Ride Details and Information
Tour Map | Directions | Lodging & Dining | Requirements
Tour Map
25 mile route... takes you through gently rolling hills. A quick, invigorating ride!
52 mile route... shows off our lush forests and the rural communities that dot the area.
72 mile route... is our most popular ride! Provides a scenic view of three counties including an iron bridge crossing! Recommended for the experienced cyclist.
102 mile route... wonderfully hilly ride that winds through many small hamlets with names like Sweet Union and Atoy - plus a finish you'll never forget. Should be attempted by the experienced cyclist only.
Requirements
Helmet Requirement: Helmets are required for all riders. Ansi or Snell approved helmets are strongly recommended.
Age Restrictions: We believe in starting 'em early, but all persons under age 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Rest Stops
Purgatory rest stops get rave reviews every year! Many of the sponsors return year after year to feed - and entertain - riders with their own unique offerings. The last several years "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" have served mini Belgian waffles to riders at the first of four rest stops on the 25-mile route. For riders on the three longer routes, the Parise Family rest stop is "the place to eat" with lots of great food offerings. Look for cheerleaders, comic characters and other entertainment en route. Each year brings new faces, food and fun!
From Experience...
"Let's hear it for the routes! Well marked and mapped. Even those folks struggling with 'scenic elevation changes' had fun. I highly recommend the Pineywoods Purgatory. Fall in East Texas is not to be missed!"
Lodging & Dining
Lodging prices may change.
- Lufkin Dining
- Best Western Inn & Suites
(936) 634-3481 - Best Western Diboll Inn
(936) 829-2055 - Comfort Suites
(936) 632-4949 - Crown Colony Villas
(936) 634-4927 - Executive Suites
(936) 632-6605 - Expo Inn
(936) 632-7300 - Hampton Inn & Suites
(936) 699-2500 - Holiday Inn
(936) 639-3333 - LaQuinta Inn
(936) 634-3351 - Motel 6
(936) 637-7850 - Texas Inn & Suites
(936) 632-8885 - Wisteria Hideaway B&B
(936) 875-2914
Schedule:
Friday, October 3, 2008
5-10 pm :: Registration Open at the Pitser Garrison Civic Center
6-9 pm :: Carbo-Load Supper at the Pitser Garrison Civic Center
Saturday, October 4, 2008
6 am :: Registration Open
8 am :: The 17th Annual Pineywoods Purgatory begins!
11 am :: Fajita Lunch - Beef and chicken fajitas free for all riders!
Why “Purgatory”?
An avid cyclist, Garland "Bubba" Parise, dreamed up the ride. He wanted Lufkin to have a ride that rivaled the "big ones" in Texas. With the help of his employer, Champion Paper Mill, his friends, and family, the Purgatory began in 1992 following a route Bubba and his friends often rode together. In 1993, at the age of 40, Parise died suddenly of an undiagnosed heart arrythmia. The Purgatory's continued success is a living memorial to Parise's commitment to create the ultimate cycling experience in the Pineywoods of East Texas.
You'll understand the name "Purgatory" as you're caught between the heaven of the East Texas countryside and the "hell" of having one more hill to climb!
