My mountain bike was stolen last summer. Although I still have a road bike and a cruiser bike (and a unicycle), I missed having a mountain bike.
The urge finally bubbled over today and I walked to my local bike shop, Buck's Bikes, and I bought myself a hybrid mountain bike. I rode home to drop off the paper work, removed the plastic ring around the big ring, and added a water cage. Within 15 minutes, I took off to do some exploring on my new bike.
I rode towards downtown with the intention of looking at the art sculpture at the Baca Center. I thought I had read something about that, but downtown traffic was heavier than I expected. I cut around on Baghdad and rode by the Baca Center but there was nothing. I wasn't disappointed though. I rode around the back. Instead of riding into the parking garage, I rode my bike on the grass and around the back of the building. I was able to ride up onto the small stage and continue riding around the back of the Baca Center. I shot back under Baghdad and rode toward the dog park. I didn't turn left on that small road that goes directly to the park. Instead, I rode over the tracks and went straight to the three-way stop. I turned left there and enjoyed the pull of the downward slope to the bottom of the next intersection. This led me to the park and I rode by the dog park.
Past the park is the Colonial Apartments and I rode the utility road to it and at the locked gate I turned right. Someone had beaten down a path to the right so I use it for my bike. This leads to the scenic sidewalk that goes around the apartments to the right. Well, I saw a washoff area that was marked by a roll of boulders wrapped in chicken wire. Its some kind of flood control method. I walked my bike over that and then I rode down the washoff path. People use it, you can tell. It was still a bit soggy but I didn't fall. This leads to a creek section that has a cement waterfall. I rode carefully but my tire gripped it well. I was afraid it would be slippery. I liked that part. I shot out on the other side onto a large gravel road of caliche rocks, and they were loose under the tires. It lead right up a slope. I couldn't ride straight up it so I followed the curve of the hill to the left until I got to the top. It's that new section of houses that can be seen from A.W. Grimes, on its west side, after the Colonial Apartments.
There was a sidewalk and a new road. I Uturned and took the sidewalk as far as it went. It veered to the right into a new small public park. I followed the side walk for a bit and it was a very beautiful section of the creek. The sidewalk ended and it became that same loose caliche rock road. But this was the other end of the road. I took it all the way back to the cemented creek section to make sure. It was. I rode up the hill again and this time I rode past the park. From the sidewalk, there was an opening that led to the park; this time I just kept following the sidewalk. I could have just as easily been on the street.
The sidewalk ended at a barricade but there was a path around it on either end. It was a dead end street that lead me directly onto Green Lawn. I rode up the road a block or two and turned left on Logan, and I rode that all the way back to Ridge Crest Drive. That took me to a 3-way stop, but I was at the top of a steep hill. I turned left and shot down the hill and came up on that first 3-way I had ridden through before. (Last time I had ridden on Burnet and turned left on Deerfoot. This time I was coming from Ridge Crest and I had turned left onto Deerfoot which shot through that 3way. I passed in front of the public pool and curved left. This took me back to Burnet and downtown was a right and a left to the parking lot.
This was a good ride. I was surprised how much off road I could get in without leaving down town Round Rock. I'll have to log it, and create a map, and check the miles and invite some friends on this one. I hope this one attracts some people. I really enjoyed it.
The urge finally bubbled over today and I walked to my local bike shop, Buck's Bikes, and I bought myself a hybrid mountain bike. I rode home to drop off the paper work, removed the plastic ring around the big ring, and added a water cage. Within 15 minutes, I took off to do some exploring on my new bike.
I rode towards downtown with the intention of looking at the art sculpture at the Baca Center. I thought I had read something about that, but downtown traffic was heavier than I expected. I cut around on Baghdad and rode by the Baca Center but there was nothing. I wasn't disappointed though. I rode around the back. Instead of riding into the parking garage, I rode my bike on the grass and around the back of the building. I was able to ride up onto the small stage and continue riding around the back of the Baca Center. I shot back under Baghdad and rode toward the dog park. I didn't turn left on that small road that goes directly to the park. Instead, I rode over the tracks and went straight to the three-way stop. I turned left there and enjoyed the pull of the downward slope to the bottom of the next intersection. This led me to the park and I rode by the dog park.
Past the park is the Colonial Apartments and I rode the utility road to it and at the locked gate I turned right. Someone had beaten down a path to the right so I use it for my bike. This leads to the scenic sidewalk that goes around the apartments to the right. Well, I saw a washoff area that was marked by a roll of boulders wrapped in chicken wire. Its some kind of flood control method. I walked my bike over that and then I rode down the washoff path. People use it, you can tell. It was still a bit soggy but I didn't fall. This leads to a creek section that has a cement waterfall. I rode carefully but my tire gripped it well. I was afraid it would be slippery. I liked that part. I shot out on the other side onto a large gravel road of caliche rocks, and they were loose under the tires. It lead right up a slope. I couldn't ride straight up it so I followed the curve of the hill to the left until I got to the top. It's that new section of houses that can be seen from A.W. Grimes, on its west side, after the Colonial Apartments.
There was a sidewalk and a new road. I Uturned and took the sidewalk as far as it went. It veered to the right into a new small public park. I followed the side walk for a bit and it was a very beautiful section of the creek. The sidewalk ended and it became that same loose caliche rock road. But this was the other end of the road. I took it all the way back to the cemented creek section to make sure. It was. I rode up the hill again and this time I rode past the park. From the sidewalk, there was an opening that led to the park; this time I just kept following the sidewalk. I could have just as easily been on the street.
The sidewalk ended at a barricade but there was a path around it on either end. It was a dead end street that lead me directly onto Green Lawn. I rode up the road a block or two and turned left on Logan, and I rode that all the way back to Ridge Crest Drive. That took me to a 3-way stop, but I was at the top of a steep hill. I turned left and shot down the hill and came up on that first 3-way I had ridden through before. (Last time I had ridden on Burnet and turned left on Deerfoot. This time I was coming from Ridge Crest and I had turned left onto Deerfoot which shot through that 3way. I passed in front of the public pool and curved left. This took me back to Burnet and downtown was a right and a left to the parking lot.
This was a good ride. I was surprised how much off road I could get in without leaving down town Round Rock. I'll have to log it, and create a map, and check the miles and invite some friends on this one. I hope this one attracts some people. I really enjoyed it.
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