Cycling and Retired in the Woodlands and Cinco Ranch (Houston: home, neighborhood)

[cyclistpete]

I am considering purchasing a home in either The Woodlands or Cinco Ranch. I am retired and enjoy riding my road bike 3 or 4 times a week (about 20 – 30 miles a ride).

Woodlands - I see the Woodlands advertises their hike and bike trails, but what they mean is casual riders (under 7 mph) since you have to dodge the walkers, joggers and dog walkers. I checked out one of the local bike shops web page and saw a 20 mile ride that uses mostly neighborhood streets. However when we drove around I found the traffic very heavy on some of the main streets and the shoulders seem a bit narrow. Driver’s and biker’s visibility seems limited by the forest being so close to the road. Checked out the Woodlands Cycling club, but it didn’t real address this.

Cinco Ranch – Cinco seems more open (built on the prairie) and the roads seem wider. Traffic did seem as bad as the Woodlands. Again they have bike and hike trails but same issue as the Woodlands. Could not find any reference to a cycle club there.

Would appreciate some help from any cyclist who reside in either place. Thanks in advance.



Also any retirees that live in either area.

[EasilyAmused]

Cinco/Katy/West Houston. You can go into the bayou area and cycle for miles on into the Beltway. More trails being developed each year. Also, some of the areas along the bayou actually have grades for a harder workout.Huge cycling clubs training for the Austin ride right now in Katy/West Houston.

The Woodlands has "trails." Realistically they are sidewalks with joggers, dog walkers and baby joggers. You aren't supposed to "cycle" on them.

[sbhubbell]

Real cyclists in Cinco don't use the trails, they use the roads, and I see hundreds of them any given weekend. Especially popular seems to be cycling out FM1093 and up 529...out in the country a bit more. I don't know of any cycling clubs specifically but considering how many large groups of cyclists I see regularly I'm sure they are around.

[cyclistpete]

Thank you both for taking the time to reply. Cinco Ranch is looking better for other reasons too.

[chris_ut]

Have you looked at Kingwood? We have lots of green belt trails throughout. I see people biking on them all the time.

[Indianspringsguy]

Originally Posted by cyclistpete

I am considering purchasing a home in either The Woodlands or Cinco Ranch. I am retired and enjoy riding my road bike 3 or 4 times a week (about 20 – 30 miles a ride).

Woodlands - I see the Woodlands advertises their hike and bike trails, but what they mean is casual riders (under 7 mph) since you have to dodge the walkers, joggers and dog walkers. I checked out one of the local bike shops web page and saw a 20 mile ride that uses mostly neighborhood streets. However when we drove around I found the traffic very heavy on some of the main streets and the shoulders seem a bit narrow. Driver’s and biker’s visibility seems limited by the forest being so close to the road. Checked out the Woodlands Cycling club, but it didn’t real address this.

Cinco Ranch – Cinco seems more open (built on the prairie) and the roads seem wider. Traffic did seem as bad as the Woodlands. Again they have bike and hike trails but same issue as the Woodlands. Could not find any reference to a cycle club there.

Would appreciate some help from any cyclist who reside in either place. Thanks in advance.



Also any retirees that live in either area.

Cyclists do not use the hike and bike paths except as you put it - casual riding. They use the inner roads. It is generally dangerous for serious bike riders in Texas. Highway 1488 is marked for bicyclists but I would not trust the drivers there. They do crazy things and many are not even aware of the bike lane (but there are plenty of signs). Although not a rider right now, I have been in the past and have several friends in the club. They ride on certain through streets together. I personally do not have any problems riding on the inner streets. In fact I have one hilly street that I love and can pump it up pretty good there. Then we also have some nature bike trails, not for speed but for maneuverability through the forest, over logs, roots, sand, dirt, between close proximity trees.... It is definitely helmet territory.

[Glenn Taylor]

My previous message got cut off. i am working a reduced load and expect to fully retire in another year or two. Making a decision based just on biking heavy not value some of the other activities both communities have to offer. We moved to the Woodlands about 12 years ago and were immediately impressed with the smaller community feeling in a heavily wooded community broken into smaller sub-groups like Panther Creek, Grogan's Mill etc. The biking here is very good but for the experienced biker will always be on the roads due to trail congestion and speeds. You can easily stay off the main roads and ride 20-25 miles with a 2-3 foot wide apron on either side of the road. The biking community with The Woodlands Biking Club is excellent, well meaning, and safety conscious. Many in the club are in the 50+ age range and bike in groups that effectively sort our by sustained speed capability. Typically on the weekends, a slower group in the 14-17 mile average and a faster group in the 18-21 mile average set off on longer rides typically in the 40-60 mile range. these are much fun and do not leave anyone behind.
Other favorable aspects include the neighbor activities, entertainment, and recreation facilities. That is something you need to go see and experience to get a feel for the atmosphere. Cinco Ranch is also very nice for a prairie community. It might be slightly less expensive but overall the Woodlands is tough to beat taking all things into account including the biking. There is also one of the premier bike shops supporting the Woodlands, Bike Lane who offer an impressive array of services an support for the biking community.
If you get an opportunity to join a Woodlands Bike Club ride before making a purchasing decision, you will see what we mean.