SoRE Ride Descriptions

SoRE Ride Descriptions

“Dam SoRE Loop” – meet at the Arboretum Swan Pond, head south on Capital of Texas Highway (360) to Bee Caves Rd. (2244), right on Bee Caves out to Highway 71, right on 71 to RR 620, right on 620 to 2222, right on 2222 (down Tumbleweed Hill) back to 360, under 360 then left at the light onto 360 N., and back to the Arboretum ~39 miles.

"Dam/Downtown Figure 8" – meet at the Arboretum Swan Pond, head south on Capital of Texas Highway (360) to Bee Caves Rd. (2244), right on Bee Caves out to Highway 71, right on 71 to RR 620, right on 620 to 2222, right on 2222 (down Tumbleweed Hill) back to 360, south down 360 under Mopac, left at the light onto the north-bound Mopac access road to the pedestrian bridge (below Mopac) over Town Lake. Travel down 5th St. to Lavaca, Guadalupe to 24th, Rio Grande (and others) to 34th, under 38th to Shoal Creek, travel north on Shoal Creek, take a left onto Steck to Mesa, a right onto Mesa, a left onto Hyridge, and a right onto Mountain Ridge -- down the steep hill to 360, then right, back to the Arboretum ~60 miles.

“Dave’s To-kill-ya Hills” – meet at the Arboretum Swan Pond, head south on Capital of Texas Highway (360) past 2222 (to get those legs warmed up) to W. Courtyard Dr., right on W. Courtyard (up Shepherd Mountain), crest the hill then descend to City Park Rd., right on City Park down to 2222, left on 2222 to Jester Blvd., right up the Jester Hill to Beauford Dr., right on Beauford followed by an immediate left down Lakewood Dr., (optional right up Beauford at the bottom of the hill – for the seriously masochistic), then continue down Lakewood to 360. Right onto 360 (heading south), past Bee Caves Rd. to Lost Creek Blvd., right through the Lost Creek hills all the way to Balcones Creek Blvd., over the bridge and up the short (intense) hill to Bee Caves, right onto Bee Caves down to 360, under the overpass and left at the light onto 360 N. Spin up 360 to the Spicewood Springs light, take a right, then a left, and start climbing Adirondack Tr. Follow Adirondack around until it turns into Hyridge Dr., take the next left at Mountain Ridge Dr., down the steep hill to 360, then right, back to the Arboretum ~36 miles.

"Don's 360/Downtown Loop" – meet at Suzi's (Anderson & Shoal Creek), travel north on Shoal Creek, take a left onto Steck to Mesa, a right onto Mesa, a left onto Hyridge, and a right onto Mountain Ridge and down to Capital of Texas Highway (360). Turn right onto 360, then make an immediate “U” turn at Arboretum Blvd. and head south down 360, past Bee Caves Rd.*, past Barton Creek Square Mall, then under Mopac and left at the light onto the north-bound Mopac access road to the pedestrian bridge (below Mopac) over Town Lake. Travel down 5th St. to Lavaca, Guadalupe to 24th, Rio Grande (and others) to 34th, under 38th to Shoal Creek, and back to Suzi's ~28 miles. *Bee Caves Hills adder – at Bee Caves Rd., take a right onto Bee Caves out to Highway 71, turn around and head back to 360 +15 miles.

“NW Parmer Loop” – meet in the Parmer McNeil Shopping Center parking lot (NW corner of Parmer Ln. at McNeil Rd.), head south on Parmer. Take a right (at the light before MoPac) onto Amherst, left on Adelphi until it deadends back into Parmer Ln. Turn left onto Parmer - head north past 620, 1431, and Crystal Falls Parkway - all the way to RR2243*, then turn around and head back to Parmer/Mcneil ~29 miles. *Mark’s Adder – continue on Parmer past RR2243, take the first left onto 269, left again as 269 turns into 270, jog right/left at RR2243, and continue on 270 as it turns left then right, and deadends into Crystal Falls Parkway. Turn left onto Crystal Falls and head back to Parmer +6 miles.

“Nitka’s Austin Tour de Hills” -- meet at the Arboretum Swan Pond, head south on Capital of Texas Highway (360), turn right at the 1^st Spicewood Springs Rd. light, then right onto Yaupon. As Yaupon ends, bear left on Texas Plume Dr., then take an almost immediate right onto DK Ranch Rd., then back to Jollyville (curves to right, then right on Woodcrest, and left on Q Ranch). Hang a right onto Jollyville, and work back to 360. Turn right onto 360 and back down to Spicewood Springs - turn right, and right again, this time heading down and under by Bull Creek, and back up to Spicewood Springs on the east side of 360. Take a right, then a left up Adirondack Tr. to the stop sign at Steck. Turn right onto Steck, then right on Mesa to Far West. Turn right onto Far West, follow past the blinking sign, down the hill, and at the bottom turn right onto Ladera Norte. At the top, take a right on Valburn, right on Greystone, and then right again on Mesa. Head down Mesa and take a right onto 2222. Hang a left onto Mt. Bonnell Rd., climb up and over the top, and down the other side to Old Bull Creek - at the entrance (or near) Mayfield Park. Turn left on Foothill Dr., and then right on Pecos. At the end of Pecos, take a right onto Exposition, which deadends into Lake Austin Blvd. Take a left on Lake Austin and then a right onto Redbud, over the bridge and up the first part of Redbud, through the stop sign at Westlake, and follow it all the way to Bee Caves Rd. Take a right onto Bee Caves, under 360, then turn left onto Barton Creek Rd. Pass the main club, up a little hill, and hang a left onto Lost Creek Blvd., past Lost Creek Country Club, and prepare for the long slow climb out back to the light at 360, then turn left onto 360, and head back to the Arboretum.

"PMSC-2-ASP" -- meet in the Parmer McNeil Shopping Center parking lot (NW corner of Parmer Ln. at McNeil Rd.), at the north entrance of the shopping center, turn left onto Corpus Christi and travel through the neighborhood until you hit McNeil. Turn right onto McNeil, then turn left (at the first light) onto Solectron Way, Solectron Way turns into Oak Knoll as you cross under Highway 183. At the first light after 183, turn left onto Jollyville Rd., and continue on Jollyville past the light at Great Hills Trail into the Arboretum Shopping Center. Take a right at the four-way stop sign onto Arboretum Blvd, and follow it around until you see the Swan Pond. From this point, you can try any of the various routes starting from the Arboretum Swan Pond, or turn around and trace your steps back to the Parmer McNeil Shopping Center ~14 miles.

"Reverse Dam Loop" – meet at the Arboretum Swan Pond, head south on Capital of Texas Highway (360), south down 360 to 2222, right on 2222 and up Tumbleweed Hill to 620, left on 620 all the way out to Highway 71, left on 71 to Bee Caves Rd (2244), left on Bee Caves (watch for traffic on 71) back to 360, right onto 360 south to Mopac, left at the light onto the north-bound Mopac access road to the pedestrian bridge (below Mopac) over Town Lake, travel down 5th St. to Lavaca, Guadalupe to 24th, Rio Grande (and others) to 34th, under 38th to Shoal Creek, travel north on Shoal Creek, take a left onto Steck to Mesa, a right onto Mesa, a left onto Hyridge, and a right onto Mountain Ridge -- down the steep hill to 360, then right, back to the Arboretum ~49 miles.

“360 – Down ‘n Back” – meet at the Arboretum Swan Pond, head south on Capital of Texas Highway (360) toward Barton Creek Square Mall, right onto the south-bound Mopac access road (before Mopac), past the Green Belt entrance, under Mopac, up to the light at 360, left onto 360, and back to the Arboretum ~26 miles.

“360 – Up ‘n Back” – meet at the Barton Creek Square Mall parking lot off Walsh Tarlton (just east of 360), head north on Capital of Texas Highway (360) toward the Arboretum, hang a “U” turn onto south bound 360 at Arboretum Blvd., and travel back down 360 to the light at Walsh Tarlton, left onto Walsh Tarlton, then right back into Barton Creek Square Mall ~24 miles.

“360 & Bee Caves Hills” - meet at the Arboretum Swan Pond, head south on Capital of Texas Highway (360) to Bee Caves Rd., right on Bee Caves out to Highway 71, turn around and head back on Bee Caves to 360, under 360 then left at the light, and back to the Swan Pond the same way you came ~24 miles.

Craig Rowland's "Austin Hills List" - in late 2003, former Austinite Craig Rowland compiled a list of hills popular among Austin cyclists. He measured the gradient using an inclinometer mounted on his handlebars, then rated their difficulty relative to other Austin climbs.