On the morning of May 31, 1,386 bicyclists gathered at Real Ale Brewing Company to begin a ride through the Hill Country for the second annual Real Ale Ride. This year, the event raised funds to support the Blanco Library. The riders started out from the brewery’s location on San Saba Court, in the north part of the city; each rider cycled on one of five courses—15, 30, 50, 65, or 80-mile tracks along the country roads, making even the shorter routes challenging.

Rest stops were set up about every eight to 12 miles along the routes to supply riders with food and water.

The Bicycle Sport Shop planned the event with help from Red Licorice Events in Austin, and organized the entire race—a first for the shop.

“[Blanco’s] support was the best support they have ever been given at a ride,” said Chris Carter with the Bicycle Sport Shop. “We want to emphasize how much we appreciate the support.” Carter hopes that there will be even more riders at next year’s events.

The organizers originally planned to donate $1,000 to the Blanco Library but, due to the great turnout, the donation will be more. Next year, they are committed to giving a larger donation.

The Real Ale Ride also included live music by the Piney Grove Ramblers and Coopers Uncle, as well as barbeque and tours of the Real Ale brewery. For more information on this event (including route maps), see realaleride.com. For other bicycling events, check out Bicycle Sport Shop’s website at bicyclesportshop.com.