round & round my pedals turn, from houston to austin.
i rode as a self, but was never alone.
here, are photos.
here, i ramble.
plan as i may, plans may need to did change.
for example .
- planned - ( actual) activity
day 1 . 6 - 17 . rollin' outta town . 100.1 miles .
- 4:30 am - ( 5:30 am) start
- by 1 pm - (12:30 pm) day stop in hempstead
- 6 pm - ( 4:30 pm) start
- 8 pm - ( 8:40 pm) brenham lodging
day 2 . 6 - 18 . foolin'loungin' around . 29.1 miles .
- 6 am - start, ride for fun without packs
- ¯\_(ツ)_/¯- start, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
- 10:30 am - (11:30 am) check out of brenham lodging
- 11 am - hang around town(s), hide from the sun
- 5 pm - ( 6:20 pm) eat early dinner, start out after
- 8 pm - ( 9:40 pm) settle in carmine for the night
day 3 . 6 - 19 . gettin' on the ground . 49.4 miles .
- 7 am - ( 8:30 am) start
- 9 am - (10:00 am) giddings
- 10 am - start
- 2 pm - ( 7:00 pm) hang out in bastrop
- 7 pm - ( 8:30 pm) learn me some tent stuff.
day 4 . 6 - 20 . i'm (t)here, friends! . 35.1 miles .
- 6 am - pack up
- 7 am - ( 9:20 am) start
- 12 pm - ( 2:20 pm) hang around austin
day 2 . 6 - 18 . foolin'loungin' around . 29.1 miles .
i really enjoyed my day in brenham. i love this town. i did simple things -- just eat and hang out at a bar. everyone was warm, genuine, and friendly.
leaving at 6:20 pm from brenham was great in terms of weather, but not great in terms of having enough daylight to navigate.
my routing took me through some interesting times. i made it, with the help of a kind neighbor (and fellow biker!). the cabin is great, and the surroundings serene, green all around, with a lake...my left knee is still bothering me, but i am learning to manage. onwards to giddings and bastrop!
see ride here.
day 3 . 6 - 19 . gettin' on the ground . 49.4 miles .
little did i know, i would be getting on the ground a lot on day 3. i got to giddings around 11 am and had a hard debate with myself whether to push through to bastrop without a day rest.
i pushed, and i got caught in the heat. i rested under shade trees on the ground multiple times and needed encouraging words from friends to keep going.
i'm glad i made the push past giddings though, as it got me into bastrop during daylight.
the views, paired with the sights, sounds, smells...all worth it (especially the downhills).
at the park camp site, setting up the tent goes smoothly, and my camping neighbors are excited to help.
the night starts steamy, the humid air lingering from the day. i sleep well.
see ride here.
day 4 . 6 - 20 . i'm (t)here, friends! . 35.1 miles .
packing up camp and then indulging in a shower takes me way too long. the late start really costs me again as i biked into the midday heat. at least my left knee does seem to be on the mend. while not at full capacity, i can tell it is holding up better than the day before.
in the end, i am tired and hot and my friend sends my ride to pick me up from the edge of austin (hwy 71). i wanted to get in about 3 more miles into east downtown, to match where i started in houston.
this isn't quite the finish i was aiming for, but i will count it nonetheless as i did reach austin.
in total, i have biked (and walked, some uphills i just could not pull myself through) 214 miles tracked.
i definitely see myself doing something like this again, just in cooler weather. i'm sure there will be different challenges, but battling the heat has never been a skill i sought to build...
see ride here.
pit crew
i feel so loved! i am very thankful to all the people who are making this possible, including:
the team members of Eado Bike Co have been knowledgeable, patient, and supportive regardless of what i throw their way, and how often i need their help.
friends new and old happily sharing time, perspective, and advice.
adventurous friends i've borrowed gear from.
my cat's auntie, the air traffic controller of my food experiences.
friends checking in on me by log, and my emergency crew :).