Moving to Dallas, TX

[joeR6]

Strong chance the Mrs. and I will be moving to Dallas within the next year or so. We have been in Chicago for the past 10 years. Wife has a sister in Dallas so she is looking to be closer to family as well as some warmer weather.

Can't ride in Chicago for a good 4 months out of the year - weather forbids it. Coming from pancake land (northern Illinois) there aren't too many good roads around here unless you drive a good 3.5 hrs away from the city. Seems that Dallas is just as flat having visited a couple times.

I was wondering how is the riding around Dallas? I've been to https://www.motorcycleroads.us/ website and it seems that Dallas may have a few hidden gems. I know there is no Blue Ridge Parkway (going next week :yahoo: )nearby but you do have the Ozark mts in Arkansas a good 4hrs away.

I want to know if there are any Dallas riders out there who can tell me what riding in Dallas is really like - the good, bad and the ugly.

Traffic: during the busiest time we talkin bumper to bumper? (I hope to God its not anything like Chicago) When is the best time to ride?

Weather: seems hot and humid during your summer months - is it so hot that it is unbearable to ride?

Downtown Parking: Do most people drive to work? How much is it to park downtown during the week? (Or do most companies have parking for their employees?)

Weekend riding: Any good roads within a 2 hour radius of the city? Any worthwile day trips around Dallas?

Anything else I need to know about TX riding?

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. This forum has always been helpful and informative.

Thanks

Joe

 

[madmike2]

You might start here: Rider Planning> Texas to see what others are doing in that state.

You might find a Ride Report corresponding to the date of the ride.

Or be patient. Surely someone from the Dallas/Ft. Worth area will post up.

 

[jcyuhn]

Strong chance the Mrs. and I will be moving to Dallas within the next year or so. We have been in Chicago for the past 10 years. Wife has a sister in Dallas so she is looking to be closer to family as well as some warmer weather.
Can't ride in Chicago for a good 4 months out of the year - weather forbids it. Coming from pancake land (northern Illinois) there aren't too many good roads around here unless you drive a good 3.5 hrs away from the city. Seems that Dallas is just as flat having visited a couple times.

Yes, Dallas is flat. I've not spent much time in Chicago, but I am a native of Detroit. Based on that, I can say Dallas is just as flat and geographically uninteresting as the midwest.

I was wondering how is the riding around Dallas? I've been to https://www.motorcycleroads.us/ website and it seems that Dallas may have a few hidden gems. I know there is no Blue Ridge Parkway (going next week :yahoo: )nearby but you do have the Ozark mts in Arkansas a good 4hrs away.
I want to know if there are any Dallas riders out there who can tell me what riding in Dallas is really like - the good, bad and the ugly.

There are plenty of state highways and FM (Farm-to-Market) roads around the Metroplex. I would not call any of them technical, none are destination roads. There are some sweepers and some elevation changes, but we're not talking switchbacks and 1st gear hairpins. The best known local road is FM455, and I like the FM road to Blue Ridge - drawing blank on it's number right now. Both these are north of town, there are certainly other good roads east, west, and south - perhaps some other metroplex riders will chime in.

Traffic: during the busiest time we talkin bumper to bumper? (I hope to God its not anything like Chicago) When is the best time to ride?

Hey, it's an urban area of several million people. Traffic is heavy during the workweek - moreso in some areas than others. On the plus side, housing prices are so reasonable here that most can choose to live as close to work as they wish. So the daily slog to the office is somewhat optional. You didn't specify where you might be working or living, so it's difficult to be more specific.

Weather: seems hot and humid during your summer months - is it so hot that it is unbearable to ride?

Some people think so, but most ride year round. During Dallas summers you become an early morning person. Hit the road early with a plan to finish outdoor activity by noon. Definately acquire mesh/ventilated gear for the summer months. Learn to hydrate, learn to stay cool. I run, bicycle, and ride motorcycles year round, FWIW. The occasional summer heatwave will keep me indoors, as will the occasional winter cold snap. But normal Dallas weather is OK for riding year round.

Downtown Parking: Do most people drive to work? How much is it to park downtown during the week? (Or do most companies have parking for their employees?)

Dallas is very much a car town. Trucks and SUVs rule here. We do have a fledgling light rail system, but 99.9% of people drive to work. If you work in the downtown core you may have to pay to park. I've never worked there, so not familiar. Anywhere outside the city center there will be free parking at the office.

Weekend riding: Any good roads within a 2 hour radius of the city? Any worthwile day trips around Dallas?

There's lot's of destination based riding - generally food related. East Texas is an OK day ride. North of Dallas is fine - there are some sweeper type country roads up near the OK border.

Anything else I need to know about TX riding?

As you noted before there is excellent riding in NW Arkansas. Just as good is the Texas hill country, west of Austin. Both destinations are ~4 hours from Dallas, depending on where in the metroplex you start. Check out the roads FM335, FM336, and FM337 in the hill country - they are referred to as the holy trinity of Texas riding.

There's also a very good Texas specific riding forum at https://www.twtex.com.

Good luck.

- JimY

 

[FJRMGM]

First off, Dallas is NOT flat. It is rolling prairie ground with hills. Where I live south of Houston is flat - as in table top.

There is good riding east and north of Dallas but eastern Oklahoma and Arkansas is the best.

Traffic in Dallas is heavy cause after all it is a large metroplex.

It's hot and dry in Dallas in the summer with some really bad storms and LARGE hail, like as in baseball sized.

But, you can ride for most months of the year and waaaaaay more than in Chicago.

 

[FJR@DTS]

Well Howdy, and potentially welcome to Texas and DFW. JimY answered most of your questions, I will second the recommendation of the Two Wheeled texan forum. There is also some of us DFW FJR folk to try to ride once a month on the first alternating Sat./Sun. I'm living in downtown Dallas and so any ride which gets me out to see some vegetation is a good ride for me! There are some pretty isolated farm roads where you can "test your throttle return spring adjustment" :bike: The traffic near downtown can be bumper to bumper at weird times, also, they tend to have construction without putting up proper signs so you end up on the wrong freeway. Anyway, let me know if there is anything I can help with, I live within spitting distance of downtown.

~Mark

 

[odot]

Dallas/fort worth has some of the kickest ass cloverleafs known to man. We rule the twisty world.

 

[krashdragon]

The traffic near downtown can be bumper to bumper at weird times, also, they tend to have construction without putting up proper signs so you end up on the wrong freeway.
~Mark

You got that right! Especially if I dont' have my GPS and am already lost! <BG>

Mary

 

[fjrchik]

Dallas/fort worth has some of the kickest ass cloverleafs known to man. We rule the twisty world.

bologney. i can only think of one cloverleaf here and thats at I20 and Cooper.

but if you wanna talk bridges for exit ramps, we have some very impressive ones. very high and lots of concrete.

as for the rest of your questions, well I think I better pass on commenting. my attitude about DFW and North TX is not very pleasant these days and you would get some very slanted commentary out of me. so i'll let the others handle it.

It is a early morning departure, arrive late afternoon, by suppertime for sure kind of ride to get to Russellville or Eureka Springs AR from here. Please don't think you can be there in 4 hours, that would be inaccurate.

 

[odot]

Go rain on some one elses parade, kalichik.....lest I have to knife yer other tire.....

 

[fjrchik]

Go rain on some one elses parade, kalichik.....lest I have to knife yer other tire.....

ok my bad. but i just feel sorry for anyone about to move here.

 

[Bustanut joker]

Go rain on some one elses parade, kalichik.....lest I have to knife yer other tire.....

Still winning friends and influencing people. such a pal.

:jester:

 

[odot]

Read the book......live the book.

 

[jcyuhn]

Dallas/fort worth has some of the kickest ass cloverleafs known to man. We rule the twisty world.

bologney. i can only think of one cloverleaf here and thats at I20 and Cooper.

but if you wanna talk bridges for exit ramps, we have some very impressive ones. very high and lots of concrete.

as for the rest of your questions, well I think I better pass on commenting. my attitude about DFW and North TX is not very pleasant these days and you would get some very slanted commentary out of me. so i'll let the others handle it.

It is a early morning departure, arrive late afternoon, by suppertime for sure kind of ride to get to Russellville or Eureka Springs AR from here. Please don't think you can be there in 4 hours, that would be inaccurate.

Ah, some clarification required. It's a couple hours ride until the roads start getting interesting. It's all day from DFW to NW Arkansas, but a good bit of the ride there can be on very nice roads.

Same story DFW to, say, Fredericksburg in the hill country. I usually spend most of the day getting there. The first half of the ride is just getting out of town, the second half of the ride is reasonably interesting.

California it ain't. But I think we can at least match Chicago for access to technical roads.

 

[madmike2]

Go rain on some one elses parade, kalichik.....lest I have to knife yer other tire.....

ok my bad. but i just feel sorry for anyone about to move here.

Eewwww, Chikky-baybee, you really really really need to consider moving a bit West-Northwest, say...oh...1200-1400 air miles. We'd love to have you and there are a number of riders on the left-coast who know some excellent riding environs.

If you were to miss sand & sun, you could join one of the groups heading to Death Valley every Spring. There you would get to see plenty of "high desert" before descending into the park. The only trouble is that if you were to find employment in the L.A. basin or San Francisco Bay area you have to practice riding the PCH...or Coastal Mountains...or the Sierra Nevadas...or ????

AND, odot would come and visit.

 

[fjrchik]

Go rain on some one elses parade, kalichik.....lest I have to knife yer other tire.....

ok my bad. but i just feel sorry for anyone about to move here.

Eewwww, Chikky-baybee, you really really really need to consider moving a bit West-Northwest, say...oh...1200-1400 air miles. We'd love to have you and there are a number of riders on the left-coast who know some excellent riding environs.

If you were to miss sand & sun, you could join one of the groups heading to Death Valley every Spring. There you would get to see plenty of "high desert" before descending into the park. The only trouble is that if you were to find employment in the L.A. basin or San Francisco Bay area you have to practice riding the PCH...or Coastal Mountains...or the Sierra Nevadas...or ????

AND, odot would come and visit.

PM coming your way, as to not hijack this poor dude's thread anymore than we already have. sorry dude.

 

[deer slayer]

Actually there are some pretty good riding roads in North Texas. I have two groups that I ride with (sport bikes mostly), one tends to go north and east out around Wolf City and there are some nice, relatively twisty, low traffic Farm to Market roads out that way. The other group rides out of Ft. Worth and there are numerous good roads SW of the city. There are lots of good day rides around. Traffic in Dallas can suck but at least you can use the HOV lanes, it is not nearly as bad as Chicago. I have done the Talimena trail in southern OK to western AR in one day, round trip is @550 mi but what a great ride. The Texas hill country is doable on a weekend and the roads and scenery there excellent. You can pretty much ride year round here but is does get hot in the summer, we usually ride early and are home by 2:00pm or so. I travel for work and pretty much ride every weekend. I like the Two Wheeled Texans website and there are usually rides posted there https://www.twtex.com/. Come join us at the SFO in Eureka Springs April 24 / 27 and meet some of the Texas group.

 

[joeR6]

Sweet. Thanks for all the info and web links fellas. I know what you mean about traffic in a "metroplex." Good to hear that there are some roads nearby where I can get the feejer leaned over.

As far as living goes I'm not looking to live downtown - I'm thinking northern Dallas from what others have recommended - maybe some burbs not too far (no more than an hour in traffic) from downtown. Not sure where I'd be working yet...

 

[RedRocker]

Sweet. Thanks for all the info and web links fellas. I know what you mean about traffic in a "metroplex." Good to hear that there are some roads nearby where I can get the feejer leaned over.
As far as living goes I'm not looking to live downtown - I'm thinking northern Dallas from what others have recommended - maybe some burbs not too far (no more than an hour in traffic) from downtown. Not sure where I'd be working yet...

Everybody has covered the riding aspect, burb wise some of the better places North you might consider are Flower Mound, Lewisville, Highland Village, Frisco, Plano. Depends on where you end up working. Traffic sucks as mentioned, my solution is to get to work at 5:15 and leave at 3:00. Good luck and welcome to Texas.

 

[BobbyBlue]

Dont Do It Man !!! I lived/died in the metroplex for 12 years and its all Oklahoma north of Waco ! Seriously ! Concrete roads, Hummers, "Doolies" and SUV's all tryin to kill ya ! But you will be much closer to the Hill Country...Travel south young man...South I tell ya ! You do speak spanglisch right?

Actually you will be amongst many friends on Feejers and they'll set ya up proper like. Just be careful, they play kinda serious with their vehicles, the natives that is. And the Metroplex has the most kick ass assortment of food one could ask for, I miss all the eats.

Blessings,

Bobby