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About Texas Hell Week
Texas Hell Week has been an early season tradition since 1991. The Texas Hill Country offers some of the best Spring riding in America. The seven counties south of the Colorado River offer nearly 1,000 miles of paved roads with little or no traffic. From mid-March to mid-April, the wild flowers are in bloom making for an unforgettable riding experience. Texas Hell Week offers 3 rides daily, approximately 30-50 miles, 50-80 miles and 60-100 miles over 7 days. Every ride is different. Participants can ride as much as they want. Texas Hell Week is followed by the Stampede 200 and Longhorn 500, a RAAM Qualifier. In addition, for those so inclined, there will be early evening seminars on coaching, nutrition, and crewing.
Cycling in the Texas Hill Country is truly excellent. Spring is the best time of the year. There are a great many lodging choices in Fredericksburg and the surrounding area. Dining choices abound. This is an incredible opportunity to ride to fitness, learn about ultra-cycling and have fun. Do Not Miss this event!
History of Texas Hell Week
The event originated when Nick Gerlich, an avid cyclist and associate professor at West Texas A & M University, convinced a few friends from the Upper Midwest to meet in San Marcos, just south of Austin, for some early season warm weather riding. After a long winter, they wanted to ride themselves into shape by logging as many miles as they could in a week. They dubbed the informal get together Texas Hell Week. Thus, the tradition was born. The following year others joined in. But, Austin boomed and traffic along the I-35 corridor increased, and in 1994 Gerlich moved the event to Fredericksburg, in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Texas Hell Week continued to grow over the next two decades, attracting over 300 riders annually from across the USA.
In 1998, Fred Boethling set his sights on Solo RAAM. Not long after he was introduced to Texas Hell Week. By 2003, he and Rick Boethling became regulars. In 2006, after a successful Solo RAAM finish, they acquired RAAM. After 27 years, Gerlich decided to move on. The last Texas Hell Week was in 2017. Everyone who participated in the Texas Hell Week tradition was
devastated. After a 2-year hiatus, followed by the coronavirus pandemic, the Boethlings decided to bring back Texas Hell Week. After discussions with Gerlich, the Boethlings acquired the event. They combined Texas Hell Week with their Texas RAAM Challenge (Longhorn 500 and Stampede 200) and added a series of instructional seminars, creating a Spring cycling super-event.
About Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg and Gillespie County are the heart of the Hill Country. The city’s German heritage is on display at the Pioneer Museum, which features settlers’ homesteads and artifacts. In the town square, the Vereins Kirche is a replica of a 19thcentury German church that once stood in the city.
Fredericksburg is the epicenter of the burgeoning Texas Wine Country, home to over 100 wineries, vineyards and tasting rooms. Farm-to-table dining is the norm in Fredericksburg. The area has deep roots in agriculture and is home to some of the best farms, orchards and wineries around. There are over 100 restaurants. There are a dozen campgrounds and RV parks, 20 hotels/motels and nearly 1500 B & Bs, vacation rentals and guest houses.
For More Information: https://www.visitfredericksburgtx.com/
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fredericksburg,_Texas