Texas Riding Blog

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biknut

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
I'm going on my longest motorized bicycle ride today. Probably 50 miles, maybe more. I found out about a part of town I never heard of before called The Cedars area. Turns out it's one of the oldest parts of Dallas. Rich people populated the neighborhood in the late 1800s. It's directly adjacent to the South side of downtown Dallas. This was the hot place to live before everyone started moving to old North Dallas up along Ross, and Swiss Ave in the early 1900s

There's only 5 or 6 original homes left, from before the neighborhood went industrial in the early 1900s. The old red Sears building on Lamar is in this area. What's attracting me to the area today is there's a hiking trail that crosses the Trinity river into Oak Cliff. That's where I'm headed on my electric bicycle.

I'm planning to ride my regular route through Highland Park, down the Katy trail to downtown, through downtown, and along Lamar into the Cedars area. Then I'll head North through Oak Cliff, back up to Hampton, and then I'll cut across Hampton back into West Dallas, and from there home. Might have to stop by Strokers to save myself from dying of thirst.

This is going to be at the limit of my battery, so it's going to take some skill, and maybe a little luck it get all the way back home under power. Oak Cliff is loaded with power sapping hills.

This is my favorite kind of ride, looking for adventure. I've been riding like this all my life, and if you never hear from me again, you'll know I didn't make it. See you on the other side.

 
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biknut

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
I made it. This is the Dallas love locks, or what's left of them. I'm thinking the legend may be garbled a little bit over time. I do believe there may have been a bridge here where people did in fact place their lover locks, but what might not be as well known is there was in fact a river lock probably at this location. I'm thinking this may be the remains of the lock. The actual bridge is gone, but parts of it remain. A new one is now in it's place designed specifically as a walking/bicycling trail connecting the Cedars, to South Dallas, and Oak Cliff across the Trinity river. No one was around so I pee'd in the river.

This was the farthest point I got from home, 20.8 miles. Power consumption at this point was only 2.90 ah, if you can believe that. It's true though. This was made possible by riding normal beach cruiser speed up to this point, and pedaling down any downhill grade I came to with no throttle. Average speed to this point was only about 10 mph, with 15 mph tops. Doing the math this works out to a range of 129 miles. My best to date.

This put me on the Southwest side of town, in South Dallas, just South of Oak Cliff. From there I headed North, up 8th street into Oak Cliff. I stopped in the Bishop Arts district for a banana smoothy, and then on through Kessler Park, and on up to Hampton. Back across I30 and down the biggest hill in Dallas on Hampton. I was coasting 40 mph. Onward on Hampton over to Harry Hines, where I turned North again taking me back into Northwest Dallas. Stroker's is on Harry Hines you know, so I did the polite thing and stopped to say hi to the barmaid.

When I left Oak Cliff I started picking up the pace a little bit, because I was fat with ah's. I started running 35 mph to Strokers at which point is was still only at about 6.85 ah. It's only 6 miles from Stroker's to my house so with over 10 ah to burn there was no reason to hold back anymore. I let it rip up Harry Hines in traffic to Royal ln with a side/tail wind. I topped out alone the way 55.2 mph, a new land speed record.

As I pulled into the garage it was showing 41.7 miles and consumed a total of 12.2 ah.



 
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mapbike

mapbike

Well-Known Member
Mar 14, 2010
5,502
109
63
Central Area of Texas
biknut said:
I made it. This is the Dallas love locks, or what's left of them. I'm thinking the legend may be garbled a little bit over time. I do believe there may have been a bridge here where people did in fact place their lover locks, but what might not be as well known is there was in fact a river lock probably at this location. I'm thinking this may be the remains of the lock. The actual bridge is gone, but parts of it remain. A new one is now in it's place designed specifically as a walking/bicycling trail connecting the Cedars, to South Dallas, and Oak Cliff across the Trinity river. No one was around so I pee'd in the river.

This was the farthest point I got from home, 20.8 miles. Power consumption at this point was only 2.90 ah, if you can believe that. It's true though. This was made possible by riding normal beach cruiser speed up to this point, and pedaling down any downhill grade I came to with no throttle. Average speed to this point was only about 10 mph, with 15 mph tops. Doing the math this works out to a range of 129 miles. My best to date.

This put me on the Southwest side of town, in South Dallas, just South of Oak Cliff. From there I headed North, up 8th street into Oak Cliff. I stopped in the Bishop Arts district for a banana smoothy, and then on through Kessler Park, and on up to Hampton. Back across I30 and down the biggest hill in Dallas on Hampton. I was coasting 40 mph. Onward on Hampton over to Harry Hines, where I turned North again taking me back into Northwest Dallas. Stroker's is on Harry Hines you know, so I did the polite thing and stopped to say hi to the barmaid.

When I left Oak Cliff I started picking up the pace a little bit, because I was fat with ah's. I started running 35 mph to Strokers at which point is was still only at about 6.85 ah. It's only 6 miles from Stroker's to my house so with over 10 ah to burn there was no reason to hold back anymore. I let it rip up Harry Hines in traffic to Royal ln with a side/tail wind. I topped out alone the way 55.2 mph, a new land speed record.

As I pulled into the garage it was showing 41.7 miles and consumed a total of 12.2 ah.



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Excellent there biknut..... sounds really exciting and fun that ride you took......

Map
 
R

ratman150

New Member
Feb 19, 2014
33
0
0
Murphy Texas
Well, I've been lurking about on the internet since I bought my bike. Waiting for the stuff to come so I can get riding.

Really happy to see Texas doesn't seem to care, I have had a habit of getting pulled over on a normal bike for stupid reasons (never ticketed because I know the laws).

Anyways, I look forward to seeing you all on the Texas roads!

usflg
 
biknut

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
ratman150 said:
Well, I've been lurking about on the internet since I bought my bike. Waiting for the stuff to come so I can get riding.

Really happy to see Texas doesn't seem to care, I have had a habit of getting pulled over on a normal bike for stupid reasons (never ticketed because I know the laws).

Anyways, I look forward to seeing you all on the Texas roads!

usflg
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You should have trouble free riding around there. Your motorized bicycle won't be the first in that area. There's been sightings in Allen, and McKinney.
 
scotto-

scotto-

Custom 4-Stroke Bike Builder
Jun 3, 2010
6,505
25
38
Ridin' inSane Diego, CA.
biknut said:
I made it. This is the Dallas love locks, or what's left of them. I'm thinking the legend may be garbled a little bit over time. I do believe there may have been a bridge here where people did in fact place their lover locks, but what might not be as well known is there was in fact a river lock probably at this location. I'm thinking this may be the remains of the lock. The actual bridge is gone, but parts of it remain. A new one is now in it's place designed specifically as a walking/bicycling trail connecting the Cedars, to South Dallas, and Oak Cliff across the Trinity river. No one was around so I pee'd in the river. I did the polite thing and stopped to say hi to the barmaid.

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I see your piss in the upper lock there, man you really had to go! ;)

Sounds like a fun ride....
 
biknut

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
Dallas has riding clubs all over town that are loosely associated, with the name, Bike Friendly ____________ and then you fill in the part of town the club is in. I rode a china girl on one of these rides with Bike Friendly Richardson the year before last on their Black Friday ride, but I didn't run my motor any on the ride. Not only was the pace to slow to run my motor, but I don't think it would have been well received by most of the riders. As it was everyone was friendly, and lived up to their name, and I still post on their FB page.

Tomorrow I'm planning to crash another ride that looks like fun. This group, Bike Friendly Cedars created the ride, and posted it on FB. It's billed as a, Ye Olden Tymes Vintagey Retro Ride & Picnic, open to anyone. My bike has vintagey white tires on it so I'm using that as my in. Unlike before, I'll be on my electric bike this time, so this should be interesting.

https://www.facebook.com/events/1483206141820438/
 
biknut

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
I was out all day today, just got back an hour ago. Ended up I left the house late and missed the ride. I ended up riding to the destination and hooking up with them there. Still had a fun time though, and we had a picnic and games and stuff.

I learned some interesting things. For one thing, where were groups of people like this when I was single? But let's don't go there. I got to tell my friend Bruce though, he's single and available.

These were a bunch of casual bicyclers. An interesting mix of inner city types, and people from the burbs like me. Of course I had the only electric bike, but no one seemed to care. None of these people were spandexers with eyes their on top of their heads. They feel the same way about them as we do.

Something I learned is many of them rode the train to get there, or to go home. I need to remember that if I'm across town someday and break down or get a flat, I could hop a train and ride back to within 2 miles of my house. They allow you to take your bicycle on the train, and electric bicycles included. No gas bikes though.
 
fredric3144

fredric3144

Member
Oct 22, 2012
110
1
18
77
lufkin tx
The most bicycle friendly city I have ever been in is Tucson AZ . Bike lanes every where and even the buses have a bike rack in front for up to 3 bikes . I guess you could put a motorized bicycle there if you can pick it up to do so . I lived there for about a year rode a bicycle every where . Didn't know about putting a motor on one then .
 
S

snellemin

New Member
Feb 4, 2014
220
1
0
Spring TX
I go almost every month of the year. Summertime and Halloween are huge crowds. It nears 2000 people. November and December is pretty small. I'll have my contour camera with me for some vids.
 
biknut

biknut

Well-Known Member
Sep 28, 2010
6,653
475
83
Dallas
biknut said:
Anyone in the Dallas area interested in this ride tomorrow evening? I'm planning to meet a friend downtown, and we're riding out ebikes. If you want to ride with us let me know before tomorrow afternoon.

https://www.facebook.com/events/664160010292988/
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I just got back from the most fun ride. There were at least 300 bicycles. my friend Dal and I were on our ebikes, and I saw one other ebike there too. We were totally accepted and no one gave a care what we were riding.

The ride started in downtown, and went about 6 miles over to Oak Cliff to a custom bicycle shop that specializes in building cargo bikes. First thing I did when we got there was get in line for the beer. These inner city types love to drink, and I believe in, when in Rome, do as the Roman's do. An hour later I was flyin, and that was just standing there. These are friendly people. No one is stuck up like is so common in the burbs. I even talked to the one and only spandexer that was there, and even he was very friendly.

I got to do this more often.
 
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