Ride for the Roses Austin, TX

October 2005

Excellent ride, outstanding cause!

Well organized ride. Not crazy about the 20 miles of highway shoulder at the beginning. Rest stops were well stocked but restroom lines were too long at first two stops. After party meal was just ok and limited to riders only. That's fine except all the literature boasts of an after ride party with food for riders, spectators, and volunteers. I wasn't trying to feed a family just a friend who didn't ride. Am I spoiled ? or are they slipping?

This year's ride seemed to lack some of last year's fanfare. The riders seemed to be fewer in number, and it was a cold morning, so perhaps the energy level was lower. Robin Williams made a funny Viagra joke, and the Wallflowers guitarist almost completed the national anthem before the speaker blew and there was no more sound. I thought it was poor that Lance read his speech from a slip of paper this year. He seemed somewhat absent from the ride this year. On a positive note, the weather was gorgeous, the 100-mile route was well marked, the rest stops were well stocked with Power Bars and Lance-brand crackers (clever), and the volunteers were awesome and in great numbers. This is a classy and well-organized ride when you consider how difficult it must be to accommodate the needs of 6500 riders. I'll be back.

Unlike years past when I had to pull over at Austin Glass and park, I was able to go right in to the expo and park close to the ride. The start was very well organized with each "chute" starting 3-4 minutes after the previous one. The big difference in the start is that we did not have all the celebrity pre ride hoopla like we have in the past. Lance read the live strong creed, the ex Wallflower person sang the National Anthem, Robin Williams gave a brief Arnold Schwartzenegger imitation and off we go. This year, the route was done in reverse which got all the rough roads, twists, and turns out of the way and the volunteers did an excellent job in managing the ride and offering us encouragement. I did the usual 2 stop ride, one at mile 50 and the other in Elgin where we get a chance to put ourselves and our loved ones on the cancer honor sheet. The ride home was excellent although the strong winds became an issue as the ride wore on. I did not stick around for the party, though.

The Ride for The Roses this year was once again a fantastic ride. The route was inverted once you got to Elgin from years past. I for one was looking forward to the very mean hill near the end of the ride (everyone who rides 20 miles and up gets that mean hill). However, since this part of the ride was inverted, we must have gone DOWN the mean hill! So instead of that hill, you had several sub-mean hills to contend with. I thought those hills were very nice to tackle, and added to the fun at the end. The wind was whipping around all during the ride, you'll have to deal with that by holding onto your bars with both hands. At times you are out in the open with no trees and flat open farm lands, there is nothing to stop the wind, and this is when it can get rather tough. I do wish they would add more porta-potties at the 1st and 2nd Rest Stops. If you stop to take a natural break at the 1st Rest Stop, you'll likely spend 30 minutes waiting in line, and then you'll have a hard time making the 100-mile cutoff. This ride is very inspirational in that you have a TON of friendly volunteers on the route cheering you on, more than any ride I do the entire year. I love the sound of cowbells in the morning. Even when we were stopped on Highway 290 to allow traffic to pass, people who were stopped in their cars were friendly and talking with us. Plus not to mention you have 6500 cyclists on the road with you to gain energy from. The Rest Stops were all packed with cookies, fruits, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, water and poweraide. All major intersections are well patrolled and controlled by police, who are also very friendly. The Rest Stop in Elgin should almost be mandatory for anyone who does this ride. There is just an incredible amount of positive energy with this ride, one of those intangible things that's a benefit. The party at the end was less than in years past though. I thought the LAF web site said the end-party was basically open to anyone, yet you had to have a meal sticker thing to enjoy the food? The meal tent was open to everyone in the three years past that I've done this ride. If your friends/family come to support you at the end of the ride, they should be able to dip into the free food, too. I did the 70 mile route (73.8) and it has about 2000 feet total ascent, so its not as hilly as you might think for Austin. I just hope next year is as much fun.

Great event for all cyclists. Well organized as it should be. This was my third year at this event. Lance seemed to be distracted or not connected with the crowd. The National Anthem was not in good taste with wild guitar music. The sound system was weak for groups on the end of the lanes and was drown out by two planes towing banners around the site for about 30 min. so we could not hear the MC or what was going on. The temp was 55 to start with no wind to speak of and at the end of the ride 25/40 the winds picked up from the North and finish temp was 63 then started dropping. Yes, the first rest stop had a huge line at the Port potties. I skipped and went to the second rest stop. Plenty of food and drink at the rest stops. Some areas it seemed like they had too many volunteers. The after party needs some help, what happened? No sponsors? Most rides have you sign up for additional meals for friends to help celebrate with you. I would pay extra for the additional vouchers for food for friends. The entry fee went up $50 dollars and we got less for the money. No other food was available except for a tiny deli cart! Hope these suggestions help for a better ride next year. I found out about the food deal at registration when I got my wrist band that was cut off right away to prevent me from getting more food for me or my family. Cold food and a warm coke!

October 2004

Great ride, great cause. 6500 riders,20 MPH wind out of the south gusting at what felt like 30 made for a long painful ride home into the south. well organized great support, well stocked rest stops great event at the finish line. will be back next year. Olson/Bennigans

This is really a first class ride/rally and for such a great cause. The weather was perfect, the support was wonderful, the volunteers were very helpful and friendly. This was our first time to ride this ride and we will definitely be back. I do have a couple of suggestions which might help home of the out-of-towners. yes">  We drove in on Saturday from Dallas and we were disappointed to miss the expo, which closed at 5pm. I suggest that you should still be able to pick up your packets at least until 8 or 9 pm, because I'm sure that we weren't the only ones who arrived in Austin after 5pm. I saw a lot of other people trying to talk their way into the expo for the same reason. No problem I say "our Hotel is only 5 minutes away from the Travis county expo" and the start of the ride.  We left at 7:15 am for an 8:30 start and were amazed that they had only sectioned off one lane of traffic to the expo and the backup was probably 6 miles long. We missed the start, which was a bummer, I hate missing starts! If we would have had our packet we probably would have been Ok. We weren't the only ones, the traffic was backed up for miles even after we arrived!? I wonder how many others would have like to have been at the starting lines? Now don't get me wrong, this is probably the best ride in Texas with great volunteers, sponsors, support, ect.  I just think for such an important event traffic control to the event should have been quicker w/ maybe "two" lanes getting to the expo. We rode the 40-mile route, which was fun with good roads up until the very last stretch before you re-enter the expo area, this was a two lane road (I think, I was to scared to look up) with no shoulder and it was dangerous. One driver in a little tan pickup came so close to me that he knocked a fly off my arm. What's up with that? There must be some way to section off this part of the road to make it safer for such a volume of riders. This was only a short section of road and they did eventually cone off the road later, closer to the finish but I was surprised to find such crowded traffic on this ride. Maybe the highway dept. will widen it next year for Lance. Overall A- now just smooth out the little things.  

Some of the best ever opening and closing ceremonies of any bike ride. Opening with Sheryl Crow, Robin Williams, Will Farrell, and Lance. The closing with several live bands and plenty of food (the pasta was a  little spicy) Groups of several volunteers at all the turns. the route was  very scenic and very little auto traffic. The route was also difficult due to the stiff south wind. I would suggest that they us both lanes on  Decker road leaving the opening site. there was one very nasty crash due to a cyclist hitting a traffic cone - required ambulance assistance.  Overall probably one of the rides of the year.

I did the 40 mile route and thought the volunteers were terrific and the rest stops were well-stocked. The wonderful thing about this ride is that there are a lot of riders at all levels that help to inspire you along the way. Just when I thought I couldn't go any further, along would come a cancer survivor passing me up. Need to do something, though, about the cones along the first few miles. There were opportunities for more accidents than occurred. Also, people please remember to pass a rider on the left not in between riders. Awesome ride otherwise!

Really enjoyed the ride. I thought the organizers did a great job, especially considering the number of riders in the ride. All of the rest stops were well supplied and all of the volunteer's were great.  Only have one complaint. Whoever is in charge of the volunteers, needs to train the finish line volunteers not to try and handoff water bottles to the cyclist while they are still on their bikes. Especially when the volunteers are lined up in a gauntlet, just wide enough for one bicycle to pass through. Please train the volunteers to give the riders enough room to steer and to not hand the riders anything until they have come to a stop. I saw one crash and a couple of close calls AFTER the finish line, caused by volunteers crowding the riders. Other than that, it was a great weekend. 

My 2 cents worth. Had a much easier time picking up my packet at the Expo. They should make this venue permanent. The start of the ride was very well done. We were not forced to endure the incessant and endless babble like in years past. Lance gave a very passionate "Ride Strong" creed, Will Ferrell did "W" so well that if I had my eyes closed and did not hear the introduction, I would have thought our president was up there. After Farrell got through, Cheryl Crowe sang a very beautiful National Anthem. As for the ride itself, a replay of Collin Classic 2004. The summer like heat and humidity combined with a relentless 15-25 MPH wind played havoc on the 100 mile riders. I saw numerous ambulances, fire trucks, and sag wagons running back and forth for the last 30 or 40 miles of the ride. From Elgin on, seeing tired cyclists sitting in groups under trees was a common feature of the landscape. From my perspective, the first 70 miles of the ride went by just a little too fast for my comfort. Just like Collin Classic 2004, the last 30 miles of this ride was absolute 100% pure torture!

This was my first time to attend the Ride for the Roses, and I hope it will not be the last. What a great ride weekend, and what an extraordinary task to organize such an event. My friends and I arrived mid-day Saturday in Austin, as the website clearly states the hours of the bike expo and to allow plenty of time for it. We were not sure what we would encounter at the start, so we allowed just as much time as we would for HHH since there were 6500 riders. First-timers, leave your hotel by 6:00 AM (ugh, I know) and you'll arrive in plenty of time to park and make it to the 8:00 start. An amazing amount of volunteers went above and beyond the call of duty all day. We did the 100-mile route, which had one nasty little climb and lots of rolling hills. The energy at that ride felt so good, especially at the finish line where hundreds of strangers cheered us in and made us forget about that nasty wind and unseasonably hot temps (almost). The only complaint I had was with Bob Roll's beard: Dude, where's your razor? Somebody shave that man. Thanks for the ride, Lance and crew!

Kudos to the Ride for the Roses Steering Committee & volunteers for a very good, well-organized ride. As a 3-year veteran of paid charity rides, I find little to fault the organization about this ride & route. It was a very smooth from packet pickup to volunteers at every turn on the route to well-stocked rest stops to plentiful SAG vehicles & emergency help both mechanical & otherwise. The proverbial tightwad, I was annoyed to have to shell out $7 in parking to pickup my packet at the Palmer Events Center though. I do not know how the start schedule was arrived at but it wasn't the same as what's printed in the weekend guide. I rode the 70-mile route, which should have left between 8 & 8:25 a.m. but actually left at 8:45 a.m. I'm sure there are reasons why the longer routes started so late in the day but considering the Texas heat, I'd really preferred to have started at 8 a.m. & miss some of the mid-afternoon heat. Most of the grousing I've read about the ride, I would not attribute to the organization but to the individual cyclists. I drove in from Round Rock, which is a 30-minute drive. The last 4 miles into the parking area took 30 minutes due to the traffic & let's face it, with 6,500 riders & support staff & volunteers, you're going to have lines of traffic. I realize I should have left 30 - 45 minutes earlier. Even so, I was on my bike & heading for my lane by 7:50 a.m. The 3 to 4 crashes I saw in the first 6 - 7 miles were entirely avoidable but some cyclists see a charity ride as a race, some cyclists simply do not pay attention & ride too close, especially at the start before we all string out. When you're sucked up on someone's backside, it's impossible to see cones, potholes, etc. & real easy to touch wheels either fore or aft. As to the complaints about traffic, number of marked off lanes, etc., I think cyclists have to realize that short of being in one of the 3 Grand Tours, you will never find 100% perfect traffic control & road conditions on any paid charity ride so get over it & ride according to the conditions before you. Ride no more than 2 abreast & keep right even with lanes that are coned & a wide shoulder. No cones, no shoulder, then ride single file, be aware of traffic & just keep going as safely as you can. Realize such conditions are a part of road cycling & if it bothers you, don't ride. It's really as simple as that. Cycling has its risks even on paid charity rides. Comments to the organization about the weather always amuse me in that it's one element on a ride that no one can do anything in the world about. Indeed, the wind was a bugger & it was like pushing through Jell-O. It was also tiring. But experience has taught me to plan ahead for such hardship so I didn't go out at a breakneck pace but conserved my energies for a tough day in a strong wind. At 53, I saw much younger, fitter folk being sagged in, cramping up & in misery basically because they didn't plan ahead & ride smarter. I finished the 73.28 miles tired & well challenged but I finished. Unlike many cyclists in this ride, my goal was not so much to have fun as to do a thing that was in some ways as tough as facing a battle with cancer. Unlike people battling cancer, I had the option of quitting any time the ride got too unpleasant, which it did in the last 25 - 30 miles. I must have considered sagging in 25 or 30 times but I didn't because I knew people with cancer don't really have the option to quit. This is a very good ride supporting a foundation full of merit that I recommend to all.

October 25, 2003

This year they capped the ride at 5,000 riders. They allowed a few more riders in the ride when the late notice caused some irrate riders. Since there were less riders this year, the traffic problem was much better. There was a delay at the start with getting traffic cleared on Decker road so the ride could start. Many riders were not dressed for the sudden change in weather (50's with strong cold north wind) which made the delayed start more agonizing. This still is one of the premier rides in the state. The staggered starts were done excellent. Traffic control excellent. Great rest stops. The after ride party and guitar rendition of the Star Spangle Banner (start of ride) are second to none. This ride has a strong cancer theme to it, which is understandable considering Lance's past. Oustanding ride with excellent cause. If you attend next year, make sure you complete your registration on the website. If your registration is not complete, you may have to be a "ghost rider" with a nice $100 donation to the LAF.

Every thing about the ride was excellent, rest stops were very well stocked, friendly volunteers, Roads were generally very good, with volunteers at most all the intersections/turns pointing the right way. Post ride party was nice. Too bad I couldn't drink the beer after the ride, had to drive to Dallas. The organization for the start needs much improvement. Riders were pre-assigned lane/start lines based on mileage and speed. However,  they started the slow 40 milers before the faster 70/100 milers resulting in very clogged streets. One group of 100 milers only had 1:30 to make the 32 mile cutoff for the 100 mile route due to the late start and the clogged roads with the slower 40 milers. The start could be much improved by letting the riders self police themselves before the start to pick a lane with the correct mileage and speed. The stiff north wind did keep the times down.

Overall, the rode was very well done. I'll start with the good - the rest stops were excellent with eager volunteers bringing food and water to the riders; the route was on excellent pavement - very few beat up country roads; police protection and route control was excellent - the volunteers were amazing; the finish line festivities with Jo Dee Messina and lots of free food (thanks HEB!) were great; lots of SAG wagons were also seen on the course. The bad - it was really cold and really windy (not their fault) but the extra long wait at the start really had an effect on the ol' muscles; Webberville Road - nicely paved but no shoulder and no closed traffic lanes - this was very dangerous, especially with a large number of "amateur"
riders unfamiliar with how to pass, etc. and made even more dangerous because it was at the end of the ride, people were tired, and traffic was moderate. (A bicycle pile-up occurred and it is fortunate nobody was run over by a car.); and finally, the medical tent at the end did not appear to be prepared for the cold as they were without heaters, blankets, etc. Overall, no matter what the bad it, this is the premier fall event in Texas and a "must do". It's inspiring to see so many cancer survivors out there and makes it hard to complain about the cold when you think about what they have been through. Hats off to Lance and the LAF - see you next year!

Great volunteers! Every corner was manned with cheering smiling faces and giving directions. Great police support at every critical intersection. There is not a better organized event! Unfortunately the weather didn't allow people to enjoy the bands that were prepared and all of the festivities at the end, but it wasn't for a lack of effort. One bit of constructive criticism - have the ride on Sunday. Why not switch the ride to Saturday and put the run, book signings, etc. on Sunday? Most have to work on Monday and we can't enjoy the Guinness and drive home. Fortunately for me the wife drove back so I indulged. Thanks HEB also for a job well done.
P.S.- I'd like to see them move the ride to the West of Austin out toward the lake where the climbs are a bit tougher.

This was a very interesting ride. As usual, the LAF volunteers left nothing to chance. Plenty of support throughout the ride. I saw a SAG vehicle or motorcycle with a volunteer tag pass by every 10 minutes or so throughout the entire ride. I cannot comment on the rest stops since I stopped at only 2. Both were very well stocked with the necessary supplies and plenty of restrooms. I only wish the one at the 60 mile mark had some extra chairs or lounges so weary riders can take a 10-20 minute break before continuing (oh well, that is called fishing for a minor thing to gripe about). The weather made this ride a real big challenge with the temperature in the 50's and a cold, raw 20-30 mile per hour northwest wind. About 80 per cent of the ride was either into the wind or fighting the cross wind, which of course made things really difficult for the long riders. I wound up finishing the 100 mile ride about 2:45 for a total time of 6 hours and 15 minutes (including 2 rest stops and a flat tire no more than 2-1/2 miles from the finish). The after ride party was going strong with lots of activity around the food and massage tents. I didn't stay because I had family waiting for me. Of course, it started to rain when I loaded my bike in the car.

First, holding packet pickup at the Convention Center the days before the Ride was absurd. We drove around for nearly 30 minutes trying to find parking in one-way-roads downtown before I was just dropped off to pick packets up. Once I got inside however there were no lines at Registration. Note: there is an option to pick up packets on the day of the Ride, which I will do next year if the Convention Center is used again. Onto Ride Day: Traffic was insane I heard. We got there an hour early, as instructed by the website and found good parking close to the start. The EXTRA LONG WAIT at the beginning was frustrating -- the freezing and biting wind only aggravated the situation. The website had stated that the 70-milers and 100-milers would start first at 8:00am and then the rest would go, which seemed like the smart thing to do. Well, I was in the 70-miler lane and we were the 9th group to leave (out of 13 groups) at 9:00am -- we had to be lined up in our lane by 7:40am, so we were all sufficiently numb by the time we rolled. As we began, we saw a whole bunch of riders who had parked at various spots along the route (far away from the official start) and just joined in -- that's how bad the parking situation ended up being. The first rest stop, usually a busy one at any rally, only had FOUR portapotties. I was #38 in line (plenty of time to count) and almost 20 painful minutes later I was back on my bike. Many people, women included, found the bushes to be a good alternative. The portapotty thing didn't make sense considering there were probably 75-100 at the
beginning. NO EXCUSES, considering this year was the "seventh annual"!! The rest stops were very well-stocked though. I was supposed to do 70 miles, but I did the 25-mile route, which was a good call considering I got rained on for 5 miles. Despite all my complaining, I'll be back next year b/c the cause alone is completely worth it, the sense of community and togetherness is overwhelming, the routes were fantastic and well-marked, and I will take advantage of any excuse to cycle in Austin.

I basically agree with all the remarks made above. It's a great ride for a great cause and there was something really cathartic about the bitter cold (for me anyway). The post-ride party is real class and rates as the best rally I have ever done in terms of support. The two big things already mentioned that I would emphasize: (1) if it's that cold, get the darn thing started with little delay; (2) it's never a good idea to put slower riders in front of faster ones (although I marginally understand the reasoning - it just never works). The police assistance, volunteer help and rest stops were premier. Additionally, I was glad to see so much SAG support. You can bet that I will return next year.

Classy web site to sign up from and excellent collection method for donations. I picked up my packet on Sunday morning. I missed the convention center activity because they closed at 6PM. I was disappointed because I was looking forward to seeing the exhibits. HHH kept their convention center open into the late evening and things were hopping right up until they closed. Ditto the port-a-potties. I'd suggest doubling or tripling the potties everywhere except the start. I don't understand why it took so long to clear traffic. I had 2 layers on, full finger gloves, a skullcap and was still cold. After too long of a start delay, the way the lanes were moved out made no sense at all. I'm not a super fast rider but for the first 20 miles I was constantly on the rear wheel of "strollers", you know, the people who ride 8-10MPH side by side (sometimes 3 abreast) just chatting and seemingly unaware that they were blocking masses of riders behind them. I know it's tough to impress rider etiquette on inexperienced riders but the DJ had plenty of time before the ride to issue that caution. Within the confines of a single traffic lane, it was most difficult to pass and several riders (including me) jumped over into the traffic lane to get around. I passed by the first two rest stops just to get some breathing room. Because of the congestion I also had a hard time warming up. However, once into the ride and warmed up, it was most pleasant. Beautiful rolling hills, superb volunteers cheering us on, excellent sag and rest stop support and not one problem wondering which way to go or if it was safe to cross. With the possibility of inclement weather at this time of year, why not move the post ride activities inside? People from around the world came to back the LAF. If you're looking for a fast ride, this is it. My hat's off to the 20-30 year olds clipping along at 27-30mph. Interesting range of bikes from multi-thousand dollar road bikes, to recumbents, to three and four wheelers. Very classy bike jersey from LAF (had to get one). The only thing I was really hoping for that didn't happen is an LAF ride pin at the finish. I would have proudly worn it especially this year with the elements that made this ride a challenge.