Rough Riding: Lubbock offers
beginners, challenging trails for mountain biking
enthusiasts
by Vondee Langehennig, staff writer
Every Sunday at 4 p.m., Greg Davis
fills up his trailer with his son and about a dozen bikes,
helmets, and other mountain biking accessories and heads up
to the Martin Luther King, Jr. trails.
Other mountain biking enthusiasts, and
those curious to learn about the sport, then meet him and
the demonstrations begin.
Davis is the owner of DFC Cycles and
Fitness in Lubbock, as well as the man behind “Demo Days,”
designed to give anyone the chance to see what mountain
biking is all about.
“Anyone can come out to test bikes and
learn certain pieces of the bikes themselves,” says Davis.
“It is a great way to be outdoors, and Lubbock has a lot to
offer as far as trails.”
“What? There is mountain biking in
Lubbock?” Davis asked himself with a laugh “Many people are
surprised, but it is true.”
Yes. Lubbock, the Great Plains, can
cater to your every mountain biking desire. Though some of
the trails in Lubbock are man made, the winding and twisting
turns in combination with steep inclines, can provide
excitement for the most advanced rider, but still designed
for the beginner or casual rider.
And he should know. Davis has been an
avid rider for 17 years. But his beginnings were with
motorcycles, and then mountain biking slowly became a bigger
part of his life.
“It was a great cardio workout to be in
shape for riding my motorcycles, but I just continued doing
it,” said Davis.
It has also become a big part of his
family time also. Davis and his two sons go on regular
trips to Colorado and New Mexico for camping and, of course,
taking on the mountain trails.
“The boys have been doing it since they
were very young and really enjoy it,” Davis said. “It was
hard for them at first, but the older they got, the more
they improved.”
Mountain biking has become a family
affair in the Davis household, and they are also doing their
part to provide quality equipment and information to the
public.
Mountain biking doesn’t have to be a
solo activity either. Lubbock has a variety of
organizations that one can join to gain information and to
have some fellow cyclists along for the ride. The Chaparral
Cycling Club and Lubbock Bicycle Club each conduct weekly
rides around the city and mountain biking trails weekly.
Some of the main trails in Lubbock
include Mae Simmons Park, Purina, and the Martin Luther
King, Jr. Trails.
As indicated by the web site
www.dirtworld.com, Mae Simmons trails are located west
on 26th St. from MLK and a quarter of a mile on
the right is where the trail begins. This trail can be
between two to 20 miles, depending on which trail system one
decides to take. It is well suited to beginners and
advanced riders that need cardio training.
Purina trails, aptly named since it
follows directly below the Purina factory, are located off
of North I-27 at the Parkway Drive exit. Stay on the access
road and continue North to Municipal Drive. The trail is
right on Elm Street and begins just beyond the end of the
street. It has many wooded areas and can be fairly rocky,
but it does merge into an SUV trail that adds a bit of ease
for the beginner. The trail is mostly for intermediate
riders. It features a single track and fire roads that are
approximately six miles long. It also can be found on
www.dirtworld.com.
But the premiere trail in Lubbock would
have to the MLK Jr. trail. This trail is located on 19th
and MLK Boulevard, inside Mackenzie Park. The length is
about 12 miles long in a single loop. It does have up to a
100-foot elevation gain and is suited for beginner to
advanced riders.
But just like any other sport, there
are rules, regulations and etiquette when participating.
There are many rules enforced by the
Texas Department of Transportation that aren’t
just to make the trails run
smoothly but also for safety. All of these rules also have
been evaluated by the International Mountain Biking
Association.
These rules
include: Check your helmet adjustment each time you put it
on. Never use a helmet that has been damaged, even
if there are no visible signs. Replace a helmet after it
has been damaged. Always wear a chinstrap, and last but not
least, you should always wear a helmet.
It is also very important to keep the
natural environment trails just that, natural. After all,
the fun in mountain biking is the interaction you get with
nature. That is why it is very important to ride only on
open trails, so not to make new trails and take away from
the scenery, and leave no trace of you being in that
location.
Other rules include riding sensibly and
considerately by obeying speed violations, not spooking
animals, and controlling your bike. Obeying the rules can
make for a much more pleasurable experience for you and your
fellow riders.
For more
information on mountain biking in the area and Demo Days
call (806) 796- BIKE or stop by DFC Cycles and Fitness on 67th
Street and Indiana Avenue in Lubbock. You can also visit
their website at
www.dfccyclesandfitness.com.
For information on clubs and
organizations in the area contact the Chaparral Cycling Club
at (806) 792-8573 or the Lubbock Bicycle Club at (806)
794-1900.
