What was the first trail you rode in Austin?

[WhoAmI]

And how long ago was that?

What do you remember thinking about it at the time, and what do you think about that trail now?

Do you still ride that trail?

[Bart]

Came up from Houston in 1991 on my brand new GT "Team Avalanche" and we rode up and down Forest Ridge which I thought was the coolest thing ever and was hooked from there. Had to stay in Houston and ride the Anthills and Memorial Park before moving to Austin in 05. Still miss the FR.

[hurronnicane]

For me it was the Barton Creek Greenbelt in 1988.  I started my riding days in Wimberley on trails that my friends and I made so it was eye opening to see real trails and see riders other than ourselves.  I’ve always gone back there some but it has not been my main trail system.  

Edited September 24, 2023 by hurronnicane
added date

[rockshins]

My first real trail ride was at Forest Ridge as well! ‘94 on my Rockhopper. Rode up from bull creek. It was such a great trail and had good elevation. Crashed into barbed wired and got a cut on my stomach. Luckily had my tetanus shot before that. Loved that trail. RIP. Still ride once in a blue moon over at St. Ed’s. 

[JRIDER]

Bcgb in 98 on my trek 7000.  But i definitely got hooked onto mountain biking when I was introduced to forest ridge later that year which was near work for me.  Pretty much stopped mountain biking when FR was shut down and then i heard about this new trail Deception around 2014.  Been riding since.

[AntonioGG]

BCGB Fall of 1991 on my Univega Alpina (full rigid!) because we could ride it from campus.  I don't remember how I got started MTB to be honest.  I somehow connected with a couple of ME students that rode (I'm EE and they didn't live in my dorm).   I don't remember loving BCGB particularly but I think we mainly rode the main trail only.  I liked the stuff along 360 better back then.  I love the BCGB now but it seems like erosion (both trail and my skills) have combined to make it a lot more challenging for me.

[RonSurly]

1993 Emma long city park on a borrowed rigid Schwinn sierra. I thought it was rad and was instantly hooked. I don’t remember having to dismount and walk any back then. Now it’s too rough for me even on a long travel full suspension. 

[RedRider3141]

Peddlers Pass - 2017. The guy I bought my Ghost HT from took me for a lap to test ride it. I remember him saying "This is the only dirt in Austin, everything else is rocks!" As I remember he was upgrading to a full squish to ride the 512 trails. 

[St.Bernardo]

Walnut Creek

And how long ago was that?  July 2004

What do you remember thinking about it at the time, and what do you think about that trail now? Lots of rocks and technical.  Was for me anyway.  Starting riding in Oklahoma. Hard pack clay and sand trails.

Do you still ride that trail? Yes, but only 2-3 times per year.  I live riding distance from Behrens Ranch, Wilco SW Region Park, Suburban Ninja, and Brushy.  i usually step out my front door and go where ever the imagination takes me.

[Ridenfool]

That would have to be Walnut Creek. Back in the late '80s or early '90s when about all I could find to ride there is what became the BMX loop. It was okay, but we decided it wasn't worth the hour drive to get there from Fayette County.

It has been a few years since I've been there for an R&I. The people density on the trail and the traffic into and out of Austin are hassles this country mouse eschews for the quiet life in the sticks.

I had ridden Emma Long once, a decade before that, on a dirt bike.

Edited September 25, 2023 by Ridenfool

[The Tip]

I can't remember exactly when it was. 20 years at least. But it was after reading about maybe the third road biker getting killed or injured on 360 by a car. "I'm not riding road anymore!"

I bought a rigid Trek at a pawn shop and started exploring the trails starting in Dick Nichols Park. Still ride them of course. There's a little bit more trail than there was back then. 😉

[throet]

City Park in 2007. Had only been on MTB trails a couple of times prior, on a borrowed bike in upstate NY. Bought a $500 mail-order 26" Motobecane HT shortly after arriving in Cedar Park, and after checking the trail descriptions on the ARR website, decided that City Park would be my best bet for a first ride (not sure what I was thinking at the time). I quickly realized that there was a lot more to mountain biking than having a mountain bike, as this trail was nothing like the mellow trails I had ridden at Thatcher Park in NY. Luckily for me I was very nimble at the time, and somehow managed to land on my feet after multiple crashes. I eventually returned to City Park, but only after acquiring the skills needed to at least navigate the downhill sections. I still ride it these days, and still walk some of those climbs.   

[Taco Man]

BCBG maybe 89 or 90.

Originally we parked at Barton Springs and rode from there.  Later as I had time I would ride from 45th and Guadalupe to basically HOL and back.

Moved to Dallas and gave it up in 94, wasnt till I moved to this neighborhood I got back into it ~2002 

[xl_cheese]

I first arrived in Austin for an internship during college in the Fall of 2001.  I drove over to ride a trail called Forrest Ridge.  It was a great trail!

[AntonioGG]

1 hour ago, Taco Man said:

BCBG maybe 89 or 90.

Originally we parked at Barton Springs and rode from there.  Later as I had time I would ride from 45th and Guadalupe to basically HOL and back.

Moved to Dallas and gave it up in 94, wasnt till I moved to this neighborhood I got back into it ~2002 

Wow!  It seems I was following you with a couple of years delay!  I moved to Dallas in 96 after graduating.  Largely gave it up except for a few rides of Rowlett Creek Preserve and moved back here in 2003.

[notyal]

I started riding in college up in Lubbock. The trails there actually don't suck as much as you would think for flat-ass west Texas, but they are much different than here. Short rolling hills and not much of any tech.

My first ride here was BCGB probably around 2005. I borrowed my friend's Rockhopper. It was also my first experience with click-in pedals. (Still hate egg-beaters!) Needless to say, I came home with some new bruises. BUT, I did buy some SPDs and my first full suspension bike soon after. It was the kick in the ass that took me from total dumbass noob to get serious about riding. 

[Taco Man]

1 hour ago, AntonioGG said:

Wow!  It seems I was following you with a couple of years delay!  I moved to Dallas in 96 after graduating.  Largely gave it up except for a few rides of Rowlett Creek Preserve and moved back here in 2003.

I moved back in 96', rode the Greenbelt a few times but mostly used my MTB to commute to work.  I was playing about 54 holes of golf a week and playing soccer on Sundays.  A kid in your life will take all that free time away, so it was easy to ride out my garage door onto trail and back in 60 minutes.

I will give credit to the old BikeMojo forum for letting me learn about more trails.

[AntonioGG]

You just reminded me, I rode that univega with toe clips!  I definitely had more skills and more confidence back then.

[Chongo Loco]

A few of us came to camp & race at bluff creek / Warda around 95. A few months later came back with my wife to visit her family and rode BCGB and City Park and maybe the old rifle range by Reimer’s. Loved it all but dabbed tons. Second time ever riding city park was on a visit in 97 riding with a friend from home. we got caught in a storm midway thru a lap. It was the storm that had the tornado that wiped out 183/1431 in cedar park then hit Jarrell.  We had no cellphones and no idea til we got back to our hotel. CP in the rain on a hardtail for 2 techie beginners was nutz!

[ATXZJ]

Barton creek greenbelt, in July. Moved to ATX from NM and after riding at high elevation for 18mos, I thought I'd be a hero pedaling along at a lowly 600ft.

I was wrong. 

Edited September 25, 2023 by ATXZJ

[spicewookie]

city park in the late 80’s with a styrofoam cooler helmet. Bike before that was another Diamond Back with a rigid fork, friction shifters, and toe clips. 

[Taco Man]

5 hours ago, Taco Man said:

I moved back in 96', rode the Greenbelt a few times but mostly used my MTB to commute to work.  I was playing about 54 holes of golf a week and playing soccer on Sundays.  A kid in your life will take all that free time away, so it was easy to ride out my garage door onto trail and back in 60 minutes.

I will give credit to the old BikeMojo forum for letting me learn about more trails.

This is what my bike looked like back then... SWMBO convinced me to lend to my nephew who promptly lost/ sold/ traded it away.

[Bart]

I'd be fun to get out those old rigids and do a lap at CP with toe straps and wire beads! Not

 

[mack_turtle]

In 2013, I moved to Austin and pedaled into Barton Creek from Zilker on my rigid, singlespeed, undersized Karate Monkey. I just followed random trails on a hot, cloudless day. I sucked down all my 3L backpack and got lost. Good times.

Edited September 26, 2023 by mack_turtle
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[WhoAmI]

22 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

You just reminded me, I rode that univega with toe clips!  I definitely had more skills and more confidence back then.

My first bike was a Univega Alpina 5.0 with toe clips.  I think I went to clipless pedals, Onzas specifically, around 94.  The Onzas had different color elastomers you swapped out to increase or decrease the tension.  If you smacked a rock or root, the elastomer could break off, rendering one side of the pedal useless, which did happen more than once.