Austin 360

[gadgetadam]

I live in Austin but I'm going to ride a few miles on 360 for the first time and I wanted to know of any gotchas besides watching for cars especially near 2222 and near Bee Cave.

Examples but not limited to:
pot holes
drain grates
Best place to start(start meaning lower elevation so the ride back is "easier")
Where not to park
Where to park
Good places to stop to take a break or in my case many breaks!
Blind spots

Ect.

Thanks.

-GadgetAdam

[bm010]

I've only ever done the stretch of 360 coming from 2222 and exiting to bee caves rd (dam loop) so, my experience isn't likely a must hear. In any case, I can't ever remember coming across drain grates, potholes, etc. There will be dirt, grit, dust, rocks, misc debris due to the heavy amount of construction + traffic however. The shoulders are wide (about the width of a lane - this is good and bad for cyclists) , little blind spots to worry about, and taking a rest would be best off of the road and pulled in to a near by random church, subdivision, plaza. It's a highly used road for cyclists so I'm sure you'll get used to riding it in no time. I prefer doing old lime creek rd and crystal falls/bagdad rides despite living 20+ miles away from a starting point. Look in to those too.

[RazorWind]

The part between 183 and Bee Caves is awesome. (As is Bee Caves). Just stay on the shoulder and watch out for the occasional right turn lane or off ramp and you're golden. There are plenty of cyclists out there on weekend mornings, so you can generally just kind of fall in with one of the slower moving groups.

I'd be happy to ride with you this weekend, if you wanted.

[dstrong]

Let's see...starting at Walsh-Tarrelton and 360 (near Barton Creek Mall), heading "North" towards 183. You can park in the mall parking lot.

The first stretch of road is pretty much straight with rolling terrain. It's a little early in the ride to stop at Rudy's but it'll be there when you get back.

The first real traffic challenge is as you approach the Bee Cave exit. As you come zipping downhill you have to first cross a right turn lane that goes into "The Village" shopping center. The traffic can be heavy turning into the center. The next challenge is the actual turn-off for Bee Caves Road. If in doubt, STOP! And wait for traffic to clear. I will sometimes turn into the small driveway on the right (behind Starbucks), go in, turn around and come back out to cross the exit.

After crossing over Bee Caves Road, you need to watch traffic on your right entering 360 from Bee Caves Road...the sight lines are good however and it's pretty simple to time.

Another long stretch of rolling (and some steep hills) will get you to the 360 bridge without too much trouble. You have to cross the exit for the bridge parking lot but it's not too heavily trafficked (unless it's a nice day for boating).

After crossing the bridge, the next big challenges are the off and on-ramps for 2222. Again...take care and stop if you're uncomfortable looking back over your shoulder while holding a straight line. The sight lines for the on-ramp are clear and crossing it is not difficult.

Continue on up the long climb towards 183 but turn around before you hit 183, at either Great Hill Trail (there's a light) or Arboretum Blvd (no light). A lot of people start their rides from the Arboretum Blvd area, near the small pond.

For the return, it's pretty much a coast downhill all the way to 2222. Again...watch at the off-ramp for 2222 as cars are moving really quickly.

Over the 360 bridge and crank up your climbing legs. The stretch between the bridge and Bee Caves Road is a tester.

Probably the most difficult crossing is when you get to Bee Caves Road. The section just before the exit is one of the steepest climbs, so you're tired and you're going between 5 - 10 MPH, versus the cars that are doing 60 (or 70!). Additionally, the shoulder narrows and then disappears. If you haven't moved across the lane by now it might suit you to just exit and use the on-ramp to get back onto 360.

After Bee Caves, it's pretty much a cruise until the mall at Walsh-Tarrelton.

There aren't really any road quality issues (drainage, potholes, etc.) that I can think of. Not like riding east of town on country roads with the occassional tire-eating fissures.

From a route sugggestion standpoint, I've found that the Old San Antonio Road route has become a favorite of mine. It starts in South Austin and parallels 35 to Buda then on to San Marcos. I have quite a few PDFs of rides in the area if you're interested. You can also join Austin Cycling Association for access to their map library.