Spring is one of my favorite times of year. “But Shane, you lose an hour of sleep” one may say, but for me, the hour gained in the evening is long worth the lost hour of sleep.
Some days the stresses of work will only be forgotten if you hop on the saddle after work and go for a quick ride. The extra hours in the evenings creates enough light for me to go on a few of my choice post-work quick rides.
One of my favorite rides around Austin was called the Loop. We lived in Clarksville downtown, so I’d hop on my bike after work and head towards 360. I’d head from downtown and begin first by heading South towards North; that way I could watch the sunset and catch some great views of downtown in the summer months.
Right after getting out of downtown the ride heads over Pennybacker Bridge, which crosses the Colorado River and offers some beautiful views of the area. This peaceful glimpse into nature was something I’d crave after a long day of work, and always motivated me to rally for a post work ride.
"A few downhills offer speeds that hit mid to upper 40s! What a thrill for a midweek ride."
There were some incredible hills to climb after that, with about a 12% grade at its peak that are tough on the legs, but great for working out the stress of the day. Once I got into a rhythm, the hills went by pretty quickly, but always got my heart rate up. The hard work was rewarded with a cruise down hill, with a few of the downhills offering speeds that hit mid to upper 40s! What a thrill for a midweek ride.
The road was often busy but the best part of this ride is how large the shoulders were. Whether I’d be slugging up the hill after a long day or eating those hills up with no problem, there’s enough space for multiple riders on the shoulder.
"The ride almost became a cool down as I'd cruise through some residential neighborhoods."
After hitting Shoal Creek Boulevard, the ride almost became a cool down as I’d cruise through some residential neighborhoods before turning into Clarksville.
Even after a tough day, this ride offered some beautiful views and challenging hills that ended up at about a 30 mile ride that always released some stress from the day.
This is the first in our "Quick Rides" series written by DannyShane's own team. With a team who's been all over the U.S. we are hoping to share some of our favorite quick rides from all over the country.
Have an idea for a ride and want to share? Let us know! We want to hear from you!