Central Texas Showdown

Building on our success with the East Texas Showdown, Bikes or Death is proud to present the Central Texas Showdown.

We’ve duplicated the blueprint that has made ETS successful: Four Routes, a Death Loop, and a Hoedown. This time its set in the Texas Hill Country with its iconic views, endless hills, and rugged beauty in abundance.

When: Oct. 24th – 27th
Where: Castell, TX
Registration: Closed

CTS 2024 Live Tracking

The Hills are Calling

Super Lowdown

New for 2024! How Low can you go?? Introducing the Super Lowdown! Building on our mission to make the outdoors and bikepacking accessible for everyone, the Super Lowdown clocks in at just 83 miles with free camping at Oxford Campground at mile 55 on the route.

This is not a race. This is an opportunity to ride your damn bike with a lot of other bikepackers in a beautiful Hill Country setting.

GPS Tracking is required for safety reasons.

Lowdown

The Lowdown is NOT a race. It is a ride. There is a group camp. It’s a lot more fun than going fast and not sleeping. You are still expected to be self supported, but we’ve reserved Group Campsites for Friday and Saturday evening, so you’re guaranteed some camaraderie for your efforts!

Due to lack of camping and resupply options on the second leg of this route, it is recommended to utilize the campsites we have reserved for you.

This route is 50% gravel/dirt/sand and 50% paved. It features some of the most iconic and quintessential Texas landscapes, including views of Enchanted Rock.

No prizes, awards, or placements will be given for this event.

GPS tracking is required to participate for safety reasons only, not for official timing.

Slowdown

The SLOWdown is a mix between a race and a ride. We give awards for 1st, 2nd, & 3rd place and also recognize other participants with awards like: Best Dressed, Best On Course Photography, Good Energy Award, Faux Slow, & Pro Slow awards, etc.

There is a shockingly low supply of Gravel/Dirt roads in this part of Texas. As a result this course is 25% Gravel/Dirt & 75% paved. However, most of the paved roads are remote, beautiful, and low traffic.

Showdown

Ready to step up to the big leagues? The Showdown is our all out race. Many participants will run this event as an Ultra Gravel race, but bikepacking it is definitely an option and preferred by many.

There is a shockingly low supply of Gravel/Dirt roads in this part of Texas. As a result this course is 23% Gravel/Dirt & 77% paved. However, most of the paved roads are remote, beautiful, and low traffic.

Need to Know

  • This part of Texas has ZERO public land. You will need to rely on State Parks, HipCamps, AirBnB’s, Hotels, etc. if you plan to sleep. Some of these accommodations are listed as POI’s on the route file. However, those POI’s are not intended to be representative of all options available on route. Riders are expected to do their own homework and have camping/sleeping arrangements planned ahead of time.
  • Between miles 0 and 110 there are no resupply or water refill options on route. We are working to establish a Drop Site so participants can stash needed supplies on route. BoD will facilitate this at check in. More details coming soon.
  • There are long sections with ZERO cell phone reception. It is imperative that you do your homework on resupply options on route and make sure that they are open when you plan to be there. Have extra food/water is encouraged due to the remoteness of these routes.
  • GPS Tracking is Required for all participants regardless of event you are doing.
  • Our first priority with all of the routes is SAFETY! However, bike riding/racing on public roads is inherently dangerous. There are sections on the route where you can expect higher traffic conditions, these are necessary to route into town with supplies. Please ride with caution and awareness.
  • Rescue vehicles will be available for participants of all routes. We encourage riders to make their way back to the finish line by their own means if possible. There is a minimum of $20 fee to use our rescue drivers (you can give your rescue driver more if you are able).
  • Camping before & after the race – We have reserved group camping at the Historic Castell Church grounds behind the Generally Store. You can camp there the night before the race and leave your car there during the event.
  • Check in / Start/Finish / Awards Ceremony – Will take place at Castell General Store. They serve some amazing food, so bring your appetite!
  • Awards – will be giving to 1st, 2nd, 3rd place for the Showdown and Slowdown participants in the following categories: Men, Women, Non-binary. No monetary prizes.

Schedule of Events

Thursday, Oct. 24th

5:00pm-10:00pm ~ Racer Check In

7:00pm ~ Pre-race meeting

8:00pm ~ Go to sleep or grab a beer

Friday, Oct. 25th
6:00am ~ Breakfast tacos and coffee available

8:00am ~ Group Start, Neutral Rollout 

8:15am ~ Late Check-In begins


Saturday, Oct. 26th
All Day ~ Ride your Damn Bike

Sunday, Oct. 27th

12:00pm ~ Optional Clown Bike Time Trials Start

6pm ~ Hoedown: Live Music, Raffle, Awards

9pm ~ Fin

***There is no deadline or cutoff for the race***