Are you ready to ride on into spring? Our latest interview with Ride Chair, Nolan Kuchn, gives you all the hot details for this cool ride. If you have been waiting for the perfect ride this spring, be sure to check this one out!
Why join your ride?
Join our ride because there is something for everyone – from the rank beginner to the seasoned cyclist! Routes of 10, 30, 42, 62, and 85 miles. We like to focus on the family by offering family discounts; we emphasize the outdoors, and we are arguably the premier springtime cycling event in the glorious Texas Hill Country. Our ride tag line, “A Ride to Preserve History,” is appropriate. Luci Baines Johnson (LBJ’s younger daughter) leads a narrated afternoon tour (by bicycle) of the historic landmarks on the ranch; we utilize three restored, rural Gillespie County Schools as rest stops. Plus, a ranger-led tour of the Texas White House is included in the registration. Simply show your ride bib number!
How long has your ride been around?
The initial LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour was in April 2008. The March 29 event this year will be our seventh annual. Of course, we are also conducting the 2nd Annual LBJ 100 Individual Time Trial on the next day, Sunday, March 30. It was well received in its initial offering last year, and we look forward to continued growth with it. It gets a little competition into the fray!
A word about next year’s 2015 LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour date: Mark your calendar for March 28, 2015. There are only so many open weekends for a big bike ride in the spring and we prefer the last weekend in March (unless Easter falls on that weekend).
What was the motivation behind starting the ride and who benefits from it?
The Friends of LBJ National Historical Park (a 501c3 non-profit) was organized in 2006. It was in 2007, with the passing of Lady Bird Johnson and the departure of the Secret Service, that plans were put in place to have a ride that starts/ends on the air strip of the LBJ Ranch (now the LBJ National Historical Park). Luci Baines Johnson and husband Ian Turpin, both avid cyclists, participate in the LBJ 100. The ride is a major fundraiser for the Friends.
The venue is near Stonewall, half way between Fredericksburg and Johnson City, just off Hwy 290. It convenient to major metro areas – Austin is about an hour east, San Antonio about 1.5 hours south.
How have they been able to utilize funds in the past?
All of the net proceeds accrue to the Friends of LBJ National Historical Park. In the past six editions, these net proceeds have amounted to slightly more than $171,000 total. The funds have allowed the early completion of several projects: Opening of the ground floor of the Texas White House to the general public in 2011, revamp of the Junction School (where LBJ began kindergarten in 1912), participation in projects such as refurbishment of the smaller Lockheed Jet Star aircraft (LBJ called it “Air Force ½”) on display at the ranch, the Secret Service Command post refurbishment, and the acquisition of a 1965 Lincoln Continental convertible (Several of LBJ’s Continentals are on display at the ranch).
Lest we be accused of frivolity, let me say that this car is very functional: It serves as a “pace car” for the LBJ100; it is used for small town festivals and parades in getting the message out about the LBJ 100 and the national park; and, it’s used for squiring noted visitors around the ranch.
Logistically can you give us an idea of how many volunteers, finances and planning it takes to put on this event?
We will have 150 – 200 volunteers with smiling faces, asking how they can help you. Many have been with us from the start. I’d like to single out the TX 4000 students from UT Austin (They’re the students who cycle from Austin to Anchorage, AK each summer). They volunteer one year, and then ride the event the next year with a comp entry. I would also like to acknowledge park Superintendent Russ Whitlock and his staff. They are all dedicated veterans who have a big hand in making this event the success it has become!
When did I start planning? Maybe during the doldrums of last summer! An event the size of ours takes a lot of planning.
Do you have a map of the start facility showing registration, parking, all toilets, water/snacks, start line?
All routes start/end on the south end of the air strip on the ranch; all parking is on the tarmac. Plenty of toilets at the start; plenty of beer at the finish!
All of our maps, cue sheets and other info are on and downloadable from our ride web site that we maintain year round. Rest stops are highlighted. All eight rest stops have toilets; some (the three schools) have REAL toilets (no porta pots!). We have interactive maps showing elevation profiles for those who are a bit concerned about why we call it the Texas Hill Country.
What is the most rewarding experience of hosting this event?
Unquestionably, it’s about meeting people – the volunteers, my Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club fellow members, the park staff, our Friends organization, and the riders. I finally get to meet a lot of those folks that I have been in phone contact with or have been emailing with these last several months.
What is the average number of participants?
I like to say that the event gets “bigger and better than ever” each year. From an initial registration number of 423 in 2008, we registered 1526 last year. We are running slightly ahead of that for this year. If we can ever get past our winter, cyclists will be in a “riding” frame of mind; we should then easily outdistance the numbers from 2013.
What can folks do to support you and your mission?
Come out and experience the great outdoors first-hand at this park, this jewel in our own back yard! You’ll want to come back next year. Consider joining or donating to the Friends. This money goes to fund a myriad of educational and interpretive programs for kids. For more info on the Friends, go to www.FriendsofLBJNational Park.org.
Do you ride, and if so, what kind of bicycle do you have?
I do indeed ride; I’m mostly a road rider, with an Orbea Onyx carbon fiber frame road bike. I also have a Marin 29er mountain bike and a Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike. I bought that one after I wore out my Novara Randonee touring bike crossing the U.S. in 2005. I was part of a group that cycled the Adventure Cycling Association Southern Tier route from San Diego, CA to St. Augustine, FL. An experience of a lifetime!
Anything else you’d like to tell folks about this ride?
Wait ‘till you dive into some of that Kiolbassa sausage that the Mendoza family has been grilling each year since the year of post-ride meal inception. Extra long sausages that extend well beyond the bun!
We also want to hear from riders with comments/complaints if they have done (or even if they haven’t done) the LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour before! We’re constantly trying to improve the event by whatever means; we know that we aren’t perfect! Example: Last year, we went to a “virtual” race bag, rather than stuff 1500 bags (mostly with paper), most of which riders tend to ignore. The result in our effort to “go green” made our sponsors/donors happy and pleased with our approach. Come out and buy one of our commemorative cycling jerseys. They’ve become collectors’ items!
Finally, let me end by repeating a comment I made early in the interview: Mark your calendar; March 28, 2015 is the date of NEXT year’s event.
Well that’s it for another awesome interview with a great ride chair. Hope to see you all out there!
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