Cycling Ellen

50.8 miles
1441 total

The weather didn’t look very cooperative this morning when we started out.  The skies were grey, threatening rain and the wind was blowing hard.  The van started to fill up with people with bikes on top.  With a second day of climbing ahead, several people decided that they had had enough of that yesterday.  Then, there are those of us who actually like climbing days and since the cue sheet said the grades would be 6-10%, we figured it couldn’t be any harder than yesterday’s climbs.

The folly of that thinking proved itself out quickly.  We headed toward Medina on 337 on yet another chip seal road.  By mile 7, we knew we were in for some serious climbing as there was a wall of road ahead of us going (what looked like) straight up.  I chose a song for the climb, shifted into my lowest gear, and headed up.  It was just shy of a mile and half and somewhere near the top I could hear the sound of a bicycle approaching from behind me.  That’s not a sound I expected to hear and within a couple of moments, two must-have-been professional cyclists went by.  We talked briefly (I could still talk!) as they blew by me.  It turns out it was a 15% grade which the pros use for training (remember this is Lance Armstrong country).  Rumor has it that the Olympic team is training here.  I saw a couple of riders on the descent climbing the other side, one wearing a polka dot jersey (which is the climbing winner on the Tour).  I didn’t break any records but I was pleased to make it to the top feeling like I had worked hard but still felt strong.

From the top, we had some great rollers up and down.  At the bottom, it was a fast ride through rolling ranch country (goats and sheep and a few cattle), to our rest stop in Medina.  There, we had the best apple strudel ever (Hannah from Germany pronounced it as good as those in Germany).  They also sold apple trees and gifts.  Ann’s husband and Micki’s dad surprised them by being there.

Well fortified, Jane and I headed off for the next climb with random drops of rain.  The second big climb felt steeper than the first in some places as it twisted and turned with really tight turns to the top.  Micki had set up a sag stop at the top where we celebrated our second ascent of the day.  The descent was as twisty and steep as anything I’ve ever ridden in a car or bike.  Once we hit bottom though, it was a fast ride through more rolling countryside.  I saw my first longhorns, a family group on the side of the road.

As we approached Kerrville, a town of about 20,000 people, the traffic picked up.  I was with a bunch of riders going up more and more climbs into town.  We all stopped at the local bike shop, a particularly well-stocked one.  With half of our journey behind us, several people have developed bike problems and the mechanics here have a reputation for knowing what they are doing.  Yesterday, when descending, I had heard a scary noise on my bike that I had Michelle look at this morning.  Good thing I did, as my headset (think handlebars) was loose from all the rough roads.  I was very lucky I got down the hills safely yesterday.

At the shop, I splurged on a Hill Country Texas jersey (heck, more of this trip is in Texas than any other state!) and got an extra pair of cleats for down the road.  A bunch of us stopped at the health food store next door for a healthy lunch before finding our way to the hotel.

I lucked out with Candice as my roommate for these two days here.  She already had my luggage in the room waiting for me when I arrived.  Tonight we’ll eat in the steakhouse restaurant here at the hotel.

We are now officially half way through our trip.  Time does fly when you’re having fun!