Successful rides end with a group photo of happy to be finished riders.
So, if you have been following along, you now know that there is a 1000K to ride. Day 1 covers 374 kms. Day 2 covers 302 kms. That leaves the balance for Day 3. You may notice that Day 3 is longer than Day 2. It's a double century out to Burton, TX and back to Austin. Note that it is not a pure out/back as the return follows a slightly different route than the outbound. Outbound, the route goes first to Coupland, TX. On the return, Taylor, TX is the final city to stop in before returning to Austin.
The main issue with day 3 is the direction of the route. Wind in Central Texas generally blows from the SE. The route to Burton is often times directly into the wind. In fact, during one running of this brevet, I left Coupland and Lexington ahead of the other riders feeling that I was simply going to fall off the back. Instead, I was surprised to find that I arrived to Burton first and then waited for the group to come in. I remember Amy coming into the store looking like she was about to be ill. The wind that day was brutal.
The keys to success on Day 3 are to arrive to the first control (Coupland) before the control closes. These are a pretty easy 31 miles. As long as you leave yourself enough time, you can get some extra sleep and then pedal the 31 miles. From this point, you will find that you can get ahead of the clock by simply. making constant forward progress. Coupland is a nice C-store with seating inside. Because we ride on Monday, we will likely find breakfast tacos at the store. Failing that, it might be possible to find pizza here.
Next up is Lexington. This control is only 27 miles further along. The recommendation here is to visit the CEFCO store. This is a full service c-store and sometimes there is a F'Real machine here in working order. Keep in mind is 38 miles to the next control and these will be tough miles.
After Lexington, the tough part of the ride starts. It will be later in the day and if the wind is typical, it will start to play a factor. Also, note where Burton sites on the map and what the elevation profile reveals:
See what happens? Burton is directly in the middle of a big climb and a big descent. The good news is once you reach Burton, the descent is your reward. Of course, the rest of the return is a gentle climb back towards Austin so take the reward with a grain of salt. Burton is a very nice store. It has a restaurant with food prepared to order. I heartily recommend you order as soon as you arrive as it will take the kitchen a few minutes to get the food ready. During this time, you can get some business done with the bike and perhaps down a Topo Chico to help get you hydrated. Hopefully you are with others and can celebrate you are at the turnaround point. If the wind has been typical, you can be happy for a tailwind as you leave.
Leaving Burton, note that the next control is 70 miles. Wow, that's a long way! The good news is that the route returns to Lexington where you have the choice of CEFCO or Subway for services. Be sure to get fixed up here. When you leave Lexington, there is a hill to climb followed by a bunch of rollers. You will eventually arrive to Taylor. If you are fast, you can visit Taco Bell. If you are slower, there is a Sonic. If you are well behind or not wanting a slow control, you can use the no-frills Shell.
The road home from Taylor is 36 miles. I usually find everything hurts (saddle soreness, my bad right shoulder, and my neck). I usually take a couple of ibuprofen and just grin and bear it for the final miles. There are stores along the route as you come back to Austin. You will have followed a similar path on Day 1 so the route will visit places you might remember through your rando-fuzzed memory. If you need something before the end (e.g. a bathroom after greasy Taco Bell?), you can find a store around mile 193. As you reach E 51st in Austin, you will start to believe that this ride is over!
Below are some day 3 numbers.
And here are the final numbers from the past 2 years for the whole enchilada. Notice the party atmosphere is evident as we all finish together.
This will be my last post before the ride. I hope that this year goes well. The pandemic will of course mean there might be some changes in how we approach stores and restaurants, but as long as we mask up and are polite, you will get good service and find everything you need. As always, remember to be safe. Drivers in Texas are generally very eager to give you the lane, but don't assume this will always be the case. A mirror comes in very handy to keep track of car traffic as well as riders on your wheel. If you need help, don't hesitate to ask a local. We are glad to share whatever knowledge we have with you about the route or how to solve a problem you might be dealing with.
Comments