Texas - Good place in Houston to stay

Cross-posted in General Cycling. Figured I'd try here too:

Looks like I'll be making frequent 2-week trips to Houston this year for work. We're currently working out arrangements with hotels close to our office which is close to the Astrodome. Not the greatest area, but there are worse.

I'd like to bring a bike with me on these trips, but I have no idea what cycling is like in Houston or where a good place would be. Right now it looks like whateverthehotelis at Kirby and HW610 is the front-runner, but I'm not sure that area would be the greatest to ride through early in the morning.

Are there any other good places to stay within a few miles of that area? Anything close by or right next to good cycling facilities? What's it like riding in Houston? The traffic there gives me nightmares.

Awww man, the pup is going to be here. There goes the neighborhood.:D

You wouldn't be far from Braes Bayou at the hotel there at Kirby and Loop 610. I used to ride out from the Apartments just on the other side of the 'Dome. The bike hike trail runs along the bayou. This could take you to the Med Center/ Herman Park area.

And if your feeling a little brave, you could ride up Kirby to the University Village area. There are a couple of bike shops just off Kirby along the way... If you ended up needing something.

Maybe we could do a meet/greet ride to show ya around on a weekend or something. Let us know when you'll be heading this way.

I think it was right after Katrina that I was looking for a motel in Houston and couldn't find one. I wound up staying in Galveston. A lot neater place to stay, rates aren't bad in the offseason, and not much farther than what my commute is here in Dallas anyway.

Otherwise, I've not figured out a good place myself. I've stayed at the LaQuinta out on 290 several times. The motel is okay, the area is a residential area, but still some lowclass stuff in the area, too.

SpiderMike's suggestion is probably the best available idea. Unfortunately, the Dome area just isn't very hospitable. That said, you are pretty close to Braes Bayou, which has a bike path, though it's not my favorite. Another option that's open to you is taking your bike on the MetroRail (I assume you can do that) and taking the train up into downtown. From there, it's a short ride from Main Street over to Allen Parkway and the trail running along Buffalo Bayou. You can take that all the way out to Shepherd and then jump over to Memorial Park. I find it a lot more pleasant than Braes Bayou and it shouldn't be too long a haul to get yourself there.

Unfortunately, the Dome area just isn't very hospitable.
Yeah, I've had one member PM me telling me to just avoid the whole mess by not bringing the bike. I've only been around the area during business hours, so I don't really know how bad it gets at night or in the mornings, which is when I'd be riding. There's the chance that we might be put up in a better location since it'll be an extended stay (we're apparently going to do this once per quarter this year). I might be able to sway them to pick a more friendly locale. If I can do that, I'll probably bring the bike. Otherwise, maybe not.

SpiderMike, if I do bring my bike, I'll definitely let you know.

If you could stay a little farther west and get a place off of I-10 you could ride in George Bush park. I usually do 20 miles there, but it runs into other parks, where you could just about get all the riding in you want. I can't think of the name of the place right now, but there's a place just west of Rt.6 on the south side of I-10. You could ride about 100 yards and be riding on one of the best places around that I know of. If your interested, I'll find out the place tomorrow.