“Tired of the 9-5, working for the man? Need to get out in nature? If so, you are sane! The Piney Woods offers new places to ride, share good times with pals, and experience very little traffic. Palestine, Texas, our host town for the Camino105, is a great headquarters for your adventure!” – http://Camino205.com
Circa 2019, the town of Palestine, Texas, served as the home base of the El Camino, a mixed-surface cycling event offering distances of 35, 65, and 105 miles. The event is due to run in September of 2021, but course options may be different at that time?
“Palestine is a city in and the county seat of Anderson County in Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 18,712. Palestine was named for Palestine, Illinois, by preacher Daniel Parker. Another source says that it was named by migrant Micham Main for the same hometown” – Wikipedia
El Camino 105 Video
In this video, JOM of the Gravel Cyclist crew rides the 105-mile route, passing through the towns of Latexo, Grapeland, Elkhart, and back to Palestine. This challenging course is far from flat, featuring over 5,000 ft / 1,500 metres of climbing along the way. Riding it self-supported is additionally challenging, as the first town doesn’t roll into sight until about km #113 / mile 70.
Continued from above:
“Palestine is a relatively small town located in the Piney Woods, equidistant from the major cities of Dallas, and Houston, Texas, and Shreveport, Louisiana. It is notable for its natural environment, including the dogwood floral blooming season, for having 23 historical sites on the National Register of Historic Places, and as the western terminus of the Texas State Railroad. This steam-and-diesel railroad museum operates tourist trains between Palestine and Rusk.”
Scenes along the Course
Support Gravel Cyclist:
Buy Me a Coffee – https://www.buymeacoffee.com/gravelcyclist
OR
Patreon – https://www.patreon.com/gravelcyclist
Links of Interest:
- The Route for this Ride – https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36682264
- Palestine, Texas – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine,_Texas
- Latexo, Texas – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latexo,_Texas
- Grapeland, Texas – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grapeland,_Texas
- Elkhart, Texas – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elkhart,_Texas
- Palestine Chamber of Commerce – https://www.palestinechamber.org
- City of Palestine, Texas – http://cityofpalestinetx.com
- An inside look at JOM’s Ritchey Breakaway Titanium CX Bike
- Gravel Cyclist’s Route Library
Don’t forget to Like the Gravel Cyclist Facebook page, follow G.C. on Instagram, and subscribe to our Youtube Channel. We are also on Twitter!