BVC-CHAT riding to austin

[Kevin Baker]

I was headed to Austin for the weekend and I decided it would be fun to 
ride and try a new route.  Several people wanted to know how the new way 
compared to the canonical "Lexington" route, so.....

I left Caldwell having ridden in with the flagpole group, and I headed 
Southwest as my plan was to head to Giddings and then on to Bastrop.  I 
left town on 975 which started off as a nice, very low traffic FM, but 
things started turning sour as I rode up to a "pavement ends" sign. The 
map I had used to plan the route had 975 going almost half way to 
Giddings, so as I hit the dirt it was hard to dig the normally enjoyable 
off-road experience because I was worried about getting lost now that my 
turn-by-turn directions were no longer good.  I spent the next 15 or so 
miles feeling my way along on dirt county roads until, by some miracle, 
I got back onto roads that were part of my route.  But they were still 
dirt, which was starting to lose it's charm.

I got back on pavement about 15 miles west of Giddings and had a pretty 
good ride with a nice tailwind on into town.  The roads west of Giddings 
were quite nice until once again, the FM road changed into a county road 
and I was back on the dirt.  Only this time the dirt wasn't nice packed 
and graded, hammerable dirt, but a super sketchy, sandy gravel matrix 
with lots of pinch flat rocks thrown in for good measure.  If you've 
ever been on Minter Spring road here in town you'll get the idea. 

I picked my way on this crappy road for several miles when I came to a 
"road closed ahead" sign, but I wasn't going to let "them" force me to 
backtrack so I kept on until I came to a bridge under construction.  The 
bridge span was mostly completed between the two support piers, so I 
decided to try to get across. Unfortunately, the road surface had not 
been built up to the level of the bridge, so I had to climb up a four 
foot wall to get on top of the nearest pier, then reach down for my 
bike. Once I got up there I found that there was a three foot gap 
between me and the surface of the bridge and about ten down to the water 
below.  I'd already decided that I wasn't going to turn around, so using 
my bike as a kind of balance bar, I carefully shuffled my way across the 
support to safety.

I walked across the bridge and found the same situation on the opposite 
side except that more work had been done on this side so there was lots 
of rebar in the space between the surface and the pier, and the support 
I needed to walk on was covered with metal clamps and things, leaving 
precious little space for footing. Also, I wouldn't be able to shuffle 
because of the clamps, I'd have to lift my foot over them. I started 
easing my way across, dangling my bike with one hand and using the other 
to kind of support myself on loops of rebar coming up about three inches 
out of the beam I was on. It was at this point, as I stood there hunched 
over, almost squatting, one hand on a rebar loop and the other dangling 
my bike by the seat, feet placed precariously between clamps (why did I 
still have my bike shoes on?), a forest of rebar the only thing between 
me and the creek below, that I realized that I really am a moron. I 
hadn't seen another human since I hit the dirt road, if I were to fall I 
could lay there for hours before help came (but at least I wouldn't be 
hot anymore, since I was above water).  I could die! Holy crap. But 
nothing gives one focus like the very real possibility of permanent 
disability or death, and a very sweaty minute later, I was across. 

The drop down to the road surface on the opposite side was even higher, 
at least six feet, but I was so relieved that I had made it across 
without injury that I only felt a slight pang of regret that I had to 
drop my bike because I couldn't stretch low enough to set it down on the 
dirt below.  Without a foothold, I clumsily and painfully lowered myself 
down, climbed back on and headed into a land of dirt and unmarked roads. 

The rest of the trip was more of the same, sketchy dirt roads, 
directions that didn't match up with reality, and two hills that were so 
steep I actually had to sit back on the saddle mtb style to keep 
traction on my rear wheel. I feel I should point out, however, the 
scenery was quite lovely. I didn't hit the pavement again until I 
arrived in Bastrop State Park.  Exhausted and filthy, five hours after I 
left Caldwell, I decided to call it quits and called a friend in Austin 
to come pick me up.

Total distance, just over 90 miles not including turn-arounds with 
something like 32 on the dirt.  Here's the route in case someone wants 
to try it out:  http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1284296.