Day, 11/01/2025; 19 miles, 560 feet of climb
I did it! I have FINISHED THE SOUTHERN TIER BICYCLE ROUTE!!
It was an easier day than I expected, despite the headwinds…I think it was mostly downhill into Austin.
I spent some time on the Capitol grounds, stopped at Trader Joe’s, and rode over the same pedestrian bridge where I first started this journey back on February 28, 2024.
I visited the Trek dealership in Austin to let them know that my trusty 520 flagship touring bike did a great job. They had given me some bling when I stopped in before starting 19 months ago.
Here are my segments:
1521 miles — Feb. 2024 — Austin to Jacksonville
1012 miles — Feb. 2025 — San Diego to El Paso
704 miles — Oct. 2025 — El Paso to Austin
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3237 miles total
I got to my son Ben’s house just before he got home with his kids. Monday I will get a box and pack up my bike.
But tomorrow, I am going to have a REST DAY! I might even sleep in.
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TRANSLATIONS/BACKGROUND: “TEXBIRD” = Texas Bike Ride, my own nickname for the 800 miles in the middle of Southern Tier Bicycle Route, from El Paso to Austin, using maps from ACA (Adventure Cycling Association). This will complete my ride of the Southern Tier from the Pacific Ocean (San Diego) to the Atlantic Ocean (Jacksonville). (I biked the 1500 miles from Austin to Jacksonville in March 2024, and the 1000 miles from San Diego to El Paso in February 2025.)
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LINKS:
Old-fashioned BLOG if you have friends who don’t use Facebook:
“Old Scouter” Facebook page if you want to follow big adventures with more pictures and video clips (but not unrelated personal posts):
“Old Scouter” YouTube page (when I get time to edit after the trip):
Awesome!!! 💪❤️🙏 Thank you for sharing your journey.