yoderman

Hello, I'm new to town and looking for riders who know the area for commuting routes in the Plano, Richardson and North Dallas. Anyone interested in helping out a transplanted rider from the Pacific NW?

cuda2k

Welcome to the area. There are a number of fairly save roads in the Plano/Richardson area if you plan ahead of time. Where abouts are you starting and where are you headed to on the commute? I say prior planning because I used to see commuters going down Hillcrest Rd in the mornings some times when there was Meandering Way, a much less traveled road, just a block to the east.

yoderman

Ohio & Hedgecox to the Ti campus at 75 & 635. Looks like Meandering way is good, but getting to there is the biggest hurdle. Without having ridden it yet (my bike should be here Friday), I am expecting to start sometime between 6 and 7 AM and return between 4 and 5 PM. Any suggestions?

Know a good LBS as well? My last shop was https://www.rideyourbike.com, and I am hoping to find something similar.

StephenH

I have seen people steered to the commuter area on DORBA- check around over there, too.

https://www.dorba2.com/

mugatu

i live just off meandering near campbell
you can ride the meandering trail south until it hits belt line, at that point just stay on meandering until you hit spring grove
go right
then left on laurel woods which will put you at the park where the white rock lake trail begins
you can take that well into downtown

scoami

What part of TI will you be working at? I'm at DMOS6 myself. There's a couple bike shops near where you will be. One in Plano https://planocycling.com/ on the Northeast corner of US 75 and 18th, and one in Richardson https://bikemart.com/ on the Southeast corner of Coit and Campbell. Welcome to TI.

tcs

You gotta decide where you want to cross the Bush. Some riders recomend Ohio, but I found the limited sight distances along that four lane, shoulderless, fairly high speed street to be less than ideal. The cross at Independence/Waterview is OK, but you have to ride those big thoroughfares for quite a ways to use that crossing.

My decission has been that Custer is the best of a bad lot. You don't have to ride it very far north, and south of the Bush it's actually pretty calm. It's straight and wide as well.

Based on riding Plano and Richardson for the last 30 years, I'd probably go (southbound): Quincy-Home-Old Pond-Archgate-Southgate-Preston Meadow-Denham-Builtmore-Sailmaker-Mission Ridge-Landershire-Round Rock-Maple Leaf-Stratford-Mollimar/Cloister-Wilson/Westlake-Custer-Westwood-Weatherred/Goldmark-Midpark.

If you don't want to run the signal headed northbound on Stratford at Park, take a book to read while you wait for a green light.

HTH,
tcs

cuda2k

Richardson Bikemart (Locations in Frisco and Dallas as well as the main Richardson location at Coit & Campbell) and Plano Cycling & Fitness (18th street & I75) are both good shops. There is also a Performance Bike at Spring Creek & I75 which I stop at for some small stuff as it is now the closest shop to me.

Custer is a decent road depending on the time of day. I did a short stent as a commuter from Coit & Campbell to 635 & Tollway which is how I found Meandering Way, but I agree that the stretch of Ohio under Bush gets a bit dicey in the morning if the south bound traffic starts picking up.

Oh, and if you're interested in recreational riding on the weekends, be sure to check out the Plano Bicycle Association. You're not far from where we start the rides at Coit & Spring Creek.

cycle16v

Welcome to to Dallas! Looks like the guys already gave you what you're looking for. Good!

There are several routes posted on Mapmyride for the general area.

pathdoc

Welcome to DFW!

jsharr

Welcome to DFW. Sounds like those with the knowledge have sounded in.

j944

Glad to see someone else from the north wet...From Bonney Lake myself..
Looks like they have covered where to go....

yoderman

Thank you to everyone for making this Seattle transplant feel at home. I was beginning to there weren't that many commuters up here, the bike rack at work was empty, save for me.

I rode today, down Ohio to Meandering Way, got lost in Richardson, twice and made it in to work. Not too much glass on the road, but I did find a nasty pothole on Ohio this afternoon. I want to understand the streets a bit more so I can try the route TCS suggested. Meandering and Belt Line (?) was interesting

Did anyone else ride on Ohio and was it bad today? Didn't seem so to me, or the drivers in metro Seattle area are really bad. Seems most people went around me and not too many problems. Perhaps they were just avoiding the crazy person riding in the street.

bigm141414

yoderman,

Welcome to TI. I'm a bike commtuer as well coming in from Coit and Belt Line in Richardson (not much of a commute I know) to the North Campus. There are a few of us commuters around so don't worry. A lot of people stop riding during the summer so it's common to see the bike racks empty. I know when I started commuting last year I was the only one in my building who did but soon others followed. Now during fall and spring I see 3 or 4 bikes parked there.

yoderman

I get the feeling that my xtracycle is going to stick out as well. Does anyone know about cargo rides or family rides here?

dbuhler

Welcome to Plano! I grew up in Federal Way but have now lived here longer than there, although I have still not adjusted to the summers. I hate'm, but have kept commuting.

There are a number of folks from Plano/Allen who commute to TI; I think 4 or 5 or so. Go to www.dorba2.com commuting forum and ask there. You should get some responses from them.

bergerandfries

Here's a name you need to know: Renee Jordan. Reenej at plano.gov

Tell her about the pothole. Ask her about bike commuters in Plano. She's with Parks and Rec, but she's the force behind a whole new effort for improved on-road routes, signage, and she runs a Bike-to-Work Day event. Renee rocks.

As for extra-cycle, yes, you might just be the only one. However, I've got a mt bike that I've been dreaming to convert....