Is Texas MTB comparable to Road riding?
So I came across a video yesterday while at work. It has this guy Johan in it that is a pro or semi-pro mountain bike racer. He got his start mountain biking in Texas and then moved away to Pennsylvania. Well, when he was asked what it was like to mountain bike in Texas he said it was like road riding.
Ouch!
Here is his video where he makes such outrageous accusations.
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Texas MTB is NOT Road Riding
I can definitely understand his misconception about Texas mountain biking, but lets face it we are seriously blessed with some great trails here in Texas. Every major metropolitan city in the state has multiple trails, each with their own character and challenges. Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, El Paso… Every one has a network of great mountain bike trails. I get it that we don’t have any real mountains through most of the state, but the trails that we do have are excellent. Just check out trails like my favorites, Northshore and Big Ceder Wilderness Trail, you definitely won’t think that mountain biking here is easy and certainly not like road riding. Head to Reveille Peak Ranch and you’ll find 60+ miles of killer singletrack and incredible views (still dying to experience this one first hand).
Reveille Peak Ranch Mountain Biking
Go down to Palo Duro Canyon State park and bike through the second largest canyon in the United States.
Palo Duro Canyon Mountain Biking
We already have enough challenges just from people in our own cities. If you tell someone that you’re a mountain biker, 4 times out of 5 they will give you a dumbfounded look and ask “where do you mountain bike, there are no mountains?”
Look you MTB hating jokers, Texas mountain biking rocks. We don’t care what you say.
Get out today and fill someone in on how awesome mountain biking is, especially here in Texas. Or leave your thoughts on the Texas Mountain Bike Trails Facebook page. Lets get the rest of the state on a bike and amped about riding.
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{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Add Kelly Creek and San Antonio Ranch to that list and you’ve got the most challenging trails in the state that I’ve seen. There’s at least 10-20% of any one of those trails that the average in shape racer could not clear without walking/hiking. True, the climbs may not be Colorado long, but severity makes up the difference in difficulty.
I was talking with some friends this weekend about how different the climbing is here versus Colorado, Utah, etc. I don’t have personal experience as I haven’t ridden anywhere but Texas and now Arkansas, but everyone says that the climbs are completely different.
We have such short, punchy, anaerobic climbs while trails in Colorado, Utah etc are much longer climbs that keep you climbing steady grades for 1-2 miles.
Thanks for recommending Kelly Creek and San Antonio Ranch, I will have to get there soon to check them out.
You’ll have to ask a trusted local about San Antonio Ranch. It’s basically the back side of Hill Country State Natural Area. I believe it was named after the subdivision. Ask about the seven sisters climb and expect to never defeat it. If you can find it, it’s like the hill of life at the end of Zilker park in Austin, except more vertical with Emma Long style stair steps going up.
Kelly Creek is just fun both up and down. I haven’t been there in years, but it’s brutally fun.
LOL! That sounds like one heck of a climb. Are you on Twitter? I may have to look you up for a tour guide when I make it toward those.
Being an avid Road Rider, and MTBer., No, Texas mountain biking is NOT like riding the road. Well, I guess it is a point of from where you ride. I do most of my riding in the Hill Country. We may not have long mountain climbs, but there is a constant gain and loss of elevation in this area. Our climbs here may be shorter than those in other mountain areas of the U.S., but (for the most part) are steeper (avg gradient) and with a loose “baby head” rock terrain, much more difficult to climb. The single track in a lot of areas is screaming fast, and twisty. Makes for a head up ride. And our technical trails (ie Emma Long in Austin) are some of my fav places to ride anywhere. Ive ridden and raced all over, and yes, you can climb a longer, less steep mountain elsewhere, but to say the experience is like road riding.., well, Let me take you on some “Hill Country” trails. I suggest “Flat Rock Ranch”, Emma Long Park”, “Tapatio Springs”, “Camp Eagle”, “Govt Canyon”, etc….
I should add that yes, riding in PARTS of Tx are very flat, and not very challenging, but with a state this large, the question is very area specific.
It’s not to judge his opinion but probably he never meet yet some of his good buddies like our friends. However, he misses Texas…in my opinion roady may not comes on my doors steps! mountain biking/single tracking is the passion I dream on! few best single track that i rode are as follows: IDB, Johnson Branch, Northshore, Cross Timbers these are the trails that makes me awake and perfect to keep my adrenaline stirred up!
Those are some great trails! Thank you for your feedback, I can tell you have a serious single-track passion.
Okay texas mountain biking flat? Texas mountain biking it’s like road riding? As in a smooth surface? Texas is so fast That from the tip of brownsville To the top of the pan handle, it is a thousand miles. there are 5 different geo graphical zones in texas from the valley up into the central texas hill country and across the high plateau western deserts, the elevation of climbs more than 3000 feet-and average 1900 feet across across much of the popular hill country riding spots. What is the average elevation of the appalachians through western pennsylvania? They are certainly steep, rough of road riding, but the average elevations are pretty close. East and the valley are pretty damn flat but central texas and west texas are definitely not. Let’s not also forget the big bend mountains’ the davis mountain range and the franklin’s mountains how far west texas
Wow! You did some research on that one Joe! Thanks for commenting and you are absolutely right.
Obviously he’s never ridden Big Bend Ranch State Park. ‘Nuff said.
We are overwhelmed with excellent trails here. He probably spent all his time on the Ray Roberts Green Belt…