I awoke way earlier (4:30AM) than normal to drive to Beaumont. It was about 70 miles from my house to the Event Centre where the Spindletop Spin begins. The 52 mile route started at 7:30 and I wanted to be there in time. I got to the centre about 7 AM thanks to a white pickup I followed after I took an early and wrong exit from I-10. I needed to register so I walked from my parking spot and got back to the Jeep about 7:15. Getting the Stradalli ready and pinning the number on my jersey consumed about 10 minutes but fortunately I was only a couple of hundred feet from the starting line. With the shortage of time I did not pass out any Texbiker business cards.
We rolled away at 7:33 (last year we had to wait for a train to clear the tracks). The 92 mile route left at 7:00 leaving the 52 and 29 mile routes to start at 7:30. Based on the number of cars and bikers lined up for each start I think 1,000 riders were there. I didn’t see any numbers over 1000 during the ride on the 52 mile route. I rode 51.77 miles with an overall average speed of 15.8 mph.
Before the start I took some pictures: (click on an image to enlarge it)
[wppa type=”slide” album=”393″ size=”auto” align=”center”]Any comment[/wppa]
Once we were underway the police escorted the riders through Beaumont. For the first couple of miles the streets were nice but after that there were some cracks and broken concrete requiring me to pay close attention. One biker rode pasted me only to lose his water bottle when he bounced over a large bump. He circled back to get it. When we reached the edge of town the road surface changed to the jarring chip’n seal. There were sections of smoother asphalt but not many all the way to Sour Lake. SH 326 from US 90 to SH 105 challenged the bikers with a headwind and chip’n seal until the last mile or so before SH 105.
I skipped the first rest stop at 6.5 miles because I was making good time and didn’t feel a need to stop. Sometime after that another rider fell in behind me. One time I slowed for some reason and he pulled up beside of me to tell me this was his first ride and he was drafting to save energy. I told him that was okay and we continued on. Later at the finish line he told me his name was Fidel. I gave him a Tebiker business card. We stopped at the 18 mile rest stop and left at different times. At the 29 mile rest stop we reconnected and rode to the 38 mile rest stop where I stopped and he didn’t. I needed to eat something at the 38 mile stop so I could again skip the 6.5 mile to go rest stop.
At the 18 mile rest stop I took these pictures: (click on an image to enlarge it)
This was an enchanted island theme stop and they served pixie punch along with the normal food.
After leaving this stop a couple of miles before getting to SH 326 rider #378 pulled up beside me and offered a draft. He said he was riding at 16 to 17 mph which was a little faster than what I was doing but I thanked him. When he rode past maybe he slowed down or I sped up but I kept up with him enjoying the draft. The wind was from the north or northwest and the draft was enough to help. We turned north on SH 326 and the road surface was newer but chip’n seal. After a couple of miles biker #378 noticed some people he thought were with him weren’t there so he slowed to wait on them. I continued on sometimes moving to the main lanes in an attempt to find a smoother road. It was about 7 miles on SH 326 to Sour Lake.
The 29/30 mile rest stop was at a Chrysler dealer at the corner of SH 326 and SH 105. I pulled in to recover from the rough road and wind. Not a few minutes after stopping another rider came over and asked me how I like my Stradalli RP-14. I didn’t get his name but he rides with Northwest Houston Cycling Club. I told him I like the ride and am really please with the Stradalli. He said mine was the second one he has seen. He is thinking of one that costs about $4900. It has Shimano Di2 and Dura Ace components. We talked more when I sat down under a tent eating a trail mix bar and drinking Gatorade. While I was resting a couple from Pearland arrived and we talked some. Later at the end of the ride they sat at the table I was ate eating a link sausage in a tortilla, chips and Gatorade.
SH 105 headed back to Beaumont. The wind was now from my left to rear quarter. Fidel rejoined me at the 29/30 mile rest stop. The road was now concrete after a couple of miles of smooth asphalt. I held a 17 mph pace on SH 105 to the 38 mile rest stop where Fidel kept riding and I stopped. Entergy was the sponsor at the rest stop and very friendly. After a couple of glasses of lemon-lime Gatorade (not my favorite) and a banana half I was back on the bike. It was about 14 miles from this stop to the finish.
The route turned right off of SH 105 not too long after the shoulder disappeared moving onto a rough asphalt road. I am not sure how long this road was but it seemed longer than it really was. I guess it was 3 miles long. We turned left from it onto city streets and passed the 6.5 mile to go rest stop. Fidel rejoined me there and we rode together to the finish. We stopped at several traffic lights and stop signs going through Beaumont back to the Event Centre. I stopped the Garmin at 11:23. Fidel pulled up beside me and we shook hands. I rode to the Jeep and loaded the bike and went to change clothes.
With dry clothes on I walked to the large tent in the middle of huge grass area. While I was eating an other biker was talking to the Pearland couple. I heard him ask where they found out about rides. I think he was from Humble. He was waiting on his brother to finish the 52 mile route. He said he had been riding for two weeks and rode the 30 mile route on a mountain bike. After the Pearland couple left I told him about Texbiker.net and he entered into his phone scratch pad.
Walking back to the Jeep as I almost was there a rider walking on the sidewalk on the other side of the Jeep asked me if I was Texbiker. I am not sure how he recognized me without any Texbiker gear but I said I was. He said he reads Texbiker frequently. He asked how I pronounced the name of my bike and I told him. He hoped to see it but I already had it in the Jeep. this surprised me.
Driving back to Kingwood I enjoyed the AC and some podcasts on my phone.
Weather during the ride.
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