Trans America Cycling Day 25 - Ingram, TX to Fredericksburg, TX

The link to today's route and statistics is found here.

Today marked the halfway point of our cycling journey across America.  Trans-America Cycling staff surprised us at breakfast by singing the "Happy Halfway to You" song at the breakfast table.

Happy halfway to you

Today was a picturesque ride in the Texas Hill Country.  There was one steep hill with a grade measured at 12%.  Once on top there were panoramic views of ranchland with cattle, sheep, goats and alpacas.  

Where before Del Rio there were no trees,
now trees are everywhere

Water in the hills

Smooth chip seal made with rounded pebbles made for a very smooth ride.
Thanks to Ray from Malta for most of the outstanding photographs of the hill country today.

Today we had some of the smoothest chipseal for miles around.  The reality though is that most chipseal is rough.  A Texas cyclist recommended to lowering air pressure to best deal with the rough chipseal.  He recommended 90 psi for a 200 pounder running 25 mm wide tires down to as low as 75 psi for 150 pound rider.  Pressure can be less for a 28 mm tire.  With lower pressure the tire should stay in better contact with a bumpy road surface, and little if any speed should be lost, if done properly.  But be careful not to drop your tire pressures too low as this  increases the risk of ‘snake bite’ punctures, where the inner tube is trapped between the wheel rim and the tire.  Enough technical bike geek talk.

We saw our first concentrations of live oak trees today across the hilltop.  Further east into the Deep South we will see these majestic trees draped with Spanish moss.  Conditions are not good here for the moss.  Live oaks can live for over 1000 years and grow to 80 feet tall and 150 feet across.  In the movie Forest Gump, Forest's and Jenny’s tree was live oak.  The live oak is a semi-deciduous evergreen tree that holds its leaves all winter until new leaves come out in the spring.

Many live oak trees along our farm road route

Livestock abounds in the hill country.  Donkeys are used many places in the south to protect livestock from coyotes.  The donkeys have a lethal rear kick that keeps the coyotes at bay.

Donkey guarding its flock of alpacas

We have seen tremendous displays of wildflowers, especially as we have ridden into the greener parts of Texas that lie east of Del Rio.  First Lady, Lady Bird Johnson, was the driving force behind the initial planting of wildflowers alongside Texas highways.  She and actress Helen Hayes spent the 1980s planting natural flowers and plants in Texas. The Texas Department of Transportation now sows tons of wildflower seeds annually. Plantings of single species don’t do well. Roadsides are most stable when natural combinations of grasses, legumes and wildflowers are encouraged.  The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center 10 miles southwest of Austin and that is part of the University of Texas is devoted to research of native plants and wildflowers.

Texas bluebell wildflowers

Dinner at the Altdorf Biergarten in Fredericksburg was arranged by Ahnie for the entire group.  Great German food and bier was had by all.  This occasion was also a farewell of sorts for Vicki, who is departing the tour, because we are down to two vehicles after having one been severely damaged by the semi in Hatch, NM (thankfully no one hurt).  We all will miss Vicki, as her leaving is a tearful occasion. 

Happy trails to Vicki

Finally a word from our sponsors, as there needs to be some advertising to cover our expenses.  The Geico gecko from Kerrville burst on the scene to entertain.  Don't know if its display was to scare us or for courtship.  This very talented gecko puffed up, changed colors and did pushups while hanging vertically to amaze the cyclists.

A commercial by the Geico gecko