Bicycle Questions! And hurricane evac route ?! (Corpus Christi, Port Aransas: to live, dangerous, shops)

[lucid220]

I'm trying to live out my Corpus dream of strapping my tackle box and a beer or two to my bike and going out to the beach to waste time.... so... a few questions.

1) Is there any way to get from Flour Bluff to the island via bike without getting creamed on the causeway or hitchhiking with scary people? I'm not seeing a path besides loading the bike up in a canoe to cross the lagoon which would just become comical. My favorite comical option is Google's recommendation though... enjoy the creative Paint commentary please...



Ha. But really. Is it possible? I had given up hope but my husband wants to do the Beach to Bay relay and they start on the Island and end up way North but only vaguely describe how they get from the Island to the Bluff so I'm wondering where that route is and if it's bikeable or if they have to shut streets down for the marathon???


2. Bluff to Corpus?
I intend to check it out myself soon (I ended up driving around looking at really nice ranches and getting lost last time I tried) but is the Yorktown bridge from the bluff to the mainland bikeable? I think I saw mention of it somewhere but I want to confirm is this called "The Dirt Bridge" colloquially? Finally being paranoid I always want at least two means of egress from anywhere - does this bridge flood? Hopefully I'd be out long before any kind of storm surge but I basically want to know if this could be considered a safe alternative to SPID for evacuation from the Bluff.

3. Any other awesome bike paths? Specifically any where I could relatively easily bike to from the Bluff to a spot where I can fish or enjoy a beach? I've seen a lot of mention of Shoreline but that's not my thing really... too many people and cars and although it's a lot of bayfront I'd prefer beachfront.

[CptnRn]

Here are the TxDot maps of Hurricane Evacuation Routes Hurricane Information

I can't see any reason you could not take Yorktown to get to 665, if you left early, it would probably have less traffic then the main roads.

There are only two ways on and off of Mustang/NP Island, the causeway and the ferry at Port Aransas. This is because it crossed the Intercoastal Waterway, which must allow clearance for large ships and barges at bridges. The causeway looks bikeable to me, it has a wide shoulder except at off ramps. But it might be unpleasant up there next to a concrete barrier with cars whizzing by.

Most of Yorktown has dirt shoulders, but it does have wide shoulders but it does have wider paved shoulders at the bridge. You can look at it in google maps streetview to see what it looks like. Corpus Christi, TX - Google Maps

Click on the road to move up and down it, click and drag to rotate the view.

If it were me I'd load the bike up in the car and drive over the causeway to the beach and park. Then bike as much as you like on the beach. Be sure to do a really good job rinsing the salty beach sand off of your bike after such an outing or the salt will destroy your bike. A friend who rented bikes to beach goers in the past recommended closed hub 3 speed bikes for the beach because the sand and salt can't get into the hub as easily, so they are much more durable.

If you really want to enjoy the area, get a boat. It will open up amazing new worlds to you, even if it is just an inflatable with an outboard. There is so much wilderness to explore with a boat and great fishing.

[Marlow]

LOL on the graphics! I don't know if there's a rule against riding your bike on the causeway, but it would dangerous because it's steep and narrow. During B2B they shut down one lane of the causeway and there are lots of police directing traffic. If I were you I'd call one of the local bike shops and see about getting more specific information.

You should also check bus routes, because buses do travel to FB and I think to Port Aransas and you can put your bike on the bus.

[lucid220]

Thank you!! We do have a big solid canoe that's motor-ready. We'll get one when we save up some $.

[John26]

Ditch the bike, get a kayak.

[Slowpoke_TX]

Originally Posted by John26

Ditch the bike, get a kayak.

Best advice ever!