Dallas/Ft Worth bicycling culture??

[firerescuefin]

Received a job offer today that we hope to take....I spoke to Mike (texbike) a couple weeks ago about the area. Any thoughts from locals on the cycling culture there?

TIA


Geoff

[weisan]

Congrats fire-pal. I am not at all familiar with the dallas area but your post reminded me of the bike shop that used to support LA back in the days...

http://bikemart.com/articles/jim-hoyts-60th-birthday-pg724.htm

Check out their calendar...

[jmoore]

I'm in Dallas. There are plenty of shops and group rides. Fairly easy to find one you like. Depending in where you live, good riding from you front door could be simple or not so simple.

And we have the Superdome if you want to get all trackie!

I don't mind riding around here at all. I'm happy to meet you for a ride as well. We are supposed to be planning a Dallas group ride here shortly.

Sent from my MB886 using Tapatalk

[texbike]

Received a job offer today that we hope to take....I spoke to Mike (texbike) a couple weeks ago about the area. Any thoughts from locals on the cycling culture there?

TIA


Geoff

Wow! I'm happy and sad for you at the same time Geoff. You live in such a great area now.

As mentioned, I'm more a fan of Ft. Worth than Dallas and from a cycling access perspective would look to live on the Western side of the city.

Good luck!

Texbike

[texbike]

Also, here are a few Texas cycling resources for races, events, rides, etc around DFW -

www.txbra.org

www.tmbra.org

www.dorba.org

Texbike

[firerescuefin]

Thanks all. Mike, I'll give you a call when we we know the dates for heading down to put boots on the ground and look around (should be 5 days in the next 3 weeks). JMoore, could you pm me your phone number?

Will miss the front range (if all goes accordingly), but really excited professionally and for our family as our life will be simpler and allow us to focus on raising our 3 little ones.

+ I'm going somewhere where I won't be tormented by 145 pound dudes wearing me out on long climbs. :help:

[evo111@comcast.net]

Welcome to the area.

I'm in the Dallas/Irving area and know some of the group road rides, ccx and crit series in the area. I know a few ride groups in the northern Tarrant county area.
There are some mtb rides in the area.

You are correct no big hills in the area but sometimes it seems like you always have a headwind.

Drop me a PM if you'd like.

[11.4]

I lived in Texas for years -- Houston, Austin, and DFW -- and am trying to get back there now. After where you are now, first thing you'll notice is the lack of mountains and even steep hills. Most slopes you can do in a big chainring; they can be long but not particularly steep.

In Fort Worth, you can get on many great rides that tend to point westerly -- more hills and more rural roads. Heading north and south you're on open cleared land that connects suburban communities and developments. Several lakes that may offer good rides around them or get in the way of your ride plans, depending. There's a long bike trail along the Trinity River that can be a great training route and keeps you away from traffic, etc. It certainly is a way to get to different riding areas quickly if you can start somewhere nearby. If you can live out in Aledo or Weatherford, you'll love the roads. If you live between Dallas and Fort Worth on the north side, watch out for the airport -- any rides have to go around it and the roads are fast and clean but pretty boring.

[cmg]

Richardson bike has some rides from their shops. http://bikemart.com/events/rbm-weekly-group-rides-pg461.htm these guys sponsor the Hotter than Hell event, Wichita Falls, tx.

[weisan]

I lived in Texas for years -- Houston, Austin, and DFW -- and am trying to get back there now...

11.4-pal, if you do make it back to Austin, can I be your personal driver, butler, cook, secretary, house cleaner, water-carrier, shoe-polisher or just 'bout any general-purpose chores I will take orders...as long as I can be a fly-on-the-wall, listening and learning everyday under you feet...

Your NOT.so.Subtle Secret Admirer

[jlwdm]

Where will your work location be?

Jeff

[biker72]

Dallas Area:
HOT!!!!
Summers can be brutal. I've been out riding in 82 degrees heat at 5:30am.

The hills around here might qualify for Colorado speed bumps.

The bicycling community has gotten a lot more respect in the last 10 years or so but are still at the bottom of Bicycling Magazines best cities to ride list.

Winters tend to be fairly mild so we have a 12 month riding season. A little recent ice storm put a crimp in my riding but this is a rarity.

Lots of group rides all around the metroplex both night and weekend.

These guys alone have a bunch of good rides. http://www.greaterdallasbicyclists.com/

[John Price]

Can't offer any info on D/FW but just wanted to say that we'll miss you here in the Denver area. Never did get that gravel ride in with you. Did enjoy meeting you for breakfast before NAHBS though.

Good luck with your new career.

John

[firerescuefin]

Ft. Worth, but I'll be working 2-3 times per week so a longer commute isn't out of the question.

Thanks again (all) for the input.


Where will your work location be?

Jeff

[Schmed]

I visited there last year (live in CO now), and had a GREAT time riding the trails around Grapevine Lake. Very friendly riders, no real "climbs" per se, but some fun and long single track.

[jmoore]

Ft. Worth, but I'll be working 2-3 times per week so a longer commute isn't out of the question.

Thanks again (all) for the input.

Ft Worth is better for riding that Dallas. I'd be looking west of Ft Worth in the Aledo/Weatherford area. Somewhere out that way. Lots of good riding out there.


IM sent with my phone number as well.

[biker72]

The mayor of Ft. Worth is a big cyclist. She's done a lot for the cycling community.

[MattTuck]

Nothing to add on the location discussion, but congratulations Geoff. That's awesome!

[oldpotatoe]

Ft. Worth, but I'll be working 2-3 times per week so a longer commute isn't out of the question.

Thanks again (all) for the input.

And for a few weeks, until your extra red blood cells die, you'll ride like Eddy hisself.

[brockd15]

I'm north of Dallas and it's not bad. Lots of recreational cyclists but not a lot of commuters. We have roads marked as cycling routes but very few bike lanes and not many people riding those routes except on weekends. As others have mentioned, there's definitely some good riding to be had west and southwest of Ft. Worth. From where I live I could ride from my front door but I'd end up riding in town, which is not my preference. It's normally about a 20 minute drive for me to get somewhere decent.

[SpokeValley]

Congrats on your new gig!

I grew up in FTW and started riding there, later moving to Arlington . It still has a cool, laid back vibe compared to DAL, IMHO and yes, I'm definitely biased. Some of my family is still there, and my old cycling buddies, and I get out there at least annually.

It's been many, many moons since I last pedaled there but that's where I got 'the fever' that continued for about 12 years until I moved to the left coast.

Echoing some of the other comments, it's going to be really flat compared to what you're used to, but there are rollers and a few good climbs here and there. There is usually some wind, usually southerly and light in the mornings, which actually was great for me because I lived in the southwest part of both areas. Resistance training riding out to the country roads, mo' fun coming back.

I think you'll enjoy the area. Texas is a nice state...still free, no income tax, easy to get around, and lots of great areas to visit.

You'll have to do the HHH at least once. I rode the inaugural in 1981 and the next two years. Very fun but, it ain't false advertising...it's hot.

Like they used to say..."It was so hot, I saw a bird use a pot holder to pull a worm out of the ground." (Get used to the TX colloquialisms...they're funny and usually accurate.) :)

[dmurphey]

There are a couple race groups, Tunero's and Colonel's that ride regularly in FW. There is a nice group that rides often, Manly Bulge Bike Club. Check it out on Facebook. The FWBA has some rides as well. If you come to FW try to stay close to the Trintiy Trail , it is the most common route. Josh at VeloGold has had some regular cross and MB races. Kevin at Spinestry has gravel races north of town regularly. There is good fun riding here in FW.

[champ]

+1 on the RBM rides especially the Sat am ride from the Richardson store. VERY fast, close to 25mph average, and about 50 miles. Lance, Chann McRae and Patrick McCarty cut their teeth on this ride. The group is mostly local racers and gets pretty competitive.

If you want more mileage and a slightly slower pace the Richardson RBM ride goes up past Allen or even the OK border and back down in the off-season. They may still do the Dallas store Wed night "Worlds" ride in the White Rock lake area. Another fast, competitive ride - the winner wears the WC jersey for the week! Its is also more hilly there than up north.

There is/was a crit series on Tues or Wed nights.

It gets dangerously hot after about 11am in the summer so I recommend riding early or late afternoon.

[firerescuefin]

Took the position...Start March 3rd.

Thanks for the input, phone calls, and PMs.

Can't wait.