[ride reports] [photo album this trip]

Texas Hill Country

Twisty Texas Tour
December 26-30, 2003

Notes about the area and roads

This area is truly beautiful and the scenery changes from road to road. You can see cactus here, small palm trees and dry yellow grass at the lower levels. Crystal clear lakes and spring-fed rivers and creeks cross the roads every 15-20 miles. You have to watch for flooding at the lower levels, although it was bone dry on this trip.

At the higher elevations there are limestone cliffs, giant cypress trees and maple trees. The roads have good pavement here, but the pavement is made out of small pressed rocks. The tires stick pretty good to it but they make a humming noise as you ride and they tear up street tires quickly. Some of the roads have no edge lines painted so you have to pay attention, most have no shoulder, or have a very small shoulder.

Most of the roads we were on are "Ranch Roads". They are mostly traveled by the local ranchers and the only thing you have to watch out for is slow moving vehicles and wildlife.

On the weekends, the roads are literally empty, you only see bikes zipping by and hunters, but on weekdays there is more traffic, mostly the local ranchers. What a variety of roads out here. There are roads that climb pretty steep which have blind turns with a mountain cut on one side and a rocky drop off on the other side with a guard rail running the whole length. Probably the steepest roads I've ever ridden. Also, some roads that have turns that are tighter then the ones on the Dragon at Deal's Gap. But most of the time there are just really nice turns, which are posted at 35-45mph, and there are some sweepers too.

Not too many straight roads here. The speed limit on these roads is usually either 70 or 65. A few of the roads have their curve speeds exaggerated and you can easily go double the speed limit, but some of the roads are pretty much accurate with their signs….it says 10mph, it means 10mph.

The roads and intersections have very good signage and it's pretty hard to get lost. All the turns have a posted curve speed.

Most of these roads travel anywhere from 20 miles to 60 miles with only a small town at the intersection. Some towns have no gas stations, others have no high octane gas. Some towns have no restaurants. Leaky and Camp Wood have better gas stations.