Texas Bicycling News Digest July 8th 2018

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For some, all those rental bikes and scooters are more than sidewalk ornaments: They’re a living

Melissa Repko | www.dallasnews.com


Behind the brightly colored bikes and electric scooters scattered across Dallas, there’s a fleet of busy people. On early mornings and sweltering summer afternoons, they straighten rows of bikes, check for loose kickstands and move lonely two-wheelers to cycling hotspots.

As dockless bike-share and scooter companies have expanded in the city, they have …

LAF and a ride

Kevin Highfield | www.strava.com

Buffalo Bayou Ride

Jerry Venable | www.strava.com

Holy Hell Hard Hills

Matt Witter | www.strava.com

Zube to Whitehall FIESTA

Darrell C | www.strava.com

Riding with Nicole and her Gatorskins

Mike Tarabay | www.strava.com

Texan Biking Routes for Summer 2018

You should not let the summer of 2018 pass without a few biking adventures. There are various benefits to outdoor cycling. This is why you can take full advantage of the impressive variation Texas has to offer with its unique landscapes. But before embarking on your next biking journey, you should consider the types of routes you want to bike on. If you are just starting out, it is recommended to choose a shorter or an easier route, such as the 5-mile Abilene State Park beginner trail route. If you are an experienced cyclist or if you want to increase the difficulty of the route, you can choose a longer or more technical trail.

Abilene Buck Creek Trail
Close to the heart of Texas, Abilene Buck Creek Trail is among the most interesting routes for the summer of 2018. It has a low difficulty level which means it is perfect for beginners. But if you want to take your mountain bike on dusty paths, you need to pay a small membership fee of $15. This small fee is paid yearly and it covers the access for your family as well. The best part is that the new 1.2-mile addition is great for kids also. It is thus one of the trails which are perfect for a day spent outdoors with your family.

Canyon State Park Palo Duro Trail
If you want to increase intensity, the Palo Duro Trail is a perfect choice. With daily passes as low as $6, it is an accessible trail for cyclists of all levels. You can take your bike on this dusty route and cycle up to 10 miles. The good news is that you can have a shower after you finish biking since you can choose from different amenities. With cabins and campsites with drinking water, the trail is a top destination for hikers as well. Offering 3 trails, Palo Duro represents a leading option if you are in Northern Texas.

Barton Creek Greenbelt
If you are looking for impressive routes around Austin, Barton Creek Greenbelt is one of the recommended choices. Of course, such a popular destination will also have you bumping into hikers and nature lovers, but the scenery is worth it. The trail is not long with its 7 miles. It runs from Zilker Park to Lost Creek and it attracts many outdoor enthusiasts. The last part of the trail is often reported to be of increased difficulty. But you should also take the time to make the most of the impressive scenery along the trail and the limitless swimming options to cool off after the cycling session.

Campion Trail Dallas
If you’re looking for the next urban adventure, Campion Trail in Dallas is one of the leading options. Entirely made out of concrete, the trail has two sections which are not connected but which can offer 13 miles of scenic urban cycling in the suburb of Irving. The longer northern section is the busier section of the trail as it is often used as a commuting route. The southern route benefits from the drinking water access at Trinity Park which can keep you hydrated during the hot summer days.

San Antonio River Walk Trail
Combining natural scenery with urban landscapes, the San Antonio River Walk Trail has a history going back to 1929. It comes with an impressive total length of around 30 miles. All the trails are paved and they thus represent a great solution for you and your family’s biking days. Many people also take full advantage of the historic places which can be encountered on the route. Among them, the San Antonio Missions National Park attracts many cyclists every summer.
There are many other great summer biking routes to choose from. Rural alternatives such as the route from Austin to Elgin with its 20 miles of backwoods roads can be a great alternative for many bikers as well. But regardless of the possibilities in your area, you will have the option to choose longer or shorter rides to suit your skill level this summer.

About the author:
Andrew Lowen helps manage content at Moment Bicycles and has been in love with bikes ever since his mom bought him his first tricycle. He plans to compete in his first triathlon next year. Though, he did say the same thing last year.

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

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New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Kingwood Streets In The Rain

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Not much biking today. I set out to bike to Community Drive but never made it out of Kingwood. By mile 1 it was sprinkling so I altered the route which got me out of the wet but by mile 3 I was back in the rain. Several lightning strikes were nearby and thunder too. I turned back and just as I got to Bear Branch Elementary school the sky opened and I headed to the covered basketball court. A motorcyclist went to a covered area by the school building. The rain slowed and after 10 minutes or so I started back out. About 2/10’s of mile from the basketball refuge the streets were dry and I thought maybe I can at least stretch this 8 miles but by mile 5 it was raining again so I headed home in the rain. I started at 12:23 pm and finished at 1:05 pm. I tried to ride.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

Texas Bicycling News Digest July 7th 2018

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Better than I’ve felt on the bike in months!

Matt Witter | www.strava.com

Pavement , gravel ,mud and dirt

Patrick Kloun | www.strava.com

Fair park bike stolen

byu/Poopyhead28 | www.reddit.com/r/dfwbike


Bike was stolen sometime between July 4th and this morning. I was out of town. The image is in the store when I bought it. I have since covered it in duct tape and stickers. Unfortunately no updated photo. I also had a rear wheel rack and led on the handle bars. I had it parked in a …

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk5EwxUBx0B/

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/stevenrmitch/status/1015460995408392192

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

TdF Stage 1 with a Bumper Reflection Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I waited until stage 1 of the TdF finished before starting today’s bike ride. Wheels down at 9:33 am is an hour earlier than yesterday when the TdF had not begun yet. This proves I can start before 10:30 am when I want to. Since I got riding earlier I decided I had enough time to add some miles to my “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route. So when i got to FM 2100 I continued biking east on Old Atascocita Road all the way to Ramsey Road and turned around there. As I was riding I thought about what to name this route and keep it short. The route name: “Kingwood to Ramsey Road – Huffman”. With the added miles I biked 37.28 miles. This boosted the week to 184.99 miles and July to 210.24 miles. That leaves 589.8 miles to reach my July goal of 800 miles.

Not expecting to see any other cyclists I was surprised to see 5 others. The first ones were on FM 1960 on the Lake Houston causeway east of Atascocita Shores Drive.

Bike Ride FM1960 Lake Houston

The other three were after this and I didn’t see them in time to take photos.

After making the turn around at Ramsey Road the light wind helped me set a strong pace back to FM 2100. The weather during the bike ride: start 85 (73% humidity), partly cloudy, wind NE 6 mph. Finish 90 (60% humidity), mostly cloudy, wind 4 mph. This was a good sign that bicycling west from Huffman would have the same condition.

A rest stop at the Huffman Chevron lasted about 10 minutes, long enough to cool down some, drink cold water, refill my water bottle and take this photo with me reflected in the bumper of the big pickup.

Bike Ride Huffman Chevron

I probably should have zoomed in to make the reflection bigger. The Wahoo Elemnt ride summary when I stopped at the Chevron.

Wahoo Summary Huffman Chevron Stop

Back on the bike at 11:45 am I rode west enjoying the help from the light wind and energized legs. I managed to improve my overall average speed from 14.0 to 14.1 mph on this section. I kept it there until I got back into Kingwood when I slowed down for street crossings and stop signs. I finished the ride at 12:34 pm.

Not sure how Sunday biking will happen. Stage 2 of the TdF needs to be watched and the weather forecast has a 50% chance of rain. It could be a difficult decision.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary