# Question for Ft Worth area fixed-gear riders...



## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

What terrain in the Ft Worth/Benbrook/Crowley/Aledo/Arlington/etc area do you routinely ride on your fixie? I'm not really asking what you can ride in a pinch, but which roads, trails, locations do you typically ride for training/commuting/recreation? Thanks!


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

fougasg said:


> What terrain in the Ft Worth/Benbrook/Crowley/Aledo/Arlington/etc area do you routinely ride on your fixie? I'm not really asking what you can ride in a pinch, but which roads, trails, locations do you typically ride for training/commuting/recreation? Thanks!


Trinity trails are great for fixed riding... I'm on them at least once per week.. Check out the Fort Worth designated bike routes too...


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## Chris H (Jul 7, 2005)

> What terrain in the Ft Worth/Benbrook/Crowley/Aledo/Arlington/etc area do you routinely ride on your fixie?


Um, everything.

Any particular area you're curious about? I've pretty much ridden them all. Even Burleson, however that one isn't that much fun. Not that it's sketchy, just full of drivers that really don't know how to act around cyclist. Being car free (or car light technically as my wife still has a car that I never get to use) will really make you familiar with a town.

I mainly stick to my home base area, Downtown and Near Southside. However, I've ridden Arlington a time or two (hated it).

The downtown streets are great for fixed gear. Actually my favorite place to ride my fixed gear. It's nice and mostly flat, easy to get around, and I can get anywhere faster than a car can (when you figure in parking, etc...). I'm downtown all the time, as it's the closest for me to do most of my recreational stuff (movies, bookstore, lunchtime dining, post office, library). 

I also go to the Montgomery Ward Target off 7th all the time for shopping as it's the closest Target, and if I go to the one by Hulen I'm pretty much asking to die. I've done it, but I don't like to make a habit of it. Hulen Mall is not a big deal, as I come in off South and cut in through the back side (gotta get my Sears fix in from time to time), but I don't like going over to Bryant Irvin (Target, Aademy, Lowe's, etc...) as there's no real safe route to it.

Ridgmar is great, as you can cut through Arlington Heights and parallell I-30 all the way over. Cut behind that Best Buy off Green Oaks and I-30 and it's a nice fast downhill from that stoplight all the way into the mall parking lot. I mainly go there because the Rave is a pretty good theater and I'll meet friends for afternoon movies from time to time. Pretty hilly though. Yes, I said it's hilly. Not terrible, but it's noticable for a fixed gear that lives in Fort Worth.

Also important of note: It is far easier for me to lock up downtown and the immediate area (near Southside and near Westside) as opposed to Hulen, Ridgmar, Burleson, Lake Worth, etc... The closer I get to the suburbs, the harder it is to find a place to lock up securely. And Central Market has two great bike racks both within sight of that fantastic patio. One of my favorite places to meet friends for lunch, or a Thursday night when they have live music.


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## Slartibartfast (Jul 22, 2007)

Thanks, Chris. I forget that folks who use their bikes for transportation ride them pretty much everywhere. You covered all the urban/suburban areas I was thinking about. (I've noticed the same thing about Burleson drivers -- Crowley too. For some reason Benbrook/Aledo is more bike-friendly.)

Do you ever ride the Lake Benbrook park roads, FM 1187 between Crowley and Benbrook, or the Aledo/Annetta area?


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## Chris H (Jul 7, 2005)

I've ridden the Lake Benbrook roads quite a bit, mainly from the Trinity Trail to Holiday Park (although I haven't done it lately as I'm loathe to pay a dollar to cut through the park). If I'm headed out towards Aledo I usually cut across through that neighborhood across the street from the Benbrook YMCA off Winscott by Dutch Branch. It basically turns into Lakeway and I turn left on Westpark. It ends at 2871 and all of Aledo is now at your fingertips.

Haven't done 1187 much, mostly with the Rusty Chain Gang guys. Nothing like getting your butt handed to you by a bunch of Octagenarians (some younger, but most are still a bit long in the tooth). I know they ride that area quite a bit. Mostly from Columbus Trail all the way down to Keene and everything in between.

Just get on out there and have fun.


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