walk or run without the pain I used to have; but now I’m a cyclist. Why would I want to walk when I can ride?
On last year’s ride, my wife and I found that the route had a big, steep hill that scared off some cyclists who might have ridden if we took a different route. We made it up the hill, but it was the toughest hill we had ever climbed. I knew that I wanted this year’s route to be easier so that all the cyclists who wanted to do the ride would be able to. I designed a route that I knew would work and suggested it to the officers of every bicycle club I knew of in the area. Of course, everybody looked at it and, without actually saying it, let me know that I had taken the ball and it was time to run with it. I designed fliers and posters, placed those in 16 bike shops, notified every club of what was going on, talked to the city about permits and the police about traffic control, and have talked about the ride so much, people are ready for my silence to begin. I’ve gotten to know a lot of great people I wouldn’t have otherwise.
Can you share with us a story or two of people we will be honoring tonight?
One of our riders whose name I’ve misplaced let me know that she was hit by a car in July of 2010. This is only her 4th ride outside, since the accident.
I also received a call from Scott Rankin, thanking me for organizing the ride and asking me to include his name. He had an accident with a parked UPS truck in 2009 and is now a quadriplegic.
Last year, Lauren Huddleston was jogging on the Katy trail in Dallas and was hit by a cyclist and killed. On the trails, we are the cars. We have to understand that pedestrians can be unpredictable and that they deserve the respect from us that we expect from drivers on the road.
How many people/riders do you expect at the event?
I’ll be really shocked if we have less than 200. I won’t be surprised if we have over 500. We had over 110 confirmed on the event page on Facebook yesterday.
What can we in the cycling community do to prevent accidents?
Education is the biggest thing we can do. Both drivers and cyclists do a lot of things wrong. Many cyclists ride against traffic, don’t stop for traffic lights or stop signs, dart in and out of sidewalks and parking lots, and don’t have lights or even reflectors on their bikes. Drivers are distracting themselves with cell phones and other things while they drive, driving too close to cyclists they see, and there are still too many drunk drivers.
It is also helpful to let city and state officials know that things need to change to keep us from getting killed out there. Fort Worth just added several miles of bike lanes in the near Southside. They continue to add to the Trinity Trails and are adding more bike lanes and bike racks all over the city. This wouldn’t have happened without an active cycling community pushing for it all the time.
What would you like people to take away from this event?
I hope that the cyclists who ride tonight leave knowing that they are part of a big, loving community, where we care what happens to other cyclists. I hope those grieving for lost cyclists are comforted by this enormous, virtual-group-hug. I hope city leaders realize that a lot more needs to be done to make our streets safe. I hope that drivers realize that there are a lot of us out there and they need to share the roads with us.
If just 1 driver gets the message and decides never to text while driving again, and that driver passes by just 1 cyclist that he would have hit, every bit of effort we’ve put into getting this ride together was worth it.
Any last directions or reminders before the ride tomorrow, where can folks get more info if they so wish?
We’re asking everyone to park either at the Farrington Field parking lot or the Rosedale trailhead along the Trinity Trails. Several groups are parking even further away and riding in. We want to keep the parking inside Trinity Park clear for disabled riders and for other park users.
The ride requests black arm bands be worn, red only if you have had a bike/motor vehicle accident. Helmets are required; bright clothing and lights are highly recommended for the ride home.
Route maps are online at GMaps Pedometer and MapMyRide.com.
http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=4410220
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/30079818/
There is a Facebook event for the ride at:https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=197331356970679
The web site is: http://www.rideofsilence.org/
Thank you for granting us this short interview and we’ll see you tonight!
The Wheelbrothers
P.S. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook
Detailed ride information for all of Texas Ride of Silence
On May 4th cyclist Larry Schwartz was killed by a school bus mirror while riding his bike in Dallas, Texas. During his funeral on May 8th the concept and the idea for a ‘Ride of Silence’ in his honor was born. Chris Phelan, a friend of Mr. Schwartz and the person responsible for starting this initiative, sent emails around the local cycling community a couple of days later.
Amazingly, over 1,000 people attended the first ‘Ride of Silence’ honoring Larry and other cyclists, which passed away that year, just 2 weeks later on May 21st, 2003. Larry’s death inspired a movement, that since has spread not only around Texas but around the world as far away as Antarctica.
On Wednesday May 18th 2011 at 7pm there will be rides all around the World, to once again, honor the fallen cyclists for the year 2010.
Make the time to participate and join the Wheelbrothers and thousands of other cyclists in their honor.
ETIQUETTE:
The Ride of Silence is a silent ride. When possible, please use hand signals to alert other riders of turns/hazards.
The Ride of Silence is a memorial procession. Please ride no faster than 12mph; novice to expert, we all ride together.
Please be alert and considerate of other trail users who may not be aware of the ride.
When returning to the starting area, we line up with our bikes on both sides of the park road, to safely welcome back the remaining riders.
Fort Worth:
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The ride will start in Trinity Park, at the picnic pavilion just west of the FWWR track. Trinity Park Drive is one-way northbound through this area. Riders coming in from northern areas, such as the Farrington Field parking lot, should follow the road to the north, then ride on the trail back to the south and follow the road to the pavilion. Signs will be posted to direct you. Please do not ride the wrong way on one-way streets.
Dallas:
The ride will start on the west side of White Rock Lake at the Branchfield-Fisher (aka Boat Launching) parking lot. Approximately 3800 W. Lawther Road.
Houston:
Two groups will converge at City Hall. One meets at Memorial Park and the other group will ride from Hermann Park and ride to the reflecting pond at city Hall. Wear a plain white T-shirt.
More details about the Houston Ride here.
There are to many rides to list here so if you don’t see your city listed please go to the Ride of Silence page for more information.
The 24th Annual Cross Timbers Classic benefitting the Northwest Metroport Chamber of Commerce and Flower Mound Rotary charities and civic service projects invites you to join their ride on May 21, 2011 held at the Texas Motor Speedway 3545 Lone Star Circle, Fort Worth, TX
We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Cristina Weeks of The Cross Timbers Classic to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.
Why Join the “Cross Timbers Classic”?
The Cross Timbers Classic is known for having friendly volunteers and fun activities. We’ll have free t-shirts and goodie bags. A warm-up instructor will be on hand before the race. The first lap of the route is on the Texas Motor Speedway race track (pretty cool). Then there are a variety of routes to choose that ride through some quaint towns and beautiful countryside. After the race, we’ll have free BBQ, beer and a band in the TMS Garages. Plus, a masseuse will be on hand, compliments of Hidden Spa.
How long has the event been around and how did it start?
This is the 24th year for the race. It was started by the Flower Mound Rotary as a fundraiser for charities they support. This year, the Northwest Metroport Chamber of Commerce has joined the effort. The race goes through many of the cities that make up the chamber, including Haslet, Justin, Northlake, Roanoke, Trophy Club and Westlake. (Did you know that Roanoke is known as the “Unique Dining Capital” and Westlake was recently named the nation’s most affluent community by Forbes?)
What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?
Texas is a great place for cycling. It is a huge sport. Plus cyclists are great people! What would be more fun than to host a ride? The event benefits non-profit organizations supported by the Flower Mound Rotary and the Northwest Metroport Chamber.
How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
In the past, the Flower Mound Rotary has divided proceeds in order to support a variety of non-profit organizations, including the American Cancer Society, American Diabetes Association, American Red Cross, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Habitat for Humanity, Polio Plus, Wheelchair Foundation, YMCA to name a few.
Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?
We have more than 100 volunteers prepped for the event. There has been a tremendous amount of planning completed by 12 committees. Everything from poster distribution to safety & security to SAG wagons to registration to hospitality and more! The community support has been fantastic with some wonderful sponsors. This year, we’re hitting record numbers of registration sign-ups as well.
What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?
Really, it’s the people. After months of planning, it’s so rewarding to have cyclists say they enjoyed the event and will be back next year.
How many riders do you assist during the average race?
A lot depends on the weather. We’ve enjoyed anywhere from 600 to 1,500 riders in previous years.
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
Spread the word about the race! We have limited funds for promotion, so a lot of communication is by word of mouth. Tell your friends and fellow cyclists. They can follow us at www.Facebook.com/CrossTimbersClassic.
What is your role in this race and to the success of it?
Every year the race is coordinated by volunteers. This year the Northwest Metroport Chamber has joined with the Flower Mound Rotary to really learn the ropes. In future years, the Chamber will host the event entirely. So, right now, we’re jumping in with both feet to learn the ropes and maintain the same high level of quality. We’re really glad the Flower Mound Rotary is still with us this year, so nothing falls through the cracks. We’re working to document every activity/task and create a strategy to make the Cross Timbers Classic one of the best in North Texas.
Do you ride and if yes, what kind of bicycle do you ride and what is your favorite route in your area?
Carol Jones, our Chamber President, rides. She says, “My favorite ride is in my community of Saginaw, TX in the early morning. I ride anywhere from 13 to 15 miles depending on how much time I have. The bike I ride is a Dawes.”
Which are your top 3 favorite MUST DO rides in Texas (besides your own)?
Carol says, “Around Saginaw, Hotter than Hell in Wichita Falls and of course I have to list Cross Timbers Classic.”
Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?
Not only will the race be enjoyable and have fun activities, our goal is to be safe for the cyclists. We have six, shiny new Chevrolet Silverados for SAG wagons, medical personnel, First Aid stations at each rest stop and the help of our local police. The event will be fun and safe for all. Plus, with a variety of routes from 100 miles to the Family Classic, everyone can choose the ride that’s best for them.
Thanks Cristina Weeks for this quick interview and we hope to catch everyone at the ride!
Click here to view the event details of the 24th Annual Cross Timbers Classic
The friendly folks of Bike Friendly Arlington sent us the following:
Bike Friendly Arlington would like for you to “Bike the Vote” this election season. We’ve posted about where to go for early voting, but we’ve also created a voting guide summarizing the candidates positions regarding the Hike & Bike Plan. The voting guide pulls information from websites such as VoteforArlington.com, the League of Women Voters, and various Star-Telegram articles covering the candidate forums. You can check out our summary of the candidate’s positions regarding bicycling here.
This Saturday we’ll be riding to vote. If you can’t make it early, you can always vote on election day.
Upcoming City Hall Meetings
There are two upcoming city meetings that we want to make you aware of and encourage you to attend. The council committee (Councilmembers Shepard, Bennett, and Wilemon) that is in charge of reviewing the Hike and Bike plan and then recommending changes to the full council will be meeting with staff this Monday (May 9) to discuss changes to the plan. It’s an open meeting, but residents in attendance are not given a chance to speak. You can show support by wearing your yellow “I Support the Plan” shirt or any other yellow shirt. Staff and possibly council members may be available to answer questions afterward. This meeting is important because it will give us an idea about what changes to the plan council intends to make before it goes to a vote.We’ve made an event on Facebook, and you can RSVP to attend by clicking here.
The 17th Annual Armadillo Hill country Classic Ride benefiting the Austin Cycling Association invites you to participate to their Ride on May 14, 2011 in Liberty Hill High School, Liberty TX.
We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Erin Truslow of Armadillo Hill country Classic Ride to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.
Why Join the “ Armadillo Hill country classic ride”?
The 17th Annual Armadillo Hill Country Classic has a variety of courses that will appeal to cyclists of all levels. We have 7 different courses from 14 miles to 105 miles!
How long has the event been around and how did it start?
This is the events 17th year! We are so excited to have the ride again at its host city of Liberty Hill
What was the motivation behind starting the tour and who benefits from it?
Austin Cycling Association is a 501c3 charitable organization who’s mission is to support & encourage cycling access, safety, education & enjoyment in Central Texas.
How have they been able to utilize the funds in the past?
Austin Cycling Association is part of the Boltage Program that supplies helmets to children, educates rider safely and has created the Defensive Cycling program.
Logistically, can you give us an idea how many volunteers, finances, and planning it takes to put on this event?
This year we are looking for 175 volunteers! Wanna help? The ride director…thats me… has been working on this years event since January 1, however the event is 17 years in the making!
What was the most rewarding experience throughout the years hosting this event?
Watching first time group riders cross the finish line!
How many riders do you assist during the average race?
As many as needed! We will have 5 local bike shops out on the course as well as 7 to 10 SAG drivers to lend a helping hand if necessary.
What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event? (prefer the rewarding/unforgettable experience ;o))
Um can’t remember….oh!
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
Join the ride and join the ACA! Membership is inexpensive and goes to a great cause and has many benefits.
What is your role in this race and to the success of it?
I am the Ride Director, and I can only plan and organize the event. The success comes from the army of volunteers needed to pull off that plan.
If we can go back a few years, how did you first get into cycling?
I first got into cycling at the age of 36 after the birth of my son. I think I just wanted to get out of the house for a bit! Ha… I haven’t looked back since. I love being on my bike and my son thinks I am super cool because I like to race in triathlons and duathlons.
What kind of bicycle do you ride?
I have 4 bikes; Triathlon, Road, Mountain and Cruiser. I am looking forward to my next bike… a Cycle Cross bike.
What is your favorite route in your area?
I hate to say it, but I am a creature of habit. I typically ride Parmer and Ronald Reagan Blvd. I love the wide shoulders and if you go far enough north there isn’t much traffic.
Which are your top 3 favorite MUST DO rides in Texas (besides your own)?
Let’s just say I have heard these rides are awesome, but I haven’t had the opportunity to ride them; The Shiner Gash, Hotter Than Hell 100, and the River Region Classic.
Additional stuff you would like the folks to know about this year’s ride?
We have a few new things like a Kids Korner with cycling activities and pony rides, Freebirds World Burrito is coming out to feed the masses, a brick run sponsored by HIll Country Running Company and this year the “Dillo Door” is being sponsored by Clif Bar, so be looking for them out at Rest Stop 5.
Since you are down in Austin – Know that Lance Armstrong guy?
Yeah…I have met him & chatted with him a few times. But how many people really “know” him?
Thanks Erin for this quick interview and we hope Armadillo Hill country Classic Ride all the best!
Click here to view the event details for the Armadillo Hill country Classic Ride
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We know, you all have been waiting to see the Wheelbrothers in action again. This time, a group of us participated in the Germanfest bicycle ride in Muenster, Texas.
As always, we rode to the starting line together but split up fairly quickly since Ron our racing member, went straight up to the front of the starting line (Racing has it’s privileges apparently!).
Oh Mr. Belgium a.k.a. Chris… if you see this – please contact me through the contact form on this site
To view the event details of the 2011 Germanfest Muenster, Texas Bicycle Ride — Click Here
By Ron Hawks:
The Germanfest Muenster, Texas bicycle ride, held on April 30th, turned out to be a spectacular day. As I was riding up the morning of the ride, I was concerned about the wind as the day before Muenster had wind gusts of up to 40+ mph. Although the wind was blowing in the morning, it was forecasted to slow down a bit in the afternoon which is very unusual for Texas. With this being my fourth year in a row doing this ride, I prepared myself for a challenging day in the saddle with a hilly terrain and a strong southern wind in my face for the last 15 miles.
My wife and I arrived at 10:00, about an hour before the rally, and proceeded to register for the ride. As always, registration was very smooth as we were in and out within 5 minutes. After getting our bikes ready, filling up our bottles and stuffing some gu’s in our jersey’s we were ready to head over to Eugene’s RV and see the rest of the Wheelbrothers. The team had a great turnout with Eugene, Dieter, Matt, Jed, Wally, Chris Powers and Chris Suggs.
The ride started at 11:00 sharp with a 15+ mph headwind for the first 10 miles or so. Surprisingly enough, the main group of 40+ riders held together through most of this section. This is very unusual, as what normally happens, is a handful of strong riders try to go out as hard as possible, so that the main group can get whittled down to 10-15 riders at the most. It wasn’t until roughly 20 miles in, that this attrition happened once we started to hit some of the steeper sections, where a couple of guys started to hammer up a 7% grade which split the group wide open.
Once the group shrunk to a manageable size, we started to hit a long stretch of rollers with a nice tail wind to help us over the next 20+ miles. On one descent, I remember thinking to myself that we were going pretty fast. As I quickly looked down at my computer, I saw 53 mph which caused me to start tapping my breaks before I started to go too fast. Although I’ve hit 50+ on numerous descents in California, I was very surprised to hit speeds like that in Texas.
At mile 45 or so, you make a right turn to head back to Muenster. This is normally the time that you are greeted with a strong headwind, along with some of the tougher climbs on this route. Surprisingly enough, the headwind wasn’t anymore than 5-10 mph which was good news for me. As we hit some of the steep climbs, including my favorite one which is the last real climb around mile 50 where you top out at 12%, a few more people got dropped as the pace picked up a little bit. Once we got over the last climb, we had a good group which worked together pretty well all the way back into town.
Although I didn’t stop at any of the rest stops, the volunteers at each stop where along the side of the road trying to give the riders water and bananas. It reminded me of a feed zone when your racing. After talking to my wife after the ride, she said the rest stops were well stocked and the volunteers were very friendly as they held your bike when you went to get some food or they would just fill up your bottles if you pulled over for a quick refill.
As always the Wheelbrothers were more than happy to pick-up some people along the way including my wife who had a chance to ride with these guys and enjoy their company. We will definitely be back for the 2012 ride and look forward to great time.
-Ron
Everyone should know how modest Ron is, he placed 4th overall in this race and is a wonderful representative for the sport. His passion and dedication to the sport, is a inspiration to all of us..
To view the event details of the 2011 Germanfest Muenster, Texas Bicycle Ride – Click Here