Area Cycling
In the nearly 20 years since I threw my leg over a friend's new fangled mountain bike, I've logged tens of thousands of miles on roads and trails, re-discovering on a bicycle the freedom I first knew 
on my Schwinn StingRay as a pre-teen.
I don't know everything there is to know about cycling, but I do know the one thing I must know: No other activity quite combines the thrills, the distances covered in an hour--or ten hours--much less the open air fun, that a bicycle provides.
The dangers inherent in sharing roads with motorized traffic can be minimized if one uses main roads to transition between the back roads. In the Wimberley area, Ranch Roads 12, 2325 and 3237, are narrow with both blind curves and hills, with little to no shoulders for bikes to find refuge on. 3237's 'shoulder' is often too rough to ride on for any length of time, and 12's new surfacing and wider shoulder permit safer travel than before, but I suggest riders use these roads only to move from one back road to another, as used in the loops below.
But don't let these words of warning deter you from riding here. Riding a road bike in Wimberley can become the highlight of one's time here. With the higher traffic counts on the main roads, veering onto our back roads is anything but a drag, and can often provide some of the most enjoyable rides in the state combining climbing and scenery.
For that reason, the routes I've laid out use the ranch roads minimally. My starting points, too, are places where there's parking and direct access to the routes without needing to use the ranch roads to get there.
For more routes, please feel free to contact me and I'll e-mail you a description, maybe even a map, which you can print out.
For mountain biking, you might check out the Austin Ridge Riders web page for area trails. For trail destinations not listed there, here's one to consider, and the Texas Parks and Wildlife biking brochure link to download:
Hill Country State Natural Area: 30 miles of trails for all ages and skill levels, camping and stars out the wazoo at night.
Road Rides
From either RR 12 or FM2325, take Jacob’s Well Road; from RR12, go left at the stop sign, cross Cypress Creek, and take the first right, Pleasant Valley, and right at the next stop sign where the old Wellness Center is diagonally to the right. From 2325, take a left into Woodcreek North’s entrance and follow Woodacre around to where it drops down the bluff, where you’ll go straight at the bottom to curve left onto the semi-circle drive of the WVWA.
Dripping Loop
Currently, the roads on this route vary from ripply to potholed to almost smooth--but mostly the first two. The beauty of this route is that much of it lacks traffic (but for the Prochnow and Creek Roads section), and the views are great. My altimeter says there's more than 2,000 feet of climbing on this route.
Went straight? In about a mile, a sharp descent takes you to a creek crossing. This could be wet and slippery; dismount, take shoes and socks off, and splash across. Just after, the road winds to the left and up a short, steep hill, and dead ends at Creek Road--go right. Ride until the low water crossing at Mt. Gainor Road (it magically turns into Mt. Sharp Rd.), and go right to head home (left goes into Dripping Springs).
Traffic tends to be higher and faster between Creek and Prochow Roads. Ride with caution.
Less than a mile from Creek Road: Sharp hill! Climb, wipe sweat from brow, and keep going. Two low water crossings with great descents leading to them are coming up after you pass Prochow Road--watch for traffic coming. Pass Pursley Road, climb back over Bo Hill, descend and pedal to Ledgerock and go left on Mt. Sharp again.
Watch for overtaking traffic leading to sharp descent down to Jacobs Well Road junction, where you will go right and climb back to your car. There are now 3-way stop signs at the bottom of this hill, so be aware of your need to stop at the bottom.
Burnet Ranch Loop
From the WVWA, follow the route to Ledgerock Road and turn right and continue over Bo Hill on Mt. Sharp. At the stop sign just past Bo Hill, go left; this is Mt. Sharp this way, while Mt. Gainor veered right back there.
This newly paved road is wide, pretty smooth and climbs over the ridge to magically become Pump Station Road, which you take all the way to FM 2325. At 2325 turn right, go 50 yards, and turn left on Burnet Ranch Road.
About 1.5 miles up, take a right on Valley View Road. A couple hundred yards up, note the incredible views to distant hills, then bend into a very fast descent winding down to the Blanco River. Climb out again and go to Days End (it's a 'T') and go left. This road winds along with few climbs for the next four or so miles (although one is a doozy), and dead ends on Fischer Store Road.
For a 30-mile loop, go left on FSR and follow back to 2325 (about six miles), which has a couple good climbs along the way coming off the Blanco River.
For about 10 more miles, at Fischer Store Road go right and ride to the Loop (another 'T') past Fischer Hall, then left to RR 32. Take a left on 32--watch for traffic, which moves fast on this road--and ride 8/10s of a mile and veer left on Old Mail Route Road. Enjoy the downhill, and this little by-pass that's almost always quiet, for about 2 miles, and go left on John Knox Road.
Wind down and then back up again, then, as the roads curves sharply to the left at John Knox, enjoy the sudden downhill…but beware the hard right at the bottom.
Take shoes and socks off and wade across the Blanco at what is known as the Slime Crossing--walk carefully as the name is apt.
Ride up the other side and head to Sachtleben Road and go left, crossing the cattle guards (Caution! Some of these can break your wheels if you hit over 10 mph) and taking a right on Fischer Store Road down to 2325, and right on back to your car for about 40 miles.
North Wind Loop
Okay, so you’re not queasy about riding RR12, now that there’s a shoulder and it’s smooooooth as it can be? Park at the WVWA and, if the winds are northerly, head east on Jacob’s Well Road, take a left on Mt. Sharp, and ride on up and over Bo Hill, past Pursley Road, and take a right on Gatlin Creek Road, at the few remains of the old community of Mt. Gainor. Follow Gatlin Creek Road about 1.5 miles to where it turns left and heads to RR12. Take a right on RR12 and head along the shoulder back to JWR, with both the wind at your back and a mostly downhill road.
Caution! There are a few places where the shoulder disappears along guardrails: be aware of overtaking traffic, and time your crossing of these sections accordingly.
At Jacob’s Well Road, go right and glide down to the stop sign and take a left to go back to your car for about a 20-mile ride. When the winds are southerly, reverse this loop to have the tailwind to push you up the hills, and to hide from the headwinds on the back roads.
Ranch Road Loop
I recommend this only for early morning starts, to minimize traffic encounters on Ranch Road 2325 and 165. Park in the parking area WVWA, and take Pleasant Valley to JWR and go right to 2325. Take a right and ride to the junction of 165, which is about 11 miles. Go right on 165 another 8 or so miles, and turn right on CR190/Creek Rd. Go right on Pursley Road and follow this back to Mt. Gainor Rd. and go right, climb Bo Hill, descend to and turn left to follow Mt. Sharp back to your car.
Variations on the loops going north, especially those on the back roads, can add many miles, and many feet of climbing. For example, taking Creek Road to 165, then crossing to Hiway 290 and going left/west for less than a mile, one can turn right on FM3232, which dead ends across from Pedernales Falls SP. Take a right on this road—201—and head through the rolling hills around where Lance’s place is; climb the short and brutal hill coming off the creek; and take a right at the McGregor stop sign and head back to 290. At 290, go left for a couple miles to the Whit Hanks entrance, and turn right; this road will lead you back to 190/Creek Road, out of Dripping Springs, and back to Wimberley. Figure that extra route adds another 18 miles onto your total.
Drought Routes
We’re currently heading out of the most recent drought (8/2009), and the routes involving low water crossing can mean wet feet or far worse (don’t even think about trying to ride across unless you like hitting rough concrete). If you don’t mind wading, these can also be really nice routes, but, during the dry spells, try one of these variations:
Ride careful, but ride!
