Houston Rides
There are probably very few people who would choose as their dream bicycle destination, Houston, Texas. Yet, many of us find ourselves in Houston for reasons of business, conferences, meetings, conventions, or, as was the case with us recently, a new grand baby. We have been working with several Houston bike shops on seasonal/reciprocal group rides: Houston in winter, Boston in summer. While most of us don’t get to choose when to go, the lucky ones will be there in the winter when the temperatures are generally in the mid-sixties. Getting out of a nasty New England winter is a big plus. And, if you’re in Houston, it’s necessary for your mental health to get out of the air conditioning and into the fresh air.
First of all, we recommend you fly into the more easily navigable Hobby rather than the very large and hectic George Bush airport. There are hotels galore – look online and see what you like. We find the Mariotte’s there very clean and BIG (Everything is big in Houston) and surprisingly not that expensive. There are over fifty(!) bike shops in the greater Houston area as well as several bike clubs that hold weekly rides.
On our recent trip in October, we rented a couple of bicycles from some friendly folks at Bike Barn Buffalo Bayou Rentals near the Brays Bayou of all places.
We started out in one direction but ended up turning around as part of it was under construction. The trail itself is in good shape – asphalt, paved – and it runs along the Brays Bayou (a bayou, for you northerners, is basically a slow moving stream) in southwestern Houston, running through neighborhoods, universities, and even mid trail the Houston Zoo and the city’s museum district. It was nice to get out on bicycles and the day was stellar. We wore our street clothes. Quite a few road crossings involving intersections and heavy traffic impeded our progress at first. There are traffic lights; however, we do recommend making eye contact with the drivers before crossing rather than trusting the lights. The trail improved as we went west with neat suburban homes on our left and the bayou with flowers and wild grasses to our right. We didn’t have much time, so we only rode maybe twelve miles. The total path length is is 33.8 miles so you could easily make a day of it.
Buffalo Bayou Park is a 160 acre green space located just west of downtown Houston. The bike trail stretches 15 miles and is fully paved. It includes beautiful gardens and pristine landscaping, hike and bike trails, bike rentals, dog park, public art, two visitor centers, many places to picnic and relax and plenty of eating places to choose from. One of the nicest things about this trail is even though you are surrounded by magnificent views of skyscrapers, you don’t have to cross streets; there are
bridges and underpasses that allow you to stay on your bike! I particularly appreciated the unique sculptures and outdoor art along the trail. You do need to watch out for pedestrians and rollerbladers; it’s a popular trail! There are two bike rental shops nearby: Bike Barn at The Water Works and Houston BCycle.
