Oct. 17th, You're Invited

Everyone, that includes fixed gear riders, cruisers, 3 speeders, tandem riders, roadies, families, and even funky recumbent riders, you are all invited to Fort Worth on Saturday, October 17th, for a leisurely, slow paced, ride around Fort Worth. The ride is free. We will start at 10 AM at the Texas & Pacific (T&P) railway station located at 221 W. Lancaster Ave. in Fort Worth. Hopefully, with the start being at the train station, riders from other areas of the metroplex will be encouraged to attend. Here's a link to the train schedule.

The ride, which still has yet to be named, is being organized by a group of Dallas/ Fort Worth area bike bloggers. We're still working out some of the minor details, but here's what we have come up with so far:

The ride will be a total of 13 miles or less with few small hills if any.

We will ride south from downtown to Magnolia Avenue stopping briefly at Panther City Bicycles.

We'll then be heading south through the Fairmont area over to Colonel's Bicycles near TCU for another quick visit.

The route will then take us north on the Trinity Trails to our main destination, lunch at La Familia (for you vegetarians, La Familia serves veggie tacos and chalupas).

We will then make the short ride back through downtown to the final stop at the Fort Worth Water Gardens. The Water Gardens are just a stones throw away from the T&P station.

If you've never ridden in Fort Worth before this is a great opportunity to ride along with some locals and catch some interesting sights that you probably wouldn't find while riding on your own.

I will post ride updates throughout the week. Keep checking back. This should be fun.

On a Quest for Coffee

Work and family obligations have conspired all week to keep me from riding or blogging. I took advantage of the free time I had this afternoon and headed out the door with the intent of having a cup of coffee at the Spiral Diner, Fort Worth's only vegan restaurant. I'm not a vegan but I'm always looking for a good cup of coffee. 

I did something I've never done on a ride before, I wore jeans. I wore the removable padded liner from a pair of mountain bike short under my jeans which made for a comfortable ride.

I rode through the TCU campus rather than take the Trinity Trails.

I took a break near a building on Cantey Street that I believe is the TCU art department.

That baby head is kind of freaky!

I thought this was a stencil of Obama when I was riding toward the sign. I don't know who that is, maybe Henry Rollins? My wife thinks that it looks like the Janitor from Scrubs.

Riding on Cantey crossing 8th Avenue.

There are lots of nice old wood frame houses being remodeled in this area south of Magnolia Avenue.

Here's a fixer upper.

I arrived at Spiral Diner and discovered that the place was packed full. I didn't want to wait that long for a cup of coffee so I left. I walked next door to Panther City Bicycles and bought a t shirt. This is a new business just across the street.

This place caught my eye as I was riding north on Jennings towards downtown.

Riding under Interstate 30 on Jennings.

The view of downtown north of IH-30.

I settled for a cup of coffee from the Starbucks at Sundance Square. We seriously need some new coffee houses in Fort Worth. 

Fort Worth P.D. bike patrol officers

I came across this nice Bridgestone XO-1 while riding through Trinity park on my way home.

My last break near the Trinity River before arriving at my house.