March 26th, 2011
Readyforplanb.com ride review for the 67 mile Tyler Bicycle Club’s 2011 Beauty and the Beast
http://www.tylerbicycleclub.com/
The 2011 Beauty and the Beast provided a great way to ramp up my training for my first goal, the Shiner GASP in May, and was the first ride for me as I was going from regular guy on the couch that did a ride once in a while to plant based cyclist! As of March 26th 2011, I have logged 1,107 miles and dropped just over 12 pounds.
A group of us left Dallas around 5 AM on the morning of March 26th, fired up to get a good ride in through the rolling hills south of Tyler. With a few good cups of coffee and some bananas in us, we were glad to hit KE Bushman’s Winery with plenty of time to get ourselves ready to go. As the first road rally of the season with some good rollers and a few longer climbs the Beauty and the Beast gives you the chance to kick off the cobwebs and get out on the road!
The best way to sum up the course is to describe what happened to our group. After 20 or so miles of rollers, some of the guys that had planned on riding the full 67 ended up deciding to stick with some buddies that were only going about 40. This early in the year these hills will make some folks change their plans on the fly.
We had a fun group and just enjoyed a casual ride through some beautiful farms and pine forests. There were a few climbs that allowed us to have a little friendly competition but we always waited for one another to regroup after. The folks volunteering at the rest stops were great and kept things moving quickly. Aside from your typical Texas chip seal here and there, the roads tended to be quiet and smooth.
“The Beast” (from the name) was the final climb of the day and it was cool. You couldn’t help but be smiling when you hit the top as supporters were cheering you on and ringing their cowbells! From there you have one downhill leg back to KE Bushman’s and the finish line.
Other Notes:
The 2012 ride is on March 24th.
Be sure to get plenty of electrolytes. It was an unusually warm day and we saw several folks cramping up.
Tyler is easily reached from Dallas the morning of the ride so no need to head out the night before.
Do yourself a favor at the crowded start and head towards the right end of the group based on your pace.
The pasta at the end only had a meat sauce so I headed somewhere else to refuel.
Be sure to try the pickle juice!