Originally Posted by
the sci guy
If you take the park route on day 2, you're gonna wanna do the superman on your bike coming down the smithville hill - like that guy on the fixie in that now famous video
Pretty sure that's where I hit my max speed of 38 mph (according to Strava).
But in all seriousness, be VERY mindful of the riders around you in the park. With so many ups and downs, many people don't know how to properly descend and lose control and run into people - or can't make the climbs well enough. I've done this ride 4 times, and almost each time there's been a major injury in the park. Our first year they stopped the regular route people because an ambulance and a medivac chopper had to get through into the park to airlift someone out who crashed.
I've been fortunate enough to leave early with my VIP friends at the front, but if you leave later at the back of the pack you'll be surrounded by a bunch of inexperienced people who think they can do whatever. So, just be careful.
I see the Smithville hill and it is on my route. We have hills here in PA and I am up for it. I have managed over 200 rpm on my fixie, however, I have brakes and I am not afraid to use them. My advice I give others is don't write a check at the top of the hill that your legs can't cash at the bottom.
I will be careful. My home ride is the City to Shore. It is the 2nd biggest ride with 5-7k riders. There are several crashes every year as there are riders with all levels of experience and testosterone. The state of NJ also helps by making sure there is sand at the apex of most corners. I do my best to look ahead, keep some space around me and ride my own ride. Riding in a crowd can be fun, but you need to be careful.
I have had a lot of brisket in Texas, and it is good. I like the Iron Works in Austin. Thanks for the heads up on Crawfish. I forgot about them. Yum! I am going to try chicken and waffles. I will let Yelp guide me. Seems like there are some good places.
I am in rookie camping in La Grange. What is the "tent" like. Will I be sleeping on concrete, grass or asphalt?
My bike arrived in Katy yesterday
I just loaded ZZ Top Tres Hombres onto my I-pod. Gotta get in the mood.
They call PA the Pothole State. What are the roads like on the route? I was thinking they would be nice smooth asphalt as you don't get the freezing we get here. However, I just read about the expanding clay soil that you have in Austin, that makes road building very difficult. What can I expect?
Ride Safe,
Joe