In November 2007 I participated in a moderately crazy bike ride that is held about the middle of November for five or six years now.
It's called the Tour das Hugel and the point of the whole thing is to create as significant a ride as is done during a mountain stage of one of the grand tours of the cycling world. After all, while Austin may not have the mountains of the tours there ARE IN FACT hills to climb, and some pretty nasty ones at that!
For the 2008 edition the course was basically the same as the 2007, but resulting in a slightly longer course with a slightly higher count of ascending distance.
Last year I completed the whole thing end-2-end in around 10 hours, which was surprising in that I finished it (it was *hard*) but also that I finished so strongly. 103 miles and around 11,000 feet of climbing. Last year, however, the weather was perfect. Still air, temperatures ranging from around 50 at sunrise to 70's in the afternoon. Clear day.
So I set a goal to finish this year in under 9 hours, maybe even 8, reasoning that I had done the ride before, they were not adding too much mileage, and I am more fit.
However, in some ways this year was an EPIC FAIL, and yet, I still feel, very happy and somewhat smug for finishing it yet again.
The day started so, er, bright, and, well, frisky. Temps in the 40's with growing winds. The forecast was for the winds to get up to around 20 mph and stay there.
They were, sadly, right.
Around sunup the winds were not much, but it sure was cool enough for me with temps in the mid-to-high 40's. I've decided that Texas has definitely made me into a Island Bear - you know - temperate-to-warm climate species. Still, I layered up and soldiered onwards.
My inital roll, for like the first 30 miles, were pretty dang good. Somehow very strangely I ended up pretty forward of most of the pack, with a significant group finally passing me on the 3rd pitch of the High Road. I was shocked it took so long. I was able to keep up a good pace, and ended up reeling in a few of them, picking them off while on Bee Cave or Cuernevaca, giving up some on the way back up Bee Cave to Barton Creek Blvd.
Having enough headwind that on Cuernevaca and down Barton Creek Blvd the coasting speed was kept below 30 mph was JUST PLAIN INSULTING! Geezoo. In the past coasting down Barton Creek Blvd from Bee Caves I was able to hit 50+ mph simply by relaxing into a tuck. Argh!
By the time I was passing Rest Stop 2 at St. Michaels Academy Maria was cheering me on and I was on a strong roll.
Enter the Demon Murphy.
Turning onto Lost Creek Blvd not a 1/4 mile past the rest stop I managed to pick up a carpenter's staple in the rear tire and was most immediately flat.
Lucky for me, Maria drove by shortly afterwards so I had a floor pump to use.
Which is good, because it got used three times.
My first tube replacement (new in box) blew-out on achieving 120 PSI.
Strange blowout, start-shaped pop right over the spoke bed, and nothing on the rim-tape or bed of the rim to show why.
Hmm.
Bad tube?
So, patch the original tube (wet patch) and restart.
Patch didn't take.
Get pissed off and super frustrated now, pretty much getting despirited and ready to quit.
Enter the tube-Fairy.
Actually one of the volunteer photographers, who rode last year but could not this year.
He stopped to check what was up and shared out some tubes (one to get me rolling one for a spare, he went through four in the first 40 miles last year it seems) so all was good, except my attitude.
That took longer to recover.
The ride back to Zilker was mostly uneventful, if I hadn't been a Space Cadet and roll all the way to Mopac from Loast Creek Blvd w/o thinking (too much fun going downhill with a 20mph tailwind I guess), missing my turn back towards the start/finish, it would have been better, but I slogged back up the hill to get back on track and continued on.
Wee, bonus three miles. Half of it "uphill into the wind."
Rolling for the second "loop" started out good, still not in a great space mental-space wise, but improving.
Some random inter-ride banter with other riders, but for the most part I just jammed with my headphones (AC/DC full discographry selection - I know i'm sick...).
Until Mt. Bonnell.
Enter Demon Murphy again.
Just as I rolled around the 90 degree right hander after the bridge, where the hill climbing starts for real, as I stood and started to crank, something went *sprung* on the rear wheel.
Huh? Must have popped a rock or nail from under the tire.
So I pedalled on a bit, but things were just not right.
I stopped to check things out.
First check showed me a nearly de-tensioned QR lever - how the heck did I get this far from Lost Creek that way? Crap, that's lucky I didn't have a Bad Thing Happen.
Tighten it up and roll onwards....
Sprunk!
A stop and another check turned up an inner-link plate on my chain that was cracked, and the link frozen.
Da**!
It was exactly 1/2 around from my "quick link" on the chain, so I could not even shorten the chain and make a Singlespeed to continue onward with!
I looked at my odometer, and was at the 51 mile mark. About half-way through the ride.
We now enter deathmarch mode.
So, I pulled the chain to prevent any accidental damage, send a text message to my Super Wonderful Supporter, and started hoofing it.
The group of people across the street in Party Mode, having Mimosas' and music, cheering people on, were very entertaining and I almost stopped for a drink.
But, I figured that if I got so far as Spicewood Springs I'd just coast down to Nelo's Pro Cycles and buy a chain. I mean really, it'd only be a couple miles (about 5.5) of walking up and coasting down hill (mostly walking up, this is the Hugel).
However, by the time I got about 1.5 miles onwards and to the top of Westslope Drive Maria (with friend Cynthina in tow), showed up with a fresh chain from Nelo's. So, a little while later, new chain cut and in place, and rolling again I was.
Thank heavens, or something, I had no more technical difficulties for the rest of the day.
So, cruising onward I was able to attack the Ladera Norte loop, then zoom down Old Spicewood Springs at warp 7.9, motor up Bluegrass, zoom blithely past the next rest stop, and then as I was turning onto Great Hills Trail it occurred to me I was cold and hungry and wanted to resolve that.
So I flipped a U-turn and went up to Starbucks and took a break with a fresh hot Latte, a tasty orange-cranberry scone (not healthy but wonderful cheap carbs at this point), and some Planters Extra Crispy peanuts to shore up the protein/fat/salt balance.
That probably turned out to be a really smart thing. Between taking that ten minute break, stretching a bit, and solidly bolstering my coloric intake (I had been "on the bike" for over five hours at this point), I started to feel really good not long afterwards.
A couple miles later, after a too-short coast downhill with light pedalling along Highway 360, I was slogging up Beauford - what I consider to be the absolute worst climbing stretch of the whole thing. This is also the only road I know of in the area that has been grooved so that when it rains there is enough traction for cars and trucks to go up it. I think the slope on this stretch of road, which is about 1/4 or 1/3 mile long, is measured at about 25 or 30 percent!
But, I felt pretty dang normal (for whatever that is worth). I had to stop and restart twice on Beauford, but what the heck, it *is* a pretty hateful stretch of road.
And having my beloved Maria hollering and hooting at the top as I arrived was very, very cool.
Things were pretty nominal, almost cruisingly uneventful, after that.
Zooming down Highway 2222, back into Riverplace, and back to the rest stop on Big View to again have Maria dancing and hollering in support was a welcome sight.
Zooming Warp 8.3 down Big View to the u-turn was fun, but geezoo was it silly abusive to do that out-n-back. They should have put a rest stop down there, or some other Reason For Living Stupid. Still, there may have been moments when I broke the sound barrier on that descent.
Climbing Big View starting with mile 94.5 (remember, I stupidly added miles earlier) on my odo and was a serious slog, I was getting tired (duh), and a headwind was not helping.
I ended up pulling a silly tactic out of the back jersey pocket as I passed a guy who was walking, I started zig-zagging up the hill. There was nil traffic so it worked really well. I think I surprised the walking biker because on my 2nd loop I heard "Da**, why didn't I think of that!"
Cruising back through the community to City Park road, down to Highway 2222 and then to prepare to climb up Jester Blvd, was a fun stretch.
Intelligently, I stopped briefly at the Jester Food Mart and picked up a Starbucks Coffee + Energy. I don't like to use these too much, but on a ride like today, fighting wind and cold, and getting ready for the last big climb and then a 30 minute hammer back to the start - racing sunset - I was taking all advantage.
That stuff should be illegal.
It's better than Red Bull, if you ask me, and tastes a lot better.
The climb up Jester was nowhere near the slog of earlier climbs, it hurt but I was able to pull it non-stop, no waggle, no zigging, 2nd year in a row. Last year I hit the start of this climb at mile 95, this year, at about mile 100.
Thankfully, Maria met me at the top there again, so I could change out my lenses from the dark-n-mirrored to the transition lenses. Since I was now racing the sunset (I lost) back to Zilker this was an issue.
The guy who I rode with a bit down off Jester, who had left all his warm stuff at the start/finish after Loop 1, and was now wearing an outer long sleeve thing that was a "juniors medium" that he had picked up off the road somewhere, hilarious. This was a sign of the day - people doing what they needed to survive and finish.
Seeing buzzards circling over the Highway 360 bridge en-masse waiting for us to pass, thought provoking.
Stupid motorists everywhere, normal.
I passed a small group on Walsh Tarleton who seemed like they were in death-march-in-the-dark mode, to get everyone safely back. I thought about motoring in with them, but I really wanted to cruise as well as I could all the way so I safely passed and motored in.
A rousing wonderful cheering upon return was really nice. Huge props to the crowd there hanging out.
Maria again was a Super Trouper, having a) hot coffee and b) ambient-temp MacAllen 15 single-malt whiskey on hand to meet me with, Priceless.
Hours later, fed, cleaned, relaxed, fed again, and warm, it was time for bed.
Silly GPS based Stats (courtesy Garmin Edge 705):
For the anonymous rider/photographer/Innertube-Fairy, thanks to you too!
I'd like to "shout out" or give thanks to the Hugel organizers, they do a great job. Like others have said on the list they seem to do a better job than most "for pay" organized rides.
Thanks to David Hartley at Music City Cycles for fitting and helping me purchase and building my fine road bike. She doesn't see near the miles she deserves, but she always handles things adroitly. I think maybe it's time for new tires and bar tape though.
I already have a new chain.
And of course, some pixels ...
Sunrise over Austin.
Lunchbreak at Starbucks, I wanted something warm to drink and a Tall Latte seemed just the ticket.
It was. The scone was gratuitous, but tasty. The peanuts were my protein/fat/salt supplement. Also tasty.
Climbing up Bullick Hollow, it seemed some people needed to walk it. Hmmm. Smarter than me?
Chillin' at Mansfield Dam, having a stretch and a snack.
The vultures were gathering at sunset over the 360 bridge, waiting for the late rolling Hugelers.
Ride profile ... ( click for larger, more detailed one )
GPS data available ... GPX Data File ... Google Earth File ... GPX Course Data ... Garmin MapSource Course Data ... enjoy yourself with them.
Two overview maps, for the Still Curious .... click the images for a larger version.
First a street map showing the route I took with some notable waypoints identified. "S/F" is the start-finish location, fyi.
Lastly, a topographic map of the same data, so you can get some idea of the fun from the contour lines ...
FYI, this is probably my last Hugel. Odds are high that I won't be living in the area when next this "rolls" around.
Cheers.
It's called the Tour das Hugel and the point of the whole thing is to create as significant a ride as is done during a mountain stage of one of the grand tours of the cycling world. After all, while Austin may not have the mountains of the tours there ARE IN FACT hills to climb, and some pretty nasty ones at that!
For the 2008 edition the course was basically the same as the 2007, but resulting in a slightly longer course with a slightly higher count of ascending distance.
Last year I completed the whole thing end-2-end in around 10 hours, which was surprising in that I finished it (it was *hard*) but also that I finished so strongly. 103 miles and around 11,000 feet of climbing. Last year, however, the weather was perfect. Still air, temperatures ranging from around 50 at sunrise to 70's in the afternoon. Clear day.
So I set a goal to finish this year in under 9 hours, maybe even 8, reasoning that I had done the ride before, they were not adding too much mileage, and I am more fit.
However, in some ways this year was an EPIC FAIL, and yet, I still feel, very happy and somewhat smug for finishing it yet again.
The day started so, er, bright, and, well, frisky. Temps in the 40's with growing winds. The forecast was for the winds to get up to around 20 mph and stay there.
They were, sadly, right.
Around sunup the winds were not much, but it sure was cool enough for me with temps in the mid-to-high 40's. I've decided that Texas has definitely made me into a Island Bear - you know - temperate-to-warm climate species. Still, I layered up and soldiered onwards.
My inital roll, for like the first 30 miles, were pretty dang good. Somehow very strangely I ended up pretty forward of most of the pack, with a significant group finally passing me on the 3rd pitch of the High Road. I was shocked it took so long. I was able to keep up a good pace, and ended up reeling in a few of them, picking them off while on Bee Cave or Cuernevaca, giving up some on the way back up Bee Cave to Barton Creek Blvd.
Having enough headwind that on Cuernevaca and down Barton Creek Blvd the coasting speed was kept below 30 mph was JUST PLAIN INSULTING! Geezoo. In the past coasting down Barton Creek Blvd from Bee Caves I was able to hit 50+ mph simply by relaxing into a tuck. Argh!
By the time I was passing Rest Stop 2 at St. Michaels Academy Maria was cheering me on and I was on a strong roll.
Enter the Demon Murphy.
Turning onto Lost Creek Blvd not a 1/4 mile past the rest stop I managed to pick up a carpenter's staple in the rear tire and was most immediately flat.
Lucky for me, Maria drove by shortly afterwards so I had a floor pump to use.
Which is good, because it got used three times.
My first tube replacement (new in box) blew-out on achieving 120 PSI.
Strange blowout, start-shaped pop right over the spoke bed, and nothing on the rim-tape or bed of the rim to show why.
Hmm.
Bad tube?
So, patch the original tube (wet patch) and restart.
Patch didn't take.
Get pissed off and super frustrated now, pretty much getting despirited and ready to quit.
Enter the tube-Fairy.
Actually one of the volunteer photographers, who rode last year but could not this year.
He stopped to check what was up and shared out some tubes (one to get me rolling one for a spare, he went through four in the first 40 miles last year it seems) so all was good, except my attitude.
That took longer to recover.
The ride back to Zilker was mostly uneventful, if I hadn't been a Space Cadet and roll all the way to Mopac from Loast Creek Blvd w/o thinking (too much fun going downhill with a 20mph tailwind I guess), missing my turn back towards the start/finish, it would have been better, but I slogged back up the hill to get back on track and continued on.
Wee, bonus three miles. Half of it "uphill into the wind."
Rolling for the second "loop" started out good, still not in a great space mental-space wise, but improving.
Some random inter-ride banter with other riders, but for the most part I just jammed with my headphones (AC/DC full discographry selection - I know i'm sick...).
Until Mt. Bonnell.
Enter Demon Murphy again.
Just as I rolled around the 90 degree right hander after the bridge, where the hill climbing starts for real, as I stood and started to crank, something went *sprung* on the rear wheel.
Huh? Must have popped a rock or nail from under the tire.
So I pedalled on a bit, but things were just not right.
I stopped to check things out.
First check showed me a nearly de-tensioned QR lever - how the heck did I get this far from Lost Creek that way? Crap, that's lucky I didn't have a Bad Thing Happen.
Tighten it up and roll onwards....
Sprunk!
A stop and another check turned up an inner-link plate on my chain that was cracked, and the link frozen.
Da**!
It was exactly 1/2 around from my "quick link" on the chain, so I could not even shorten the chain and make a Singlespeed to continue onward with!
I looked at my odometer, and was at the 51 mile mark. About half-way through the ride.
We now enter deathmarch mode.
So, I pulled the chain to prevent any accidental damage, send a text message to my Super Wonderful Supporter, and started hoofing it.
The group of people across the street in Party Mode, having Mimosas' and music, cheering people on, were very entertaining and I almost stopped for a drink.
But, I figured that if I got so far as Spicewood Springs I'd just coast down to Nelo's Pro Cycles and buy a chain. I mean really, it'd only be a couple miles (about 5.5) of walking up and coasting down hill (mostly walking up, this is the Hugel).
However, by the time I got about 1.5 miles onwards and to the top of Westslope Drive Maria (with friend Cynthina in tow), showed up with a fresh chain from Nelo's. So, a little while later, new chain cut and in place, and rolling again I was.
Thank heavens, or something, I had no more technical difficulties for the rest of the day.
So, cruising onward I was able to attack the Ladera Norte loop, then zoom down Old Spicewood Springs at warp 7.9, motor up Bluegrass, zoom blithely past the next rest stop, and then as I was turning onto Great Hills Trail it occurred to me I was cold and hungry and wanted to resolve that.
So I flipped a U-turn and went up to Starbucks and took a break with a fresh hot Latte, a tasty orange-cranberry scone (not healthy but wonderful cheap carbs at this point), and some Planters Extra Crispy peanuts to shore up the protein/fat/salt balance.
That probably turned out to be a really smart thing. Between taking that ten minute break, stretching a bit, and solidly bolstering my coloric intake (I had been "on the bike" for over five hours at this point), I started to feel really good not long afterwards.
A couple miles later, after a too-short coast downhill with light pedalling along Highway 360, I was slogging up Beauford - what I consider to be the absolute worst climbing stretch of the whole thing. This is also the only road I know of in the area that has been grooved so that when it rains there is enough traction for cars and trucks to go up it. I think the slope on this stretch of road, which is about 1/4 or 1/3 mile long, is measured at about 25 or 30 percent!
But, I felt pretty dang normal (for whatever that is worth). I had to stop and restart twice on Beauford, but what the heck, it *is* a pretty hateful stretch of road.
And having my beloved Maria hollering and hooting at the top as I arrived was very, very cool.
Things were pretty nominal, almost cruisingly uneventful, after that.
- Abusive cross-/head-winds here and there: Check.
- Helping direct Lost Riders: Check.
- Bunny hopping road trash: Check.
- Snack and stretch break on Low Water Crossing: Check.
- Silly picture taken of new socks with Mansfield Damn in the background: Check.
Zooming down Highway 2222, back into Riverplace, and back to the rest stop on Big View to again have Maria dancing and hollering in support was a welcome sight.
Zooming Warp 8.3 down Big View to the u-turn was fun, but geezoo was it silly abusive to do that out-n-back. They should have put a rest stop down there, or some other Reason For Living Stupid. Still, there may have been moments when I broke the sound barrier on that descent.
Climbing Big View starting with mile 94.5 (remember, I stupidly added miles earlier) on my odo and was a serious slog, I was getting tired (duh), and a headwind was not helping.
I ended up pulling a silly tactic out of the back jersey pocket as I passed a guy who was walking, I started zig-zagging up the hill. There was nil traffic so it worked really well. I think I surprised the walking biker because on my 2nd loop I heard "Da**, why didn't I think of that!"
Cruising back through the community to City Park road, down to Highway 2222 and then to prepare to climb up Jester Blvd, was a fun stretch.
Intelligently, I stopped briefly at the Jester Food Mart and picked up a Starbucks Coffee + Energy. I don't like to use these too much, but on a ride like today, fighting wind and cold, and getting ready for the last big climb and then a 30 minute hammer back to the start - racing sunset - I was taking all advantage.
That stuff should be illegal.
It's better than Red Bull, if you ask me, and tastes a lot better.
The climb up Jester was nowhere near the slog of earlier climbs, it hurt but I was able to pull it non-stop, no waggle, no zigging, 2nd year in a row. Last year I hit the start of this climb at mile 95, this year, at about mile 100.
Thankfully, Maria met me at the top there again, so I could change out my lenses from the dark-n-mirrored to the transition lenses. Since I was now racing the sunset (I lost) back to Zilker this was an issue.
The guy who I rode with a bit down off Jester, who had left all his warm stuff at the start/finish after Loop 1, and was now wearing an outer long sleeve thing that was a "juniors medium" that he had picked up off the road somewhere, hilarious. This was a sign of the day - people doing what they needed to survive and finish.
Seeing buzzards circling over the Highway 360 bridge en-masse waiting for us to pass, thought provoking.
Stupid motorists everywhere, normal.
I passed a small group on Walsh Tarleton who seemed like they were in death-march-in-the-dark mode, to get everyone safely back. I thought about motoring in with them, but I really wanted to cruise as well as I could all the way so I safely passed and motored in.
A rousing wonderful cheering upon return was really nice. Huge props to the crowd there hanging out.
Maria again was a Super Trouper, having a) hot coffee and b) ambient-temp MacAllen 15 single-malt whiskey on hand to meet me with, Priceless.
Hours later, fed, cleaned, relaxed, fed again, and warm, it was time for bed.
Silly GPS based Stats (courtesy Garmin Edge 705):
- 114.41 miles total distance
- 10:53:48 elapsed time (8:59:25 moving - including walking, 1:54:23 stopped)
- Total ascent between 15,384 and 19,583 feet depending upon how you measure it (GPS or Digital Elevation Model based in TopoFusion)
- Max speed 49.6 mph.
For the anonymous rider/photographer/Innertube-Fairy, thanks to you too!
I'd like to "shout out" or give thanks to the Hugel organizers, they do a great job. Like others have said on the list they seem to do a better job than most "for pay" organized rides.
Thanks to David Hartley at Music City Cycles for fitting and helping me purchase and building my fine road bike. She doesn't see near the miles she deserves, but she always handles things adroitly. I think maybe it's time for new tires and bar tape though.
I already have a new chain.
And of course, some pixels ...
Sunrise over Austin.
Lunchbreak at Starbucks, I wanted something warm to drink and a Tall Latte seemed just the ticket.
It was. The scone was gratuitous, but tasty. The peanuts were my protein/fat/salt supplement. Also tasty.
Climbing up Bullick Hollow, it seemed some people needed to walk it. Hmmm. Smarter than me?
Chillin' at Mansfield Dam, having a stretch and a snack.
The vultures were gathering at sunset over the 360 bridge, waiting for the late rolling Hugelers.
Ride profile ... ( click for larger, more detailed one )
GPS data available ... GPX Data File ... Google Earth File ... GPX Course Data ... Garmin MapSource Course Data ... enjoy yourself with them.
Two overview maps, for the Still Curious .... click the images for a larger version.
First a street map showing the route I took with some notable waypoints identified. "S/F" is the start-finish location, fyi.
Lastly, a topographic map of the same data, so you can get some idea of the fun from the contour lines ...
FYI, this is probably my last Hugel. Odds are high that I won't be living in the area when next this "rolls" around.
Cheers.
