DeanB

Hey all,

So I'm flying into Dallas on september 18th and need to get down to Waco. I'm considering bringing my bike and riding down to Waco. I haven't done my century yet so I'm wondering how realistic it would be.

bjtesch

There are lots of secondary roads but they wouldn't be a straight shot, so your trip would be a little bit more than 100 miles.

stdlrf11

That sounds like a fun challenge.

I think its close to 80 miles straight down 35, but I'd never go that route. What part of the metroplex are you starting from? That would determine the basic route to start.

How are you planning to get back? Bike, bus, car?

Creakyknees

DFW airport is not a bike-friendly area... and then you're stuck in the middle of a huge metro. You might try taking a Super Shuttle or similar, getting dropped off somewhere on the far Southern reaches of the area, before you start pedaling.

There are probably bus services that run to Waco from DFW, worth a search.

stdlrf11

I ride around and through the airport frequently, although I don't go up to the terminals. Its not bike friendly as in having bike lanes, but I've yet to encounter anything negative towards myself or another cyclist.

DeanB

I would be ending my ride at the edge of the Baylor campus in Waco. I already have a bus to greyhound to Waco solution figured out but this idea has kinda captured my imagination. I've been around Dallas before but never done the drive from Dallas to Waco so I'm not sure what kind of elevation I'd expect. I figured the hairiest part would be getting out of the airport and out of Dallas.

StephenH

An interesting problem.

One thing to watch is that in the summer, winds commonly blow from the south. Not so sure about Sept. 18, but it's possible you could have headwinds the entire way. Or if a norther blows in, tailwinds. So you take your chances.

Otherwise, it's just a matter of piecing a route together from Google maps and then seeing how the suckage works out in real life. Google Streetview may help. Once you get out of town, just look for routes on FM roads. We have rando rides in that area, and it's generally okay riding.

Couple of other things- baggage, how to carry? And what time? If your flight gets in at mid day or later, you'll run out of daylight.

bjtesch

I've done that a lot too. It would be a piece of cake to get off the plane, unfold your bike and take off on the roads. You would have to know which roads though, you don't want to head out on the 6-lane divided freeway although we once did that at high speed with a tailwind early one Sunday morning.