Subaru/BikeTexas
Trail Doctors'
"Torture Test" Lives Up to Name
Almost 80
men and women strapped on their helmets for the Texas Bicycle
Coalition's first
"Texas Torture Test," held Saturday, Jan. 3. The 97-mile
mountain bike race was a fundraiser for the Texas Bicycle Coalition's
Subaru/BikeTexas Trail Doctors program, a Texas-wide roving
crew funded by Texas Parks and Wildlife and Subaru of America.
The Subaru/BikeTexas Trail Doctors have helped communities build
and rehabilitate multi-use dirt trails statewide. The Trail
Doctors, Ryan Spates and Dr. Susan Stormer, organized the Texas
Torture Test. "For the first Texas Torture Test we wanted
to hold it in Warda. Many of these racers will be back to visit
the area and patronize local businesses." said Warda resident,
Dr. Stormer.
Torture
Tested-riders included Texans from Austin, Houston, and other
cities, and one Oklahoman, who spent upwards of eight hours
passing over nearly 100 miles of singletrack, dirt roads,
and paved roads. At 6:30 a.m. the race began in Warda at the
Bluff Creek Ranch, owned by Dr. Paul and Susan Nolan -- then
proceeded on to the Bike Ranch at Rocky Hill in Smithville.
Signs posted along the route, and rest stops manned by friendly
TBC volunteers, helped keep riders from getting lost. By and
large, locals proved to be warm and supportive of the test.
The only problems of the day occurred at an intersection,
where directional signs kept disappearing. A Torture Test
volunteer agreed to stand guard to make sure signs stayed
in place.
In the
women's category, Bonnie Casteel beat out two competitors
to win in nearly 8-and-a-half hours; Jack Talton won among
solo men cyclists, beating 64 others in only six hours. Ten
riders did not finish the test, but were considered winners
anyway. An awards ceremony at Rose's Warda Store followed
the test, making for a fun and friendly first ride of the
new year.
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