Denton, Turkey Roll, Denton, TX

November 17, 2007

Great ride- did the 35 mile- had beautiful weather with a bit of headwind coming back in. Well organized and good starting facilities.

This was my first Turkey Roll. It seems that there was a larger turn out than expected, as they ran out of shirts (luckily I pre-registered and didn’t miss out). There was also a water shortage at both of the rest stops I went to. It got close to 80 degrees by the time I finished and I was a water bottle short. I rode the 35 mile, I hope they will add a route that is in between the 35 and 71 mile next year. Other than the chip seal on 455, the roads were very smooth. Car traffic was very light and the shoulders were very wide which helped early on in the ride. The volunteers were friendly.

You could not have asked for better weather. The new 71-mile loop was an elegant route on good roads. However at the Lone Oak Rd. rest stop I talked to several riders who had missed the turn-off for the 37-mile route back on S.H. 428, so perhaps better signage and maybe someone with a megaphone could have helped there. The Kings' BBQ (now at the Era rest stop) was great as always. I miss the old turkey-shaped cut-out route signs but these new ones designed to wrap around highway sign poles are a lot easier to see. As the ride gets bigger I think the start through those narrow iron gates at the fairgrounds is going to get more problematic.

Great ride- good parking, support, organization, roads/route, cheering, food and a great goodie bag. Not that I would want it, but can't figure why there aren't more people riding it. No complaints here!!

The wind was a little more than I expected but it was an okay ride. A few of us did 73 miles instead of 71 when someone moved one of the signs. It was good for a laugh. I never express a negative opinion for the many rides I’ve done. People are volunteering their time and I appreciate this fact. But the guys in Valley View ran out of water and Gatorade after very few riders had gone through. I carry my own drinks, but at mile 36 I really needed a refill. The gentleman kept saying water would be arriving soon. That didn’t sound very good since there were a number of people already waiting. I chose to move on to the next rest stop to refuel. After all the same gentleman said there was “water just ten miles up the road at the next stop”. That one still makes me smile. They might want to rethink the single water keg theory in the future. All in all it was a good ride. I appreciate the effort of the volunteers and the hotdog at the end is always a nice touch.

I rode the 35-mile route. This is a well-organized ride with convenient location, quick packet pick-up and decent roads. The t-shirts for this ride are nice as well. While I’m pleased that FM455 segment through Sanger was removed, an intermediate route between 50 and 65 miles would be nice. Thanks for sponsoring the event, and see ya next year!

Wow! What a ride! I can't believe I've lived in Denton for two years and didn't know about this ride until this year when it became an MS150 Recommended Ride. Great start location, beautiful route, wonderful, friendly volunteers. The organizers told me they had 450 advance registrations and nearly 800 total, so that would explain why some of the later rest stops were out of Gatorade and snacks, but other than that, great ride. Will definitely do it again next year.

I rode the 30 mile Turkey Roll route and for me it was too much along busy highways. On highway 377 I was sandwiched between heavy truck traffic and a passing freight train, it was depressingly loud. Visually the best part was along the Bridgeport Dam but it had the roughest shoulder. Didn’t see any support vehicles other than an unmarked motorcycle that passed a couple of times. Registration was quick but they had run out of shirts and promotion bags. Rest stops had bananas, cookies and liquids. I think I should have gone the 70 mile route over the lake “4 times” for a possible better scenic route and quit at the halfway point and hope the motorcycle guy saw me for a ride back. I did get a hot dog at the finish. It may be that the best thing going for this ride is that it is one of the last of the season and riders are more forgiving for lack of anything better. Sorry for the negative opinions but I make my comments for future riders to consider. I may skip it next year.

I haven't done this ride in many years, but was so glad I did! The gorgeous weather was 75% of the deal, decent route (30-something mile), other 25%. Organizers probably didn't anticipate such warm weather, but they should keep an eye on the forcast for rest stop supply purposes (no ice). Never good to run out of water or other fluids (!), and those GREEN bananas...
Still, look forward to riding again next year, weather permitting. Gotta go shrink my (nice) LARGE t-shirt............QUACK !

Pretty decent ride out of Denton last wkend. The weather was wonderful. Plenty of parking and a really fast packet pick up. I did the 35 mile route and noticed that some of it was part of the old Madder n' Hell route. Lotsa chip seal but most of it was worn. Great ls t-shirt too. I don't remember seeing any signs once we got back in town but fortunately for me I was following some other people who obviously knew where they were goin. Multiple stop lights coming in too - bummer.

I’d like to submit a follow up note to the 2007 Denton Turkey Roll. The promoters had run out of T-shirts before I registered the day of the ride so I thought I was out of luck. They took my name and address but I didn’t think anything would come of it. I was wrong! They sent me my shirt by mail a couple of weeks later. That shows me what a class operation the Denton Turkey Roll is. I’ll be back next year!

November 18, 2006

What a nice ride! Denton Fair Grounds is a great place to start the ride -plenty of parking and restrooms. small gripe- no XXL shirts and the gift bags was pretty lite compared to what I've received from other rides. I did the 58 mile route (why does it say 63M/100K on the map?). Rest Stops about every 10 miles was nice. After passing I-35, the shoulder were almost non existant, but traffic wasn't too bad. This is one of the better rides I've been on. I will gladly do this one again!

Thanks to all of the organizers and volunteers who made this event possible. I thoroughly enjoyed my first Turkey Roll. I'm from out of the area and it was good to see buddies the last time before spring. The chronic lack of Potties has been a recurring theme on this ride. It took 10 -15 minutes longer at most of the stops rest stops because of the bathroom line. This really needs to be addressed!
The roads were good and traffic was typical for fast growing rural areas. I had a close encounter with an enormous truck-mounted crane while crossing a narrow bridge. It was good to see frequent SAG trucks patrolling the route. I didn't take the map because I have a hard time seeing small print, so I relied on the turns being marked. One crossing on 455 before the motor home rest stop was a bit confusing but I kept going and later saw a Turkey Roll sign and a SAG truck to confirm I had made the right road choice. I think someone needs to redesign the route map and make it a bit larger and easier to read on-bike.

This was my first time for this ride, and I'm glad I did it. The weather was great, the staging area was great, the route was good, except for one intersection where a group of us had to wait a few minutes for traffic to clear enough to enter the highway. I'll be back next year, if the weather is OK.

First time for this ride. The Denton Fair grounds provided plenty of parking and checkin was smooth. I really enjoyed the 9:00 AM start time. I will not complain about the goody bag or the t-shirt and I do get disappointed in people who do. First, this is a charity ride and I think a lot of cyclist forget that you are in support of a charity and second I am there to ride with other cyclist, not for the goodie bag. The weather was perfect, sunny light winds out of the north temps at the strat of the ride were in the upper 40's and ended up in the 60's by the end. The roads were in excellent shape, although there were some portions of the route that did not have a shoulder. Traffic was light and for the most part cars did give us the right of way. I really enjoyed the route - passing through the country of north Texas. I rode the 100K and did not stop at any of the rest stops, so I can not speak to the rest stops. I want to thank the guys from Richardson Bike Mart for the ride and the riding tips. I want to thank Denton Kwanis for putting on this ride. This is a good ride to end the season. I will be back next year.

A good ride to finish this year riding season. Rest stop were stock well, The weather was cool in the morning and warmed to a pleasent day. The registration was ok. and a nice t-shirt. Course was marked ok. Could improve on road markings or signs coming back into town. Once riding south past 288 loop, course markings/signs need some improvement. Since I have ridden this ride before, I knew the way to the fair grounds, but for newbies, they could get lost. There needs some traffic supports when turning left onto 377 and from 377 onto 455. Other than these two items, this is a great ride. Quack Qauck

November 19, 2005

I've been riding in the Turkey Roll for over ten years. I feel the route is well-marked, with no tricky turn-offs. In years past there has often been a volunteer at the U.S. 377 intersection outside of Aubrey. I think that would be a good thing to have one stationed there, if nothing else to serve as an extra pair of eyes to watch for traffic. The rest stops were adequately stocked. There probably should be more than one port-a-potty at the Pilot Point rest stop. The themed rest stops were a nice touch, and the voting for your favorite one is good too. Personally I have never found the short stretch on Loop 288 a problem at all, but I suppose if by bad luck I hit a lot of car traffic there I might think otherwise.

The brisket at rest stop #4 was to die for.

November 20,2004

Registration and parking was easy. It did the 35 mile route on my fixed gear. Most of the time shoulders were wide enough or traffic was light enough. I did not stop at any of the rest stops but the ones I rode by volunteers were handing out bananas and water (?) to those riding by. The only real problem (like on many rides) is riders that ride four abreast and prevent other riders from passing or forcing passing on the right or accidents. It seemed much more prevalent on this ride for some reason but it's not the fault of the organizers. All in all it was a good ride.

This ride was much improved over previous years.  There were more rest stops, more porta-pottys and more signs along the route. 

Registration, start, and logistics were great. I only rode the 20 mile route with another rider. We came to a "T" on the highway. We found no signs indicating which way to turn. We went left and we ended up on University Ave. trying to dodge traffic to get back to the fairgrounds. Anytime there is a "T" in the road, it should be obvious by signage as to which way to go. All rallies should hand out SAG numbers on adhesive labels like the Tour De Peppermint.

This was my first time at this event, I heard that is was one of the fun well organized rides around, the pre-registration was easy, great T-shirt, good start; my 11 miles was great nice rolling hills, not too cold, good companionship, somehow/somewhere cut a tire on a rock, through one of the road construction areas before Aubrey probably, flat tire, spare tube did not help, no spare tire, waited for SAG wagon, radio vehicle arrived, found out no mechanical help or support on this ride. Oh well! my day was over, rode back to the start/finish line, in the back of the radio vehicle.
Special thanks to the guy in the radio vehicle, for the ride back, also VERY SPECIAL ****THANK YOU****to the recumbent rider who stopped earlier and was willing to give me a tire and tube with the "pay it forward" payment method. Great idea. I did not accept his offer thinking that a SAG wagon would have the tire and tube needed..How many of riders carry spare tires or carry $50+/- in a little bike bag or jersey pocket on a ride. I certainly don't, I have maybe $10 for food and water. I have two spare tubes and patches that should keep me going.
Suggestion to the organizers: when the entry form says specifically SAG wagon support, I take that to mean there will be some minor mechanical assistance if necessary, spares if needed. Surely, one of the bike shops in Denton can step up to the plate.
Don't know if I will risk it again next year,

This was my first Turkey Roll. I rode the 58 mile route. Good directions to the event, I had pre-registered and there was no line. There were lots of goodies in the bag, stuff I can actually use! The registration form I completed only had options for a large or extra large t-shirt. I wrote a note asking for a medium if available. Guess what, a medium was in my bag, and the design looks good. I enjoyed the route, stopped twice and was greeted with plenty of water/sports drink, bananas, cookies and a place to go to the restroom. Being part of the last groups in, there were still plenty of hot dogs (still hot, not just sitting in an open pan), a covered place to sit and water/Gatorade. The event staff was friendly. From my standpoint, I believe they've taken care of past issues. I've done plenty of paid rides this year, and this one was put on better than most. I plan on doing this ride again next year.

This was a nice ride with a decent turnout. I don't know the exact, official number, but it seemed like several hundred cyclists to me. We started from Denton fair grounds with excellent traffic support, a real police escort (went on like that for the first few minutes, till we got to the north side of Loop 288 on Sherman Drive.) The route selection was quite decent, except for that narrow 2-lane road with no shoulder going through Sanger. Fortunately, car traffic was light enough and it was all fine for us, fine with me anyway, although I live in Denton and I'd never pick that road for my own Saturday joy ride. Rest stops were OK and well spaced, and we were very lucky with the weather--Friday and Saturday were the only days without rain in the past two weeks. This was my first Turkey Roll, I'm quite satisfied, and I'll definitely do it again next year, especially because there aren't too many rides in late November.

Although this was my first time to ride the Turkey roll I had read the reviews and was hesitant to participate. I found 25 mile route to be a very enjoyable experience. There were enough hill and flats to make the ride  very interesting. The busy roads had sufficient shoulders and where there were no shoulders the traffic was minimal. The rest stops were well stocked and the volunteers were pleasant, even handing out bananas and Gatorade to the cyclists that didn't stop. I will be looking forward to the rally next year.

November 22, 2003

This was my first year for the Turkey Roll. From reading the past reviews, I was expecting to almost fend for myself. But the 30 mile ride turned out to be nice and scenic with good support from the volunteers. Registration seemed smooth and didn't take long at all. Great traffic control from the Army(?)/Sheriff's Dept at critical intersections, especially at the first rest stop where we turned left across the highway. I saw SAG stopping to help out a rider with a flat at the dam, and the after-ride smoked hotdog tasted so good after that lo-n-n-n-ng stretch into those 20 mph winds from
the South. Since there were no porta-pottys at the rest stops, the nearby gas stations were pleasant enough to allow the use of their facilities. I'll be back next year. Great ride ! - Hardway Haro.

The criticisms from last year still apply this year. The new start location avoided the poorly marked last few miles through the residential area, but was replaced by a dangerous stint on the Loop. I truly thought I was going to die as I came off an overpass with highway traffic on my left and big trucks merging onto the loop on my right, not to mention the typical highway debris strewn in the shoulder. The only thing worse might have been to put us on I-35. I've done this ride for years. The 58-mile route may have been adequate years ago, but the population has grown so that the same two-lane, no-shoulder roads carry too much car/truck traffic for an organized ride. Don't even think about trying to fan out into an echelon against the 30+ mph crosswinds. I know of 5 other riders that won't do the Turkey Roll again. I'll hold out hope, but unless the organizers announce they have developed a different route for next year, that's probably the last one I'll enter.

Thanks for you post. I'm sorry about the wind. We changed the route to Loop 288 to avoid confusion going through the neighborhoods. The Loop is a 2 lane divided highway with a wide shoulder (on both sides of the East bound lanes). The course has a shoulder throughout except for that section West of I-35. Obviously we would prefer to have a shoulder here as well, but I guess the state doesn't feel the traffic warrants a shoulder there. You're right-As the population grows, Bicycle rallies are going to be harder and harder to put on. I hope this doesn't happen to the Turkey Roll. Thanks for your participation in this year's ride and please be assured that safety is our most vital concern. I hope you'll come back next year. Joe Holland Ride Director.

Good turn out, a nice day to ride except for the wind. Great few of Lake Ray Roberts. First ride since HHH due to out of state on business. First time rider and rode the 30 mile loop. For the most part, the route had a wide enough shoulder to ride or lightly traveled roads. Some had that good ole Texas chip and seal pavement and parts had some rough areas. Saw a lot of riders experiencing flats. Did not see any bike shop repairs vehicles or sag wagons on the ride, but saw a rider sag in at the finish. Not sure if the truck was a sag wagon. At the first rest stop, when I arrived, there was hardly any water or Gatorade left and a few bananas. The second rest stop had a few more supplies. Since this stop was close to a convenience store, decided to buy my own water. NO ICE. Luckily, it was not to hot. With warmer weather than normal, the organizers might have planned better for warmer weather. The route signs need improvement. If it was not for the folks in Military uniform, I would have gotten lost. Weather and job permitting I'll be back next year

The good: Lots of friendly people trying to be helpful. Absolutely BEAUTIFUL day. (except for the wind....more on that later)
Military (Reserves?) at the crossroads. Thanks, guys!
Ham operators driving SAGs. Glad they were there....glad I didn't need them.
A great chance to ride across one of the more scenic dams in Texas.
The bad: Long line and cramped space at the check-in. There HAD to be another place to do that??
The famous lack of porta-potties. Thank heaven for 7-11.
Poorly stocked rest areas. We had to stop and buy gator-aid.
One area had closed by the time we got there. I would have KILLED for a banana.
The ugly: The WIND! At one point I was going 7 mph DOWNHILL! Someone said that makes you strong.
We probably won't do this one next year. Too bad the organizers don't listen to the reviews. It COULD be a really good ride.

I have done this ride in years past and agree it is not the best ride out there, but an adequate job had been done. this year was the worst. i like the new starting point. traffic control was great at the critical intersections. the rest stops really need to be overhauled. they should consist of more than someone with the trunk of their car open with little Dixie cups and two dispensers for water and Gatorade. I think I heard one volunteer say that after the water and Gatorade were gone, he was "outta here". that sounded to me like the riders behind me were left to fend for themselves until the next rest stop. the roads overall were in good shape, but new roads need to be found. the small two lane country roads now have way too much traffic to be safe, the Loop and other larger roads are completely unacceptable. I was fearing getting hit by road debris as semis and cars sped past me at 70mph. since this ride is so late in the year, weather is hit or miss. this year the weather was great, but the wind was horrendous!! I know the organizers can do nothing about the weather, but for the things they can control, they need to improve them before next year. I would like to see more choices at the rest stops, JUGS of Gatorade and water, pitchers full and ready to pour, larger cups, choices of snacks -- i.e. bananas, oranges, energy bars, gels, cookies, etc. the BBQ at the RV was a fun touch, but not my choice of ride food--i know others enjoyed it. the sag wagons need to be marked. signage was adequate, but it would be nice to see on long straight stretches of road some signs to let you know you are still on the right path. I do not like riding on the shoulder of the highway and having to cross entrance and exit ramps, you just asking for someone to get hit by a car, or worse--die. I did the fifty eight mile route and found it to be challenging with the hills and the wind, but i will not be back until the route is improved and the support (rest areas, sag wagon signs, etc) is improved. by the way, most of the volunteers were very friendly. hopefully things will change soon and I will be willing to gamble on this ride again.

This was my fifth turkey roll, I have loved them all but, this was the best! Great ride support, traffic control. The MP kept all riders on the already easy to follow course. The whether was great too, the wind is not a problem for people who love to ride there bikes. I will be back as long as they keep having the turkey roll and I am able to ride.

This was my first Turkey Roll, but the route is one similar to that used by a couple of other rallies in the Denton area. The route was well marked, reststops stocked with the usual stuff. Parking was insufficient. Registration was a ZOO!! The first reststop was poorly placed, it is a wonder that someone didn't get hit by a car. It was on the highway that you take from Pilot Point to get to Denton (can't remember the number). Cyclists were stopped on the shoulder, wandering into the traffic lanes (on foot) totally oblivious to the cars. Would have been much safer to have the stop AFTER turning from the highway (300 feet from where they had the thing). I heard several people comment that they could not believe that "these folks have not learned a thing during the first 20 years of putting this rally on". I hate to say it but I wondered about that myself. Can easily say that there are other rallies I would recommend before this one, but being the only one around at that time of year, I am sure they will continue to draw a crowd.

I've ridden this ride off and on over the last 15 years and this year it was the best yet as far as organization and safety of the ride. I can't comment on the rest stops because I rarely stop during 100k rides. The route was challenging with some good hills. There was one glitch with a route direction sign. The last turn had a small sign that said "ROll" and it was laying almost flat because of the wind. Consequently, I missed that turn and went down I-35 service road to the next major intersection and met another lost rider and we figured out the problem then came back (had a tail wind for that stretch!). I got in the car and came back to see why I missed the turn and noted the wind blown (little bitty "roll" sign) and there, sho nuf, was a string of riders that had missed the turn, too. OOPS! But, that was the only issue as to the rally's organization. Now, as to the wind. For 2003, I had 5,400 miles going into that ride, and that may have been my year's toughest ride -- because of the wind. But hey . . . it was a warm, sunny day and saw lots of friends at the start and on the course. I'll definitely be back next year. (Oh yeah, best t-shirt for this ride, too.)

I am surprised to not see a lot of complaints about the signage on this ride. I was with a number of riders who ended up having to create their own version of the 20 mile route, due to poor signage. My route ended up being 22 miles. A friend missed a turn elsewhere and ended up with 28 miles on the twenty. I've missed turns before and usually it was my fault for not paying attention. However, with dozens doing the same thing, it reflects on the organizers. The wind was horrendous, but obviously not the fault of organizers. Other than signage, I was reasonably happy with the ride.

Due to the windy conditions, this was the second most challenging 100k of the year for a North Texas ride (Germanfest gets 1st). This is what it is all about! The T-shirts win the prize for the best ones of the year. The registration line was a mess. Mega THANKS! See you in 2004!