Tour d' Italia - Italy, TX
June 16, 2007
Rain again this year……but no lightening! This is my second year for this ride – 62 miles. Scenery was beautiful, rest stops sufficient, and roads well marked. This is my favorite ride every year. Couldn’t have asked for more – not even sunshine – love riding through those water puddles…see you next year!
LOVED it! There was a point where I couldn't see more than about 1/2 a
mile, but it gave my bike a good wash after thinking I could ride through
the mud from the parking area at the back to the start point. I LOVE my
road bike! It took it all very well! Didn't take any rain gear, but all
the synthetic clothes dried in a few minutes after the rain stopped (back
in my car). The lunch afterwards was great. The rest stops were wonderful,
even though I think they will have many cases of pickle juice for next
year. I wish I had the energy to take a case with me for riding this
summer. I DID do the 30 mi route, my legs are a little sore, and I REALLY
want to get a Brooks saddle now. Didn't see anybody I recognized, but had
plenty of fun. Anyway, I'm up for next year!
DID hit 30+ (barely) MPH on the second try (downhill and pedalling like
crazy), and like I said, I LOVE my bike!
Oh, Yeah. It's a 1980s Univega Gran Turismo, all original except for the
rubber. Didn't see much in the way of older bikes there. I guess ChroMo is
out of fashion these days.
Another fun in the sun day on the back roads of Italy. Yeah right! Mother Nature just did not want to cooperate. Star Cyclist put on a great ride, but the last two years have been out of the norm for rain. I managed the 50 miler this year with only one bad downpour and several showers. I have to give the volunteers credit for keeping their cheerful attitude all day. They were as wet as the rest of us, but they had to stand in one place and take it. Rest stops were great. Lots of goodies to eat and drink. One thing I wish other ride provided was ICE at every rest stop. Some of the smaller rides this year have had no ice at rest stops. That's a No-No in my book. Hot showers at the finish were great.
The rain cut the attendance down this year, or so it appeared. As always, we will be back next year, rain or shine.
What a day! Rain Rain and a little more Rain! The
rain cleared right at start time 8:00am and it was
perfect for about 45min then the RAINS came rolling
in! I was hit with two consecutive FLAT TIRES! in the
first 20miles! I was not the only one as I saw too
many people with FLATS! I did not see a single SAG
vehicle help any flat victims. The chip seal roads
although NEW were not fun to ride and I think the rain
and roads contributed to the many flats! I want to
thank the guy with the yellow rims on team "man bulge" who I OWE a tube! and the Fed Ex guy on the carbon
fiber Colnago who rode up to catch his wife and rode
BACK to give me a CO2 cartridge! WOW that is what
cycling is about....GOOD PEOPLE having a good time no
matter what the weather!
Overall Scores
Roads 5/10 Routes 10/10 (Marking PERFECT!)
Organization 8/10 SAG 5/10 T-Shirts 9/10 Weather 6/10
PEOPLE 10/10 Overall 7/10 A good ride just badcircumstances for me! But the help by others made it a
good experience!
This was our first group ride, my wife and I are just past 50 and started riding about three weeks ago. She was going to take the 12 mile ride and my daughter and I were going to ride the 30 miles. My wife decided to try the 30 miles, and inspite of the rain we all completed the 30. The rest stops were great, I always felt refreshed when I left them. Except for the weather, it was a great first ride for us. We are looking forward to more group rides, and will be back for the Tour d' Italia next year.
The drive down to Italy almost derailed my intent-to-ride. 6:05 am: The rain poured so hard I barely saw two feet ahead. I thought, well, I am on my own, I may as well drive down and pick up my packet (because I wanted the T-shirt!) Approx. 7:30 am: As I was walking toward the Exit door, with all intent to drive home right then, I see familiar faces walk in! I say, ""I am not riding today, but I'll wait with you while you pick up your packets." 7:45 am: we decide to wait it out a bit since we are energized now because we got cool shirts this year, small brownie cliffbars, fresh plums and I was able to snag TWO water bottles. 7:55 am: While sitting in the car the rain stops... YAY 8:15 am: We begin the ride. 9:45 am: The rain starts again, pouring down --- again, my thoughts are "i'll SAG out now" I am soaked, my socks, my clothes, my sunglasses --- I can't see! 10 ish am: We are at the second reststop and I discuss going the shorter route now because I am soaked and chilly. 10:30 am: rain stops! YAY Through the end of the ride, the weather was PERFECT for riding so we decided to ride out our original plan and we finished the 50 mile route (I clocked 52 miles). Roads were great with only a few miles of chip-seal. Apart from many volunteers constantly asking, "how many of you started and what time did you start" because clearly it seemed they did not want to stay out in the drizzle and mud longer than they had to, the rest stops were good. Having been the second time it rained during Tour d'Italia, maybe plan some tarps to set down on the ultra muddy areas.
June 17, 2006
I had heard about how fantastic this ride is from years past but was too busy to go. This year I did but my report will be short because of the weather. It started drizzling about 10 miles out and got progressively more ominous. There was sky to ground lightening all around the area. I got registered ok and chatted with a few of the riders who were also hanging around waiting to see what the weather was going to do. Two had left after the 8am start but turned around after a lightning bolt struck just ahead of them. They laughed as they exclaimed how the ground shook. I had my laptop so I brought up the weather channel to get a current view of the storm It was obvious we were surrounded and it wasn't going to clear anytime soon. I had no trouble deciding "deal...or no deal" (mimicking Howie) when a bolt hit somewhere just on the other side of the house across the parking lot. I had previously talked to a couple of the ride officials and was surprised at the stoic response to my weather concerns. The high school coach was obviously aware when he and another fellow passed by looking for the school's lightening monitor. I overheard someone on the short wave radio say the SAG wagons were working overtime and as the hour I sat in the parking lot passed, a constant stream of riders were returning and packing out. I would have been ok being wet (short of not being able to see) and I grew up in this area where thunderstorms and tornados come with the territory. I know some riders will go no matter what but I decided to call it a "save" and come back another day.
I was taught if I didn't have anything good to say -
don't say it. Oh well...
It's simple - ORGANIZE. Traffic, parking, location of
registration, size of room for registration,
announcer. The ride was great even with 100k of rain
and winds. Though I may not of thought that at the
time. Volunteers and rest stops were perfect. Just
work on getting people in and registered better. I'll
still see ya next year.
So what if it rained! The route (42) was well marked. The staff and
goodies at the rest stops were oh so sunny. Packet pick up was fast
and accurate. This is my second Td'I. My opinion - the Td'I is the
best ride of the season. Save me a spot in 2007.
From my point of view, I was very satisfied (save the rain) about how the tour went this year. When I arrived, they were directing traffic to their "overlfow" parking site at one of the churches a few blocks away - no big deal to me, since I simply moved my car closer to the school once I finished the ride. I was pre-registered, so they had the package all ready for me to pick-up. Took no time at all. The rain started in earnest when I arrived at the first rest stop. I could see lightning bolts as I approached, and through most of the ride, but they always seemed "distant" so I kept riding. I did change my plan, and decided to do the 40 mile route. This was becaue of the rain... The 40 mile route was not a problem - no complaints about it.. Relatively flat, SAG wagons were visibly plentyful, traffic was light, and the 40 mile route well marked... Lots of support staff at the start... I did not stop at any of the rest stops. I recommend this one, and will ride it again next year - hopefully, it will be a dry one at that time.
Rain or shine, this is always a great ride. Also, hat’s off to Mad Duck. Twice this year Mad Duck has rescued me from flats.
The 21st Tour d' Italia went off without a hitch . The Lone Star Cyclists continue to put on a great ride. I like the open 8 to 9 o'clock start. I wish it could be from 7 to 8 because of the heat, but no problem this year. The rain seemed to dampen only a few spirits. I was unaware of the lightning. I thought the people turning around near the start just didn't want to get wet. Great traffic control, great SAG, great rest stops and GREAT volunteers. They stayed cheerful throughout the rain. I have to admit...the fresh plums and classic long sleeve T-shirts ($2 extra) are a big draw for me on this ride, as is the south wind blowing us back to town. It was all good as far as I could tell. Oh, showers available, although I didn't take advantage. I'll always be back. DeWayne Shepard (Roadkill)
This is the 4th TdI I have done, and once again it didn't fail to please. Camping was nice, even though there were less people on Friday night than usual. The most improved aspect of the ride was the new start route to get to the highway. Much more open than in years past. The ride was absolutely the most fun I have had all year. The rain was fun and it didn't get into the 100's. The lightning was lightning. Pretty cool light show. My hat really goes out to the volunteers staying out at the rest stops getting soaked so we would have the things we needed for the ride. Great ride, I would recommend to anyone, friendliest staff I have ever met.
This was my third year to do this ride and, in my opinion, it is always very well organized. They did a great job getting you parked and registration was quick and easy. T-shirts remain some of the best although the t-shirt is not that important to me. I like good road surfaces and well marked courses. Had a little trouble this year with some of the course markings but I am 100% sure it was because I couldn't see due to the rain, my glasses fogging up and my eyes burning from the water and sunscreen running into my eyes. I was in a group early on that missed a turn but there was a rest stop just past the turn and they yelled load enough for us to hear and immediately turn around. I never had trouble with course markings in past years. Hard to complain about the weather conditions given that we need the rain so badly. I stuck to my original plan and did the 60 mile route which probably wasn't the smartest thing to do given all the lightning. I was completely amused that the sun came out not too long after I finished. I'll be back.
This was the first time for me to ride this tour and frankly it will be hard to rate it. The registration should be done in a larger room but it was quick and everyone was extremely prepared. The weather was the main factor but our group rode the 62 (which was actually 60) regardless of the rain. All the rest stops that I stopped at were great and the hot showers afterward were appreciated. SAG and the Lone Star Cyclists mechanics were working big time during this ride. Thanks to the organizers for putting this ride on. I really have one suggestion and that is to provide something to eat (pizza or whatever) after the ride.
This was my first Tour d'Italia (first-year rider, so every ride is a first for me), and I can simply say that I will definitely be back next year, despite the weather. I had no idea of the lightning issues I just read about here, though I did see plenty of the light show we had overhead for most of the morning and wondered about the sanity of straddling a metal frame. We started right at 8:00 and set out for the 62-miler (it wasn't quite 62), and the rain started about 10 minutes into the ride. We decided to stick it out, and finally at about 11:30 or so the rain relented. Of course, the humidity immediately skyrocketed, but we made it back in before it got too bad. And for all the weather, the registration was very efficient (we arrived at 7:10 to register), the start was a little hectic but manageable, parking was not an issue (for us anyway) and the folks at the rest stops were top-notch: very friendly, very enthusiastic, and very helpful. The rest stops were well-equipped, and the fresh fruit was a real treat. The route was well-marked and we did not have too much of an issue with vehicular traffic. As I said, I will definitely be back next year! Great job folks!
I love the Tour D'Italia. But more important, did anyone notice that the sponsoring club, Lone Star, had the best looking president of any club in Texas?
This was my first Tour d'Italia and even though it rained for the whole
ride I enjoyed. The roads are good, and if you can see the country
side through your rain fogged glasses it looks very scenic.
The ride was well organized and supported with rest stops and road
guards. The route was generally well marked, although one turn left
some of us confused. It would also be helpful to have stand up signs
you can see from a distance as well as the colored arrows on the road.
Hard to see under several inches of water. Also one or two more signs
directing bikers to the high school would help.
All together well done. I'll do it again next year!!!
P.S. I like the long sleeve T-shirt option
Wrote a review already, but [stupidly] forgot to mention the single most important thing about the ride for me - the awesome support by the SAG/radio crews and especially the Bicycles, Inc. repair truck. I had a flat at about 35 miles and was preparing to change it (I'm a first-year rider, and though I know how to change a tube, doing it in a thunderstorm was not my desire at that moment) when a SAG truck pulled up, and the very gracious gentleman volunteered to take me to the next stop. But before he could finish his sentence, the Bicycles Inc. truck pulled up, THREE guys jumped out and one said "Hey, come on over here and we'll take care of that for you". I was stunned to say the least. Not only one truck/person there to help, but two trucks and 4 people! You just can't get any better support than that. I can't wait to see what this ride is like without the wicked weather. Lone Star Cyclists, you folks, and your partners and volunteers, are the absolute best! And Bicycles, Inc., you have won even more of my business (okay, I buy a lot of my stuff there already, but I promise to patronize the Bedford store even more than usual). THANKS for all your help out there.
Absolutely great ride - very well organized, lots of friendly people. Only one suggestion - when the weather turned sour, many riders tried to get info to make a start/no start or an alternate route decision, but no one seemed to know anything about the approaching storm - depth of the front, direction of movement. With forecast storms and that many people on the road, someone should be monitoring local weather radar and getting the word out on the ride's com net. We aborted at Frost, in part because we couldn't get any information.
Lost and found-
Found-Bicycle helmet.
Lost-Bag of men's and women's cycling clothing.
E-mail geohandy@yahoo.com if you can help.
It was my first time at Tour d'Italia and I'm not affiliated with the ride or it's sponsors. I rode the 62 mile route. I had no problem with day-of registration which included a t-shirt and water bottle. I guesstimate about 400 riders in all. They had an open, mass start between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. I missed the free spaghetti dinner the night before and pancakes the day of, but it's worth mentioning. The route was mostly flat (1500 ft ascent), as advertised, with about 50% chip-and-seal and well marked with color-coded paint arrows on the roadway. Rest stops were well supplied, had ample porto-lets and volunteers were friendly. Volunteers even helped steer folks who had more wind/rain than they could take to shortcuts back to the start. I saw SAG and police cruising the course common to most of the routes. There were refreshments at the finish line, but not food. Despite the wind and rain, this was a good small town ride that I'll plan to do again next year.
Quick registration; open start, good routes - still one of the better rides. A little rain – so what? After some of the HEAT on the last few rides, this felt like air conditioning – all you had to do was exercise a little caution with the drizzle and enjoy the show. Rest stops kept a good attitude, SAGs helped the people that needed to drop or weren’t up for it. I enjoyed the whole darn thing, and like another writer, just moved my car from the overflow after and appreciated the HOT showers. This ride stays on my must-do list – rain or shine (was nice to be cool for a change though).
June 18, 2005
On behalf of the Lone Star Cyclists bicycle club I would like to thank
the record number of riders at the 2005 Tour d-Italia for making this ride a resounding success. We love hearing the rave reviews, and we
are always disappointed when the ride fails to live up to someone's expectations. Please e-mail me at
geohandy@yahoo.com with any constructive criticism, compliments and suggestions to improve the
ride for 2006. Looking forward to an even better ride in 2006-George Handy,Tour d-Italia Ride Chairman.
Great ride. Rest stops were well stocked. Route markings were easy to see with traffic control at a
lot of the intersections. Love the free snowcones!!
Now, this should be a "classic." Packet pick up was quick and easy and parking was adequate. Well marked, lightly traveled roads, and I was over half way through the ride before I realized that there was not police support at intersections - not that it was needed on this well thought out route. I stopped at rest stop 5 on the 60 mile course and it was very well stocked with Gatorade, water, fruit, and sticky buns. There was some rough road and chip and seal, but it seems to be the standard for Texas roads.
The "Tour" just keeps getting better and better...............smooth
rodes, a tail wind to bring ya home on the 100k route, the coolest T-shirts anywhere, ANYWHERE, free snow cones. The list just goes on and on. If my
vote counts for anything, this is the "perfect" route for the 100k. Even if that "bridge" gets repaired, don't change a thing. Keep this 2005 100k
route, it is awesome. thanks again,
The 20th annual Tour d'Italia, June 18th,2005 in Italy, Texas was a great effort by the Lone Star
Cyclists. With benefits going to Italy High School Scholarship fund, Grand Prairie Brighter Tomorrows, and North Texas Food Bank, this ride offers one of the best cycling experiences in North Texas. This is about my 5th or 6th Tour d'Italia, and they just seem to always get
better. This ride offers a spaghetti dinner on Friday night, then free camping , free showers, and breakfast in the morning. I love the "open start" from 8-9 am . This seems to be a very reasonable alternative to the mass starts at most rides. Safer at the start, it spreads the riders out, and it allows racers to race, and everyone else to tour at their own pace. Oh, registration went really well inside Italy High School and all of the volunteers were friendly and helpful. And, before I forget it, the classic Tour d'Italia tee shirts were excellent. The ride offered five routes, 12, 28, 42, 50, and 62 miles. I rode the 62 mile route and it was fantastic...very few vehicles and smooth pavement. Excellent traffic support , and, as usual, great volunteers. The rest stops at Tour d'Italia always have the best fruit at their reststops. This year they had iced peaches, plums, nectarines, as well as
bananas, cookies, and Cliff bars. I saw tons of ice at each rest stop, and cases and cases of water . The "cold packs" came in handy also. Routes were marked clearly with colored paint, and the busy roads had CAUTION-CYCLISTS AHEAD signs along the road. All routes ended with the wind at our back , which helped tremendously. Free snow cones at the end too. This ride is also fairly flat. Oh, SAG wagons monitored the routes, and the folks from B&B Bicycles helped out with mechanical problems. This was a DREAM-RIDE ... perfect for inexperienced riders like 9 year old Kateland who took it slow and easy, her dad Todd who rode a 20 mph killer average and her mother Brandy , whom I rode with at a reasonable 15 mph average . If you missed this one, you missed a real treat. See you next year.
My wife and I always look forward to this ride.
It has been beautiful, well managed, and a fun ride in past years.
Well, this year did not measure up.
You could not control the weather, I know, and the heat and lack of shade
certainly didn't improve things for me.
However, what really upset me this
time was that the ride I signed up for really didn't exist.
I signed up for the 28 mile ride, learned that it was 30 miles when I got
there and when I had ridden 26.55 miles and was afraid of heat stroke, was told
by a sag driver that I still had about 6 miles to go.
At that point I did something I haven't done before in my brief biking
career - I sagged out.
As a 62 year old stroke survivor I
have learned my limits and try very hard to stay within them.
That's hard to do when I am given bad information to start with.
Had I know it was really 33 miles I would have done the 12 mile twice
instead. I was told by an
official of the race that he had suggested the true mileage be
posted on the website. I wonder why
that wasn't done? I've ridden rides
that were off by a mile or two but six????
Please be honest with us from now
on. I love riding and love the fun
of these organized rides. I hate
that depending on your information could have had very serious health
connotations for me had I not taken care of myself.
WOW, what a great ride!!! Many thanks to all of the volunteers who helped put on this rally. They did a good job of parking, registration was a
breeze, and they had plenty of t-shirts. I did the 42 mile route and stopped at two rest stops. They had plenty of water/Powerade, fruit,
cookies, etc, the cold towels were a nice relief, and the folks were great.
Other rallies should take note of how to pick roads to ride on. Yes, there
was chip and seal, but they were the well worn kind that had plenty of smooth spots. I made a point to find the ride director, after downing
a nice, cool sno-cone, to let her know what a great ride it was.
I have to echo the other reviews. Outstanding ride, positive experience. This one is getting to where it is another ride that sets the standard. Most creative t-shirt designs you will see too. Who would think to put Mona Lisa in a bicycle helmet?
The second time I've ridden the 50 mile Tour d'Italia - and I'll be back again and again if they keep doing such a good job. The "open start" concept is a winner as far as I'm concerned - allows the pack to spread out quickly and everyone to go at the pace they like.
Would have wished for better control at the major intersection at the first rest stop. Seemed a bit dicey having to cross a major road with no controls in place - although a state trooper was looking on - but it wasn't too much of a problem.
Rest stops were great - friendly volunteers, LOTS of water, sport drink, and other goodies. COLD wet towels at each break.
Nice route, too. I'll be back again.
This was only my fourth organized ride and my first time to ride over 40 miles. I had an incredible time, but absolutely missed the turnoff for the 50 mile route... no fault of the organizers, we just weren't paying attention because of the beautiful scenery, awesome roads and great company! So, we ended up doing the full 100K which turned out to be a huge jump up from my 3, 40 mile rides... a great ego boost. What a rush and ouch, my legs! The only thing that helped me get through it were the great volunteers, roads and rest stops. Can't say enough. Anyway, great support by B&B... thanks for getting the clicking out of my handlebars. And, thanks to Nathan (a fellow rider) who helped my friend with a flat. Such great people in the cycling community! The course was fabulous, the roads were smooth, the rest stops were great, the pre-ride chair massages at registration Friday night were wonderful. Belinda is the best... got a huge knot out of my neck. Can't wait till next year!!
I tell my friends this is my favorite ride of the year. It's beautiful, well organized, and loaded with "free stuff". What more could you ask for? Honesty about the length of the "28" mile course. In reading these review, I realize that many of them are written by the folks riding the longer rides. There is also a group of us who aren't at the fitness level of the 40+ mile rider. We use riding our bikes to get in shape and maintain an average level of fitness. We love the rally's because it gives us an opportunity to get out on the open road - something we don't get to do very often. A friend of mine once said: "the farther back you go in the start line up of a rally - both the bikes and the body sizes increase. I'm one of those folks who has a bigger bike and bigger body than many rally riders! I choose my rides carefully to balance pleasure, safety, and challenge. The 28 (this is what the brochure said) mile ride was closer to 33 miles. Five additional miles may not sound like much to a more seasoned rider, but at 11am in the blazing heat it's a huge difference. The SAG wagon's were doing a booming business on our route. The driver's were very concerned for our safety and I appreciated being checked with toward the end. I finished the ride, will consider riding it again, but would appreciate being able to make a truly informed decision about the length of route that is most suitable for my fitness level.
For those of you who ride faster than me, I always appreciate hearing the words "on your left". I want the warning because I want all of us to be safe. Many of you don't let me know you are there. Please announce your presence - I'd hate to "run into" one of you someday.
Once again a great ride. The only constructive criticism I have is with the
powerade. The powerade needs to be mixed a little stronger. On such a hot day, I was really getting no benefit at all from the
powerade. I like this ride a lot and will be back next year for my fifth time.
Wow! What a hot day!! I am grateful that it didn't set in until later. Nothing the snow cones couldn't fix. Yummy! But you can't complain
about the heat too much if you plan on riding in the HHH, right? This was a great
ride. This was my first time to ride this and I did 60 miles and I would recommend this one to everyone I know. I really enjoyed the route and
the scenery as I haven't been in that part of Texas like that. I am usually whooshing by on the way to Austin. I definitely appreciated the open
start as we drove into Italy from Wylie the morning of the ride. I didn't notice
a lot of traffic on these roads as in some rides, so that was good. However, I think that the lack of car traffic made some of the other
cyclists forget that we were on a roadway and needed to use our cycling etiquette/rules/laws, etc. I saw one guy stopped on the white line
between the shoulder and the road facing the OPPOSITE direction. He wasn't doing
anything but standing there straddled over his bike. Resting perhaps? Who knows. All I know is that was not a very safe position to be in. My
husband said that he came upon 3 riders abreast and moving quite slow. He finally decided to pass on the left in the opposite lane of traffic
(unsafe). As he said, on your left, the lady on the outermost of the riders said, I am not moving. People, get your brains back into gear. If
someone says on your left, they are not being rude. You need to make some room for
the passer - especially if you are hogging the entire lane!! Of course we joke about it now saying that she is probably a soccer mom with a very
large SUV so she rides her bike just like she drives her car - no respect for others. (He he.) And to those of you who walked your bikes up a couple
of hills on the right side of the road, kudos to you for doing so. Overall, I
think everyone did an outstanding job putting this one together. There were MASSIVE amounts of water, powerade, fruit - loved the plums - and
cookies. I want to give a big thanks to Mark at rest stop #3. He fixed my flat in no
time, my first ever in a bike rally in a year of riding and it happened to be at a rest stop. How can one be so lucky?! See you all at this one
next year.
I had an excellent time for my first bike ride ever! Did 50 miles, and enjoyed every one of them. The rest stops were great, and I have no complaints at all. I plan to do it again next year and go for the 100K.
June 19, 2004
I loved this ride. I had not ridden it before. The 60 mile route
was fast and well marked. We also got a bonus today, NO WIND. Parking and
registration were easy. The t-shirts are as cool as advertised. The sno cones
and nectarines after the ride were also a treat. My guess is about 800 or so
riders participated. I cannot rate the rest stops as I did not stop at any.
Based on my experience today, I can't think of any aspects of this rally that
need improvement. For any riders who have not ridden this rally, put it on your
must ride calendar for next year. THANK YOU Italy for a fantastic ride.
It was a good ride. Light wind conditions really helped as my
wife and I headed out of town on only our third tandem ride. The morning went
well but we did not get there early enough to get up close parking but we did
get there before all the over flow parking was gone. ( What did you do with the
overflow crowd?). I had sent an e-mail to bike riders I know telling them that
we would be in Italy for the ride this year. I also mentioned I was not sure why
we alway try to make this ride because it is a 1 1/2 hour drive from our area.
Now I remember why we come. The ride is very well organized from parking, to
getting to sign in, to plenty of helpers and workers to make a ride of over 1000
go smoothly. The early part of the morning was cloudy and light wind. The light
wind stayed with us all day but the cloudes gave way to a very hot sun in just a
hour or so. The roads are not heavy with traffic compared to rides near Ft.
Worth / Dallas areas. The rest stops are spaced just right. You get to them just
as you need them. I like the way the different routes run together and split and
come back together because I was able to meet with other rides I knew that were
riding longer routes. My wife and I rode the tandem on the 42 mile route and it
was plenty far for our third ride together. I sure if our health hold up we will
be back next year. We are both in the over 50 group but under the 60 mark and
enjoy the outdoor world of biking. Oh yea! The SAG support people really did a
great job. We had 2 flats on the front tire and were out of tubes when the
support help came. They showed me the problem with the rim and fixed it. Gave me
a new tube and even put it back together again plus put air in the tire for me.
If not for their help the 12 miles we rode would not been a good ride for us.The
road support made the major difference in a good ride or a bad ride. See you
next year. David in Azle.
What a great ride. I am a fairly new rider (only 9 months) and
have been slightly nervous about riding in a large organized rally. I rode the
62 (was actually 60.4) mile route with a very large group (30+ cyclists), at
least large for me! I must say that everyone was very nice and helpful and my
ride was excellent, except for running out of gas at mile 56. What a great
cycling community we have in North Texas. I am riding the Tour de Paris and the
HHH as well this summer and hope to see you there or out on the road. Many
thanks!
This ride is a real class act and should be the archetype for
all rallies in the area. Even the Collin Classic could take a few lesson from
these folks! Parking was no problem. There were helpful volunteers directing the
incoming traffic. There were helpful volunteers at critical corners and
intersections, roads and rest-stops were well marked with sufficient warning and
and even though I did not stop at any of the rest stops, the feedback I received
from other riders was that they were well stocked and the people were nice. It
was also good to see Bicycles, Inc. and Pearl Izumi out there. Registration was
also a snap - well coordinated. The roads were well maintained - a few more
hills would have been nice. The weather was brilliant - one could not have asked
for better, especially for North Texas in mid-June. If ride organizers are
looking to improve on anything, make it restroom and porta-potty access. Some
folks needed a place only to change into/out of their riding kit that meant
using up porta-potty/restroom space. A job very well done. This was my first
time at this rally and you can bet I will be back next year!
Now that my wife and I have been riding a while and been to many
of these type rides I have noticed a few things that bother me about this ride.
There seems to be way too many people who think this is the real Tour d'Italia
aka Giro. Big pacelines wizzing by at incredible speeds scaring the heck outta
other riders. I also noticed that the majority of riders this year have little
to no respect to cars and the law. On leading out on the first leg of the ride
stretching from Italy to Avalon I saw a combined total of maybe five (5) riders
on the nicely paved wide shoulder (including my wife and myself). The other 1000
(one THOUSAND) or more riders were all in the road. At one point later in the
ride on the 62 mile route two riders were riding side by side in the middle of
the road, I yelled "CAR BACK!" as I moved to the edge. They didnt
budge. The car went right on their tail, they didnt budge. The car had to move
entirely into the oncomming lane to pass, how rude can you get? It is no wonder
some drivers hate cyclists with these people around! The ride was nice through
scenic areas with slightly more chip and seal than I would have liked. The rest
stop at the lake was beautiful and made me take a slight detour down to the lake
shore to enjoy the view. Rest stops were pretty evenly spaced and well stocked
by very friendly people. Hills were fairly frequent and moderate, great for a
little workout. Parking was good, t-shirts as always excellent and everyone
working as volunteers seemed friendly and happy to help. Food afterwards (that
you had to pay for, bummer) was OK. Routes were well marked on the pavement for
the most part. Would have liked to see some "1 mile to rest stop"
signs. The mass start was a little better than last year but would still be MUCH
better if it were staged. Will most likely be back next year as the 62 mile was
a nice little training ride.
This is my third year participating in this ride and as always,
it's a first-class rally. 2004 seemed to have the biggest turn-out ever --
around 7:45am, one volunteer began making people who wanted to park to turn
around because they had run out of parking. Although parking is a tricky
situation anyway each year because of the start site's location, the organizers
work extremely hard at maximizing their lots and grassy areas. The Frost rest
stop is always the best, with its Elvis impersonator and fresh plums. The
volunteers are so friendly, and this year was no exception! I'm glad to see that
this ride attracts more riders each year -- next year is the 20th annual Tour
d'Italia and I heard there will be a cool surprise in store for the riders.
Can't wait until next year!
This was my first time ever doing the Tour d' Italia. Unlike
most of the rides this year, the conditions were picture perrrfect. The
temperature was warm but not hot. The wind ...what wind? As mentioned in one of
the earlier year reviews, even the chip 'n seal is better in Italy. This was a
well marked course with fabulously fast stretches and a fine exhibition of Ma
Nature behaving nicely. The course took off to the east and it was on very
smooth, fast pavement. The hilly part of this course was very similar to the
Lancaster ride. The hills came along at about mile 15 and thinned the packs out
a bit and then fattened out again. The whole course was well thought out and all
major intersections were manned by volunteers or police for smooth traffic flow.
The only thing I had any issue with (if you really want to call it an issue) was
how strung out the parking is. Obviously, the school isn't going to increase the
parking lot size or anything drastic like that, just make sure you arrive plenty
early so you can take care of everything you need to do before the ride. The
school allows the use of it's showers after the ride which was nice. After the
ride, the burgers in the lunch room were good. It was nice to sit down in
cafeteria and enjoy good ol' school food again :-). The volunteers do a great
job and this will be on my "gotta do" list for next year. BTW, they
have pretty cool t-shirts too. Thank you goes out to the Lone Star Cyclists who
do an awesome job with this ride.
Overall, this is a good ride. This was my third year to come to
Italy. Only two gripes. 1) You need more port-a potties. 2) Anyone who runs a
ride needs to listen to this. QUICKICK IS NOT A SPORTS DRINK. It is a sugar
filled drink for kids. It is especially bad when the humidity is hovering around
80-85% and the reststops are mixing it way to weak to replace any nutrients that
you lose during the ride. OK that is all of my gripes. Good ride once again. I
will be back next year.
This was my first 100k to participate in. I enjoyed the ride,
the scenery, and especially the Bison and Longhorn I saw. I cannot say enough
for the fine folks at each of the rest stops...they would bend over backwards to
help you in anyway weather filling your bottles with ice or giving you paper
towels, they were really great! As far as the ride I had no problems until the
last 20 miles and I started getting a little winded and the humidity seemed to
be picking up making it hot, but, I think "Elvis" was hotter that all
of us! I cannot wait for next year!
June 14, 2003
Although the parking was a little chaotic and the
temperature/humidity up there, the Tour d Italia lived up to expectations as a
nice ride through the gently rolling countryside south of Italy, TX. I rode the
50-mile route, stopping at all rest stops and had a great time. Traffic along
the route was not much of an issue, other riders were for the most part
courteous, and the volunteers at the rest stops were fantastic. Plums made a
welcome alternative to bananas and oranges. I started riding rallies last year,
but couldn't make this one. I'll be back next year.
The 2003 Tour d'Italia lived up to the high praise bestowed upon
previous iterations. A slow start was necessitated by a short stretch of bad
road, but once we got rolling we were rewarded with beautiful countryside,
top-notch support, and decent roads. Even the Chip-Seal surfaces seemed less
rough on this ride. The rest stops were well-stocked and manned by a fine group
of volunteers. The availability of showers, food, and drink at the end of the
ride were all nice touches. Although the humidity was a bit brutal, this was one
of my favorite rallies of the year.
What a perfect day for a bike ride!!! The 2003 Tour d'Italia was
a fantastic experience. Once again, the attention to details makes this a superb
cycling event. The change in the 62 mile route was a blessing in disguise ....it
made for a much safer and comfortable route. Easy parking, registration , good
rest stops. The cold plumbs were excellent. Good signage . Although lots of
potholes at start , they were outlined in red . As always, t-shirt was
"best of season" . Excellent route for 62 route . Just enough hills to
make it interesting . I'll be back next year. Roadkill.
It's hard to add to all the praise already levied on the
"Tour d' Italia". BUT, here's some more! A ride through miles of very
well developed corn, milo and beans best describes the routes. Farm country and
few cars was a great combination. The heat didn't start kicking in until around
11:30 but the rest stops had plenty of fluids to keep de-hydration at bay. The
SAG support was in evidence through out the ride. Friendly and courteous riders,
pleasant rest stop workers, minimal traffic, and great scenery will bring me
back next year. dtd
The 2003 Tour de Italia was great. I really do not have any
complaints. Please, please please keep this new 62 mile route. It is far better
than last years route. It is good not to have to go on Hwy 22. I talked to
several people who like this years route better. I also like the hills that this
year's route added. I will see you next year.
Well, the folks at Tour d' Italia have done it again for 2003! I
have done this ride for the past 3 years and every year, if possible, just gets
better and better. My favorite ride of all. Slow start only due to the large
number of riders, 1146 this year, but very organized! Road at start was a little
rough, but the bad area's had been spray painted and there was a course marshal
in the road to help out with the start and the pot holes. Elvis was a wonderful
way to start the ride, got you going with a smile on your face. The rest stops
were well stocked, my favorite item was the ice cold wash cloths, that was so
great! Traffic control good, everyone friendly, free snow cones at the end and
cold showers and follow up with good hamburgers, free drinks and plums. The
course was flat with rolling hills and beautiful countryside. Anyone who wants a
great course, lots of fun, this should go on your list for 2004 and beyond.
These folks know how to put on a "great ride" and they care what the
riders think and asked for your feedback how to improve it! What more could you
want! slbs
I can't say enough good things about the Italy volunteers. Aside
from the accommodating volunteers at every rest stop, I had an opportunity this
year to experience their volunteer spirit even more. After I completed the ride
and made the long walk to my Jeep, I realized that my keys were no longer in the
pouch on my CamelBak. After going through the proper "lost and found"
procedures, I met a nice lady who offered to drive me to the last rest stop,
which was one of two places that I actually saw my keys. When my keys weren't at
the rest stop, the lady called another volunteer who drove me to the only other
place I could imagine losing them and there they were!! I tip my helmet to these
great volunteers!!
T-shirt: As per above, this alone is worth the fee. Attitude:
it seems like some guys were boiling in the parking lot even before the ride. Registration:
this would help at any ride: set up some flow. Ingredients: in door, form
fill-out area, payment area, t-shirt distribution, out (different from in) door.
It wasn't slow, mind you; it's just that is could be so much easier.
My wife's and my first ever organized bike ride, and a total
blast! Great T-shirts, water bottles and other goodies. Nice
people everywhere. Traffic control was excellent and any problems with the roads
were painted in orange and easy to see. One section of chip and seal road which
they didn't know about until too late (someone slap the Texas Highway Dept for
ever using that stuff). This ride would get a perfect score if they just didn't
have that mass start on that terrible piece of narrow road. Best solution would
be to just stagger the start. OK, and maybe a little more parking for the late
arrivals. Unless a tornado wipes Italy off the map you can bet I will be there
again next year!
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