Cycling in the Beaumont/Houston Area
 

I'm new to TX. I just moved to a small town near Beaumont. There is NO cycling community here. I think I'm the only one here that has an actual road bike. I'm wondering if there are any locals on the forum that might know about cycling groups or clubs in the area. My boss lives in Beaumont, and rides his bike on a regular basis, and his boss also bikes. But as far as I know, they're weekend warriors and don't have time other than the casual ride around town.

In addition, I've been informed multiple times that the summer here is a BEOTCH. I guess that would mean extra water bottle cages. But I'm also curious what it's going to be like. Is it really that bad?

Yes, it's really that bad. There is a cycling community in Beaumont, you just need to find it. (what town did you move to?) There are a lot of road bike riders (waves hand) too.
Try asking at Bicycle Sports on 11th street and I10 near Red Lobster. They have rides on weekends. Also there is a ride in June, the Spindletop Fun Run. Not at home or I'd give you a link.

I moved to Orange, where I work. The town is pretty ghetto, and empty. And yea I heard about that ride in June! It's featured in 15, 30, 45 and 100 miles or something like that?

Don't know about Orange, I'm in Nederland. We have a few riders and commuters but not that much here.
This might help you: http://www.funtrails.org/
http://www.spindletopspin.com
http://www.bicyclesports.com/

Poor sucker. Where did you live before, and what evil spirit or corporation sent you to the Texas gulf coast?

You are in for a rude surprise. The summer weather is that bad, and worse than what you imagine. Especially if you're from out west. Really, you've landed in the pits. I know, I'm right next door in Louisiana (also the pits, but the wife's family is from here and she'll never leave).

Oh yeah, summer lasts about 10 months out the year along the Gulf Coast. It's starting now.

A couple of water bottle cages is okay. You just need a 100-oz camelbak to go with them. Put ice + water in the camelbak, ice + gatorade in the water bottles. Carry a sweat rag or sweatband or something to keep sweat off your glasses if needed.

I grew up in Clute, farther down the coast from you. It was actually cooler there than in Dallas, but with 100% humidity all the time, it didnt feel like it. Prepare to sweat a lot. Prepare to start slapping mosquitoes if you stop at the wrong time/place.
That is Bubba country. It's tempting to stay in the AC 24/7 eating pancakes and sausage, which'll get you the Bubba physique, so don't get trapped in that. Get out and ride anyway. You'll get better acclimated to the heat and humidity if you're out in it, stay inside all the time, and you'll melt when you do go out.

The local randonneuring club (in Houston) actually rides out of Brookshire, which is on the opposite side of Houston from you. But if you do some of their rides, you get to explore farther inland.

Right now is a good time to be riding there, while all the northerners are shoveling snow and stuff.

Oh yeah, there's also a "Texas" subforum up there somewhere, look it up.

My "evil corporation" provides valuable consumer goods to people like you. It's called nylon

Anyway, I'm not crazy about driving over 100 miles to get into a group ride.

you work for du pont on chemical row?
i lived in orange for 2 years, 69-71. it was a great town, then. evabody had a job, lotsa industry.
damn shame most everything shut down.
i rode my bike everywhere.
careful of the tracks across green avenue and along front street (if they're still there).

oh yea... they still there, i feel them every morning going to work. but yea, i work at invista, which used to be dupont

and in the last tree weeks, i was approached on 2 separate occasions by a guy asking for money for food and gas. i gave em 20 bucks. it sucks here...

and they did warn me about going across the tracks. says someone broke his arm once riding to work.

Looks like there's a bike shop in Beaumont, one in Lake Charles- check with them if they know of any area group rides.

I've seen people post ads on Craigslist looking for a group, as well. That assumes there's enough buy/sell activity on the Bike section to have anyone reading it.

Tour de Rouge makes a big half-circle around Orange, if that means anything. But, that route might be some places to check out. (It goes Houston to New Orleans, and they have an Elevation Profile you can look at, too, probably shows every overpass along the way!)

http://tourdurouge.org/SourceDocs/20..._Stops_v2x.pdf

There are two in Beaumont, although it looks like a Trek storefront: http://kickstandbikeshop.com/
The other one I posted is more of a Specialized store but has a lot more selection in other brands and I think a bigger shop.

yea, I went to kickstand a couple of days ago. I thought the store was pretty small.

you'll do fine. Just get out in it now, stay out in it every day and by the end of the summer you'll be almost acclimated. Carry lots of water. In the worst of the summer you find out that's there are 3 choices: die, adapt or sit around and ***** all the time. Choose to adapt. The winters make up for it. You really can ride all year here. Also, watch for Bike Around the Bay in the fall.