03/28/2013
I am definitely missing the bike riding. So much in fact that I have started doing something I swore I would not - to ride a stationary bicycle. Every time I see people riding them in the gym I tell them they are going nowhere. Ironically I now find myself going nowhere. The good thing is that I am doing fine and can ride and in fact get a good workout in the Spin classes. Although my shoulders and neck still get sore easily, I can get some real work for my legs and get my heart rate up as well.
So, until I can ride again (next checkup for X-RAYS is May 1st), I am looking at the Collin Classic as a ride on the horizon. Please look up www.CollinClassic.org for more information. Starting this year the Collin Classicit benefits CityHouse in Plano.
And while I am off the bike I need to see what is happening with Allen's Sharrows and bike trails and let you all know.
Paul
This is great news!
ReplyDeletePaul, sorry to hear you are unable to ride. I am in Fairview and am considering biking to work in Dallas (at least partway). I would need to ride down Greenville-K Ave. to the Parker DART station. Am a bit intimidated by traffic on Greenville though. How do you bike to work?
ReplyDeleteCarlos, I have ridden down Greenville in the past. My commute is all on the West side of 75 so I do not do Greenville routinely. I will have someone I know that does add some notes here. I see there will be sharrows added on some of the streets to get down to Plano on the east side of central (Current Rivercrest to Roaring springs, Fountain Gate, Park Place, Ridgemont to Collin).
DeleteCarlos, I live at Exchange and Angel Parkway and commute down through Plano and into Richardson. Where you are in Fairview kind of dictates how you might cycle down to the Parker Road Station. I'd suggest Park Road because the train is only about 49 min to St Paul Station downtown, and is well lit and secured, but also has the bike lids where you lock your bike to the rack, close the lid, lock the lid, and your bike is double locked and protected from the elements and casual vandals. Cycle time from Fairview is probably around 35-55 min depending how fast you are and how much stuff you have to carry.
ReplyDeleteFrom Fairview around the Oakwood Trail or Old Stacy Road area: pick up Prescott Rd heading South from Stacy Road and then Pick up the Stacy Ridge Trail at Stacy Ridge Park heading South into Celebration Park. Ride West across the park and Pick up Malone heading South down to Story Park. Take the trail down to Bethany Lakes Park, and then pick up the Mustang Creek Trail to take you to Chaparral Rd West to Cloverhaven Way South to Oak Pointe Park Trail which merges into the Santa Fe Trail which dumps you at Ave P in Plano. Take Ave P south to Park and head west to the Park Road Station.
If you are nearer the Fairview Firestation #1, then you might just come down Greenville until you can pick up Jupiter and take Jupiter down to Park and over to the train station. Jupiter is much lower key than Greenville.
Mike and Paul, thanks for your comments. I drove home on Jupiter the other day, nice while in Plano, but then it gets pretty busy in Allen. I would need to pedal some more once I get off the train in Dallas, so the bike would go on the train. Wife is against it...we'll see.
ReplyDeleteUnderstood Carlos. If Jupiter is still too busy, you might look at Meandering Way from Highway 5/Greenville down to Stacey where it becomes Angel Parkway. Work your way west through the Mustang Estates 'hood to Allen Heights. Take Allen Heights south until it becomes Mustang Creek Trail all the way to Chaparral. Take Chaparral west to Cloverhaven down to Oak Pointe Park Trail down to Santa Fe trail to Park Blvd to the train station.
ReplyDeleteAs for your wife, take a Traffic Skills 101 class. Take her with you to watch! Schedules of TS101 classes can be found here: http://findit.bikeleague.org/search/
If you are educated, and know where the crash stats are for bicycles and know the countermeasures, you are very safe. Ask her what is going to get you first: stroke/heart attack from sitting around, or a crash with a motor vehicle? There's 3000 deaths a year on Texas roads with car-on-car crashes, so a car is no silver bullet to long life either!
Thanks Mike. Will keep an eye out for the next class.
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