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Austin Texas Hill Country Dual Sport Day Trips

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bikejones said:
Scott........I am open to others sharing their routes and experiences.

When you can make it here for a Saturday ride we will let you show us some of your routes.

I will get a gps unit someday and when I do, I would like to have some files/tracks of known rides.....for now maps work OK for me.
Click to expand...

I was referring to routes in the greater Huntsville area. I don't have any routes for the Austin area as I rarely ride in that area, preferring instead to get out past US 281 to do any riding if I am coming that direction. Richard "Trail Boss" might be able to offer suggestions on routes in the Austin area. There was also a link somewhere to a Google Map that some folks were putting together on DS focused routes in the Austin/Hill Country areas.

Ah! Here it is:
http://www.twtex.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44379

woodsguy said:
A GPS is in the works, is there one you favor(cheaper model)?
Click to expand...

:tab Well, IF you can find one on Ebay, I really like the Garmin 276. The screen is a good size, it has good features and is easy to use. They are highly sought after though and are no longer made. I have a newer Garmin Montana 600 and I think I actually like my older 276 better. The 60CS is also a good unit, but the screen is just small and my eyes have been going bad the last year or so and I can no longer read it very well :doh: The NUVI models are not weather proof. The Zumo models are and have been popular with motorcycle riders. If you would like to see any of my GPS units, feel free to give me a holler and come by. I'll be around most all this weekend and probably helping Pkiser get a KLR running on Saturday at my place. I have all three of the units mentioned above (Montana 600, 276CS and 60CS).
 
I'm interested in the ride on Sunday but, want to know the speeds you plan on riding. I have a choice of bikes to ride but don't want to be under-powered or over-powered.

Thanks - Jon
 
Smiley said:
I'm interested in the ride on Sunday but, want to know the speeds you plan on riding. I have a choice of bikes to ride but don't want to be under-powered or over-powered.

Thanks - Jon
Click to expand...

Smiley,
I generally try to ride the speed limit or at times a little over (5 to 10 mph). I typically ride dirt roads around 45mph or so but always looking for critters that may be blocking the road or that may run in front of you.

I actually came across about 7 deer along the side and in the middle of the road and when I slowed down to about 10mph they all ran along beside me...and me knowing that at least one of them would cut in front of me I slowed down a little more at which time three of them ran in front of me and the others hopped over a fence. It was a cool experience that could have turned bad for me and the deer.

Overall, depending on how many folks show up at these rides, we will all ride together as smaller groups are easier to keep together.

If there is a large number of riders that show up for any of these rides (don't think there will be for this first ride) we will split into multiple groups letting the faster riders go first.
 
Here is the ride list so far......

in......

bikejones
Lamar568
GlockPointer
escuchamente


maybe.....

Tx225 gal
Smiley
ATTICus Finch
tireman

Actuall Attendee's.....

GlockPointer
smiley
tireman
Lamar568
escuchamente
 
I'm out for this weekend, but if I plan for it now, I can be there next week, either Sat or Sun.

Oh, and if I can get a map or list of roads/turns, I can put together google maps and GPX files for those GPS-inclined....
 
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Thanks for putting rides like this together! I know its a lot of work that often goes unappreciated.

I'll likely join in once I get my DRZ fixed, although that could be a few weeks..
 
checking in. I'll be on the old style KLR, kawi green and black with a yellow wolfman tankbag.
 
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Thanks for organizing the ride, Britt. It was nice meeting you guys. Sorry I had to head back early. Hope you all got back safe and sound.

Smiley
 
Well alright............The first Austin Texas Hill Country Dual Sport Day Trip went along without a hitch. No falls, no break downs and no flats. Just good times, good BBQ (Coopers in Llano) :eat: and great friends.

Thanks to everyone that showed up.......
tireman
escuchamente
Smiley (started the ride but had to take off for other previously scheduled duties shortly after we got off pavement.)
Lamar568
GlockPointer

Not to say there were not some near misses along the ride..........

Lamar568 pulled off a near fatal creek crossing.............not fatal in the true sense...........lets just say he kept the desire to stay upright stronger than the forces to take him down.

I took a 90 degree corner over a cattle guard a little to hot and came close to going off-road......in the true sense......but kept it on the gravel.

GlockPointers' starter started making a bad sound......but it hung in there and didn't completely go south on him.

Lamar568 and escuchamente said that tireman, GlockPointer and I startled a rattlesnake in the middle of the road along Althause-Davis that was posing as a cow patty. I kept my eyes open all day looking for these critters posing as cow patties......but I missed this one.

Lots of good roads, awesome scenery (as usual), some decent water crossings.......we even crossed the smallest water xing in Texas.


Here's a few pics I took along the way........some of the other guys took pics along the ride as well .

The beginning.......minus escuchamente as he showed up a little later........

begin.jpg


Break time in the shade......Click Ranch, Click, Texas USA. From left to right....GlockPointer, tireman, escuchamente and Lamar568.

break.jpg


Photo opp at the Corral......

Corral.jpg


Cool Little Church.........

Church.jpg


We came across several water crossings......this one was pretty cool because most of what you rode on was a solid granite slab......

SmallestWaterXing1.jpg


tireman on the left.....GlockPointer on the right

SmallestWaterXing2.jpg


Lamar568 on the left.....escuchamente on the right

SmallestWaterXing3.jpg


Here are some pics that GlockPointer took.........

GP-400.jpg


GP-401.jpg


GP-402.jpg


GP-403.jpg


I appologize for having y'all out a little later than expected (8pm as opposed to 5pm) but then again......we did ride a little farther......approx. 250 miles as opposed to 150 miles.

thanks again y'all for an awesome ride!!!!!!!!! :clap::rider:

Since next weekend is Fathers Day.....I will be spending time with my family.......I won't be available to ride until the following weekend.

For those of you that are riding next weekend, keep it fun, keep it safe and keep the shiney side up.

I will post something up for another Hill Country Dual Sport Day Trip soon.

adios,
Britt
 
First I'd like to say thanks to Britt "BikeJones" for putting this together and the rest of the guys for making it safe and enjoyable. This was all new ground for me and it was a lot to take in.
I was following the leaders most the day so don't remember the exact route but paid better attention after the lunch stop.
Our first rest stop after our departure from Bee Cave, was in the Click Ranch area on LLano CR 315? Probably about 1030 or 11am. Think the mountain down the road and to the left was Watson Mtn.
IMG_0568.jpg
From June 10, 2012 DS ride
Britt lead us through a bunch of CR's and RR's that were unpaved and surrounded by great scenery. As stated in an earlier post, we ate in LLano and that was by far the largest group of people we saw all day (outside Travis county).
Here is a shot of our first rest stop after lunch on House Mtn Rd I think?
IMG_0569.jpg
From June 10, 2012 DS ride
It was an intermittent sandy-washboarded-sandy rd, and got interesting a few times. The shinko 705s have been wonderful on pavement, the front tire doesn't grip in loose stuff that well though.
Having not been on a day-long ride in a while I started to feel the heat and loose energy. I drank over a gallon and a half of water on the day but didn't eat enough along the way. I thought I had brought some granola bars but couldn't find them (found them buried under my empty water bottles while unloading the tankbag afterwards). The gang was all prepared and I ended up eating some trail mix that gave me some spark for the rest of the ride (2 hrs more?). That was at Willow city around 530pm.
From there we bombed up and down the east side of the Willow City loop, paved with great scenery and the first "Don't get out of your car", i.e. rattlesnake warning billboard.
After returning to Willow city, we departed to the east and shortly turned north on Althaus Davis Rd where we did have our first rattlesnake encounter (evening is more probable as they are warmed up and ready for a night of hunting), and shortly transitioned to cr 310 and the last stretch of gravel road.

All in all a great trip. We hit 5 counties, if I'm not mistaken. Off the highways we crossed paths with maybe 8 vehicles (including one tractor) all day. We saw zero tractor-trailers, that in itself is awesome. There were lots of cattle and deer, including suicidal ones, but everyone rode smart and we had no issues. There was also a billy goat guarding a river crossing, but he let us pass after taking a quick rip down the road on one of the XRL's.
I'd also like to mention that no-one left any trash anywhere, that's a good representation of the folks involved on this trip.
If you missed this ride, make sure to get on one of the following trips because it is worth it.

Bike issues:
Front left blinker worked its way loose from the retention nut, had to stop and re-fasten and then re-tighten a few times.
Just after lunch, my speedo cable backed out (against gravity) from its housing on the hub. This wasn't the first unimproved road/trail riding I've done but that's never happened.
Wolfman Explorer Large tankbag is too big for the KLR. It's great for long, sit-down, riding but doesn't allow me to stand on the pegs. So it will be in the flee market soon.

Thanks again to Britt, Frasier, Val, and Lamar.
 
Looks like fun--I realized I probably wouldn't have been able to do the best job of keeping up though. The XT doesn't like to go over 65 for very long....
 
escuchamente said:
All in all a great trip.

I'd also like to mention that no-one left any trash anywhere, that's a good representation of the folks involved on this trip.

If you missed this ride, make sure to get on one of the following trips because it is worth it.

Thanks again to Britt, Frasier, Val, and Lamar.
Click to expand...

Hey....you're welcome Eric. It was great meeting all of y'all having everyone out there riding and having fun.

I know those long rides can get a little tiring.....it just takes a little conditioning......and we only went through 5 counties???? I notice we were in Mason county for just a little bit.....but we were there. We could always ride a little farther south and pick up 2 or 3 more counties. :rider:

Trash sucks and it degrades the beautiful scenery we love to ride in. We never want to leave any trace that we have been somewhere.......except for maybe leaving a few tracks behind....and treading softly when we do that.
 
TX225 gal said:
Looks like fun--I realized I probably wouldn't have been able to do the best job of keeping up though. The XT doesn't like to go over 65 for very long....
Click to expand...

Fun it was!

You could have kept up...I'm sure.

Fast at times but not too fast overall.......we never leave anyone behind.

Except for a mile on Hwy 281 to get gas and a little stretch on HWY 29.....most speed limits were 45 to 55 mph......or they weren't posted at all and you just ride what feels safe.
 
Double the pleasure..........Double the fun!!!!!!

Saturday.......and........Sunday......Sunday......Sunday!!!!!!

*****************************************************

When.....Saturday June 23, 2012

What.....Bastrop Summer Big Ride!!!!!!!!!!

Where.....8am at the soccer fields in Bastrop...........near Hwy 71 and 95........bring $4 to give to RollingJ for entry into the park.

This is a 50/50 ride. 50 dirt/50 pavement......with an optional after ride around 2pm. The after 2 ride will most likely be a long one and head east from Bastrop toward Lake Sommerville.

Click this for the low down.......

----------------------Wait-------------that ain't all------------------------------------------------


When: Sunday June 24, 2012


Where: Meet at Backwoods, located in the western end of the Hill Country Galleria, 12921 Hill Country Blvd Ste D2-145, Bee Cave, TX 78738.....in the rear parking lot at 8:30 a.m.

Kick stands up at 9:00 a.m.

If we know someone is coming, and they haven't arrived by 9:00 a.m.....we will wait approximately 15 to 20 minutes for them to show up. If you need to contact me........please call five 1 two - 4 two three - zero 8 8 nine.

There is gasoline near the meeting area to top off your tank. If you have less than a 4 gallon tank we will make gas stops along the way.

Destination: Points Known and Unknown.......Exploring some of the Hill Country's dirt roads between Llano and Fred'sburg/Harper.

bring water......stay hydrated.....drink plenty of water starting days prior to any outdoor activities.

We will stop somewhere for lunch.

If you plan on attending please post up so we have an idea who's riding.
 
This is a 50/50 ride. 50 dirt/50 pavement......with an optional after ride on the trails around 2pm.

We should be done with the road part of this ride and be on the trails by about 10 and ride the trails for few hours. The trails are what make this a 'dual sport' ride!
The after 2 ride will most likely be a long one and head east from Bastrop toward Lake Sommerville.
 
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