The Bluebonnet Express

The Bluebonnet Express is held annually in the spring. It typically starts from the Waller ISD Football Stadium in Waller, Texas, approximately 40 miles northwest of Houston.

This fully supported ride is one of the Houston area’s oldest rides and Is presented by Northwest Cycling Club. Three different distances/routes will be offered, heading south of Waller, and then turning north going into Montgomery County and finally turning south heading back to the stadium. The routes this year are brand new and are 95% on back country roads, staying off most of the busier FM roads in Waller County. 

Cyclist can expect mostly flat sections and some gentle rollers. This fully supported ride is only one week away from the MS 150 making it an excellent training opportunity. The Bluebonnet Express is a MS 150 Recommended Ride.

Boy Scout Troop 202 uses this ride as their major fundraiser. We budget an amount for them each year and if the ride turns out more profitable, we increase the donation to them. The troop has volunteers, scouts and parents, manning our rest stops and start/finish area.

Northwest Cycling Club supports the following organizations for 2023:

• Suzannah Smiles – The SB250
• Alkek Velodrome Youth Cycling
• Boys and Girls Country
• Houston Food Bank
• Major Taylor – Houston Cycling Club
• Waller County Sherriff Office
• Waller Assistance & Restoration Ministries
• Waller ISD
• Walk to End Alzheimer’s
• Boy Scouts of America
• Royal ISD
• Bike Houston
• Waller County Fair and Rodeo

In addition to the above, NWCC sponsors weekly rides, open to not just club members but all cyclists – new and old – beginner to advanced. On a typical, good-weather day, it is not uncommon to see over 200 cyclists show up for our Saturday rides. Throughout the year, NWCC also organizes cycling educational classes and skills clinics and, of course, a host of other cycling related activities.

So, as you can see, NWCC is all about giving back to the cycling community and for the advancement and education of cycling in general – from local to state and nationwide. It’s the funds from our annual Katy Flatland Century and Bluebonnet Express events that allow us to do these things.

Northwest Cycling Club (NWCC) is a tax exempt Sec 501- 3C organization.

The 2023 Bluebonnet Express

The 32nd annual Bluebonnet Express was held on April 23, 2023 with 987 riders registered. The ride was a huge success despite the rain thanks to the efforts of all our volunteers. Special thanks to our Ride Director, Carl Grasshoff, all our NWCC volunteers, the Major Taylor Cycling Club, and the Boy Scouts.

Ride photos are coming in and can be viewed in the 2023 Photo Album on the Bluebonnet Express website.

Some BBX Post-ride Survey Feedback:

• Route excellent, aid stations best ever
• Route was clearly marked , sag was fantastic, stops lovely, great event
• Great signage on the road! Good rest stops…great after ride grub….great event
• Route was great, the stops were fantastic, the amount of sag vehicles was awesome
• Enjoyed riding the back roads and having the multiple officers assisting us with intersections.
• This was my first organized ride like this, and I absolutely loved it. Very well organized and a gorgeous course.
• A+. Great volunteers… great rest stops… great course marking … We were extremely pleased.
• The volunteers were awesome – very friendly and encouraging!
• I liked the route because it had good scenery and low vehicle traffic. There was good traffic control provided by the race organizers and all of the key intersections were covered. The signage of the route exceeded my expectations and the crew did a great job.
• The rest stops had plenty of porto-potties (I like how the porto-potties were placed far away from the food/drinks), TONS of friendly volunteers, plenty of fluids available, and the BEST snack options.
• Price was very reasonable. And knowing if I changed my mind and not ride, you would use my money wisely.
• What went well? Everything in my book! This ride was well organized all around. The volunteers were amazing everywhere. I like the announcements at the stadium to help get people the info they needed. Shout out to the Major Taylor group for volunteering, they are a fun bunch.
• It was a good ride overall, challenging rolling hills, rest stops were the best I’ve seen. Super nice volunteers, well organized. I plan to ride again next year.

Donation Presentations to Scout Troops 219 and 469 for Supporting 2023 Bluebonnet Express

Troy Ottmer and Amy Smith presented donations form NWCC to Scout Troops 219 and 469 for their support during the 2023 BBX.