Rank in difficulty austin area trails/segments

[AustinBike]

Yep, that was money well spent. I think that was after he broke his foot on the trail at walnut.

[bear]

On 1/4/2021 at 6:27 PM, throet said:

I can see getting a lot better by riding it frequently and learning good line choices, 

"Emma" is a dominatrix, you don't pay attention she will mostly likely spank you hard when you play.

Of course, some [of us] enjoyed that quite regularly, upon a time.

I also find some of the particular stuff that you find at CP represent pretty perishable skills ... not necessarily used in lots of places ... but always good to have in your pocket.

Also, next time you go I advocate dual two laps ... easygoing by intent on the first lap then relax and do what you feel like on the 2nd ... it's a true life mystery that more 2nd laps are better (smoother, faster, more fun) than first laps; on any given day.

Yes, next time I'm in Austin I will be riding there (I did last time I was in town) ... it may not be everyone's hit list but I have so many damned fond memories (bruises, cuts, broken bikes, broken bones) that I can't stay away when i'm close enough. 

[loop_out]

2 minutes ago, bear said:

I have so many damned fond memories (bruises, cuts, broken bikes, broken bones) that I can't stay away when i'm close enough. 

I've been lucky to avoid serous injuries, but I still have something just beneath the skin on my right arm that appears to be a piece of the broken cedar branch I crashed into on my very first ride there

There is just something about that place.  I'd feel a bit more excitement whenever pulling into the parking area at CP.

[Tree Magnet]

24 minutes ago, bear said:

I have so many damned fond memories (bruises, cuts, broken bikes, broken bones) that I can't stay away when i'm close enough. 

I have a sweet scar over my eye from Emma.  She hits hard but I always leave smiling.

[AustinBike]

I think I have had worse crashes at Walnut than CP, mostly because at CP I was very vigilant 100% of the time and at Walnut I often just goof off on a ride.

That being said, one of my favorite crashes at CP was when I was starting over a ledge. Druber and Craig were standing there and Druber said "you can pretty much take any line, except the one he is doing". Yeah, I heard that and totally ate it. On a line I used to clear all the time. Stuff gets in your head.

[natas1321]

I've been lucky to avoid serous injuries, but I still have something just beneath the skin on my right arm that appears to be a piece of the broken cedar branch I crashed into on my very first ride there
There is just something about that place.  I'd feel a bit more excitement whenever pulling into the parking area at CP.

I have the same thing on my left bicept, odd.

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk

[Sluggo]

On 1/7/2021 at 12:16 AM, natas1321 said:

I have the same thing on my left bicept, odd.

Sent from my moto g(7) supra using Tapatalk
 

Cedar shot 

[B.J.]

I'm just a trail runner and come here just for trail info and to ask the occasional "How annoying are we trail runners when you guys are trying to zoom past" type questions. Here are some random inquiries, just wondering if these trails are hard or more like "meh...", or maybe not for bikes at all or what. (I don't know all the mtb jargon and trail names, so please forgive my newb sounding questions)

+I never see any on the Bull Creek Greenbelt itself. Does anyone actually ride that?
+What about Forest Ridge Preserve/Balconies Preserve?
+I've also never, ever seen any bikes at the River Place Natural Trail. It's entirely plausible that I've just missed the signs that say "no bikes" or "walkers, runners only".
+To my knowledge, almost everyone comes at Mt Lakeway from the north, through Canyonlands. But there are actual mtb-specific trails (not trying to sound as if I'm telling y'all something y'all don't know) on the south side, and the climb from the southside is, I think, longer an with more switchbacks. Is the southside pretty difficult for MTBers compared to the north side?

Forgive me if all this questioning is annoying, thx for anyone who gives their thoughts 🙂

Edited January 12, 2021 by B.J.
Trying to be...helpful?

[B.J.]

And oh, everyone's been talking about the really hard trails. It's easier for me to judge which ones are easy. For some really easy trails, hit up Mary Moore Searight Park in the south, and Williamson County Regional Park in the north. I've only been the Mary Moore twice, but both time the more mtb trails where not crowded at all crowded, and Wilco bike trails are never crowded- so you're not having to dodge unsuspecting kids and dogs.

[RonSurly]

something doesn’t smell right

[Bart]

50 minutes ago, B.J. said:

I'm just a trail runner and come here just for trail info and to ask the occasional "How annoying are we trail runners when you guys are trying to zoom past" type questions. Here are some random inquiries, just wondering if these trails are hard or more like "meh...", or maybe not for bikes at all or what. (I don't know all the mtb jargon and trail names, so please forgive my newb sounding questions)

+I see bikers sometimes at the Valburn trails, but I never see any on the Bull Creek Greenbelt itself. Does anyone actually ride that? There're three or four sections that seem to me, a trail runner, would be almost impossible to get past on a bike, due to stuff like downed trees, 90degree vertical drops/climbs, super slippery rocks, extreme skinniness of trail flanked by ledges and/or extreme;y thick foliage on either side, etc.
+What about Forest Ridge Preserve/Balconies Preserve? Either way you go from the Bull Creek parking lot, you gain lots of elevation rather quick, with some rather large "step ups" (for runners at least).
+I've also never, ever seen any bikes at the River Place Natural Trail. It's entirely plausible that I've just missed the signs that say "no bikes" or "walkers, runners only".
+To my knowledge, almost everyone comes at Mt Lakeway from the north, through Canyonlands. But there are actual mtb-specific trails (not trying to sound as if I'm telling y'all something y'all don't know) on the south side, and the climb from the southside is, I think, longer an with more switchbacks. Is the southside pretty difficult for MTBers compared to the north side?

Forgive me if all this questioning is annoying, thx for anyone who gives their thoughts 🙂

Can you hike at Forest Ridge Preserve? With the Warblers? 

[Charlie193]

10 minutes ago, Bart said:

Can you hike at Forest Ridge Preserve? With the Warblers? 

Think it is open to hikers outside warbler nesting season. Closed to everyone March 1 - July 31.

There might be a course/test you can take to gain access during the closed season- can’t remember the details though.

[AntonioGG]

15 minutes ago, Charlie193 said:

Think it is open to hikers outside warbler nesting season. Closed to everyone March 1 - July 31.

There might be a course/test you can take to gain access during the closed season- can’t remember the details though.

Yes a course and a limited number of permits during nesting season.  No dogs allowed either. 

Edited January 11, 2021 by AntonioGG

[mack_turtle]

1 hour ago, B.J. said:

Forgive me if all this questioning is annoying, thx for anyone who gives their thoughts 🙂

I LOVE hiking at Bull Creek. I've tried to ride it a few times and ended up just carrying my bike through a lot of it. there's just no flow there that I could find. I enjoy a challenging trail, but Bull Creek is generally not rideable.

I don't know about trails at Valburn but it's likely a grey area trail that no one talks about for good reason. you should probably leave it out of the discussion if that is the case.

Forest Ridge is a sore topic for mountain bikers. that was a popular spot before I arrived in Austin and access was taken away. you probably don't want to poke that bear.

I'd like to go hike River Place some time but it's pretty clear that bikes are not allowed.

can't comment on Mt. Lakeway as I have only been there once. I started at the trailhead on Trophy and I think I rode the main trails will all the switchbacks up to the top, down the backside, then road the wide trail back around.

[Kyle]

.

Edited January 11, 2021 by Kyle

[Barry]

Indeed Bull Creek is not a big park, and must be combined with the other "corners" for a decent ride.  I'd put the group of trails at the more difficult end. They're mostly on-par with Double Down in terms of difficulty, but certainly more climbing than that. I like it quite a lot, and try to get over there every couple of months or more.

 

52 minutes ago, mack_turtle said:

I enjoy a challenging trail, but Bull Creek is generally not rideable.

I can't think of anything that isn't rideable. But then, I'm not trying to singlespeed it. 

[mack_turtle]

I'll need to go visit Bull Creek again. IME, all the best hiking stuff involves crouching under rocks and climbing near-vertical walls in many places. the rest is off-limits to bikes. I spent hours and hours trying to find stuff that was not basically a natural bouldering gym when I lived off Far West. there's the main trail along the creek that is not worth riding because it was just flat and boring on a bike. there's a good chance that I didn't find the stuff you are talking about because it's not meant to be found.

[GFisher]

2 hours ago, RonSurly said:

something doesn’t smell right

It is getting really stinky now. 😟

[TheX]

56 minutes ago, GFisher said:

It is getting really stinky now. 😟

Aren't things bad enough without people making things MORE stinky?

[AustinBike]

4 hours ago, B.J. said:

I'm just a trail runner and come here just for trail info and to ask the occasional "How annoying are we trail runners when you guys are trying to zoom past" type questions. Here are some random inquiries, just wondering if these trails are hard or more like "meh...", or maybe not for bikes at all or what. (I don't know all the mtb jargon and trail names, so please forgive my newb sounding questions)

+I see bikers sometimes at the Valburn trails, but I never see any on the Bull Creek Greenbelt itself. Does anyone actually ride that? There're three or four sections that seem to me, a trail runner, would be almost impossible to get past on a bike, due to stuff like downed trees, 90degree vertical drops/climbs, super slippery rocks, extreme skinniness of trail flanked by ledges and/or extreme;y thick foliage on either side, etc.
+What about Forest Ridge Preserve/Balconies Preserve? Either way you go from the Bull Creek parking lot, you gain lots of elevation rather quick, with some rather large "step ups" (for runners at least).
+I've also never, ever seen any bikes at the River Place Natural Trail. It's entirely plausible that I've just missed the signs that say "no bikes" or "walkers, runners only".
+To my knowledge, almost everyone comes at Mt Lakeway from the north, through Canyonlands. But there are actual mtb-specific trails (not trying to sound as if I'm telling y'all something y'all don't know) on the south side, and the climb from the southside is, I think, longer an with more switchbacks. Is the southside pretty difficult for MTBers compared to the north side?

Forgive me if all this questioning is annoying, thx for anyone who gives their thoughts 🙂

Actually we (at least me) like trail runners, you guys are never annoying, I think we are all probably cut from the same cloth. The ones on the trails that annoy us are the ones who cut down the technical challenges and try to make things easier.

Valburn stuff is called "---- trail" in our world. I've met --- a few times, he's really chill. He's a trail runner, not a biker but he is cool with bikes being on his property. Whenever we ride there, we always give runners the right of way because, um, it's their world and we're just visitors. It is a connection to some other trails in the area, not a primary destination in most cases.

Forest Ridge - don't go there. We've been banned from there due to the warblers. Apparently a bike rolling by startles their delicate sensitivity. But the other large habitat, near Ft. Hood, seems do do fine with artillery practice. Must be the particular sound of our tire vs. explosions....

River Place is a private trail and they specifically say no bikes. If you own the property you get to make the rules. Based on the "steps" system that they have in place, I'd never want to ride a bike there.

All of the trails at Lakeway are well understood by the community. Parking at Canyonlands allows you to do both Mt. Lakeway and the Hamilton Greenbelt so for those of us that like the longer day of riding, it's a better option. Some other reasons are there that I won't get into on a public site.

 

[circuitbreaker]

4 hours ago, B.J. said:

I'm just a trail runner and come here just for trail info and to ask the occasional "How annoying are we trail runners when you guys are trying to zoom past" type questions. Here are some random inquiries, just wondering if these trails are hard or more like "meh...", or maybe not for bikes at all or what. (I don't know all the mtb jargon and trail names, so please forgive my newb sounding questions)

+I see bikers sometimes at the Valburn trails, but I never see any on the Bull Creek Greenbelt itself. Does anyone actually ride that? There're three or four sections that seem to me, a trail runner, would be almost impossible to get past on a bike, due to stuff like downed trees, 90degree vertical drops/climbs, super slippery rocks, extreme skinniness of trail flanked by ledges and/or extreme;y thick foliage on either side, etc.
+What about Forest Ridge Preserve/Balconies Preserve? Either way you go from the Bull Creek parking lot, you gain lots of elevation rather quick, with some rather large "step ups" (for runners at least).
+I've also never, ever seen any bikes at the River Place Natural Trail. It's entirely plausible that I've just missed the signs that say "no bikes" or "walkers, runners only".
+To my knowledge, almost everyone comes at Mt Lakeway from the north, through Canyonlands. But there are actual mtb-specific trails (not trying to sound as if I'm telling y'all something y'all don't know) on the south side, and the climb from the southside is, I think, longer an with more switchbacks. Is the southside pretty difficult for MTBers compared to the north side?

Forgive me if all this questioning is annoying, thx for anyone who gives their thoughts 🙂

Regarding Bull Creek Greenbelt, its good to ride, but not alot of people do. i think because its not that interesting, unless you link it up to surrounding trails. I've been avoiding it personally during the pandemic, because of foot traffic.

https://www.trailforks.com/region/bull-creek-greenbelt/

 

No bikes in Balcones Preserve. (although for the first time i saw two people biking there this weekend on gravel rigs)

No bikes at Riverplace, its hiking only

at mt lakeway, i ride the north side and the southside.

Edited January 11, 2021 by circuitbreaker

[Tree Magnet]

6 hours ago, B.J. said:

I'm just a trail runner and come here just for trail info and to ask the occasional "How annoying are we trail runners when you guys are trying to zoom past" type questions. 🙂

I think that you'll find that almost every mountain biker is fine with trail runners.  We pretty much view everyone through the same lens with the following factors impacting our opinion:

1. Does that trail user respect the trail?  
   • Don't modify it to suit your sport or skill level
   • Help maintain it (join workdays, support the builders, etc.)
   • Don't litter and clean up after yourself (trail markings, etc)
2. Does that trail user respect the other people on the trail?
   • Don't play music on both earbuds where you can't hear someone behind you
   • Don't pass people dangerously
3. Does that trail user respect the land owner?
   • Don't do anything to jeopardize the relationship between the trail user community and the land owner.

I think that pretty much sums it up.  I'd love it if a big group of trail runners came out to a workday (when those happen again) and contributed to maintaining trails.  You see it on occasion and it's greatly appreciated!

[WhoAmI]

4 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

I LOVE hiking at Bull Creek. I've tried to ride it a few times and ended up just carrying my bike through a lot of it. there's just no flow there that I could find. I enjoy a challenging trail, but Bull Creek is generally not rideable.

 

Can you pinpoint where this un-rideable trail is?  I've been riding the Bull Creek greenbelt and surrounding trails since 1992 and would love to see some new-to-me trail!

[TheX]

I have never had a single issue with a trail runner.

[GFisher]

39 minutes ago, WhoAmI said:

Can you pinpoint where this un-rideable trail is?  I've been riding the Bull Creek greenbelt and surrounding trails since 1992 and would love to see some new-to-me trail!

Please use pms. The vast majority of that is private property and/or unauthorized. And you can't ride far without crossing multiple property lines so no one person or entity has any real say. Treat it like you want it to be there in a year or 5 and maybe it will be.