Loop 360 is a favorite bike ride for Austinites for the wide shoulders and big hills. I have done small portions of it, but the hills have been intimidating, as well as the ramps where the highway traffic enters and exits. But S was looking to ride on Sunday morning, and she was game for a ride on 360, having ridden it a couple of times.
So 8 am, we meet at Barton Square mall and head out northbound on 360. The hills are tough- even in my smallest gear, I'm struggling, going 7-8 mph uphill. But there are a couple of big downhills, which are scary, but a nice change from the pushing. We planned on going out for 45 minutes, and turning around, and since S climbs better, we developed a routine where she drops me on the climbs, but I catch up on the downhills, and we stay together on the flats. It seems to work pretty well. And on the first downhill I hit 42.6 mph!
We turn around about a mile from 183, feeling good, but a little concerned about how hard the hills will be on the way back. Immediately we notice there's a big wind- probably 20 mph, gusting to 25. I certainly didn't notice it northbound, but it feels strong now. And the hills are just brutal. I never had to walk, but there were some really bad points going 3 mph and hurting. And the flats all feel like false flats because of the wind, and the downhills don't feel as long. It's a long way back to the cars.
So it was tough, but I think it is a good marker- 22 miles in about 2 hours. I would like to come back, maybe once a month, to ride it and compare. I know climbing is a weakness, and this will definitely help me improve, or kill me. Either way I will change!
So 8 am, we meet at Barton Square mall and head out northbound on 360. The hills are tough- even in my smallest gear, I'm struggling, going 7-8 mph uphill. But there are a couple of big downhills, which are scary, but a nice change from the pushing. We planned on going out for 45 minutes, and turning around, and since S climbs better, we developed a routine where she drops me on the climbs, but I catch up on the downhills, and we stay together on the flats. It seems to work pretty well. And on the first downhill I hit 42.6 mph!
We turn around about a mile from 183, feeling good, but a little concerned about how hard the hills will be on the way back. Immediately we notice there's a big wind- probably 20 mph, gusting to 25. I certainly didn't notice it northbound, but it feels strong now. And the hills are just brutal. I never had to walk, but there were some really bad points going 3 mph and hurting. And the flats all feel like false flats because of the wind, and the downhills don't feel as long. It's a long way back to the cars.
So it was tough, but I think it is a good marker- 22 miles in about 2 hours. I would like to come back, maybe once a month, to ride it and compare. I know climbing is a weakness, and this will definitely help me improve, or kill me. Either way I will change!
1 comment:
seriously, you rode on a bike from the mall to near my house? WOW. you rock. That isn't an easy drive, much less ride. WOW.
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