Much of Hill Country was settled by German immigrants in the mid-nineteenth century. Notable people who hail from Texas Hill Country include Lyndon B. Johnson, the 36th President of the United States, and Chester W. Nimitz, who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet during World War II. Today, Hill Country is a blend of German heritage, Latino culture, and the Texas cowboy way of life. Peach orchards, vineyards, and lavender fields are all common on the plateau surrounding Fredericksburg. And Luckenbach (population 3), which is famous for country music, is only a few miles from Fredericksburg. Look for Willie Nelson!
Since summers in Hill Country tend to be dry and quite hot, the best time for a cycling trip is late March and all of April. The weather is usually pretty good, the fields are very green, streams are full, and the Texas wildflowers are in bloom.
While it was possible for me to organize my own RIMBY in Hill Country, I chose to join the Easter Hill Country Tour over Easter weekend. Although this is an organized ride, there is no official start time and riders just roll off on their own. While it is possible for anyone to do these rides on their own, refueling and water stops are very few and very far apart in Hill Country. The option of having rest and water stops every 20 to 25 miles was just too attractive to pass up.
Day 1. Friday, April 19. I drove up from Austin to Fredericksburg. I left the Fredericksburg High School and wandered through some residential streets on the way out of town. The first 15 miles offered up a bit of climbing—nothing too steep although everything feels steep into a 15+ mph headwind. The backroads—with names such as Pecan Creek, Cherry Springs, Gypsum Mine, and Crabapple—are generally lightly traveled. And after the first stop in Crabapple (a post office and a school), the riders thinned out—so much so that I went for miles without seeing another person. All but about 10–15 miles of the 66 mile (106 km) ride were on quiet roads with little traffic.
The tailwind kicked in at mile 40, which was of considerable help up the last climb. Just before the last climb, there were several stream crossings, where the road was covered with a few inches of water. While it looks as if one could easily ride through the water, the wiser course was to dismount and walk the bike—lots of slippery moss! The other major obstacles on both days were cattle guards. I probably crossed over sixty cattle guards in two days. Once you are on top of the last climb, you ride on a lumpy plateau for 10 miles to the final watering stop. The last 10 miles into Fredericksburg are mostly downhill.
Other than the rest and refueling stops, the only place that I found where one could get water and a bite to eat was the little unincorporated community of Doss at mile 40. Doss has a country store, a cafe, and a bed and breakfast.
Day 2. Saturday, April 20. I spent the night in Kerrville at the Inn of the Hills, but there are lots of options for spending the night, including bed and breakfasts and camping (https://hill-country-visitor.com/lodging/). Kerrville also has a large supermarket and lots of restaurants.
My Saturday ride began at Schreiner University, which is located just east of town. I decided on a 61 mile ride with options to do 80 or even 100 miles if my legs felt good—they did not feel good. The 100 miler is a jog off the 80 mile route with a stop in Luckenbach, the only place where you can find water or food other than the four rest stops. After winding through Kerrville on some residential street, we climbed up Highway 16 back towards Fredericksburg for a few miles. The climb gets a bit more serious when you turn right onto McCullough Ranch Road. There is a short wall where you dare not stop as you would never get the bike rolling again. However, the climb takes you up onto a beautiful plateau. You are on roads with names such as White Oak, Best Creek, Old San Antonio, and Old #9.
I finally decided on the 61 mile route, which proved to be more difficult than Friday's longer ride as there was a substantial headwind on the last two climbs. I found no place to buy food or fill up on water for the entire ride other than the rest stops, although it might be possible to make a 5 mile detour into Fredericksburg around Mile 40. Even though the ride was just under 100 kilometers, I was definitely tired at the end.
So how did my 1x11 3T Strada Pro perform? Fantastic! I opted for an 11-36 rear cassette. A strong rider/climber might be able to use a 50 front chainring although I was quite happy with a 46. The combination was perfect—except for the last hill on Day 2 and that was only because I was tired. The 3T raised a few eyebrows with lots of "nice bike" comments.
There is some incredible cycling in Texas Hill Country, with many more routes than the two that I have just described. If you go, be sure to plot your routes carefully so that you will be able to refuel and fill your water bottle when needed. There are lots of lodging options as well as bike shops in both Kerrville and Fredericksburg.
