Forums

NEED FOLKS TO DO THIS SURVEY !! https://www.lowercoloradowrap.org/   The main thing to comment on is to extend the lakeside hike & bike trail all the way to Webberville, maybe even Bastrop. It’s a big ask, but it’ll never happen unless local governments buy more land or easement rights along the Eastern Colorado River.   On behalf of Austin Ridge Riders, I have attended a couple of the in-person meetings.  There are folks who want to improve/protect the river itself (let's call them the River People); the Anti-Gentrification NIMBYs (who seem to want zero changes that might encourage more people to move further east); and then there are the Trail People.   We need to make sure that there are plenty of voices in the survey focused on a long-distance riverside trail.     Imagine: Lady Bird Lake hike & bike trail is continued all the way to Webberville or even Bastrop (but with separated bike and hike paths in key locations, or perhaps the whole way). Bolm District Park is built out with the bike park facilities in the vision plan (pump & jump track, skills loop, concrete skate/bmx park, etc.) The Treviño Park vision plan gets implemented, with trails.  

I'm gonna take the counter on the rain comment.  Back in the day I remember CP being the trail for riding post rain, I even remember being caught in a storm mid-lap and finishing with no issue. But the last time I tried it (~1-2 days post rain) is was a sopping goopy mess. Definitely not easily rideable.  I actually found that WC was more rideable than CP after rain, sadly. There are other trails, non-mentionables, that are better post rain. And, depending on how well you pick your route, the greenbelt is amazingly resilient in some cases. But that is ONLY for people that really know how the trail reacts to rain. If you aren't aggressively monitoring both rainfall patterns and routes, then stay away from BCGB after rain.

City Park aka Emma Long is more ledgy with less embedded rock like Brushy Creek. The ledge heights range up to 6' (probably.  I haven't ridden there in a while) depending on the line you take.  Unfortunately, lesser skilled riders have blazed paths around ledgy areas, which then become ledgy, then those ledges got ridden around, ad infinitum, creating 20-foot wide "singletrack".   These ledges are a large part of why trials riders like the park. As far as riding after rain, yeah, it's the best trail in Austin after rain. 

So my friend recently invited me to go riding on his dirtbike at Emma Long. I used to ride dirtbikes in another state right up until kids and a knee injury pushed me into MTBs. Looking at the videos of Emma Long, it seems like it's on par with 1/4 notch? Or is it more like Double Down/ Deception? Trying to guage how out classed I'll be.  Also, I think I read that it's ok to ride after rains? Yea/ Nay?