http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=803244

Now if you look closely you may notice two things about this specific
instance of this route:

(a) There is a long section where I double back on myself. This section is
also very steep.
(b) I don't end where I started.

So, err, yeah! Important lesson learned yesterday!

I knew from posts here that people had found an alternate route down to 360
at 2222 from 620 at 2222, without having to bike down the sketchy steep part
of 2222 itself. I knew the basic idea was to turn into River Place and take
Big View. I did this. If you do this, DO NOT miss the turn for Narrow
Ridge off of Big View, unless you're a glutton for hill punishment, and I
say this as someone who is generally a glutton for hill punishment. Big
View keeps going...and going...down...and down...all the while I'm thinking
to myself, okay, any second now I'm going to hit City Park Road. No. Big
View hits the lake. Narrow Ridge hits Westminster Glen and THAT hits City
Park Road. Big View is nice and all, but after 35 miles of dam loop I
wasn't as gung-ho as I usually am about climbing back out of there. Just
for the record, though, I made it without stopping until the top -- although
I must have looked pretty beat; at the corner of City Park Road where I sat
down to stretch, a big SUV pulled up and asked if I was okay, and then
actually offered me a lift =). I was fine after a minute of stretching
though.

As far as item (b), well, this was all happening around 6pm yesterday, and
if you were in town around that time you may know what comes next. Once I
made it to City Park Road, I had a nice view back in the direction of my
house, and what I saw over there was a big nasty black cloud, visibly
dumping rain on my part of town. I pulled into the parking lot at 2222 &
360 and called my wife -- who answered "hey, are you getting drenched by
this rain?" Ohhh, great. So, not knowing how big a drenching it was
(turned out it wasn't really that bad, but I've just recovered from a cold
and didn't want to risk it) and generally being worn out, with a climb up
Far West or Ladera Norte or Spicewood Springs ahead of me if I continued, I
bailed. She came and rescued me =). If I hadn't taken that detour down Big
View, I would probably have gotten the same total distance, with slightly
less climb, except ended up at home just in time to miss the downpour.
Rats.

One more thing, I want to add to what Ross said about construction on 71.
If anyone hasn't done the dam loop lately, the short section of 71 between
2244 and 620 (by the Backyard) got hit with the ugly/traffic/construction
stick sometime since the last time I was down there. I feel bad for the
Backyard, and I really feel bad for any group of cyclists trying to get over
to 620 from the Jack Brown at the corner of 2244. The Jersey barriers eat
up the shoulder and a good chunk of traffic lane, resulting in what must be
very tight quarters if the light changes at a bad time for you. I made it
without incident but I'll be avoiding that spot for a while.

Here's how I did it (starting from Pfluger bike/ped bridge) ...

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=117489

You might choose some other way to get out to SW Pkwy. I don't mind riding along the MoPac access road, as I do that occassionally with the Saturday morning ATC ride, although I'm not terribly fond of the bit where you have to actually take the shoulder of MoPac when crossing the bridge over the Barton Creek greenbelt between 360 and the SW Pkwy exit. Other options include 360 -> Bee Caves -> Barton Creek Blvd, etc.

Depending on time of day, the traffic's not to bad on Travis Cooke, Circle Dr. and Fitzhugh, but do keep an eye out for traffic coming from behind. At one point, I actually pulled over and stopped to let a large truck go by, which was perfectly fine by me. Other than that, I had no problems at all.

Also, keep in mind that you won't see any stores or places to get food or drink between the convenience store at the corner of Fitzhugh and 290 and Pedernales Falls park

http://tinyurl.com/7l3j7

http://tinyurl.com/lnltu

Start on campus, head out to Shoal Creek, take a left up Far West, go down far West, take the first left after the 90 degree turn at the bottom, make a right on one of those "____wood" roads, until you find yourself on 2222. A safer alternate is to take the road away from 2222 until it hits 360, then left on 360 and back out to 2222. Right on 2222, right on Jester, up at least 3 times. on the last descent, turn left on 2222, then right on City Park. Climb to the top, then turn around, and turn right on Courtyard. go up, and keep going until you hit 360, left on 360 and take your preference back to Ladera Norte. 3 options. I recommend going back to the bottom, taking Cat Springs to Smokey Valley, and up from there. Right back onto Ladera all the way to the top, then right at the T. Ride along (well, recover...) and turn right on Greystone. From there you can use a variety of methods to get back to Far West (Mesa is a straight shot), from Far West, you can head home, or if you want more pain, continue down Mesa until you get to Cat Mountain? I'm not sure on the next part, so you can ride Mesa to 2222, or this way is safer. Right on Cat Mountain, ride for a while until you get to a stop sign before a "No Outlet" sign. Turn left. Right on Mt. Bonnell, then continue until you hit 2222, then take a right, followed by a quick left back onto Mt. Bonnell. Climb Bonnell, then continue on, following the road, left at the T, then right on this other road with a nice painted bike lanethat goes down then up a hill (you can see it. I don't know street names, so I recommend getting lost until you know the route, or I show up. Either way is fun.) Right on Scenic, and follow that bad boy. You'll hit Lake Austin I think, then take a right on Redbud. After riding on redbud, you'll see a left turn and some thick traffic mid-way up a hill. Take it. It'll spit you out at town lake. Ride home, lick your wounds. I just made up this killer hill route and haven't tried it out yet as one, but have done them as seperate routes. Each one is about 30 from campus, so I'm guessing it'll put you at about 50 miles of pain. I'll try this sometime next week. Feel free to post a time, and I'll try to make it, just be mindful of t rafficky hours.

Best climb I've found recently is in River Place off 2222. You can make a big loop out of it - take River Place Blvd down the big hill and all the way around until it T's into Big View. Turn right and go down the hill until it flattens out at the pool, then turn around and start climbing. Stay on Big View all the way until it intersects River Place Blvd (not where you turned right, but the second intersection where Big View T's into River Place). You can also turn right onto Narrow Ridge and then left onto Westminter Glen and climb up to City Park road.

I often follow something that incorporates Scenic Blvd,
Exposition, Mt Bonnell, and I usually make it a point to stop at
Central Market or Whole Foods as a destination or pit stop or to pick
up a few goodies.
http://tinyurl.com/czla8
(you'll need to use Mozilla, Firefox or Safari cuz this page link
breaks in Explorer) -- The blue path is the general route, but no need
to stick with it.

If you are asking about points farther South and West:
There are some nice places (and challenging hills) further south &
west like Lost Creek Blvd and Barton Creek Blvd but they involve
connections on Beecave Road and Loop 360 which I've grown to hate
because of all the cars. If you're up to that sort of route then you
might be interested in West Lake Blvd, Red Bud, Toro Canyon etc.

I don't understand the current obsession cyclists have with 620, SW Parkway, 360, etc. I guess my idea of a great relaxing ride isn't a wide shoulder with cars and trucks whizzing by. I greatly prefer East Austin - heading out toward Decker Lake or out Burleson Rd. back behind Bergstrom Airport. Less shoulder, but also less traffic and a heck of lot better scenery than strip-malls McMansions. And I've found the motorists much friendlier out East than west. I've NEVER ridden 1826 without some sort of "incident" - the worst being a beer bottle thrown at me, the very least some "kind words." I still cycle out there but only when I'm meeting other folks that insist. Further South seems even worse. I think you're required to hate bikes for Public Office in Williamson County.

You can cross from the West part of town to Burleson via Woodward. From the north (and thanks to several here for helping me with this route) take 51st Street out eventually getting on Loyola and Decker Lake Rd. After that it's quiet, clean, and open roads as far as you want to go. You can actually hear a vehicle coming up on you a quarter mile in advance. I've never had a bad incident out there.

The Dam Loop usually starts behind the bike shop ( 360 Cycleworks (http://360cycleworks.com) ) in what I think is West Lake Village shopping center - just south of "the bridge" on 360. Ride is nominally clockwise. Route is approximately 30-something miles. Route approximation is 360 -> Bee Caves -> 71 -> 620 -> 2222 -> 360.

620->Neighborhoods->Jollyville->360->BeeCaves->71->620 Home

Picadilly -> Grand Avenue -> Wells Port Dr -> Wells Branch -> Thermal -> Metric -> Gracy Farms -> Duval -> Jollyville -> Great Hills Trail -> 360 -> bla bla bla bla

» 50 miles of the steepest climbs, sharpest blind turns, and scariest descents.
» 7 Major Climbs, approximately 6000' of climbing, most grades 10% or greater.
» WARNING: failure to control your bike may result in your DEATH!
» "It's the fastest, and slowest, I've ever raced" (racer's name withheld by request)
» "The Winner of this race can claim the "Polka-Dot Jersey" bragging rights of all Texas" (leading bike official)
» "Toughest 50 miles anywhere" (retired, old, broken-down, racer)
» "This is One Bad-A__ Race!" (bike shop owner)
» Course Record -- 2 hours, 22 min, 20 sec. C.P. Thalken, 1999

I usually head west and north from that area. Take 3406 west, it becomes 175. Once you are north of 1431, there are lots of little county roads with little traffic. You can check the maps, you can go a long way while avoiding major highways. I often do a loop from there that goes through Florence, Liberty Hill, and Leander. Some of the ACA maps of the area are really good.

If you go east on 3406 from there to 1460, it will take you north into Georgetown with little traffic. There are a lot of little county roads out there as well, but some can be a bit rough.

I avoid 1431 although many people here ride it. I enjoy riding Brushy Creek Road, but I avoid that one during rush hour.

went out Hairy Man Rd to Great Oaks. Great Oaks to Avery Ranch. Avery Ranch to Parmer. Parmer to 620 and then up to Brushy Creek Rd then back to Hairy Man. With a couple of exploratory turns, I put in about 21 miles.

From 360 Cycleworks - warmup on 360 north to jolleyville and back, then cut up through neighboorhoods to Far West (2X), Ladera Norte(2X), exit neighboorhood at 2222, then take a right on 2222 to Bell Mountain (2X)...then proceed to jester, beauford, down jester to city park road, up city park rd to westminster Glen, to big view, up river place, down river place, up back side of riverplace/big view winding back to city park rd....and on into the shop again via courtyard.

The queen cycling attraction in Gillespie County, The Willow City Loop never disappoints. Pretty at all times, the spectacle peaks during wildflower season in mid/late spring when it glows in a blaze of natural glory.

Its storied beauty, however, breeds popularity. During wildflower season especially, “The Loop” can be dotted with tourists in automobiles and motorcycles. Also, landowners along the route are less than thrilled that their pastureland doubles as a tourist attraction. Most do not appreciate trespassing of any kind, and they will let you know it. That said, stick to the roads, be mindful of motorists, and you should have a great visit.

There is one other small glitch to be aware of: the climb at the end of the
loop is one of the most difficult in the county. Very steep at first, it also stretches out longer than most ascents in the immediate area. Although cyclists presumably travel to the Hill Country to ride up and down hills, those with questionable climbing capabilities should bring liberal gearing.

This route traverses the ridge separating the Pedernales River valley from the Guadalupe River valley, a geographic feature know by local cyclists as the “Trans Guad-Ernales Ridge.” The “Guadernales” moniker for this route is a shortened amalgamation of that.

During spring and early summer the return trip from Comfort often benefits from a prevailing southeasterly tailwind.

The route encompasses quite a bit of climbing, including a mildly steep slope almost ten miles in length from Fredericksburg toward Comfort. Returning, one faces the challengingly steep slopes of the Bat Cave Summit.

Because of all the climbing this route also includes two fabulous descents, one on the ride down to Comfort, the other towards the end on the return route to Fredericksburg.

Comfort, with many shops and restaurants, makes for an interesting waypoint. You will have to wander off of the explicit route to explore the straightforward layout of the town.

A perfect medium-distance route for days when the wind is from the north or east, the “Fifty Miler” distinguishes itself by its avoidance of the more notable climbs in the region, despite covering, you guessed it, almost 50 miles. Despite the uphill nature of the earliest miles of this route, the grade is quite benign for this entire distance. It avoids the climb up Mt. Crabapple, taking the scenic Eckert Rd. to TX16 instead. It also flits through Willow City, but does not incorporate the ultra-scenic Willow City Loop.

In Willow City this route does, however, visit Harry’s on the Loop, a quirky beer/barbeque joint that is generally reliable, but may not always be open. From Willow City the route continues through the northeastern part of the county along typical rolling and scenic Hill Country roads, returning to Fredericksburg.

At just over 30 miles, the Gypsum Mine Loop makes for a perfect ride on a north wind day.

Though the first third of the route is marked by a substantial amount of vertical gain, the incline is somewhat steady and offers a good, long burn, as opposed to a short acute sting.

The middle third of this route features Mt. Crabbapple, the most challenging climb on the route.

After this brutal climb, take time to recover as you enjoy the scenic descent into the final winding and quaint third of the route.

End the ride by surmounting the smaller “Fredericksburg Foothills” climb, which leads back into Fredericksburg.

Best to stock up for a hilly 30+ mile ride because no commercial food and water stops are available on this route.

In summer (during Daylight Saving Time) local cyclists usually ride this route on Tuesdays at 6 o’clock PM.

Usually there is a fast “A” group as well as a slower “B” group riding the loop. The route’s 30 mile distance includes three climbs of note. Points of interest include the town of Luckenbach (bypassed on the Tuesday Night ride) and an exceptionally scenic vista to enjoy during the long descent back towards Fredericksburg. This scenic view makes the climbs immediately preceding it worthwhile.

Food and drink resources are extremely limited on this route.

A great route when time is at a premium or weather threatens, A Quick One also makes a great Friday evening warmup for those arriving from out of town facing limited daylight.

Although of a short distance and not venturing too far from town, this route includes plenty of Hill Country scenery. The 19 mile route also includes a notable section of climbing toward the end, which pays off with a spectacular view of Fredericksburg looking down on the city and down on Cross Mountain. Additionally, A Quick One allows riders to soak in some exceptional countryside without venturing too far from town.

No commercial food or drink resources are available on this route outside of Fredericksburg

• Batcave Ride
• Canyon Lake Devil's Ride
• Corpus Christi Island Breeze Ride
• Comal Elementary
• Devil's Backbone
• Devine Ride
• Eisenhower Ride
• Encino Park Ride
• Engle Road Ride
• Marion Road Ride
• Mountain Dew Rides
• New Braunfels Ride
• North by Northwest Ride
• Rebecca Creek Ride
• Selma Round Up Century
• South by Southwest
• Specht Store
• Taco Ride
• Utopia Ride
• Wildflower 100 Miler
• Woman Hollering Creek Ride

• Take Parmer past 620 to Brushy Creek (a.k.a. CR 174)
• Right onto Brushy Creek Brushy Creek to Sam Bass (Brushy Creek ends)
• Left onto Sam Bass Sam Bass until it interesects with 1431
• Left onto 1431. Take 1431 to back to Parmer
• Left onto Parmer to take you back to the start.