Crazy Kicker - Mineral Wells, TX

October 18, 2008

All in all a great experience. I rode the 100 mile loop. This is the best terrain for a bike rally withing reasonable driving distance of the metroplex. A couple of things, one of which cannot be controlled by the coordinators. Although I didn't use any of them, the first rest stop on the 100 mile had a sign indicating the 100 mile route needed to turn right. After riding for approx. 1/4 mile we found out it wasn't anything other than a rest stop, not part of the route. Maybe next year for all the new riders not wanting to stop have a sign that says "rest stop turn right, 100 mile straight." It kinda ruined the rythm we had going. This cannot be controlled, but TXDOT laid down a lot of new large aggregate chip seal. Hopefully next year this will be worn down so everyone's fillings won't be jarred loose. On the positive side, the weather was absolutely gorgeous, the traffic is minimal and the hills are legbreakers. Saw a few walking up Cherry Pie Hill. Don't know if this is possible, but I think the turnout would increase dramatically if this ride was done earlier in the year.

Now about crazy kicker:
I rode this last year, I rode it this year, I'll be back next year. You simply WILL NOT find a ride with better scenery! What a beautiful day, great temps, great course, nice roads. The staff manning the rest stops were over the top. Very kind and caring....we really appreciate the positive attitudes we get from the rest stop people. Frankly, I wish the ride had more participants...I hope the ride continues forever! Hills Hills Hills...this course is for not for the weak!! Loved every minute of it. End of discussion!!

What an awesome ride again this year. Could not ask for a better day or ride. Everyone is so friendly and supportive. Very well organized as always, nicely stocked rest stops with home made cookies, pickles, sports drink, water, bananas, oranges and ice. I always look forward to the rest stop at mile 30. It is at the highest point at Possum Kingdom lake and you can see for miles and miles. I really takes your breath away and gives you a certain energy that is hard to describe. I did the 100 mile route and love the challenge. I love the buttons at the end for climbing Cherry Pie hill. It your could bring back the miniature trophies you had last year at mile 70 after climbing Cherry Pie Hill that would be awesome. I will treasure the little trophy I received in 2007 forever. I have rode 38 rallies this year and like every one this year the ride count was down. As soon as we get a democrat in office this year things will be back to normal next year with the economy and more riders will be attending all rallies. Thanks everyone for an awesome ride and cant wait till next year. Keep up the good work. J

This is the second year for me on this ride.... And the ride is well done IMO....the organization is great, the people were nice and helpful, easy registration, the homemade cookies are incredible, etc. I did the 100 mile route, which I think very few did. I saw sag support around, good markings on the route, reststops were well stocked, pretty scenry, great climbs and at the end lots of homemade cookies to choose from. The only complaint I have were the roads ( I know nothing you can really do) but on the 100, probaby 70 miles were chip n'seal, yuk... Next year I think I'll do the 66, and just eat less cookies!!

I rode the 65 mile route. You will be hard pressed to find a more scenic bike ride in this area. And whoever they had in charge of the weather really out did themselves. Could not have asked for a better day to ride. If you do this ride, you had better bring your climbing legs, because there's not a lot of flat on this one. Your either going up the side of one hill, or down the side of the other. Cherry Pie Hill was great. The roads, for the most part, were OK. You started out on about 13 miles of glassy smooth ashfault. After that, it was pretty much chip and seal, until you got back to Mineral Wells and back on the ashfault. A lot of the chip and seal was well worn, so it that bad at all. The volunteers and rest stops were great. Good cookies. The only suggestion that I would make, would be to move the start time back to 9:00am, instead of 8:00am. I'm thinking that they would get a better turnout from the Dallas, Plano, McKinney area if they started a little later. I drove over from McKinney, and to get there for a 8:00am start, I had to leave my house at 5:30am.

Possibly the most beautiful ride in Texas. I highly recommend this one!

October, 2007

Saturday ride was a good challenge, started out to do the 100 mile and due to high winds had to detour to 85 miles, still a great ride, good rest stops and friendly people. A little over 400 riders, they mostly did the shorter routes. I would rate this as difficult because of the hills!!!!!!!!!!!! And the wind you rode against for the first 30 miles. The scenery was beautiful. I have only two complaint’s, I never saw a SAG vehicle until the last 15 miles. A female rider caught a ride with a stranger to get back. And at the second rest area there was two very young Blue healer puppies approximately 3 months old abandoned. I asked the guy if he was going to take them into town so the Humane society could pick them up, he said no! I felt that was only right so they would have a chance at survival, considering we were 30 miles away from town. Around 7 riders were advised to cut the ride short because they were not going to have any body at the last rest stop since it was taking so long due to the wind. A great last ride for the season. I should sore for days!

I did the 65 mile ride which presented a challenging course with lots of hills and brutal winds.
Road conditions were less than perfect, with a long stretch of highway (HWY 337 I think) that had miles and miles of gravel-covered shoulder bordered by freshly paved highway that had a sharp drop to the shoulder. It was rough to ride the gravel and VERY dangerous to attempt any passes. At least one woman suffered some really nasty injuries on that treacherous stretch.
Rest stops were generally well stocked with friendly help and homemade cookies (awesome!), but SAG vehicles were few and far between. Also, a couple of left-hand turns across the highways lacked any support at all. I would do the ride again because it presents a great challenge late into the season, but would recommend that the promoters beef up police and SAG support. For my $30 entry, I look for more attention to safety.

This was my first time to do this ride and I absolutely loved it! The scenery was beautiful! Well marked roads and friendly people. I thought Cherry Pie Hill was great but, then again I like hills. It's mostly just long. I wish I had a hill like this close to where I live. My only suggestion would be to start at 9:00 instead of 8:00 since it was pretty darn cold for the first hour. I can't wait to do the ride again next year!

Another well organized ride. Good support, traffic control, and roads. I rode the century but cut in at Palo Pinto to make it an 85 mile ride. The ride was well attended. Bigger crowd than last year - this ride deserves the support. One stop was short on food (prior to Cherry Pie Hill). No bananas and only pickles and orange slices. However, multiple locations with plenty of water - mini stops. Overall the roads were very good. No dogs. Between this ride and the Paluxy Pedal we have two great rides this time of year. Oh, the t-shirts are great and they had all the sizes.

Great course, great hospitality, great ride. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will be back again next year.

Did the 100 miles and wish I had listened to the wiser, more experienced riders who opted for the lesser mileage. I had read the charts and studied the course, but never considered the wind. Big mistake. Apart from the wind, the ride was excellent. The route was great, traffic low, scenery fantastic, rest-stops entertaining, and the hills were a great challenge. The single factor that made this a ride I wish I hadn’t done was the wind. Next year I will not pre-register…opting to wait until the last minute and find out what he wind is expected to do. After Saturday I would not consider anything over 35 miles if the wind is going to be over 5 mph. One minor complaint and a major praise… at the 90 mile point in Graford – placing the rest stop in the gravel parking lot was a bad idea. I was too tired and to unstable to try and negotiate the gravel to get in there and replenish my water for the last leg against the wind. As I was turning I asked the volunteers at the corner if they had any water – they pointed to the gravel rest stop – so I passed it and made the turn. I had not gone over 1 mile when the truck of volunteers, from the turn, stopped in front of me and a lady jumped out and ran toward me with a bottle of ice cold Ozarka water. That was the single most impressive act I have experienced from a ride volunteer. Thanks guys. Given the rate I was deteriorating I doubt I could have made the last 10 dry… Thank you!

My third year riding the 100 miles at the Crazy Kicker and I’ll be back next year for the challenge it always promises, even though the rest stops and SAG support don’t match up with most rides. The wind from the South picked up well above the forecast and created a few slow stretches of road but also some fast northbound speeds. The wind made the last 13 miles from Graford to the finish a real gut check, especially with the huge hill at the 95 mile point. By the way, the reviewer that pointed out the volunteers with the Ozarka water...they were not ride volunteers but was my friends and wife who enjoy helping others and provide personal rest stops for me. When they saw the rider pass up the poorly located rest stop, they ensured he got some fluids to make it in. So for the ride organizers, please put that 87 mile rest stop out away from all the gravel next year…I don’t know why you moved it away from where it was when we passed it on the way out.

What a great ride. I started out doing the 65 mile and enjoyed every minute of it. I actually enjoyed cherry pie hill..the hill is fed to you in segments without you being able to see the top of the hill, thus not "psyching" you out as you are going up it. The scenery was absolutely breathtaking! The wind was brutal though: You feel like you are cooking right along, but don't look at your speedometer...only 12 mph!
bad experience: at mile 7.6 during the steep downslope of hwy 337 the lady about 30 yards in front of me took a serious spill. hwy 337 is new and the shoulder is still old, so there was a distinct 3-4 inch ledge that her front tire hit, therefore causing MAJOR wobbling. She took a hard fall and slid at least 40 ft, but the worst part of it was her broken femur bone. Thank GOD for the EMT right behind me that comforted her and for my cell service to call an ambulance for her. Everyone..lesson learned: if you aren't comfortable with your speed and/or the road surface..slow down-there will always be a hill or flat to make up the lost time.
I liked the rest stops-one of them even had these kids that would hold your bike up for you! They were all very friendly people. Thank you!

I’ll add my two cents about this ride. I did the 67-mile route, which was also called 60 miles, 100K, and 65 miles. I really liked the terrain; good mix of flat, rolling, and hilly. 49-degree temp at the start made the first hour or so very pleasant. The chip/seal was pretty bad, but fortunately there were only a few miles of it – I’d actually say better than most North Texas rides. I nearly crashed on a descent from one of the “three amigos” when I passed a group of riders by climbing off the shoulder onto the highway. An earlier poster mentioned the step-up; I was stupid enough to jump it in a tuck. I spent the rest of the three amigos riding in the gravel, which wasn’t all that bad. I’d gripe about the wind, but it was pretty typical for North Texas – I’m used to it by now. The folks at the rest stops were particularly friendly, and helpful in describing what was coming up the next few miles. I must have eaten 10 homemade cookies – they were excellent! I thought the course was superbly marked – never came close to making a wrong turn. All-in-all a great ride! If this ride were in June, 20 miles closer to Fort Worth, it would attract a couple thousand people – of course then it wouldn’t be as hilly, the roads wouldn’t be as good, and it would be hot. I’ll be back next year for sure!

Worst ride ever! First time, Last time. This was the last ride of the season for me, after riding in about ten other organized rides this year. The rest stops were pitiful, most had run out of food by the time the longer routes passed through them. SAG for this ride was also less than impressive, we didn’t see any SAG vehicles for the first 30 miles and while changing a flat tire on HWY 180, the SAG vehicle that stopped to see if we needed any help looked as if we were speaking a foreign language when we asked for a bicycle pump. Cherry Pie Hill lived up to the hype, but still not enough to bring me back again.

I love this ride. I have done it 4 straight years and will keep going back. I read some of these reviews and emailed the organizer to get some feedback on them. It turns out there were 2 more sag wagons that were scheduled to show but didn't. She said she is going to get 2 more than she needs for next year's ride and just have extras then and they will all carry a full sized pump! I rode the 50 mile route, so I didn't get to see the fresh paved section of 337, but that was unfortunately out of anyone's control but should be all done and beautiful for next year. I guess I hit the rest stops early enough that they were pretty well stocked. Each year she said her ride has grown (which is great for the kids the Kiwanis help support), but this makes it hard for her to estimate the supplies. I suggested she just double what she did this year and then give any leftovers to some local charity or something. All in all, the ride gets bigger each year and continues to be a great fun and incredible challenge to wind down my season. I love it out there!!!

October 21, 2006

Mineral Wells - Krazy Kicker. I rode the 65 mile route on fixed gear. 42/17 gearing. Another great autumn ride. Excellent stops, great directions, started on time. Plenty of climbing including Cherry Pie Hill around the 50 mile mark of the 65 mile ride A test on fixed gear but doable with careful pacing. I rate the difficulty 7.5/10 for fixed gear. Would have loved the downhills with a geared bike. Will ride this again.

I have ridden in 15 charity rides around the metroplex and this is the toughest route in metroplex. Not very many riders, I would estimate 200 riders. The 100K route is very challenging - a lot hills that includes Cherry Point Hill, which starts out 9% - 10% grade, then averages out to 6% - 7% grade for a mile. There were several good size hills that you must conquer before you get to Cherry Hill. The scenery was awesome and roads for the most part are chip-seal. The car traffic was considered light for the most part and the majority of the route stayed on back roads. The only "major" road we were on was Hi-way 180, but the shoulders were wide, although there was a lot of debris. My only compliant was the lack of traffic control when we were riding back into Mineral Wells. You had to cross 4 lanes of traffic that was going over 50 MPH. The route was well marked; however, there were a couple of spots that could have used signs. There should be sign at all road intersection. This was a good ride and if you want a challenge, then this is the ride for you - better have your climbing legs with you. below is the terrain profile off of my GPS for this ride. As a note Cherry Point Hill starts around mile 50.

Great ride – beautiful scenery, plenty of sag, minimal traffic, great rest stops, lots of challenging hills, long sleeve t-shirts, homemade cookies, great (& fun) signage, friendly volunteers. Some chip seal and some highway riding but the shoulders are wide. This is one not to be missed – one of my favorites of the year!

Outstanding. One the two best rides in North Texas. Glen Rose being the other. Plenty of distance and hills for the most demanding. Best cookies and a long sleeve shirt! Great scenery. This ride should draw as many riders as any.

First of all, let me say that it is entirely my fault that I injured myself at this ride. In the first quarter of a mile, I fractured my fibula in two places, blew out my ACL completely and tore my miniscae in my knee. I had knee surgery on 11/10 and am recovering pretty well now.
The day of the Kiwanis Crazy Kicker Ride I arrived about twenty minutes late (my fault) to do the 100 mile route. I had done almost every Saturday ride this Summer including HHH up to that point, so I had some experience. I had the map for the 100 mile route, the only problem I had was that the map did not show our starting location and I wanted to be sure I was going in the right direction. Since I was late, there were no other riders to follow (again, my fault). I didn't want to get started off in the wrong direction on a long ride in the back country of Mineral Wells.
I decided to ride back to the registration table going over the park grass instead of the road. Big mistake. The grass was wet with dew, which I hadn't expected. The front wheel slipped out from under me. I put out my leg to stop the fall and it slipped also, since I had road shoes on with only small cleats. My ankle and knee both turned inward with my weight on top.
Anyway, having paid some dues, I just wanted to make a few suggestions that there be signs put up or arrows spray painted on the ground as to which way to go, especially starting out when it is confusing.
Again, I take all blame for my severe injuries, but a few more signs or some spray painted arrows on the road next time would help. Even a more detailed map, one that showed the starting point on it, would have made my broken leg and torn ACL injuries less likely.
Thanks for Bicycle Stuff and thanks to the wonderful volunteer and rider community out there! You all are great. I just regret that I won't be biking with you at all for another six months! =]

October 2005

One of the two best rides of the year. Scenic routes and low traffic.

When it comes to scenery, vehicle free roads and killer hills, this might be the ride of the year. There were perhaps 200 riders this year, maybe 250 which seemed to take the organizers by surprise as they did not have numbers for at least 75 of us that did the same day registration. It's too bad this ride is not more heavily attended as a late season ride. It is a really great venue. I did the 65 mile route which became 71 miles when I made a wrong turn on to the 100m route vs. the 100k route. Rest stops were pretty well stocked with most having homemade cookies. The people were very friendly. There was not a lot of police support but the roads didn't warrant it. The highlight of this ride, is Cherry Pie Hill (so named by previous year cyclists). It's at mile 50 of the 65 mile route and it's a one mile hill at 8% grade (give or take a % point). The road winds around so you never know when the climb is going to end. On a two ring bike, this thing was a challenge. I passed many a walking cyclists (who in turn passed me later when I burned out). Come on out for this ride in 2006, you'll love it!

I rode the 2005 Mineral Wells Krazy Kicker and had a great time. The terrain was mixed and Cherry Pie Hill was a nice, short, somewhat steep climb. The scenery is much like the Hill Country and very pretty in the fall. More than anything else, I found the hospitality to be genuinely warm and friendly. Who else would bake 90 dozen home made cookies for less than 300 riders? This ride is at the top of my list.

It was a perfect day for a ride through the country side. The morning started out very cool, refreshingly cool. The wind was calm and that was a good thing with the temperature in the low 60's to upper 50's. At sign in they were almost out of everything. No shirts, nothing but a number (some of the riders did not get a number) and if you got a number there were no safety pins to attach it to yourself.
About 8:30 we could just barley hear the person up front trying to tell up something but we in the middle of the pack could not hear any details. Without any warning a Ka-boom equal to the cannon shot at the Hotter n Hell ride went off and most everyone I saw ducked (including me) not knowing what just exploded. Several car alarms went off and the ride was underway. I never did see where the cannon was located but everyone in Minerals Wells heard the start of the ride.
I have ridden from this area before and knew the hills would be tough. I choose to ride the 50 mile route because of the hills. The rest stops were well prepared and had some of the best homemade cookies of any ride. I do not remember seeing and store bought cookies at any of the rest stops and I stopped at all of the rest stops on the 50 mile ride. All workers at the rest stops have never met a stranger in their life. They were so friendly and helpful.
I have heard of the famous hill on this ride "Cherry Pie Hill" (I did not ask why that name stuck). The hill that drops you into the Brazos River Valley should be called Cherry Pudding according to my friend Buddy because it is steep and only has one turn close to the top. Just coasting we reached speeds of 37 to 40 MPH in our group. The drop into the valley was only a shadow of the hill to come called "Cherry Pie Hill".
After leaving the third rest stop (with plenty of homemade cookies) the hill was just ahead. From the creek to the top of the hill was aprox. 375 ft. of climb. The grade was not as steep as "The Wall" of the Glen Rose ride but the road just went on and on. The whole climb was almost two miles long but the really steep part was just over one mile long. At the steepest corner there was a sign that says "It is OK to walk" At that time my cadence was only 40 per min. but walking just does not seem like the right thing to do. I was glad to get this one hill behind me. If I had to choose Cherry Pie Hill vs The Wall, I would ride Cherry Pie Hills 3 times before I would ride The Wall once. 
In the 50 mile route there were over 2000 ft. of climb so the longer rides would have much more. At the end of the ride there were more great cookies and a few water bottle someone found in their trunk so I got a souvenir but I would rather have a T-shirt to wear, maybe next year. Bottom line is I will be back next year to enjoy the beautiful countryside and friendly people. David in Azle ( I hope it is not to long)

October 9, 2004

If you have never ridden in Palo Pinto county before, one word: Hills. There are hills, hills and more hills. I rode the 100k (well around 100k) and found it to be plenty challenging. This was an excellent hill course. The first 10 miles were a roller coaster. Absolutely fabulous downhills awaited after each summit. The roads on this course were in pretty good shape albeit, some had chip 'n seal. It would have been nice to see a larger turnout but with several rides in the area and most riders moving in to the off season, I guess the turnout was fair. The weather was dry with light cloud cover and a breeze from the north about 10 mph which was pretty much 'in your face' on the road back to town. After handling Cherry Pie Hill, that was a little more than I wanted. The 100k course comes in a little long. Somewhere between 66 and 68 miles total. I really don't mind how long it is....just tell us it's 66 miles if it's 66 miles. I couldn't really comment on the rest stops because I didn't stop. The mug they gave you at the end of the ride was a nice touch. Too bad the COOKIE MONSTERS ravaged the refreshment stand at the end though. Some crackers or something would have been nice. 

The turnout was fairly low--too bad because the weather was great! Mostly cloudy, no rain, a 10 mph wind and a high in the mid 70's. Evidently this is only their second year and it showed--I got there reasonably early and they were already completely out of the 100m and 100k route maps. They did give me a water bottle which was good. Who needs another t-shirt? I wish more rallies would give out socks like they did in Lancaster this year. I can always use more socks.
The Kicker in this ride is apparently the cannon shot fired to start the event--but at 8:45, 15 minutes after the scheduled start time they told us he had slept in so no cannon! The start was lame. First they let off the 100m. Then, about 3 minutes later they finally let the 100k group go--what, were they afraid we'd run 'em over?
Aside from these minor flaws, it was a great ride. It wasn't well marked in terms of arrows on the highway or signs along the way but they were volunteers at every major turn. The rest stops were well stocked with water, Gatorade, bananas, oranges and sometimes cookies. The volunteers were friendly. I especially appreciated the "Huzzies" in Palo Pinto with their display of Elvis and music from the King himself in the background. The route was excellent--some chip and seal but nothing too rough and good wide shoulders on the more heavily traveled roads. Cherry Pie Hill is a hoot--a little more than a mile in which you gain 1100 feet. The steepest parts, according to the profile of my Topo 5.0 map are a 14% grade with much of it at 12%. It's definitely a hill to test yourself against. I learned that a couple on a tandem who passed me on the hill had also done it yesterday and were going to do it again tomorrow!!!
Thanks Mineral Wells Kiwanis and keep up the good work. While you're at it, print a few more maps and wake up that cannon guy. I'm sure it would be a kick!

October 11, 2003

I think this used to be called Crazy Water, but now it is Crazy Kicker. I read the "latest" reviews you had, but they were for the year 2000. I always look for the highest ride number and it was about 350, so the ride has grown. The volunteers are fabulous, and the ride was pretty good, too. I ran into some ground fog early in the ride and turned on my rear blinker for safety. The only complaint I would have about this ride would be that the signage needs to be better; printing on a white poster board with a ball point pen just isn't easy to read! There are some rolling hills, but only one "big" hill that tests your mettle. At the following rest stop, the volunteers give you a special pin for your shirt if you can conquer Cherry Pie Hill. That was a nice touch. I'll be back, if only to see if Cherry Pie Hill is easier next time.

This was a good, challenging ride and scenic. Small turnout but well run. Rest stops about 15 miles apart were well stocked and had friendly volunteers. The course was challenging but fun. Some long climbs and long descents, lots of rolling hills. The roads were mostly pretty good, 377 had some traffic but wide smooth shoulders. Some two lane roads with no shoulder but very light traffic. I think this course gets regular cyclist use, the drivers were courteous. Route well marked with signs and painted arrows. I will be back for this one, the course is great.