Come and Grind It returns to Gonzales County

The annual Come and Grind It cycling event returns to the Gonzales County area in Leesville this Saturday, Feb. 25.

A gravel road bicycle race event that has been going on since 2017, more than 200 people compete in the race itself.

Brett Kinsey, the race director of Capital City Racing, said the event starts off together and later breaks into groups of two or three cyclists going together.

“I think what makes this event different than what people would think of as a bicycle race is that really, about 85 percent of our participants are not interested in podiums and winning and in places; they're actually interested in experience, having a great day in the sunshine in the countryside,” Kinsey said.

During the races, Kinsey said he would see racers help each other out with flat tires and help them keep going in the race.

Kinsey enjoys the community around Gonzales County in Leesville, and he said “It’s the friendliest corner of Texas.”

“A lot of times, you'll see people. The locals will be out on their front porch, for instance, in the morning, drinking their coffee and we can actually see them waving at the riders as they go by,” Kinsey said.

People can look up the route of the race at Capital City Racing’s website to see where the racers will show up.

The event will have three different races; 22 miles for the beginners, a 33-mile distance; and the longest at a whopping 62 miles.

“The good time riders are going to stop on the side of the road. If they see some horses that go along the fence line, they're probably going to stop and get a selfie. So they're gonna take a little bit longer there. They're not trying to ride as fast and as hard as they can,” Kinsey said.

Lunch will provided to the racers after the event by their sponsor, the Leesville Cemetery Association, as part of the association’s fundraiser for their cemetery.

The final day to sign up for the races is Thursday, Feb. 23 at midnight.

For spectators that want to watch the event, no ticket is necessary to watch the cyclists ride in the race.

“We'll have cyclists out on the roads around Leesville. Starting at 9 a.m., all of the cyclists are instructed to obey all traffic laws,” Kinsey said.