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Bruce
& Betsy Blais |
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Mountain Biking - Local Trails There are several local trails Bruce rides on a regular basis, and these are listed in the order how often he rides them. As you would expect, the closer trails get ridden more often, and Rowlett Creek being just a few miles away, gets the most rides. For more about these trails, see the Trails section of the DORBA website. Rowlett Creek Preserve is only 20 minutes from home over in Garland, so it is easy for him to "pop over" to RCP and ride. This trail is nearly 16 miles of beginner to intermediate level loops built in a flood plain, and he primarily rides it for conditioning and to keep his basic skills sharp. It has a few climbs and creek crossings, but is not very technical unless you ride it fast, which is what he normally does. He also tends to do two laps which gives him over 30 miles of cross-country riding. It is one of the most popular "urban" trails in the Dallas area and he usually finds several of his riding buddies out there at any given time. It is normally one of the venues for the NTX-XC series each Fall and 400 riders typically compete there. Use this link for the official DORBA trail website. Oak Cliff Nature Preserve (OCNP) His second most frequented trail is Oak Cliff Nature Preserve in south Dallas. It is about three times the distance and twice the 20 minute drive time of RCP. This is an 8 mile twisty trail intended for the advanced rider. It has number of creek crossings and a good bit of elevation change that will give you some decent climbs and descents, some of which are rather rocky. It is his second most frequent trail because it has been around a bit longer Big Cedar. It is also a favorite because it is also normally on the NTX-XC series each Fall. Use this link for the official DORBA trail website. Big Cedar Wilderness Trails (BCWT) In a virtual tie for second now is Big Cedar. This series of trails just recently came on line and provides far more climbing than OCNP. This trail is about five times the distance as RCP, but he can usually get there in about an hour. Most of the loops are designed for the advanced rider. This is one of the few trails in the area he needs to use chain-ring one. He has never seen a climbing chart for BCWT, but suspects it is over 1,000 feet for 6 miles. Use this link for the official DORBA trail website. Not far behind is Cedar Hill State Park. This trail is about the same driving distance as Big Cedar and takes about an hour to get to. It is a really tight, twisty climbing trail. While the climbs are not as intense as BCWT, the overall elevation gain for the 12 mile loop is about 1,000 feet and will give you a good workout. This is an intermediate-level trail and is often part of the NTX-XC series each Fall. Use this link for the official DORBA trail website. North Shore trail is on the north shore of Lake Grapvine. If you have ever flown in or out of DFW, it is one of the lakes you fly over at the north end of the airport. This trail is about a 45 minute drive and is one of the most technical trails in town. It is a 19 mile "out & back" intermediate to advanced level trail with a good bit of elevation change, several rocky climbs and descents, and several challenging rock gardens. Use this link for the official DORBA trail website.
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Version 0.2, October 29, 2013 |