The newest bicycling guide to the Lone Star state is remarkably affordable and sized to fit a bike jersey pocket next to the energy bars.
Bicycle Texas, written by avid cyclist and sports editor Tom Johanningmeier, covers all regions of the state. Each route includes a detailed map, elevation profile and difficulty rating.
The author gives thumbnail descriptions of Texas mountain biking trails. Then there's a complete list of bike shops and the lines they carry in case you need a flat fixed or parts for that rare Italian import.
In addition, he includes a detailed calendar of the state's riding events, tips for cycling in Texas, a rundown of bicycle clubs around the state as well as custom bicycle makers, in case you want a bespoke, made-in-Texas road bike or commuter.
The guide includes routes of some of Texas' most famous rides – the latest version of the Hotter n' Hell 100 in Wichita Falls and the Scenic Loop in Fort Davis, among others. Then there are extreme rides like the 126-mile Alley Oop Brevet, a grueling West Texas loop created by Clare Murphy of the West Texas Randonneurs, a long-distance cycling club, not to mention Wild Willie's 100K (62 miles), provided by the Lone Star Randonneurs and named for Willie Nelson, whose boyhood home in Abbott is nearby.
Johanningmeier also offers a number of protected routes far from vehicular traffic in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio. No previous biking guide was ever this chock full of useful information or, at $5.95, as inexpensive. It's the perfect stocking stuffer or birthday gift
For the cyclists in the family. And it's actually printed in Texas.
