Visiting Houston. Where to ride?
 

I am going to Houston next week on a contract job for 6 weeks. I was there a year ago and found the trail next to what I recall as a small riverbed? It runs next to N Braeswood Blvd. It was fine but I am wondering if there are any roads that have bike lanes or where can one go for a long ride. I am staying across from the NRG/Astrodome.

Here is the map area. TIA. PS. I am working at HLSR. Ride em cowboy.

Several rides are advertised on CL. The ride of the Barrio , for one. I visited week before last and I googled rides in Houston. There were several. The weather was dreary that week and turned sunny the day we left. I still rode every day.

For trails around the Houston area look at Greater Houston Off-Road Biking Association
My website Texbiker.net has the Texas bicycling events. You could find rides there. For road rides the Houston Bicycle Club has a list of upcoming rides.

Thanks for the input. Any other suggestions for decent roads or bike lanes near the Astrodome or do I need to get further out for a solo safe ride? As I recall the road surfaces were a bit rough but I will mount some larger tires on my road bike.

I spent the last two summers in houston bike commuting for teacher training. There are some very nice rides at LBS's. Not many start downtown where you are. Google bike shops, then find some rides that fit your schedule. There was one pretty much any day of the week. One of my favs was the West End Bikes which isn't too far from you.

Also, throw some Vittoria Randonneur Cross 700x28 (they won't actually be that wide) tires on your C'dale (or take a CX if you have one not listed in your sig), then take the Buffalo Bayou trail up to Memorial Park and hit the trails. It's fun watching kids on 29ers eyes pop when you ride up out of a gully on a road bike (I rode a '97 Klein Stage Comp). Nothing you can't handle in there (especially after a few beers at the Flying Saucer to make you brave ;)

For a nice long solo, get up really early and head south on old Galveston Road. You can so a nice century to Galveston and back. Should be great weather this time of year (summer was too hot and humid for this mountain boy).

Roads aren't horrible, it's more the debris you need to watch out for. But do keep an eye out for gaps when in a pack. Saw people go down twice from that. Bike lanes are a joke and typically only on one side of a road (eg - take a bike lane out, find a different route home because the first bike lane won't take you back). That being said, I never had any problems with cars. I was quite nervous coming from a town of 20,000 to one of 4mil+, but got over it quickly.

Bike over to Beaver's, the Hay Merchant or Witchcraft for some great bar food and beers. Go a bit further to the Filling Station for a fantastic beer selection (good CA beers) and more good food. You will be sorry if you don't go to either Karbach (my fav) or St Arnold's for brewery tours. Catch a hockey game downtown at the Maple Leaf. If you want to eat the $#!t out of a 16oz steak, head over to the Community Wine Bar Tuesday night (not as chichi as it sounds).

That should keep you busy.

Thanks for all the good info. I am taking the '81 Trek 716 which has a modern 105 drivetrain and 32c Gatorskins. Some nice wide bars with brifters will do nicely on the sport touring geo.