Best SA Bike Trail for Newbie? (Dallas, San Antonio: sale, to buy, live)

[yukon]

For those of you familiar with the area bike trails, which one would you consider the "easiest"? I want to start biking again and I'm woefully out of shape. So which would be best for an old out of shape person to start with? As in, which one is the most flat, with no hills? I'll be doing good to navigate flat routes for a few weeks while I get back in the hang of things

[ashbeeigh]

Road, mountain, hybrid or cruiser?

[yukon]

More like a "cheap and on sale bike" (which I have yet to buy). I had a cruiser I think in FL (fat tires, heavy bike, you're sitting straight up?) and I hated it. Before that I had a really nice 10 speed that I picked up at pawn shop for cheap and it lasted for years and years. ETA: for this round, now that I googled it, I'll probably get a hybrid of some sort.

But if it helps, I prefer paved bike trails. I'm not into mountain biking. I bike for the scenery and the sounds, not for any challenge. Back when I used to ride, some days I would try to beat my previous times. Other days, I just wanted to feel the sun on my back, the breeze on my face and listen to all the sounds (I don't do earbuds on a bike). For me, biking goes back to being a kid and the freedom and sheer joy it represented.

For reference, when I lived in Dallas, I used to really enjoying biking White Rock Lake and what I think is now called the Prestonwood trail, which was constructed on a flood plain and connects to WRL trail. Long but fairly level and really nice scenery. Good for someone out of shape because it was level, maybe one hill IIRC.

[ashbeeigh]

Valero and salado creek would be fine. Just read over that thread for details. There’s some ups and downs but nothing you couldn’t handle. You wouldn’t be biking in crown ridge or anything.

[Kthnry]

If you look at a topographic map of San Antonio, it's pretty easy to see what areas are hilly (northwest, where the Hill Country starts) and what areas aren't (everywhere else).

Here's a city website that lists the downtown bike trails:
https://www.sanantonio.gov/SABikes/MapsAndTrails

Check out the Mission Reach trail, which starts downtown then passes through countryside and goes to the missions. Take a break and tour the missions. Very flat.
https://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0...es_WEB%206.pdf

Here's a map of the full San Antonio River walk. I believe there are hike/bike trails next to the river along the entire length, or very close.
https://www.sariverauthority.org/res...river-walk-map

[WVNomad]

Originally Posted by ashbeeigh

Valero and salado creek would be fine. Just read over that thread for details. There’s some ups and downs but nothing you couldn’t handle. You wouldn’t be biking in crown ridge or anything.

I have not been on Valero so can’t comment on that one, but Ashbeeigh is spot on about Salado being a very pleasant ride that I think could easily be done on any type of bike. Pretty flat with a few gentle hills, nice scenery, trail is 98% paved and the bit that isn’t is still easy to ride on.

[yukon]

Thanks all!

[malcorub16]

Originally Posted by Kthnry

Check out the Mission Reach trail, which starts downtown then passes through countryside and goes to the missions. Take a break and tour the missions. Very flat.
https://www.sanantonio.gov/Portals/0...es_WEB%206.pdf

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The Mission Reach Trail seems nice but I've only walked parts of it though. It seems nice for a leisurely ride especially because one isn't riding on the street unlike the routes downtown. Plus the South Side of town is relatively flat. The path called The Riverwalk on Google maps starts at Mission Espada and goes into downtown, although I wouldn't go riding my bike around the touristy parts of the Riverwalk downtown, just the part South of it. Not sure if bikes are allowed along the same path North of downtown.

[ashbeeigh]

Originally Posted by malcorub16

The Mission Reach Trail seems nice but I've only walked parts of it though. It seems nice for a leisurely ride especially because one isn't riding on the street unlike the routes downtown. Plus the South Side of town is relatively flat. The path called The Riverwalk on Google maps starts at Mission Espada, although I wouldn't go riding my bike around the touristy part of the Riverwalk, just the part South of downtown. Not sure if bikes are allowed on it North of downtown.

I think I did a few rides on mission reach when I was training for triathlons years ago. It was always south if Roosevelt park though. I haven’t been up to bike in SA in ages. (Or run anywhere other the Valero or Salado).