Tim Landauer poses in front of the Texas Capitol, left. Son Robby rides between Taylor and Austin.

Here at Posse headquarters, we've been feeling pretty good about ourselves and the nearly 700-mile Best of Texas Tour that we did -- by car -- over a long weekend.

Then we got an email from Tim Landauer, a North Texas resident who, with his son, Robby, took a 6-day, 276-mile tour of the Central Texas barbecue heartland by bicycle last May.

They ate at five of the same joints we did and arrived at the same conclusion: "Franklin's is the best we had," Tim wrote.

They drove to Salt Lick in Driftwood, where they left their car, then pedaled to New Braunfels, Luling, Lockhart, Giddings, Lexington, Taylor, Austin and back to Driftwood, staying in motels overnight.

On the tour they hit Cooper's BBQ, Luling City Market, Kreuz Market, Smitty's Market, City Meat Market in Giddings, Snow's BBQ, Louie Mueller Barbecue, Franklin Barbecue and Salt Lick BBQ.

Robby and Tim's meals from City Meat Market in Giddings, left, and Louie Mueller Barbecue in Taylor.

Tim said he and Robby, who now works for Google in California, had "some good food, good music and good rides."

Robby had a Bluetooth speaker strapped to his handlebars.

"It was Allman Brothers to ZZ Top, with an emphasis on Blues," Tim wrote.

As we traded emails, Tim sent me a draft -- 90-plus pages titled "Bikes, Blues, and Barbecues" -- that Robby wrote about the trip. Subtitled, "Me, my dad, and our three favorite things," Robby hopes to turn the manuscript into a book.

Reading it, there's no doubt the kid gets barbecue.

"Sauce is an afterthought, if not an insult," Robby wrote.

His ultimate barbecue meal would be Texas-style brisket and sausage with a bit of beef rib, Memphis-style spare ribs, some Carolina pulled pork and Kansas City burnt ends.

Robby also knows the importance of discipline.

"In biking, barbecue, and all things, it is wise to pace yourself and know your limits," he wrote.

It was evident in corresponding with Tim and reading Robby's account that it was the trip of a lifetime for father and son.

"I knew the best partner for the barbecue tour would be my dad," Robby wrote.

"In this time of divisiveness, between countries, political parties, and generations, it is truly a gift to be able to share time with my son doing something we love," Tim wrote. "'Bikes, Blues, and Barbecues' was not an easy week, but it was fun and rewarding."

And that's the way it goes on the Texas BBQ Trail.

Robby Landauer rides between Lockhart and Bastrop, on the way to Giddings. This was the longest day of their tour.