The Great Escape Bicycle Ride
History of the Ride
History of The Great Escape Bicycle Ride
The Inaugural Great Escape Bicycle Ride was held on Sept. 8, 1900 in Brazoria County, Texas. At the turn of the century, Brazoria County remained a largely rural county with an economy based on agriculture, ranching and Import/Export business in the Brazosport area. Due to an influx of criminals, scalawags, carpet baggers, pirates and drunken cowboys from the expanding metropolis of Houston, the residents of Brazoria County decided to raise money for a new prison. Similar to the great classic bicycle races in Europe, the ride was scheduled to last most of the day and cover well over 200 miles of mostly unpaved roads. Because of the many creeks and bayous in the county, no rest stops or feed zones were needed. Riders carried dried pig meat for sustenance and may have been seen raiding the occasional fruit tree or truck farm along the route.
History buffs among you may have noticed the infamous date that the ride was scheduled. September 8, 1900 was the day of the great storm that destroyed Galveston and much of Brazoria County. Due to a wicked twist of fate, the course took riders closest to the coast late at night since the finish line was on the beach at Surfside. The resulting loss of lives among the peloton was devastating and nearly every bicycle in the Brazoria County area was lost as well. It has taken over 100 years for cycling in Brazoria County to recover from the blow, but with the resurrection of the ride in 2005 (not during hurricane season) we are proud to announce our return to the community of upstanding cyclists. The newly resurrected ride pays homage to the goals of the original ride by passing by many of the lovely prisons now located in Brazoria County.
The Great Escape ride may be the best training ride for the Tour de France in all of 2006. Coming just over three months prior to the big race, the Great Escape is ideally timed to ensure that the professional cyclist has time to recover, yet retain underlying fitness needed for the Tour. Even better, any cyclist who rode in the Tour de France in the past, or who rides for a current Professional Tour team qualifies for a 25% entry discount.
Leaving from the exclusive and "hush hush" celebrity vacation town of Pearland, Texas, the ride has many additional features that should make it the Do Not Miss Ride of 2006. Taking place over part of one whole day, this year's ride takes our cyclists over the highest and most imposing mountain ranges in Brazoria County, through the glorious coastal plains and on the ancient Roman cobble stones in the forests of Iowas Colonias. Special arrangements have been made to have the Earth turn the western hemisphere toward the sun for the duration of our ride. Thus, the Great Escape takes place 100% during day time hours. Asphalt has been placed on the majority of roads. Most low water crossings have been eliminated by the use of bridges. This was costly, but worth the expense. Bridges may be used by automobiles and pedestrians when not in use by cyclists.
Few records remain from the original ride, however, the rules from the ride were preserved by the family of one of the original riders. Mrs. Ima Saddlesore provided a copy of the 1900 rules and regulations for the Inaugural Great Escape Bicycle Ride. They are provided here for your edification.
Inaugural Great Escape Bicycle Ride
Rules and Regulations
Sept. 8, 1900
1. Bandits (Cyclists who ride without paying the entry fee) will be arrested, given a fair trial by a jury of their peers and then hanged by the neck until dead.
2. Cyclists must yell out loudly “ON YOUR LEFT” well before passing any horse on the route. Disturbing or spooking a horse is strongly discouraged and any measures that the owner/rider of the horse may take as a result are likely to be legal.
3. Motorized carriages are banned from the course. Any of these so-called “automobiles” found to be endangering the peace and tranquility of the roads shall be confiscated and melted down to provide raw material for building more bicycles.
4. Public Urination and Defecation are allowed only outside of town boundaries. Care should be taken to move off of the road before relieving yourself. Go behind a bush if ladies or children are present.
5. Tobacco, liquor and other performance enhancing drugs should be used with moderation.
6. Fix your own bike. Be a man and don’t expect anybody to help you if you can’t even take care of your own damn bicycle.
7. Stay on the course. There are no shortcuts and wandering off into the swamps is a good way to get eaten by alligators.