Honey Tour De Burleson, Burleson, TX

May, 24, 2008

We did the 34 miler in Burleson this past weekend. Looks like the ride has grown this year. I enjoyed the new routes from and back into the school this year. (I missed last years make-up ride, so the routes are new to me) Also the tour through beautiful downtown Alvarado was nice. Other than that, the routes were the same as previous years. Traffic control was better than previous years. Seemed to be someone at every turn, which is a big help. We did have to stop for traffic at 67 in Alvarado, but a officer was working the light and I think he was letting the riders through as soon as he could. The only downs to the ride were the rest stops. I didn't stop at the first one, but my wife said the sport drink was pretty thick. Second rest stop in Alvarado had all the goodies, but no drink, no ice. They were waiting on a jug to mix the drink in. The rest stop (Egan?) was the best. ALL the goodies and cold sports drink and cold water. These folks had it down.
The finish was great too. Ticket drawn give-aways and good barbecue sandwiches. That hit the spot.
As always, we will be back next year. Close to home and a pretty good ride

First of all I'd like to thank all the volunteers who assisted with this ride in any capacity. Registration went smoothly, new t-shirt design was nice, the singing group at the start did well. The rest stops that I stopped at on the 100K were well stocked with watermelon, peeled oranges (nice touch), bananas, cookies, pretzels and pretzels in small sandwich bags so that riders could carry them while they rode a great idea. All the volunteers at the rest stops were very friendly, happy & helpful. The overall course was well marked and easy to follow. Now for some concerns. First of all this was Memorial Day Weekend and this rally showed no signs of that except at 1 rest stop had the red/white/blue bows etc. at it. Otherwise what a shame no National Anthem, No Pledge, No American Flags at the start/stop line. The rally started with a break in the music and a lady saying "go". I don't know where SAG support was cause I only saw 1 vehicle on the 100K route which was full after the 34 mile rest stop. All the motorcycles never saw them excepted parked at the start line. Is this the new thing that there is little to no support for riders on the longer routes??? Come on folks if you can't get more SAG out there on the longer routes then don't offer those routes. Things happen, mechanical, heat (the news reported that evening 95 degrees with heat index 105), accidents etc. At the finish there was no one there & where was the finish line cause it wasn't marked. Did love the sign marked with "Caution Loose Dogs Ahead", thank heavens I didn't see them. Some suggestions. 1 - Get some American Flags up and flying. 2 - Have either the National Anthem, The Pledge or something at the start. 3 - At each rest stop have a sign or something telling riders how far to the next rest stop. 4 - mark bad spots in the road with bright paint. 5 - Mark SAG support with signs in front/back windows and sides of vehicles. 6 - Have a cheering section thanking everyone for their support as they come back in and cross the finish line. 7 - Have your shorter route SAG support move out to the longer routes to provide additional support after everyone is off the shorter route. Overall this rally has the potential to be really big if they'd only stretch out a bit more!!! Not sure if I'll be back next year.

I very much enjoyed the Burleson Honey Tour this year.
I rode the 60 mile route, which was a scenic challenging course through rural country side with mostly very little traffic.
The direction signs were easily visible, mostly were painted on the pavement along with some signage.
There were many volunteers and flag people where they needed to be along the course.
I stopped at the 30 mile rest stop which was well stocked with fresh pineapple, watermelon, bananas, cookies and pretzels along with ice water and gator aid.
Hot dogs and sloppy joes were served at the finish.
Thank you Burleson Area Chamber of Commerce for a great ride.
I will be back next year!

I will agree with most of the afore mentioned, good ride, good rest stops, but the MEMORIAL DAY connection was missing. I am a vet, as were alot of riders. This area of Texas has a lot of military ties that support our way of life and we should remember those honored by MEMORIAL DAY. I (and 4 others) finished the 60 miler at 1:08pm and was offered a warm hot dog sans bun. No sloppy joes or bar-b-que sandwiches. Where did they go? Who ate up all that stuff? Was there a cut-off time? I did get an extra t- shirt tho. Not gonna say I wont ride next year but..... Thanks for this year.

I haven't done this ride in a couple of years so I was really impressed with the changes to the routes. Scenery was beautiful on the 54 mile route!! Registration was a breeze (I didn't pre-register), facilities were there and available when I needed them, I stopped at a couple of rest stops and was surprised by the variety (everything from pickles to pineapple). This was a great ride and I plan to be back next year!!

May 2007

Note: The May 2007 ride was rained out. and it was rescehduled for September.

Enjoyed the 62 mile route...thanks to the folks manning the intersections and for the hot dogs and cold drinks after the ride.

This review is for the rescheduled Honey Tour 2007. The original ride on Memorial Day weekend was rained out, so the organizers rescheduled the ride for Labor Day weekend, and I believe this was a very successful decision, despite some shortcomings which I will point out in the review. It looked to me like the ride had a good turnout.
Registration: I registered for this ride by mail and I can’t remember if there was a separate tandem category (I think not), nor what was in the original packet besides a T-shirt and water bottles. The pre-registered riders had their packets all prepared for them, and a small T-shirt size was available.
There was adequate parking at the start of the ride, and a reasonable number of porta johns, however the school facilities were not open (more on this later). I give registration a 4/5.
Route: (Comments pertain to the 55 mile route). This is one of the most interesting and complex routes on the circuit, and has garnered quite a reputation for not being well marked and hard to follow. The route is mostly on rural county roads, narrow, albeit with very little traffic. The markings consisted mostly of painted arrows on the route, there were also volunteers where needed, so the route was much improved this year. Technically, it is a grueling, hilly route, one of the hardest workouts I have had this season, and harder than the Hotter ‘n Hell 64 mile route. I was sorer than usual after completing this ride.
The downside of the route was the map. The map that was given out at the start of the ride was of very poor quality, you couldn’t make out the names of the cross streets and the rest stops were not even indicated on the map. The map posted on the website was a little clearer, and I was able to construct a GPS route to ensure I didn’t get lost. Also, the route on the website said 50 miles, the map said 55, which was the actual distance. Finally, the map said that a detail route through the cities was on the other side, but the other side was of course, totally blank. Mainly because of the map deficiencies, the route gets 3/5.
Rest Stops. The rest stops, as aforesaid, were not marked on the map, so it was a surprise when you came upon them. I thought they were adequately spaced, but some riders did not think so. The main problem with them was that the water was not potable. The plastic tank and garden hose used to supply the water left the water with a horrible taste, and I was not the only rider who thought so. It is a shame, because the rest stops were well stocked with a variety of snacks, both sweet and salty, although more effort should have been made to keep the fruit cold. Also, some of the rest stops were only tables by the side of the road (rest stop 4 on the 55 mile route, for instance). You really need a sun shade on a hot day. I give the rest stops only a 2/5.
SAG: There was evidence of SAG on the ride. I believe Mad Duck provided mechanical SAG with their riding mechanics, and there were trucks and a motorcycle to pick up riders who listened to their bodies and chose to end their rides early. I do not believe there were any mechanical SAG trucks on the route or at the rest stops. SAG gets 4/5.
Post Ride: Well, there were hot dogs and some sort of amateur song contest, but the most important thing, showers, was lacking. If you start the ride at the school, you should ask the principal to open the showers to the riders after the ride. I have never heard of bike riders trashing a school shower. It is very unpleasant riding home all sweaty and smelly and dirty, so a shower is really a must after all spring, summer and fall rides. I give post ride 2/5.
In conclusion, this ride is average, but it could be a lot better with showers and potable water. I hope the organizers will read this review and take this to heart.

The Honey Tour for the most part was successful. The only short comings was the water on the 55 mi route particular at the rest stop #3, it tasted like pool water. Alot of riders had refilled at past stops and felt sick by the time they got to #3. This really needs to be looked into for next year. The lack of SAG support or mark SAG support was well noted on the 55 mi route and when we arrived at #3 we heard someone asking for help for some of the riders back on the route cause there were a few needing SAG. Other than that the route was gruellingly hilly and challenging but with beautiful scenery. We'll be back next year but will carry more fluids just in case!!!!

It's really hard to descibe how I feel about the 2007 Honey Tour. I was pleased it was rescheduled because I had looked forward to riding it for the first time. There was confusion about the route -- up until the day of the ride, the website said 55 miles was the longest available due to road construction. At registration I was told the longest was actually 52, and then someone else said no, the original 100K route was suddenly open! I found out on the road, when I reached the decision point -- either 55 miles or 100K. I did the 100K. The route was nice, 2600 ft total ascent, but felt hillier because the 2nd half was gradually uphill. The weather was beautiful, continuing the run of luck we've had in North Texas. Roads were mostly excellent. The volunteers at rest stops were wonderful and there was lots of food and liquids, including the almost-magic pickle juice. It's hard to complain too much since I rode a personal-best average speed. That said, this was the most poorly controlled ride I've taken part in. Twice, big groups of riders took wrong turns due to poor route markings. Once, a police officer controlling a traffic signal at a major intersection stopped a group of 50-or-so 25-mph riders rather than stop the vehicular traffic! The last several miles were so poorly marked that those not familiar with the route had to actually guess which way to turn at several intersections. Before someone replies that the cyclist is responsible for knowing the route and negotiating intersections, I'll say I know that. I guess I've just been spoiled by every other ride I've done. Will I ride it again? Yeah... I guess so.

After reading the reviews submitted, it’s hard to believe we did the same ride! My husband & I thought the ride was one of the best we’ve done all summer! The scenery was gorgeous, the hills not too bad, the drinks were cold & there was plenty of ice & a nice choice of snacks. Plenty of directional support & not-too-hot on top of that. A great ride! Go figure.

The Honey Tour began in a different direction this year with the route leaving town by way of the new Hidden Creek Parkway. This seems to be an improvement and once the new bridge over I-35W is opened, it should smooth things out considerably for future rides. Unfortunately, that was about the extent of the improvements and we were soon back to the same ol’ Honey Tour. I rode the 62-mile route, and toward the end, the intersections were not all marked and/or staffed. The final rest stop in Egan lacked a shade shelter and the fruit was served hot! This is a nice course with great scenery. The ride could be so much better with only a little more support. It’s definitely worth doing. Just be sure you know your route before leaving the starting line.

Having participated in this ride for the past 4 years, I have had a chance to see the slight improvements and increased number of riders each year. I have to admit I agree with the people who complained about the distance between rest stops. I stopped at 22 miles and the next rest stop was at 36 miles. A 4 mile difference may not seem like a big deal but for the riders planning to see a rest stop every 10 miles it is huge!!! By the time I reached the last rest stop, they had run out of ALL BEVERAGES. There was ice left in one container so we scooped it out to get some relief.
I did not see SAG on the second half of the ride (I did the 55 mile route).
The volunteers that were there were all friendly and I enjoyed the hot dogs at the end of the ride, but could do without the opera singers. Clean restrooms INSIDE the school would be an added bonus.
Will I participate in this ride next year? 50/50 chance.

As riders we tend to beat up the organizers for their lack of effort, let's compliment the improvements that were made from last year. Yes, I agree there are still improvements to be made but I know for a fact the Chamber has read our reviews on this site and have heard our voice.
I can only speak for the 25 mile loop. The roads, rest stops were improved on from last year. There were a few intersections that need human interaction. The finish was greatly improved from last year, although a big tent is still needed to rest our weary bones under.
All told I did enjoy myself on this ride, rode in with a tandem and they were very pleasant to visit with. Thanks Chamber of Commerce for lending your ear. Keep up the good work.

Here is my quick take on the 55 mile route.... Rest Stop 2 was around the 20 mile mark and Rest Stop 3 was around the 37 mile mark. (The route map did not have them indicated anywhere.) The approx. 17 mile between stops was WAY TOO FAR for a fella like me to go without proper planning. I was lucky to have stopped at RS2
and refilled by fluids, but all were not so fortunate. Others I was with also thought that 17 miles is too far to go between stops. The Chamber of Commerce needs to better position the stops. This could have been a medical disaster. Also, RS3 ran out of pickle juice while I was there.
It would be an improvement for all the stops have more shade. The last stop did not have any shade at all... Also, the last stop ran out of water as I was leaving it.
Did anyone actually like the SoyJoy bars?
This is the 9th Annual Honey Tour. Shouldn't they have learned how to plan a ride by now?
Positives:
The people were friendly and there was plenty of organization at the starting/registration area.
The route was adequately marked. Some intersections could use human traffic control,
but the car traffic was not bad overall.
The Mad Ducks were great to provide mechanical support along the way.
The SAG chopper man was helpful, too.

If you do this ride next year, be sure to take your dog repellent. I was chased by dogs at three separate times along the 55 mile route.

May 27, 2006

Overall a very tough day, the wind was out of the south 16 - 20 MPH, the first 30 miles went south. The course is best defined as rolling hills. The route mostly followed secondary roads which are not in the best conditions. Chip-seal was not a problem, it was holes uneven pavement, etc.. The hills were challenging especially at the end. The course profile starts up hill for 1st 10 miles (125 ft overall elevation gain), then downhill for the next 15 (225 ft elevation lost), then it is all up hill for the next 25 miles (300 ft elevation gain) and the last 10 was downhill (175 ft elevation lost). These are just overall trends. I do have a couple of items that needs to be improved. First, you need a speaker system at the staging area. Ideally the speaker system needs to be heard by the whole staging and the registration areas. Only the guys at the front could hear anything. Second, recommend a stagger start or at the very least stagger the distance (62 front, 50 next, 25, etc). It gets very messy when you have Cat 5 cyclist mixed in with the family out for nice ride. Third, ride stated out en-mass and went through several intersection in Burleson, some of the intersection did not have a police presence. If you want a couple hundred cyclist to ride through your town, it is very difficult for a group that size to stop at traffic light. With all that being said, this was a good ride, I did the 62 mile ride and did not get chance to stop at the rest stop. I would like to say that just about every ride has room for improvement, but some of the criticism I read would like to see some rides shut down. Here is my thought when I go into these charity rides. They do two things, they support a charity and the promote cycling. If you want to ride the same routes with the same people, then go ahead do not support these charity rides. All rides have room for improvement, but I fully support these event, because personally, riding in my own back yard gets boring and the money goes to some good causes. I will be back next year, and I want to thank the people of Burleson who supported the cyclist in this event.

This is not a bad course, but the ride continually suffers year after year from a lack of adequate support and organization. This was evident from the very beginning as the PA system only consisted of a single megaphone that only the first few rows of riders could hear. The starting personnel were only visible to those riders in the front as they did not have a platform, fire truck, etc. to stand on and be seen. No National Anthem and no gun or horn to sound the start. The rest stops were adequate, but the big problem here is not enough folks to staff the various intersections and required turns. The routes are marked only with colored arrows painted on the pavement and you’d better be paying close attention as I know of several riders who did get lost on this ride. More serious is the lack of adequate traffic control during the latter stages. There were no police directing traffic at the intersection of Renfro and US 67 in Alvarado by the time we looped back up from the Grandview area. With the high traffic speeds, this is a dangerous intersection that really needs a police presence during the entire event. It would seem that Burleson is missing an opportunity here to better involve the many organizations within the area. They need to make an effort early on in the planning to involve more people and perhaps start an “Intersection Adoption” program. With adequate staffing, this would be an event where the community pulls together and really shines. As it is however, the riders are coming away with a bad impression and no interest in recommending this event to others.

First time to participate in this ride, after reading the previous reviews and considering the wind that morning, I decided to give it a spin. The 48 mi. (or 52 mi., by my computer) route was excellent – the hills at the end after the strong head and crosswinds at the beginning were an added bonus. I will agree with the previous crits. about the staging, and intersection control: heading out of town control was great, returning to Burleson, only a few intersections were properly looked after. Considering that the funds for this ride went to the Chamber of Commerce, I would expect a little more from the city. Having said that, this is a challenging, worthwhile and pleasant ride to attend, just pay attention and keep on your toes, as all good cyclists should. On a personal note: those of you who need to, please bring a Kleenex or handkerchief along on the rides – it is quite annoying to dodge all of those projectile nose goblins going about 20mph. Thank you.

The Honey Tour De Burleson has room for improvement as previously mentioned but JEERS to the POLICE PERSONNEL who left the interesections because of what FRUSTRATION???? The Chamber of Commerce needs to support this ride more to continue its success...the winds made it more challenging but please lets do something with the after ride dinner...Cold pizza really isn't that great!!!!

May 28, 2005

The pizza at end was really good. Unfortunately that was the high point of this ride. The roads were awful. Too rough and way too much gravel. There was loose gravel at a 90 degree turn at the bottom of a hill that wiped out some riders. Route maps were unreadable, and the routes were marked with triangle arrows painted on the road. It was difficult to tell which way the triangles were pointed. Ride organizers need to understand that arrows painted on the road are not a good idea. They are hard to see and totally disappear when they get wet. Give me color coded arrows on a white sign! As it began to rain, traffic control disappeared and a large number of  people got off route. I was totally lost and wound up on I35 service road in a pouring rain. The route map was totally useless. 

Here we go again. You would think that as the 7th Annual ride the people who put this ride on would have figured out how to fix the problems mentioned by previous critiques. But nooo. For reasons that escape me they just don't.
To start with let me say that this ride has the physical potential to be a great money maker. But they have to fix the problems. The roads and route selections are great. But the markings remain dismal. With the rain today the consequences of this inconsistent marking and lack of turn monitors really made it's nasty presence felt. I say "inconsistent" because it's just that. First all the markings are on the road in dark colors. Fair if consistent and in bright sunlight, dangerous in rain and overcast. Some turns had markings before, at and after the turns. Some just at the turns, some no markings at all.(?) Period. There were no route monitors to help guide you at confusing turns. I almost missed one critical turn as I went flying right by it. Someone gave out a loud whistle and I looked back to see I had missed the turn. A turn I had been watching for! You need large roadside signs as well as road painted arrows. And about those arrows...what gives? Some were easy to read...others were Salvadore Dalley type modern art which left people scratching their heads as to what they meant. Bad, bad Mojo. Now I know there's going to be someone who says he loves rides in the rain or snow, at night, with no markings and rides with a blindfold for the thrill...but that's not your average rider. They don't want to have panic attacks out on the course getting lost.
Talk about getting lost: Why oh why do you fail to put clear signs pointing to where the finish line is? As soon as we got to the Burleson city limits that was it. No more signs. Talk about comic relief. In the driving rain people were going down streets in all directions searching for the finish. Please, please, put some volunteers and signs on the finish approach so this nasty process doesn't happen again. Also...how come no signs showing people where to go to find the start area? Nothing. Read the instructions in the brochure or miss the start area. Wonderful. Is there some problem in placing signs at the road turn offs so we can see where to turn. Everyone doesn't live in Burleson.- Norm Weatherby

This was my third and final Honey tour. This ride continues to suffer from poor support and planning. The most notable today was no one stopping traffic at Hwy 67 in Alvarado (unlike last year) and nearly all intersections were without flaggers. I have ridden the route 2 times prior and I managed to miss two turns due to the routes being poorly marked and without enough of a notice before the turn. There were no sags to be found anywhere. Normally, that is an issue with heat and mechanical but today was the rain with people crashing on the course. My wife rode the 50 and also missed a turn due to poor marking and the 20 mile rest stop was out of both water and Gatorade when she got to it. The final issue was the loose rocks on the portion of the ride between Briar Oaks, Egan and Bethesda. This portion of the ride was in bad need of sweeping. This part of the route is in Johnson County and I know sweeping is an option because the commissioner does it for the Goatneck ride. I am a big supporter of the rides and the sport but this one will have to continue without my support.

This ride had all of the right elements.....a good route, great support, well-organized. Too bad there had to be a torrential downpour about 30 miles into the ride. Thanks to the rain and a couple of missed turns (what an experience), my 50 mile ride turned into almost 63. Many thanks to the sag driver that managed to chase us down and put us back on the right path. This is still a good ride folks and worth a return trip.

My first time on the Honey Tour and, aside from the rain, I thought it was pretty good. I didn't have a problem with the route markers. I found them at each turn and after each turn to let me know that I was on the right path. The rain did make them a little harder to see so brighter color choices could help. I would also suggest putting a route map link on the ride web site. I am familiar with the roads here so it wasn't a big concern for me but it could have been of some benefit to those who do not live in this area. Registration before the ride was quick, pizza after the ride was good but the rain must have run off all the typical 'after race' help. I have been to rides that began at a school before and there has always been some level of access to the school building. Maybe some access to the building could be arranged for next year. I thought the 62 mile route was pretty easy with an enjoyably fast pace (except for the rain). Things got a little dicey on the last half during and after the monsoon that blew through. Roads were a little slick and the rain was heavy enough to have washed debris onto sloped sections of road and in low areas. Certainly some improvements can be made but most of the problems were a result of the bad weather...plans that cover some contingencies will make for a more enjoyable ride next year. Hope those who were disappointed with this year's ride will give it another chance next year. See you next year.

May 29, 2004

Nice little rally. Did the 50 mile event, and the route was mostly interesting. Horrible headwinds for the first 28 miles. By time they turned to tailwinds, I was too tired to take advantage of them. Rest stops were well stocked and manned by friendly people. Would do again.

The 2004 Honeyfest Rally was a very nice rally. The route was well put together. Most notably, the roads were quite nice to ride. The route was mostly flat with some slightly rolling terrain throughout a large part of the course. The headwinds were brutal for the first half of the ride and they tapped me of too much energy to pull strong through that latter portion of the ride. It appears that the folks that put on this rally actually have listened to feedback from previous events. One of the most notable to me was the traffic support on some of the towns we passed through. The major intersections were well policed and the officers were taking care of the traffic control. The absence of the dreaded chip 'n seal was quite appreciated. The signage was excellent and road markings were easy to follow. Nice color-coded arrows pointing the direction of the course worked quite well. I actually came out with about 60 miles on the ride but after the struggle with the 20+ mph headwinds.....who cared. Nice job Burleson! Still my favorite little town around.

This is the best "small town rally" around. This ride is perfect if you are looking for small crowds, very low auto traffic, one lane country roads, plenty of turns, a few moderate rollers, pleasant countryside, and genuinely nice, laid-back 'folks.' As far as parking, check-in, and starting line logistics, I watched how long it took me: I parked, filled out my form, paid, got my goody bag, used the porta-potty (sorry), and got back to my car to assemble my bike - in 10 minutes. That is very efficient on their part. As the other reviewers noted, we had a 20-mph head wind for the first half of the south-bound course. And once you turn around, you think, "Yeah! Tail wind! I will fly back." Not gonna happen. You are too drained from pushing up hills into a nays head wind to enjoy the tail wind home. So the ride back is just a bit easier than the ride out. Each route had its own map and the map color matched the colored arrows and shapes on the signs and spray-painted road arrows. They used every possible form of marking the course, short of giving each of us a GPS or a sherpa. Such a redundant system for finding your way made for "no brainer" navigation. Riders have no excuse for getting lost. I had an interesting perspective and experience on my 62-mile (epic) ride: I had a blow-out at mile 3 (ran over something really nasty, no fault of the Tour), and the SAG guy from Fort Worth Cycling and Fitness was on site within minutes; he "booted" my tire, changed my tube, and gave me an extra tube for the rest of the course. Then at mile 30 the boot failed and I had another blow-out. A cycling saint stopped and gave me a tube (I had gone through my two extra tubes at that point), I booted it with a Gu wrapper and limped home at 60 psi. I'm telling this story to convey the fact that although I was almost the very last person on the course, I never got lost, all the rest stops were still stocked, and there was plenty of pizza and drinks at the finish. In other words, these race volunteers and directors look out for every finisher, not just the fast ones or the ones who do short courses. Many other rides need to take note of how Burleson marked their course and how the volunteers have an "out here for the long haul" mentality. Good job Burleson. With better promotion your ride should have several hundreds - but I wouldn't be too upset if you kept this ride a small, little secret.

Nice job Burleson! I liked the changes to the route which made for a fast start out of town. The route was well marked this year with signs, painted arrows, and volunteers at important turns. The strong wind slowed me down a bit but still a fun ride.

A very nice course with nice scenery. I did the 50-mile although it clocked out at about 54. I was a little disappointed at the start - the PA system was hard to hear and there was no National Anthem and no gun or horn to signal the start. A couple of motor cycle escorts apparently decided it was time to go and our crowd of riders simply followed after them. The course was well marked although they did not have staff stationed at all of the main intersections to verify directions. I did hear of at least two people that got lost during the ride. The most bizarre incident was a stopped train blocking the road crossing about one-half mile short of the finish line. There were no police to direct traffic and some riders actually crossed under the rail cars dragging their bikes behind them! (Not a fault of the City, but an unusual contingency to prepare for next year, just in case). Would like to see a little more color added to next year's tee shirts (or socks) and more drink selection at the finish besides just Coke. Otherwise, good job Burleson.