Executive Director Mark Rogers visits with Angie and Patrick, representing the insurance company FDLIC and a couple of “Littles.” They’re why we say Tour de Gap is a great ride for a great cause. Be sure and join us July 28-29 for a great time that benefits Big Brothers-Big Sisters!
2018 Registration is now open!
2018 registration through BikeReg.com is now open for the best ever Tour de Gap. Leaving from the centuries-old oak trees at the Settlers Reunion Grounds at Buffalo Gap, Texas, we’ll have a variety of routes around the beautiful Callahan Divide, which is the very northern part of the Texas Hill Country.
Tour de Gap 2018: July 28th and 29th
Mark your calendars for this year’s Tour de Gap, the 36th edition of this summertime great ride in the hills of West Central Texas!
Saturday, July 28th and Sunday July 29th are the dates, as always the fourth weekend in July. Tour de Gap offers rides for beginners to competitive racers. Many use it as prep for HH100 or other events, long or short. We’ll again offer distances of 11 miles, 27 miles, and 100K (62.5 miles).
On Sunday morning we are again having the Steamboat Challenge Time Trial — a 7.8 mile individual timed hill climb up Steamboat Mountain, near Buffalo Gap. This year we’re introducing a new starting line venue and will have Sunday brunch afterwards!
The Schedule:
Friday, July 27th:
10:00 am to 6:00 pm: Packet Pickup, Biketown, 1789 Industrial Blvd., Abilene 79602 (optional)
Saturday, July 28th:
6:30 to 7:15: On-site Registration and Packet Pickup
Old Settlers’ Reunion Grounds, 100 Vine St, Buffalo Gap, TX 79508
7:30 am: Ride begins (a little earlier than previous years); riders roll out by distance
Swag Raffles:
11 mile – 9:30 am
27 mile – 10:30 am
100K – 12:15 pm
Course Closes: 1:30 pm
Sunday, July 29th:
7:30 to 7:45 am: Registration and positioning for Steamboat Challenge Time Trial
8:30 am: Riders begin departing in 1 minute increments
10:30 am: Approximate finish of last rider and presentation of winners
Tour de Gap Routes for 2018
Tour de Gap 2018 Routes are ready to roll with a new starting line for Sunday!
Saturday July 28:
The 100K Metric Century makes its return, plus the traditional 27 mile and 11 mile routes. Remember the earlier start time this year, 7:30 a.m. Registration closes at 7:15 a.m.
TOUR DE GAP 100K (62.5 MILE) ROUTE
Sunday July 29:
STEAMBOAT MOUNTAIN CHALLENGE TIME TRIAL 7.79 MILES
Steamboat Mountain Challenge first rider off at 8:30 a.m. Sunday.
See a 3-D Video of Sunday’s course
Please note the starting line has been moved to the Main Street Station in Buffalo Gap, which adds about .8 mile to the course.
* All Saturday routes will close at 1:30 pm. *
Watch “35th Annual Tour de Gap” from above
Steamboat Cycling club member Dwayne Dove has created an amazing video with drone footage from all three routes of Saturday’s road rides. In addition to the drone shots, Dwayne utilized multiple car mounted and bike mounted GoPro Continue reading “Watch “35th Annual Tour de Gap” from above”
35 years of the Tour
Along with new and expanded routes, you’ll find a 12 page keepsake guide in your packets when you arrive at the Tour de Gap. As part of the guide, co-director Mark Spurlock has put together the first history of the Tour. By talking with tour pioneers such as Paul Schulze and Mike Thomesen and spending a lot of time looking through files at the library, he found that while the Tour has been consistently one of the most popular annual rides west of the I-35 corridor, it has changed and grown over the years. Continue reading “35 years of the Tour”
Dining at the Gap: a variety of great food
Tour de Gap will have plenty of good food… food trucks on site at the Old Settlers Reunion Grounds before, during and after the ride. If you want to hang around for dinner Saturday, Sunday brunch or come down to the Gap for Friday supper, they’ll be open to serve you. Continue reading “Dining at the Gap: a variety of great food”
Tour de Gap Riders: Where they’re from
Pretty amazing info that Bikereg gives you. We wondered where Tour de Gap riders came from, since we’re getting ready for the 36th annual. So we put it all in a blender by hometown zip code, Continue reading “Tour de Gap Riders: Where they’re from”
Title Sponsor: BikeTown
Jim and Kelly MacDonald had a strong desire to establish a bicycle store in Abilene, TX that would convey their love of cycling, offer experienced bicycle technicians, and, at the same time, benefit the community. That desire became reality when BikeTown opened in April 1997. Continue reading “Title Sponsor: BikeTown”
