Download the registration form here.
The Texas Hill Country contains some of the finest paved and dual sport roads in all of Texas. TAR (Texas Adventure Ride) is an organized, 3 day, dual sport adventure rally occurring each April in Junction, TX offering the dual sport adventure community an annual opportunity to explore those great roads. All riders are invited to attend.
Mark your calendar: TAR 2012 is scheduled for April 19 – 22, 2012 in Junction, TX.
TAR Ride Organization and Logistics
Itinerary -
The basic format is:
- breakfast,
- rider’s meeting,
- ride all day
- after-ride social gathering for story telling & tire kicking,
- supper at a local restaurant,
- more story telling & tire kicking at the social gathering spot,
- sleep,
- repeat.
Here are the specifics:
Ride Headquarters:
Best Western Hotel 244 Dos Rios Drive Junction, TX 76849 325-446-3700
Lodging - You will be staying in Junction, TX each night of the rally. Each rider must make their own lodging accommodations. Ride headquarters for 2012 is the Best Western hotel, right off Main Street in Junction. The Best Western has a special rate for TAR attendees of $68 per night (for a single or a double). This rate also includes a hot breakfast buffet.
Ride Organization- Each day riders select the route they want to ride that day. I have taken the liberty of providing recommended routes in the ride guide along with my list of the top 10 paved and dual sport roads in the area, but riders are free to choose whatever route they want to ride. Ride where you want. Ride when you want. There are tons of great roads all over the place.
If you want to ride with other riders, there is a riders’ meeting each morning in the parking lot of the Best Western. The riders’ meeting is your opportunity to link up with other riders wanting to ride the particular route you want to ride that day.
Daily Schedule:
Thursday
- 5 – 9 pm : Arrive, motel & event check in, informal rider social gathering at the Best Western
- Late registration, Best Western
Friday
- 6:00 – 8:00 a.m., breakfast buffet, Best Western Hotel
- 8:00 – 8:30 a.m., Riders Meeting, Best Western parking lot
- 8:30 – 6:00 p.m., Ride
- 6:00 – 10:00 p.m., informal rider social, Best Western parking lot
Saturday
- 6:00 – 8:00 a.m., breakfast buffet, Best Western Hotel
- 8:00 – 8:30 a.m., Riders Meeting, Best Western Hotel parking lot
- 8:30 – 6:00 p.m., Ride
- 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Banquet, county fairgrounds, Junction
Sunday: End of event
Ride Guide – This multi-page guide contains the pertinent information needed for this event. It includes information on:
- hotels in Junction
- campgrounds in Junction
- top 10 paved roads in the area
- top 10 dual sport roads in the area
- 8 recommended routes
- ride descriptions
- ride directions
- ride logistics
- ride notes
In short, the Ride Guide provides in one location all the relevant information needed for you to maximize your enjoyment at the Texas Adventure Ride. If you want one, please order it with your registration; Those who register on the day of the event may or may not be able to purchase a ride guide, depending on availability.
Recommended Routes – The Ride Guide contains 8 recommended rides along with a ride description, route description, and other pertinent information such as fuel, food, and ride notes for each route. Most of the rides are day rides, ranging in distance from 200 miles to 415 miles. Most rides have fuel available at least every 100 miles. However, one ride has a distance of about 150 miles between fuel stops, so some bikes may need to carry extra fuel when on this route. NOTE – no maps are provided for this event. Each rider should bring his/her own map.
MAPS- No maps are provided for this event. The ride guide includes an overview map of each route but it is for reference only. Each rider should bring his/her own map. Due to the extensive amount of area covered in the recommended routes, there is no one single paper map that covers all the recommended roads. The best paper map that I know of is the Roads of Texas Atlas, published by Mapsco. The Road of Texas atlas contains every road in the recommended routes and is a much better paper map source than any others that I’m aware of. I strongly urged to purchase copy of The Roads of Texas atlas (even if you have a GPS.) It is available on-line and at most major bookstores at a retail cost of $17.95. (Note – don’t confuse the Roads of Texas Atlas by Mapsco with other atlases. The Mapsco atlas is the best atlas I have been able to find. By the way, I have no affiliation with Mapsco. I just think their atlas is the best map source for this event.)
Each rider should bring pages 116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 130, 131, and 132 of the Roads of Texas Atlas with them as all map references in the Ride Guide refer to this atlas.
GPS and Google Maps - All routes are available for download in .gpx format. I also plotted each route using google maps. Instructions are in the ride guide for how to download the .gpx routes and google maps routes.
Packing List - The Ride Guide provides both minimum and recommended packing lists.
Bike Type - Any dual sport or adventure type bike should be suitable for this event. Only public roads are include in the recommended routes; there are no public off-road riding areas included in the recommended rides. While there are no off-road areas, the dual sport roads in the area range from well maintained gravel to un-maintained, rutted dirt. Any dual sport / adventure bike is likely capable of navigating any of the recommended routes, but rider skill is another matter. Riders should use their best judgment as to whether a particular route is suitable for their individual riding skills. There are a sufficient number of fun, paved roads in the area that road bikes and/or cruisers will have lots of riding opportunities, however none of the recommended routes consists solely of paved roads.
Download the registration form here.