Waco,Austin,San Antonio suggestions

I am a Missouri girl planning on driving down to Austin/San Antonio and checking out the area and biking the last week of May. I've never been south of Dallas so I'd like a few suggestions in preparation.

1. Bike trails? I am taking a road bike and a mountain bike. If you can steer me to some trails or routes to ride, this is what the week is mostly about! Well, I AM planning on visiting the Alamo.

2. I hear the music in Austin is terrific. Any suggestions where I can find it?

3. Anything else you can add would help. And if any TE'er wants to meet up and ride that would be terrific!

I'm retiring from teaching in Missouri next year and I'm looking for a new place to settle. I've always liked Texas, and it's warm weather. What is the saying...I wasn't born here, but I got here as quick as I could?:)

I may be going to Austin to ride on Wednesday. I haven't decided whether I'm going (my son is taking an unexpectedly quick trip to Florida to visit a friend, and hubby will be out of town, so why should I stick around.) I'll let you know what I find out!

I have a friend in Austin. It is supposed to be a great place. I've been to San Antonio, and it IS a great place, but Austin has that "cool" vibe, I think.

Karen

Thanks Karen! I look forward to your report.

I haven't ridden this on a bike, but I did it a few years ago on my moped. At that time, they were still working on the trail, but I understand it's all fixed up now. It's very mellow and scenic. The old Spanish missions are beautiful.

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...nTrailRide.jpg

Some info on the missions:

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/c...ssionTrail.jpg

When I lived there, 6th Street was the main drag... many little "shotgun" clubs with some of the best music (all genres) pouring out into the street.

Visit Threadgill's for great food... Janis Joplin once played there back in the day.

spazzdog

While you are in San Antonio, google the San Antonio Wheelmen for our ride schedule and join us for a ride. PM me ahead and I'll try to meet you at the start. I try to do one if not two club rides each weekend.

So many options! Thanks so much! Is it May yet?

wackyjacky1: Thanks for info on the ride. I'd heard there was some kind of mission ride there, but didn't really know anything about it.

spazz: Thanks, just the sort of insider info I was seeking!

Trisk: I'd love to ride with you. I wasn't going to include a weekend in my trip. I wanted to miss Memorial weekend and the next one I need to spend getting ready for my summer school dance class. I'll google the Wheelmen and hope there are rides during the week. I'd love to meet you. Any chance you can get in a short ride or something during the week?

Wheelmen rides are only on the weekend, although there is a group called the trailblazers I believe (some retired people). Actually, at that time of year there may be some wheelmen after work rides. Just PM me when its closer and we'll try to work something out, maybe I could cut out of work early one day and meet you for a ride.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by uforgot

So many options! Thanks so much! Is it May yet?

wackyjacky1: Thanks for info on the ride. I'd heard there was some kind of mission ride there, but didn't really know anything about it.

spazz: Thanks, just the sort of insider info I was seeking!

Trisk: I'd love to ride with you. I wasn't going to include a weekend in my trip. I wanted to miss Memorial weekend and the next one I need to spend getting ready for my summer school dance class. I'll google the Wheelmen and hope there are rides during the week. I'd love to meet you. Any chance you can get in a short ride or something during the week?

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There is a ride on Thursday nights that begins and ends at the Bike World dealership in Alamo Heights. It is a casual night ride that goes into downtown San Antonio and back. If you're in SA on Thu., it might be something to look into. Here's some info:

Thursday Night Ride

Check out the Austin Chronicle, http://www.austinchronicle.com/

It's the local indie paper and usually lists all the good goins-on.

spazz

If you are in Austin on a Thursday, I recommend Shady Grove in the summer. Free music (usually folk, blues or Texas Country) under huge pecan trees, AWESOME hamburgers and if you like margaritas the Shady Thang is my favorite. Sixth St is the main party/bar scene, but now the warehouse district is also coming up. What kind of music do you like? There is Blues on the Green every other Wednesday at Zilker Park- FREE and often semi big names. You can pretty much find a show any night of the week, usually for free.

If you want to ride a trail and get a true Austin experience check out the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail. Random musicians and artists have been known to be along side the trail, which runs by Lady Bird Lake.

I may not be in town that week, but if I am I would love to ride with you. I get off work at 4:00 but probably could cut out a little early. I live NW of Austin on the cusp of the hill country (more rolling out this way), I can give you some suggestions for the area. Austin is a little bit pricey but in my VERY biased opinion the best part of Texas.

Coming out of hiding here...

Reimer's Ranch, about 40 minutes from Austin is a great place to go mtb. I just went last week and had a great time! A shadier, closer option in North Austin is Walnut Creek. Less varied and less trail, but still fun.

If you do ride the Hike and Bike you will likely be dodging lots of pedestrians, stroller pushers, dog walkers and runners. Early morning weekdays are the best times to avoid the crowds. At the west end of the Hike and Bike is the Barton Creek Greenbelt, which is fun on a mtb.

The Chronicle is a great resource for finding music and other fun stuff! I can ride some weekdays, possibly on the weekend, too. I do both road and mtb, and do like to take my fixed gear out on the Hike and Bike way out east now and then. I live in South Austin, and the Hike and Bike and Greenbelt are just a couple of miles from my house, as several good road routes.

Maybe too late but this year's annual Wildflower Ride starts tomorrow at 8 a.m. in Cuero, Texas. Cuero is less than 2 hrs from Austin and San Antonio. The wildflowers are beautiful this year and there are flat rides and some beautiful hilly rides (10 - 58 miles).

www.cueroisd.org/anchorclub/bikeride.htm

Or google Cuero Wildflower Ride if the link doesn't work. Weather should be great tomorrow.

Hey Uforgot, there's actually a book of maps for road rides in TX. A friend gave me a copy a while ago - it's called best bike rides Texas. There are several maps for rides in Hill County. Unfortunately it's hardcopy so quite hard to attach to a post on the forum ;) but if it helps I could fax them.
You can also look up some of the cycling clubs in the Austin/San Antonio area - I'm sure some of them will have their regular ride maps posted on the website. Most of the clubs in our Houston area have pdf copies of all their ride maps on the internet...
Good luck and enjoy your vacation in Texas!

and if you find yourself in the dallas area and need a place to stay give me a pm and I'll put you up. i have a spare room! If you plan on doing on off-road biking (not my thing) there is a group called dorba. www.dorba.org. they are great.

The mission trail is very nice and informative. Austin has lot's of biking routes, go to the tourist info, they have a map.

Have fun and take care

Resi