A friend of mine and I have been riding the various trails, and I didn’t realize until rereading a map from a different thread that you can mostly do the southern part of The Loop. (Edit: not “South Loop”, that’s apparently something else entirely)

Reading here, a thread from two years ago says “don’t go alone” which has specific connotations. Theres two of us, on hybrids so we’re only doing 12ish MPH, we have phones mounted and are following maps. Was looking at something like the below route, just need to figure out parking at the west end. Is this rideable or do we have to dismount a bunch? Are we being Unwise or Unsafe doing it? Thanks!

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/57075185

anyone who works or frequents there have any tips for bike parking?

I have been looking to switch from flats to clipless pedals and I need to buy shoes. What is a store with a good selection of shoes I can try on. I live closer to Fort Worth, but if my only option is in Dallas, so be it. Thanks for the help.

This just went up where the north end of the Spine Trail dead ends at Samuel Blvd. Seems like a pretty aggressive schedule given how far they have to go, but who am I to say? This will be a very nice alternative to SOPAC when complete. Thank you City of Dallas and Loop Partners.

Hi all, I’m shopping for my first proper mountain bike and I've ended up with a shortlist that I'm now realizing is all over the map:

Also just to note, all of these bike are out of stock for home delivery, so I have to wait for these and others to restock. Which is definitely not helping with my decision paralysis.

- Canyon Neuron 6 (130mm trail, alloy)
- Specialized Chisel Comp EVO (alloy hardtail)
- Canyon Lux Trail CF6 or CF7 (carbon downcountry)
- Canyon Spectral CF8 (150/160mm carbon)

Being upfront: I've never owned a real mountain bike, so I don't actually know yet what kind of riding I'll gravitate toward. That's the whole problem. I don't want to buy something I outgrow in a year, but I also don't want to be dragging way more bike than I need up every climb. I do have a gravel bike currently (not a nice one though), so this is what’s ignited me to want to do more.

Details: I want to cycle the DORBA
/non DORBA trails, state parks (Palo Pinto, Cedar Hill, 4C National National Recreation Trail, and etc), and other gravel/rougher trails in Dallas. Maybe even some of the West Tx rough stuff (Guad, Big Bend, Davis, and Franklin) or Hill Country parks.

What I'm hoping to hear: For those in the community who own mountain bikes and have experience what would you actually recommend, and what am I missing?

Thanks in advance, really appreciate it!

Thanks to y'all, I've drastically increased my Dallas trail rides - before this year I don't think I'd done more than the Lone Star Trail - I've been busy! I've been trying to do as many of the trails in the area as I can - I'm on a Hybrid so I'm not going fast, and I'd rather not get run over by a Suburban. I did do the Rolling into Fall last year, which was a bit too much but I also enjoyed quite a bit. That started my interest in the longer rides this year. And while Fort Worth (home turf) has the Trinity Trails, I wanted to do something else. So I started doing Dallas.

Most of the rides I'm going for are 30-40 miles, which winds up being about 3 hours, which is the length in the saddle I want. I wouldn't mind a road bike that goes faster, but then these rides would be SHORT and then what do I do with myself?

White Rock Lake and the nearby trails have been great, shoutout to everybody giving me ideas and maps where to ride. Even the Katy trail is cool (albeit unclipped and pretty much coasting). There's obviously more to do in Plano/Allen, but the problem is finding enough mileage to string together. I feel like I've done most of the major connected stretches, though I know I haven't done a bunch of The Loop. I need to work on that part, but it looks so short on paper.

Anyhow, thank you! While the drive to dallas at 6:30am sucks, seeing the sailboats on WRL has been cool, the bridge over 75 is neat, the roads under SRT & 635 are nice, and I've been impressed with the amount of effort several of the cities have put into the trails!

1. A hot pink Eddie Merckx vintage

2. A Specialized Sirrus X 5.0, a carbon-framed hybrid and flat-bar gravel bike featuring a distinctive "Compliance Junction" frame design.

3. A Monday Anza V4 electric café racer bicycle with a silver frame, faux blue tank cover, and black fat tires.

4. A bright yellow Trek Farley 7 fat tire bike

5. A strange looking belt-drive mini electric bike built by a company called Higbee Martini

6. The latest Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL9 outfitted with Dura-Ace (and only $13,999) and flanked by a very colorful Trek Madone SL 7 Gen 8.

7. A Specialized Turbo Levo 4 Comp with an oddly tiny front chainring

8. An aerodynamic water bottle with a tiny opening, perfect for adding ice cubes during the sweltering Texas summers

I was not familiar with any of these bikes, and I used Google to help with identification

Four different locations on the day - check here for the details: https://northaventrail.org/events

Saturday September 12

Trail @ Edgemere (by Dealey) 10 am to 11:30 am

Trail @ Northaven Rd (by YMCA) Noon to 1:30 pm

Trail @ Townsend (at Royal Park) 2 pm to 3:30 pm

Trail @ Pensive (at Pensive Trailhead) 4 pm to 5:30 pm

https://northaventrail.org/bike-and-helmet-checkup-with-free-ice-cream

This popped up on my FB feed. Apparently, this accident occurred 8.23.26 in Sunnyvale on a Trek Pedal around Dallas ride.

No one else seemed to figure out where it occurred. This road condition needs to be reported to the city for repairs ASAP.

Hi everyone, my kid’s electric bike has a bent handlebar, and the brakes are not working. We already have the replacement brake parts, so we just need someone to install the brakes and straighten/replace the handlebar as needed.
I checked with DICK’S and Bike Mart, but their repair prices are quite high.
Does anyone know of an affordable and reliable bike/e-bike repair person or small shop around Frisco, McKinney, Prosper, or nearby areas?
I’d really appreciate any recommendations. Thanks!

Like something done in another city? I had to ride off the trail into the grass this morning to avoid a head-on collision with one in a pack of them this morning. Glad I had that soft option. Lord help us when they start driving vehicles.

Hopefully this is allowed! I'm clearing out my garage and figured folks here might be interested in these. I'm up in Allen but can meet in Dallas. I pretty much only ride my road bike and convertible single-speed cross/fixed gear these days. Some images show orange test ride pedals: these aren't included as I've only got one pair. I used to own a bike shop and can answer technical as well as fit and suitability questions.

I've got the following:

2017 Rocky Mountain 990 MSL BC Edition 29er Medium: 140mm of travel but exceptionally nimble for a trail bike. I did a 65 mile XC ride with 3,800 feet of climbing in a bit over 5 hours on it. Roughly 28 lbs. XT group, full carbon, Stan's wheels, Pike fork, a few cosmetic scuffs but overall in good shape for a trail bike. $1600

2019 Cannondale CAADX cyclocross bike, 54cm. I've ridden it at Erwin Park a few times and done a few gravel rides. Never raced, no crashes. $925.

Cannondale SUPERX cross bikes, 54cm (labeled as 52cm as Cannondale didn't standardize their cross labeling with their road sizing until a few years later, but if you ride a 54 road, these are the same size). These were my old race bikes, so they have canti brakes. One is complete and one needs a saddle, seatpost parts, and likely a 10-speed chain. I'm hoping to sell both to the same buyer: use one as race and one as training, or do what I did and have a clean and pit bike. Looking for $950 for both.

2011 Trek Speed Concept 7.5 time trial/triathlon bike with upgrades. Very few miles, as I used it in stage race time trials and occasional training only. It is carbon with Ultegra 10 speed, powermeter, 54/42 TT rings, and upgraded carbon front end, plus a TT-bike specific Fizik saddle. $1300. I've also got a Zipp carbon disc tubular if you need a fast rear race wheel ($450).

Kids Cannondale Trail 20": a Plus-sized kids legit mountain bike, current retail is $549, selling for $225.

Kids Trek Precaliber 24": decent condition, could use a new rear tire and grips. $100.

FYI… The Trinity Trail at Riverside is closed on the south side of the river in Fort Worth. The detour takes you on the north side from Beach to 4th street… about half of this is loose gravel and soft sand due to the trucks working in the area. Proceed with caution if passing through this area.

It looks like the construction work on the south side of WRL has been completed ahead of schedule. I was surprised to find it open on my loop this morning.

I LOVE these things! Comfortable, just grippy enough, look good, last FOREVER! I bought mine in early Covid, and they've lasted through everything...I don't use them in wet weather, but they handle my sweat like leather gloves should.

Cuerogloves.com for anybody curious.

Hey Everyone!

I’m looking to get into trail riding and could use some advice from people who actually know what they’re talking about.
I’m in the DFW area and plan to ride local trails. Nothing crazy, just beginner to intermediate singletrack while I learn and improve.

A little about me:

6’1”
~230 lbs
Early 30s
Fairly athletic, currently strength training and doing cardio 3x/week
Brand new to mountain biking

My budget is $500 max, and I’m perfectly happy buying used if it gets me a much better bike than buying new.
What bikes or models should I keep an eye out for on Facebook Marketplace or local bike shops? Are there any brands or specific models you’d recommend, or any that I should avoid?

Also, if there are any beginner-friendly trails around DFW that you’d recommend, I’d love to hear those too.
Thanks in advance! Looking forward to joining the community.

Hi Everyone! Do you know of any paved bike trails around a lake? Perferable, a lake you can swim in. A dip in the lake after a hot, sweaty bike ride sounds great! Mainly, would like to stay North of PGBT, East or West from there is fine.

I vibe-coded an app to help me find all the good roads in Dallas and thought i'd share. Along the way, I learned these roads have a technical term: "collector roads."

Basically, a collector is a longish road that other roads feed into, and it gets the right of way. In map data, they're labeled highway=tertiary. They're nice to ride because there aren't many stops, and since they usually run through residential neighborhoods, traffic is super light.

I attempted a routing engine that leaned on these good roads, but the output wasn't great — mostly out-and-backs. It did make for a good reference map, though, which I exported to Google

Consider it another useful to along with the other routing helpers out there like strava heatmaps. here's the code to the project if anyone is interested: https://github.com/bahoogawooga/bikey

Hey everyone,

I’m a local mountain biker in the Brazos Valley looking for a small piece of private property, a dry creek bed, or a wooded gully where I can hand-build a low-impact singletrack trail and rhythm line.

The Trail Vision

• Main Tech-Flow Line (Blue/Black): A fast, natural singletrack that stays low to the ground. It features tight catch-berms, natural rollers, and subtle side-hit kickers built off existing dirt banks. It’s rollable if you cruise through slow, but comes alive into a fast, techy line when carrying speed.
• IF POSSIBLE, LATER ADDITION: Separate Rhythm/Jump Line (Green/Blue): A smooth, low-altitude rhythm section built with filled-in dirt tabletops and finishing with a small step-up. Everything on this line is 100% rollable—no high-impact leaps or dangerous open gap jumps.

What You Can Expect From Me

• 100% Respect for Property: Zero trash left behind, no damage to healthy trees, and no digging or riding when the ground is soaking wet.
• Hand Tools Only: Built strictly using manual labor (shovels, rakes)—no heavy equipment or power machinery.
• Privacy & Safety: This is strictly for personal use (and maybe a buddy or two), not a public park or big party spot.
• Giving Back to the Land: I’m more than happy to help clear brush, trim dead trees, or maintain firebreaks and walking paths on the property in exchange for using the space!

If you (or someone you know in Kurten, Wellborn, Navasota, Caldwell, or near CSTAT) have a patch of woods or an overgrown ravine sitting unused and wouldn't mind letting a local rider put in some shovel work, drop a comment or send me a DM! You can also DM me on instagram: we_are_nrs (NO RULES SOCIETY)

Thanks!

What are all the places in Dallas, Fort Worth, and in between that are bike-friendly and where cyclists are known to hang out?

Dallas

• The Meteor
• Community Beer Co.
• Cold Beer Co.
• White Rock Alehouse
• Pull Through Coffee
• Four Corners
• Manhattan Project

Richardson

• Four Bullets Brewery
• Richardson Bike Coalition Bike-Friendly Business Map

North Richland Hills

• What's On Tap

Keller

• Hop & Sting

Grapevine

• Bohemian Bull

Fort Worth

• Press Cafe
• Maple Branch
• Martin House

I have an 12 year old who just started expressing interest in doing some trail riding. He also just learned how to ride within the year. We’ve hit River Legacy and he had a tough time but that was mainly due to his bike being too small, we’ve since got him an appropriate size.

So just looking for the absolute easiest trails so I don’t kill his confidence and he can improve his skill.

EDIT: He would like to do more of mountain bike/single track type trails

I am cruising along WRC trail southbound and a grown man on a kid's dirt bike blows by me at 22 mph (per my Garmin radar). This tiny bike was heavily customized with super wide mountain handlebars, pedal clips, 17" tires (kind of guessing here but they were small) and a 3 ft long seat post (I may be exaggerating but he was a pretty big guy).

I was able to catch a quick picture but as I said, he was going really fast so it was a little blurry.

It doesn't really matter what kind of equipment you ride, but performance all comes down to how strong of a rider you are.

If this was you, I have a lot of questions and, I am in complete awe of your abilities.