There's about 56 miles of it that you should avoid.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

+1 to GMAN's observation. I would not ride that course when the roads are open to traffic, just not worth the risk. I'm saying this as a local.

The course (in my experience) isn't as bad as described by many. No major climbs (couple of steepish hills towards the end), and a mixture of surface. It is Texas so there is chip seal. The HITS Marble Falls course from a few years back was much more challenging. For that matter, Buffalo Springs on a windy day was harder as well.

Just my 2 cents.

Hi there,

2 time partcipant ('15 and '16) and Austin resident that rides regularly on the course. I live about 15mi from the beginning of the bike course. The course is just fine to ride on. In fact, I would say that it's one of the most accessible course to ride on. Like people have said, the roads aren't in great shape, but a lot of people on here are only looking for flat, out and back, perfectly paved drag strips for courses. This gives you a bit of everything.

The biggest thing is you might get a loose dog out there somewhere, but they just want to play. Ride on past and they'll give up after a few seconds.

It's deceivingly tough. There's about 2000 feet of climbing, but it's on all the toughest places and a lot of it is false flats.

I was thinking about doing the same. when were you thinking of doing a test run?

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the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning

I knew you'd chime in, and your response did not disappoint! Got a laugh out of that.

I did this race in 2013. It's virtually in my backyard, it's in a city I really like, and unfortunately it's just not a good course. Bad side of town, split transitions, logistical headache, bad roads, crowded 3 loop run. I haven't done it since. It's too bad they can't find a better spot for this race, but I know options (and city support) are limited.

That being said, it's a race and everybody is subject to the same course and conditions. I've got friends that do it every year.