The way points of this bicycle route:
Clockwise travel only. Slower bikes and rollerbladers keep to the right.
Visit www.veloway.com to learn more about the history of this Austin bikepath.
If you turn right here, your loop length will be about a mile. Continue straight for the full 3.1 mile loop.
Sometimes little kids will go off road here to the right for a shortcut.
Whew! You made it. OK, it isn't exactly Mt. Ventoux, but try doing a century here and you'll get to stretch you legs here around 30 times.
This is a very tight left hand turn. Take it easy so you stay on the road and also watch out for the roadrunner (a large bird) who hangs out here.
This little descent may be your best opportunity to let loose. Typically you'll have a bit of a tailwind.
Here's another place where some people take a shortcut. This one is paved.
A shaded bench to the right of the patch provides a welcome place for junior cyclists and older rollerbladers to get refreshed.
I sometimes actually add a tad to my mileage by turning right here if I'm riding to a target distance and need just a bit more before I finish the last loop.
In wet weather, this spot will often have standing water. Cross with care and without turning if it is wet.
This is the tightest right hand turn on the loop. Pay attention. I ran off course here once even though I had successful made the turn hundreds of times ;-)
This is another area that will have standing water after a rain. It's usually very shallow and if it's a hot day, you might actually enjoy the spray!
This is a good time to become very aware of who is behind you and who is ahead of you. Scoot ahead of slow riders; yield to overtaking fast ones.
Take one last glance behind you because you don't want to climb this tight corner with anyone else in the curve.
Expect newbies to drop their chain here. Expect little kids to wander over to the fast lane. Expect and prepare for the worst ... this is where it happens.
There is a nice little shaded bench on the right here. It's a good place to put bandaids on scraped little knees and share the water bottle.
Lots of critters will choose to cross the Veloway here in the early evening. Don't be shocked to see snakes, deer, fox along the next 1/2 mile.
Because you might have a bit of headwind here and because you've got a gentle descent, this is a your last change to get down on the drops or aerobars and really haul.
Another well shaded bench is to the right. Just off the path is the trash can that is closest to the path so here's where you can dump those powerbar wraps and not trash out the park.
This sweeping turn to the right can be done about 25 mph so it makes a pretty cool end to a sprint effort.
I actually had a 3" spider drop on my helmet and then my shoulder from this overhanging tree. He was long gone by the next time I made the loop.
The little outhouse looking structure to the left used to hold an ecological composting toilet called a Clivus Multrum. Heavy use of the Veloway made it impossible to keep up so it was closed. The only toilets at the Veloway are "PortaCans" in the parking lot at the top of the hill.
If you want, you can turn right here. The resulting loop will be about 2 miles back to this point.
Here's another spot where it is important to size up who else is nearby. Little kids will invariably panic at the bottom of the right hand turn ahead. Inexperienced roller bladers will also be challenged here.
Ok, "long" is a relative term when used here. This climb is where a relatively strong rider can pull away from a pretender who is sitting on his wheel. Or, if you are pretty strong, this is where you can humble the rider who has been dragging you along.
Be very careful of little kids in this zone who have run out of gas and decided they just can't go another inch. Hey, when you were 6 years old did you ever ride 3 miles!?
Called Area 51, this is a strange spot that looks like a climb, but is really a descent. Great optical illusion and maybe even an opportunity for you to place a bet with someone.
The one time I actually saw Lance Armstrong out here he must have slipped off the Veloway to the left here and headed for his Suburu with trailer behind parked in the Wildflower Center parking lot across the street.
Caution advised.
If you are exiting to the left here, watch out for overtaking riders in the faster left lane. Be aware there may be very slow traffic in the right lane around the corner.
Welcome to Bikely, take a step by step tour of this path:
Press Start Tour - then use the navigation buttons below to move along the path.
Tagged with: Recreational, Training, Onroad, Smooth, Basic, Intermediate, Offroad, Low traffic, Safe, Rural, Scenic
