Not the Ugliest Part of Texas

The Denton Turkey Roll ride was today, but that is not what this is about. Though invited to the Denton ride, I gave up on it after a busy week and a long list of waiting chores. Unexpectedly, I was able to persuade my sweet bride to shuck the chores for lunch in Muenster.

That means I was able to actually pre-ride the route of the December 19th, First Annual Fall Finale Forty-mile County Path Ramble. This time I used the bicycle, and this time I actually tried the food at the destination point.

The slide show above illustrates some of the highlights. I am actually more excited than ever about the prospects of a successful BABBLE group ride. Before I continue, let me apologize to Paul of Doohickie fame. This post is intended as a helpful resource to those that will be able to attend, not as a torture device for those who are not.

A few lessons learned...

1. My original schedule estimate of 4 hours for the ride was pretty close. I did it slightly faster than that, but with group dynamics, it might be more like 4.5 - 5 hours. I do not mean to imply that I'm faster than you guys, I just know how it is when any group of folks travel together. Stops, for snacks, water, photos, etc., just last longer.

2. Parts of the route might get a little muddy. With the light rain/drizzle overnight, the low spots were a bit wet. I was glad to have my fenders. At first, I was afraid that the fenders would clog with clay and gravel, but that did not happen.

3. Some parts of the route are a little rugged. I say this in the context of using a standard road bike. In my opinion, using anything narrower than a 28mm tire would be less than desirable. Use 32mm or more if you have 'em. There's some washboard, sizable gravel, and pot holes to deal with. It might be wise to bring more than one spare tube and/or a good patch kit.

4. The Rosston store at the approximate midway point is a pretty good spot for a break. They have refreshments and a rest room. If you want a real breakfast, they have that too. In the slide show photo, my bike is leaning up against what I believe to be an authentic hitchin' post. After all, the place has been there since 1879.

5. Bring your climbing legs, boys. I'm not saying it's mountainous. It's not even Austin, but my guess is that the hills are slightly larger and slightly more numerous than what is typical in the DFW area.

6. I think lunch will be pretty good. I had some of the local German sausage, and thought it was tasty. They also have a reasonable salad bar, and the desserts looked fantastic. I didn't have pie today. Next time, I'm saving room for pie. Our waitress, said to ask for her when we come in December and she'll take good care of us.

I had a great time and am looking forward to sharing the next trip up there with friends.