Irving, Texas- A Little Gem for Cyclists In North Texas

Bike Friendly Irving, Texas

You can find weekly races in this part of town. Featuring riders from the Wednesday Night Criterium Series.

Tucked away between the Dallas/Ft.Worth airport and the city of  Coppell lies a small section of a larger city. Valley Ranch, a branch of the suburb of Las Colinas, is mostly known for the Dallas Cowboys training arena. What most people don't know, even locals here in Texas, is that this is one of the most bike friendly places around. Valley Ranch is not it's own city. It is in fact part of Irving, Texas. Though it might as well be, because this area has a personality of it's own.  Below is a the route which was covered in this trip around Valley Ranch and Las Colinas.

Find more Bike Ride in Irving, TX

Here is where you'll find some of the local racing scene battle it out on the weekly Criteriums. The Wednesday Night Criterium series brings cyclists from all over the area to race here. This is a place where people know other people, and cyclists know other cyclists. It is a place where I know business owners by name, and they they know me by name as well. It is rich in it's cultural diversity, home to delicious cuisines from all over the world. It has the best coffee shop I have been to in North Texas, Java Me Up.  It is also a place that is starting to welcome progress, and has the blue print preset for welcoming transit oriented development. In fact, by 2014 this haven will be linked to the international airport via light rail, part of a more larger aggressive program that is connecting all of Dallas County.

Let's take a small tour of what Valley Ranch has to offer. (On a side note to the reader, it is getting hot over here in Texas. The late afternoon sun here builds endurance like no other place in the country. That is why Lance Armstrong was able to win the tour seven times, just sayin'). Check out these observations of my ride through Valley Ranch.

Campion Trails in Valley Ranch.

Gotta love the color yellow.

Java Me Up. The BEST coffee in all the Dallas County Area!

The picturedoes not do this climb much justice, but this is the highest hill in Valley Ranch.

The Bull logo, you see it everywhere here.

Cool Sculptures in the La Villita neighborhood of Las Colinas.

Back on the trail doing a little bit of off-roading on a short section of singletrack.

Making Progress: Rail lines mark where the new transit system will be shortly.

Vinice? No, its the Mandalay Canals at Las Colinas

The Lions of Campion Trail

The hot, late evening sun is the the hottest time of day here.