Welcome to HellWeek.com!

It all started with a crazy idea to do something fun during my Spring Break.

We had moved to Texas in 1989, having left many of our cycling friends back in the midwest. We had created and shepherded the Ride Across Indiana and HUMOR 24-hour events while I was in grad school. But in Texas our lives were much simpler, and we missed our friends.

With a week to blow off in March, I figured it would be nice if some of my friends could join me in south Texas for some mega-miles. I drove down to San Marcos, scouted out a few routes, found a decent motel, and then sent some flyers to all my Yankee friends.

Five friends joined me in 1991 for that inaugural Hell Week.

If ever there were a case of viral marketing, this is it. Those friends told other frends, who told even more friends. Soon we had to hustle and actually provide a little organization to the event. A few grizzled Hell Week old timers can recall the days without maps and cue sheets, or even a known destination. I laugh now, but back then I could not imagine how many people would fall in love with Hell Week.

We held the first three Hell Weeks in San Marcos, before it became apparent that the I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio was simply getting too crowded for safe group cycling. Although we missed the huge rolling hills east of I-35, and the magnificent ride down River Road beside the Guadalupe, we found greener pastures in Fredericksburg...not to mention a lot fewer people.

Hell Week 1994 saw us encamped at the Dietzel Motel on the west end of town. We quickly fell in love with quaint Hayden Ranch Road, the Enchanted Rock, and the Willow City Loop.

We knew we had found our new home.

From 1995 on, we have been headquartered at the Sunset Inn, a modest U-shaped motel that is very conducive to the kind of community Hell Week engenders. Although we actually fill four or more motels and numerous B&Bs, the people still flock to the Sunset just to hang out and see what's going on.

Each year since its inception, Hell Week has grown. We've never even done any advertising. We've had this web site since 1998, and we even printed a few event flyers for 2002 and 2003, but other than that, it's all been the result of word-of-mouth. In 2004 we had 357 riders.

Which quickly shows the power of publicity. No amount of advertising can create the buzz that our family of riders has created for Hell Week. Even though we have grown considerably, and become a lot more organized, we're still committed to providing our friends with the best cycling either side of the Pecos.

As a result of our fun at Texas Hell Week, we launched our fully-supported Gator Country tour of Florida in December 1997. Viva Las Vegas, our fully-supported desert tour, debuted in May 2000, and is returning in 2005. Cheese Country Hell Week debuts in 2004, and seeks to duplicate the Texas experience "up north."

Sometimes it's hard to explain to folks on the phone exactly what the Hell Week experience is all about. You just have to be there to understand. It is truly "y'alternative" cycling at its best.



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Home Blog Texas HW Gator Country HW Cheese Country HW Four Corners HW Trans-Texas HW Rocky Mt HW Viva Las Vegas HW HW Brevets Texas Routes Texas Info Gator Routes Cheese Country Routes Four Corners Routes Trans-Texas Routes Rocky Mt Routes Vegas Routes HW Brevet Routes Register Merchandise Training About Us History FAQs Philosophy Lifestyles Contact Us Ship Your Bike	It all started with a crazy idea to do something fun during my Spring Break. We had moved to Texas in 1989, having left many of our cycling friends back in the midwest. We had created and shepherded the Ride Across Indiana and HUMOR 24-hour events while I was in grad school. But in Texas our lives were much simpler, and we missed our friends. With a week to blow off in March, I figured it would be nice if some of my friends could join me in south Texas for some mega-miles. I drove down to San Marcos, scouted out a few routes, found a decent motel, and then sent some flyers to all my Yankee friends. Five friends joined me in 1991 for that inaugural Hell Week. If ever there were a case of viral marketing, this is it. Those friends told other frends, who told even more friends. Soon we had to hustle and actually provide a little organization to the event. A few grizzled Hell Week old timers can recall the days without maps and cue sheets, or even a known destination. I laugh now, but back then I could not imagine how many people would fall in love with Hell Week. We held the first three Hell Weeks in San Marcos, before it became apparent that the I-35 corridor between Austin and San Antonio was simply getting too crowded for safe group cycling. Although we missed the huge rolling hills east of I-35, and the magnificent ride down River Road beside the Guadalupe, we found greener pastures in Fredericksburg...not to mention a lot fewer people. Hell Week 1994 saw us encamped at the Dietzel Motel on the west end of town. We quickly fell in love with quaint Hayden Ranch Road, the Enchanted Rock, and the Willow City Loop. We knew we had found our new home. From 1995 on, we have been headquartered at the Sunset Inn, a modest U-shaped motel that is very conducive to the kind of community Hell Week engenders. Although we actually fill four or more motels and numerous B&Bs, the people still flock to the Sunset just to hang out and see what's going on. Each year since its inception, Hell Week has grown. We've never even done any advertising. We've had this web site since 1998, and we even printed a few event flyers for 2002 and 2003, but other than that, it's all been the result of word-of-mouth. In 2004 we had 357 riders. Which quickly shows the power of publicity. No amount of advertising can create the buzz that our family of riders has created for Hell Week. Even though we have grown considerably, and become a lot more organized, we're still committed to providing our friends with the best cycling either side of the Pecos. As a result of our fun at Texas Hell Week, we launched our fully-supported Gator Country tour of Florida in December 1997. Viva Las Vegas, our fully-supported desert tour, debuted in May 2000, and is returning in 2005. Cheese Country Hell Week debuts in 2004, and seeks to duplicate the Texas experience "up north." Sometimes it's hard to explain to folks on the phone exactly what the Hell Week experience is all about. You just have to be there to understand. It is truly "y'alternative" cycling at its best.
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