Texas Cycling Country: Steve, John, & Brad

We've been meeting so many great people on this trip, but surprisingly, not all that many who are cyclists. That changed one short day between Houston and Austin, when we came across three.

We first saw Steve, a geologist for an independent oil producer, running from his cottage to the road to greet us in a tiny town (more of an old railway crossing) called Gay Hill. Steve invited us in for a cup of freshly brewed coffee and told us that he's gotten to know dozens of cyclists, as the route passes right by his weekend home. He said he loves to hear their stories, and even joined up to meet one in the New Mexico dessert. We also learned about the MS 150, the biggest ride in Texas with some 13,000 riders cycling from Houston to Austin to benefit multiple sclerosis. We had a great chat, and would have liked to stay longer, but had to hit the road and head up to La Grange.

On the way to La Grange, we met John, a fit 50+ cyclist in a wool randonuering jersey. He was training with his eye on qualifying for the brutal Paris-Brest-Paris ride. He kindly slowed to our mellow pace and recommended we stop for lunch at the Pig and Whistle in Burton. We wound up stopping there—and although it was closed—we had a nice picnic there and said hello to the owner. We also stopped in a little town called Round Top, population 77. From the map, I guessed there wasn't much there, but I was wrong—art galleries, a wine shop and pub (the first we've seen in a long time), a world-class music conservatory, and one of the biggest oak trees in Texas. It's pretty interesting country around here.

We were pulling into the La Grange RV Park just before sunset when a big black pickup truck pulled up behind us. Brad called out to us and invited us to stay in his empty rental house on Main Street. We noticed a yellow cycling jersey hanging from a hook in the backseat, and decided to go for it. Brad turned out to be an amazing guy. We unrolled our sleeping bags in the charming empty bungalow and offered him the wine we picked up in Round Top as a thank-you. Instead of accepting the wine, Brad came back to the house a little later with two wine glasses for us. “Ya'll celebrate,” he said, “It's Valentine's Day.” The next morning, Brad invited us over to his gorgeous 1960s home for whole-wheat pancakes with him and his girlfriend. Brad had opened up the back of the house and designed a beautiful two-story floor to ceiling window—it was the last thing we'd expect in quaint La Grange, which incidentally was where The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas was set. As if a stay in a cozy home and a delicious breakfast wasn't enough, Brad also gave us each a little Baggie of homemade chocolate cookies—his mother's recipe. This is Texas Cycling Country, and people down here just couldn't be nicer.