El Camino 105: A Texas Gravel Adventure, Riding from Palestine & Beyond

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas
Courthouse in Palestine, Texas

“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

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas
Downtown Palestine, Texas

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?

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas
Somewhere along the course… course link is below

“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.

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas
Steep grades, bring your low gears

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

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas
Descending one-handed is not recommended

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas
Varied road conditions

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas
Desperate times call for Coke in the water bottle
el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas
One of the sandy spots along the course
el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas
You don’t need disc brakes to ride mixed-surfaces

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas

el camino 105 gravel ride palestine texas

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