HELL WEEK! - Fredericksburg, TX

March 2006

Eight days with three routes to choose from each day. “A” routes are about 100 miles, “B” routes are about 60 miles, and “C” routes are about 40 miles. If that is not enough for you, there are a couple of 200 mile routes during the week. Near terminal monkey butt can be a real issue here as the week WEARS on. This event is self-supported through some really lonely and beautiful country. I have decided it is not a good idea to be 40 miles from your car on an unsupported ride, with no one to call within 200 miles. Cell phones also work only intermittently in this area. If I do this again I think I need to find a partner or two to do it with me. Being a little slower than the fastest riders and faster than the slower riders, I spent many hours riding all by myself. If you get through this week, you will never worry about climbing again. With grades up to 22% you really need a granny ring without many cogs on it – or at least old guys like me do. The routes are rough in places with hundreds of cattle guards and some really hazardous low water crossings, but there is very little vehicle traffic most of the time. Overall, it is a great experience and there is a core group of lunatics that ride this ride year after year. I ate everything I could possibly cram in my mouth and lost 10 pounds during the week. I don’t want to post my email address here, but look for the old gray-haired guy on the Specialized Sequoia at the Plano East Side ride if you think you are crazy enough to try this with me next year. Rex

I agree with the other reviewer. Find some friends to go with you. Riding by yourself is not an uncommon occurrence. Most riders don't start at the appointed time or place. Most who participate are not there to have fun and meet people to ride with. They are there to train. The topic for the banquets guest speaker was: My life was about biking the RAAM and I became depressed, don't let this happen to you.
The mantra for the week is:" This is an unsupported event, I'm not going to answer any questions, you're on your own, hope to $ee you next year." There are phone numbers to call at the top of every map. If you got stranded, would they come and get you? I honestly don't know.

March 13-20, 2004

Hell Week 2004 Was a lot of fun , and a lot of hills. I rode the " C" routes. If you go I Strongly suggest that you pick up a free County /City map at the County Courthouse so you can get back on route if you get lost and not have to backtrack. Attendance was 334 riders. Most were from out of state.

A review from event director Nick Gerlich:
Texas Hell Week XIV was held 13-20 March in Fredericksburg. This time around 357 registered riders from 33 states tackled the Hill Country on their two-wheeled steeds. Balmy March weather held throughout the week, with only one day of light rain. Morning clouds on the other days gave way to sunshine in the afternoons.
Hell Week is probably the most unique of events in the sport of cycling. Riders receive a route book with 31 routes, with detailed cue sheets and maps. At least three route distances are offered each day, with staggered starting times to avoid tripping over one another. All rides are unsupported, but there are sufficient opportunities along the way to replenish supplies.
This event is not for the timid or those needing a high degree of hand-holding, police marshalls, road closures, protected intersections, etc. We enforce a spirit of self-sufficiency. It's all about riding bikes and having fun. The emphasis on community is huge, although it is not always apparent until after you've gone home and realize what a great time you had with all those folks from across the country.
Maybe that explains why so many people return to Hell Week year after year. In fact, they practice what I preach in my e-commerce class about effective websites: Texas Hell Week is "sticky, viral, and magnetic," meaning that:
(1) People come, stay awhile, and then return later, kind of like a Velcro effect.
(2) They tell their friends about it.
(3) They bring their friends with them in following years, and they often rent a house or B&B together, creating their own mini communities of magnetivity.
It's hard to totally explain the experience we refer to as "The Rides of March." Once you've been, you get it.
Starting in June 2004, a northern version called Cheese Country Hell Week will tackle the hills of southwestern Wisconsin. Same format, same concept.
For more info on all Hell Week events around the nation, visit www.hellweek.com.
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Nick Gerlich
Hell Week Director

March 15-22, 2003

I just got back from doing my second "Hellweek" down in Fredericksburg and noticed you didn't have any reviews posted for this fantastic ride. Nick Gerlich and his wife Becky put together a good mix of routes through the hill country west of Austin that will suite any riders desires. There is no support via sag wagons or supported rest areas, but there is usually a gas station or small market available along the route to refuel. Take some sturdy wheels because you will regularly cross on cattle guards, but the routes are generally sparsely traveled farm roads so traffic won't be a major focus.
When you sign in you will receive detailed queue sheets and maps for 31 different routes of various difficulties and distances. Each evening they post an A,B & C option for the next days rides that are generally 40, 60 & 100 mile options. Just for good measure there are A+ and AA options occasionally posted for the more adventurous. ** This year there were over 300 riders signed up for the week that generally hail from the colder climates and you'll be hard pressed to find many Texans.
"Hellweek" is a great place to kick off your year. Make sure your ready for some of the best climbing rides in Texas and you've properly prepared yourself with some good base mileage. I had nearly 1k before my, 510 mile/week, odyssey that included three century rides and after the first day I felt it wasn't enough. Later I realized that the mileage was probably enough, but the preparation for the climbs was not.
Don't miss: Shorter rides to Luckenbach (grab a beer and listen to some jokes and country singing), the Bat Tunnel, and Wine and #9 (stopping at a winery). The Windows on Doss eXperience that is a good way to start off the week with a 105 mile jaunt through the farm roads with a few good climbs thrown in for good measure. **  The Willow City Loop which is a 108 mile trek through wildflower country that's not quite as challenging on climbs, but after a tough week of riding no ride is easy. This a very scenic ride down into a valley on the Willow City Loop that is a must for picture taking. However, don't forget that what goes down must also come up so don't let the legs get too cold. The Leakey Death Ride of 110 miles with five or six good climbs of 10-17 percent grade and descents up to 50 mph. Begins in Bandera and goes through Leakey, Utopia, and crosses the Frio River. This is the ride I will always compare any others to until I experience a more difficult one. A forty mph headwind for the first 40 miles held us to an average of 14mph, the last forty miles on foot (and ass) numbing chip seal, March temperatures hitting 90 degrees, .......it was glorious.
Don't forget the great German food and the shopping in Fredericksburg, and other local sites are great for the spouses who don't ride. The area is also great for runners who we saw on several occasions.
This is an event that I will do every year.