White Rock Trail and Lake

What to do when it rains and the trails are too wet for riding. Well, if you need to get in a ride, like me, there are a couple of choices. First, the streets - too scary for me. Second, a straight line, paved trail which runs from north Dallas to White Rock Lake.

I started my ride from Valley View Park in Dallas. As you can see from the map below it is located on Hillcrest just north of I-635 (LBJ highway). I hit the trail at 7:30 and it was cold and windy. The temp was in the mid 40's and the wind was out of the north at 10 to 15 mph. The good news - it wasn't raining.

I am very familiar with the White Rock Creek Trail which starts in Valley View Park. I lived in Dallas not far from this park and in my jogging days I used to spend a large part of my Saturdays jogging there.

From Valley View it is slightly more than 7 miles to White Rock Lake. It is all paved concrete and is generally pretty well used. It is a multiuse trail and many joggers, bikers, and dog walkers will be your companions. Today the trail was pretty deserted due to the weather. I decided today  that I would ride around White Rock Lake twice before I headed back to the start so my total mileage was 38 miles. The link below is to the photos I took today.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28201157@N08/sets/72157625258333071/

The trail follows the White Rock Creek ( I think - anyway it is some body of water) which does empty into White Rock Lake. Some of the pics I took today show the creek and when it has recently rained there is a pretty good flow. There are also several pics of White Rock Lake and over the years the city of Dallas has done an excellent job of pretty - ing it up.

If you are from out of town and would like to rent a bike you are in luck. The Dallas Bike Works is very close to White Rock Lake and rents bike for $35.00 per day.

http://www.dallasbikeworks.com/  Follow the link to their Lawther location.

Worth a look if the trails are wet or you just want to get in some straight line time.

Later

Huntsville, Memorial Park, Somerville

Over a three day weekend I had the joy of visiting three different biking venues. I left for Houston early Friday morning and stopped by Huntsville State Park for a three hour ride on the trails. Now, to call the trails an off road experience would be accurate but to call them standard MTB trails would be a stretch. These trails are more along the lines of a pleasant ride through the forest. There are no technical issues, there are no adrenaline pumping ups or downs, and no water crossings. There are many wooden plank bridges, a few roots, and some sugar sand. See all photos of Huntsville:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28201157@N08/sets/72157625221865857/

I logged in about 20 miles but did cover some of the trails twice. The weather was sunny and the temperature was in the mid 70's so I was in no hurry to get into the hustle which is Houston.

Saturday morning I gave a presentation which was my reason for going to Houston. By mid afternoon I was able to go over to Memorial Park, in the middle of downtown, for a little true trail riding. If you visit Houston and you have a bike with you I strongly suggest you try it out. The trails, collectively called the Ho Chi Minh Trail, is a collection of many trails which wind through a forest of trees. The truth of the matter is, even though you are right down town you really can't see the skyscrapers which populate Houston. See all photos of Memorial Park:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28201157@N08/sets/72157625221881905/

I expected to see many bikers on the trails. As on Friday, it was sunny and the temperature was very mild. I was surprised to find that, even though I was in the third largest city in the U.S., there were not that many people on the trails. In fairness, the University of Texas was playing and probably the University of Houston, and it was the first day of hunting season so I'm sure that had something to do with it.

The trails are very well marked with different colors. I asked a biker as I was unloading my bike if the colors meant anything - red = most difficult, green = easiest, and he said they are all about the same. I think I rode all of them and I believe he is right. The only exception was the purple route. This is the trail which covers the perimeter and it did seem to be the easiest.

I saw all levels of riders. There were the master blaster go for broke guys and those who seemed to be there for the first time. I did notice that the trail manners were very good. People would call out "Rider" at the blind corners and would let you know how many people were behind you when passing. Finally, most of the trails are not single track - watch out for bikers coming right at you.

The trails do cover a wide variety of thrills. Gates, some sand, whoop -t -dos, an occasional creek crossing, tight turns, roots, you never know what to expect and at the same time watching for other riders can challenge your powers of observation. I must admit I did get lost once - somewhere on the blue trail and ended up on a trail which hadn't been used for some time and had several fallen trees blocking progress. I did eventually find my way out and it was all part of the adventure of a new trail (for me).

Bottom line - if in Houston "Go for it".

On Sunday I decided to go a little out of the way and stop by Lake Somerville Trailway. This trailway is part of the state park system in Texas, and , as a State Park Pass holder, it costs me nothing to visit the parks. I have visited two other trailways - Medicine Well and Ray Roberts - and without a doubt the Somerville trail is a poor third. For those of you who have read my other posts you know I enjoy almost all other kinds of biking as much as I enjoy MTB. The trailways give me a chance to do some "street" biking without playing in the traffic.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/28201157@N08/sets/72157625346606538/


The trailway at Somerville is a collection of sand, rocks (think rock road kind of rocks), packed dirt, and finally horse hoof tracks. It is very rough until you hit a patch of sand with very few challenges. I really don't expect trailways to offer challenges similar to MTB trails, but I do expect there to be some areas of interest or to allow me to do some serious straight line pedaling. Somerville provides neither.

Somerville is 13 miles one way so a complete trip is 26 miles. If you are interested in trailways I would recommend both Ray Roberts (20 miles round trip) or Medicine Wells (40 miles round trip) before Somerville. I will post a complete review of both the others when I get out there again. I am waiting on the resurfacing of Ray Roberts to be completed before I take an excursion out there. The rangers say it should be done later this month.

Bottom line for Somerville - save your energy.

Oak Cliff Preserve

In keeping with my recent theme of visiting trails for the first time, I just returned from Oak Cliff Preserve. The trail is interesting with many creek crossings. They also have interesting names for some of the features. In keeping with the south Dallas area there are more rocks here and some pretty technical rock features. Not to mention some of the rock face whoop-t-do's which will get your attention. Check out all the photos here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28201157@N08/sets/72157625304962432/

I did see more than a few bikers walking through this one. My first time down it was "pretty much clich tight and trust the bike will hold together" which it did and I survived.

I was there on a Saturday and it was pretty busy. I would guess the track is about 7 miles and it does have 6 loops which are clearly marked. There is also some open prarie space riding in some of the loops but not nearly as much as Erwin has.

All things considered, this is a fairly fun trail with several challenges. If you are in the area give it a try.

Later

GPS Coordinates - 32°42.851    96°51.915

Erwin Park

Today I visited McKinney, Texas and Erwin Park. I would guess the length of the trail to be 6.5 miles. If you like roots this is the place for you. Back in my jogging days I visited Tampa, Florida - Alafia State Park - and this is the only rival I have ever visited for the Mayor of Rootville.

There is no sand, which is good, no water crossings, which is not good, and a different feature for a trail - open field riding. A good portion of the trail is out in the fields which is OK just different. It almost has the feel of cross country rather than mountain bike dirt trail.

I am going to be short on my review of this trail as I was not very impressed. I made two rounds and then left. I really wanted some more saddle time so I ended up at River Legacy to finish out my day. Pics from Erwin:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28201157@N08/sets/72157625146924025/

The trail does have some nice features and I have tried to capture them in my photo's. Also, work continues on upgrading the trail as you can see from the pics. Bottom line - Erwin won't be high on my list of places to revisit.

GPS Coordinates for Erwin:
32°46.389  97°06.666

In keeping with the Et Al title of this blog I'm happy to announce I have purchased a new tv. It is a serious TV - a 63 inch plasma. If you are interested in the selection process I went through drop me a line.

Later

LB Houston

I cranked up the GPS again and headed for a new place in Irving - LB Houston Nature Trails. It was Saturday morning, the day after the Texas Rangers won the ALCS, I was at the game, and this morning it was cloudy and looked like rain. I began my ride at 8:00 AM and I was first at the trail. You know what that means - I did spider web patrol. Luckly, there aren't as many webs this time of year. I do not like all those webs clinging to me. But...

According to DORBA there are 7.5 miles of trails here. My garmin agreed - if you say on the main trail and don't take any of the bypass'. This trail had a couple of features which are a little unusual. First, the dead car, you don't see that too often on a MTB trail. The car is something of a surprise as you round a corner. I immediately wondered how in the world it ended up here. There has to be a story behind this. It is a pleasant diversion and worth a stop to check it out.

Next, there is a stand alone skills area. See saws, wooden turns, and a large whoop-t-do are parts of the skilz (their spelling) or fun area. I must admit I have never been a big fan of see saws. I did, however, play on them for awhile. Link for all the photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/28201157@N08/sets/72157625104509725/

The trail itself is what I would qualify as a beginner/intermediate trail is fun. It has a technical loop, several fair sized dips, and many roots. There are no creek crossings which I found disappointing. The trail surface is dirt, no rocks or sand. All in all, I had a good time and will be going back.

I did also discover a concrete pathway next to the trail. If you are interested in putting in some straight line miles without worrying about traffic this is the place to do it. There were lots of bikes, joggers, and walkers on this "trail" while I was there. I never did find the name but I did ride it from end to end and my estimate is for a length of 7 miles. I will post the GPS stuff along with the LB Houston coordinates. For this Saturday morning I was able to log about 30 miles by combining LB Houston and the concrete path.

On a personal note I have added swimming into my weekly routine for aerobic exercise. I really don't like swimming much, fir me it is the equivalent of a treadmill in the water but in the winter time it has the advantage of being inside. It's not cold here yet but it is coming.

GPS
LB Houston  32°51.993  96°55.363

Concrete Path  32°51.758  96°55.536  or  32°54.969  96°56.441

See you on the trails.

Later

How to choose a mountain bike.

Just as there are many makes of automobiles, TV's, and cell phones there are many makes of mountain bikes. How to select the one that is just right for you? That is the answer I will be helping you with in this post. I will be the first to say I don't know everything, I don't know you, but I do know some of the questions to ask and facts to point out to make a selection easier.

Let's begin by defining what it is you will be doing with your bike. I read somewhere that no more than 25% of all fat tire bikes are used on trails. The majority of them are used to get back and forth to school, work, or just to tool around on. Bike requirements are very different depending upon it's use. If you plan on going out on the trails as often as you can it would probably be best to buy a good name brand bike with heavier components. Let's face it, the trails are tough on brakes, shifters, and forks. If you do plan to be a trail rider you might want to consider going out to one of the local trails and ask around. There is nothing like a personal recommendation to bolster confidence. If you see more of one brand than another that can also be a good sign. While we are on the topic of how you will use your bike it might be a good idea to talk about the difference between a hardtail and a fully suspended bike (FS). By way of definition a hardtail has a suspended front fork while an FS bike has additional suspension for the rear. If you are new to MTB I would suggest a hardtail to begin with. It is cheaper and easier to maintain.

One of the most important factors in deciding upon a bike is cost. As a general rule of thumb buy as much bike as you can afford. There are exceptions to that. Let me relate my tale of bike acquisition as an example. I began biking after a knee surgery. I had not ridden a bike in years but wanted to keep up my exercise regime. I put out the word among my friends and co-workers that I was interested in buying a used bike. Not long after the word went out I was the proud owner of a $20.00 non-name brand bike. A cheap set of tires and a friend supplied (free) tune up and I was ready to roll. As time went on I found myself enjoying biking more and more. I then discovered MTB and I was hooked. After a year and a half on the $20.00 bike I bought a new one.

If a new bike is the way you are going I suggest several things. First, do your research. Google mountain bikes and read the reviews on various bikes. Decide a price range that is right for you. If you are not sure biking is for you get into it cheaply. Do as I did, ask around for a used bike. Second, visit a local bike store (LBS). Most stores allow test rides and the importance of a test ride can not be over estimated. If you are going to spend several hours on a bike make sure it feels comfortable. When I bought my last bike I test rode two bikes and the minute I set on the second one I knew that was the one. It just felt right.

Notice I am suggesting a LBS rather than a large department store? As a general rule the LBS will give you more bike for your money. The Walmarts of the world will give you a cheaper price but remember, you get what you pay for. If your bike breaks often it isn't much of a bargain. As importantly is repair of the bike. Sooner or later it will break - guaranteed. If you are out on the trails it will happen more often than if you are just riding the streets - Duh - but it will happen. Here is a shameless plug for the LBS where I bought my bike http://www.bicyclesinc.com/ Good shop and they give free maintenance for as long as you own the bike. That is a deal. Be sure, if you wreck your bike and break stuff it won't be covered but the routine stuff is. It has saved me a bunch of money on tune ups and adjustments. Won't get that at Walmart.

So far then - decide your use for the bike, pick a price range, do some research, find an LBS, and, take a test ride. So what else is left?

One thing for sure. Have your LBS person fit the bike to you. Yes, that is important. Getting the most out of you and your bike means making sure it is adjusted specifically to you. The seat height, the position of the handlebars, and even the size of the grips can make a big difference in your performance and comfort. Have a professional set you up, it is worth it. Did you know bikes come in different sizes? I'm not talking about the tire size - 26 inch or 29 inch, I am talking about frame size. Generally speaking, the size of the frame is dictated by the height of the rider. Your LBS professional can get you in the right size bike.

Well, enough for now. Feel free to argue with me on any point or to drop me an email at marshall212@yahoo.com

Later

Life Lessons from MTB

I was thinking the other day that there is much to be learned about life from mountain biking. If you stop and think about  the skills needed for mountain biking some of them fit very well into life lessons. Follow along with me on this;

• Keep focused on the task (trail) ahead. So, here you are riding along and you begin to daydream, or your thoughts wander a little, I guarantee you the next turn or jump will catch you by surprise and your newest friend will be a tree. Is that so different from life? Let's keep focused here on our work lives. You are in the middle of a project and you lose your train of thought. Seems to me a tree, figuratively, may appear in your path.
• Have a plan. In MTB a plan can be, and usually is, a little different from a life plan. But to keep this rather simple let's focus on a project for work plan, not our lives in general. In biking our ficus is very short in the future. If I focus more that about 5 feet - consistently - my friend the tree or a large rock will get me. So...work plans are similar. Sometimes you must look up to scan the horizon but most of the time focus on the immediate.
• Don't be afraid to fall. No matter how good you are in biking you will fall. The better you get the more challenges you find. If you didn't want challenges you would be a street biker (no offense). Trying a new whatever in the working world will occasionally end with you tires up. When that does happen you dust yourself off, put a band aid on it, and begin again.
• Take time to enjoy. OK, it's the smell the roses kinda thing. Have you ever been riding and just stop to look at the river, forest, or prairie simply because its' pretty? If not, think about doing that sometime. Some times at work the same thing needs to happen - set back, put up your feet, and smile. It will do wonders for the day.
• Be flexible. Some times plans do need to be changed. In MTB suddenly what you thought you saw becomes something else - a jump, a crossing - you get the idea. It is time to change your original approach to the challenge. Hey, same thing in work/life. Be prepared to change as the situation dictates. Blindly following may end you up with another band aid.
• Keep you equipment in good working order. This really means you. Eat well, get enough sleep, and smile occasionally.

OK, there are probably scores of other examples I could use but I think you get the picture. Have fun and maybe I will see you on one of the trails or some project somewhere.

Later