DFW cycling is better than you'd expect. Here's the route guide.
Road cycling:
In-city:
- White Rock Lake loop — 9.3 miles. The most popular road cycling route in Dallas. Dedicated bike lane. Flat with minor hills. Source: whiterocklake.org
- Katy Trail (shared with runners) — 3.5 miles. Good for easy rides. Gets crowded, be respectful of pedestrians.
- Trinity Trails (Fort Worth) — 70+ miles of paved trail. Best long-distance cycling in DFW. Source: trinitytrails.org
Suburban/rural:
- Collin County back roads — north of McKinney. Farm roads with low traffic. 40-60 mile loops. The DFW road cycling community's Saturday morning playground.
- Waxahachie/Ellis County — south of DFW. Rolling hills, scenic countryside. 30-50 mile loops.
- Granbury/Hood County — west of Fort Worth. Hill country starts here. Source: ridewithgps.com
Mountain biking:
- Northshore Trail (Grapevine Lake) — 20+ miles of singletrack. Rocky, technical, DFW's best MTB trail. Source: dorba.org
- Cedar Hill State Park — 15+ miles of trails. Good variety for all skill levels. $5 entry. Source: tpwd.texas.gov
- Erwin Park (McKinney) — 10+ miles. Fast, flowy singletrack. Source: mckinneytexas.org
- River Legacy Park (Arlington) — beginner-friendly trails. Good for learning.
- Gateway Park (Fort Worth) — 10+ miles of singletrack. Source: dorba.org
Cycling groups:
- Dallas Bike Works — group rides, shop rides. Source: dallasbikeride.com
- White Rock Bicycle Club — organized group rides. Source: whiterockbicycleclub.com
- Fort Worth Cycling & Fitness — shop rides. Source: fortworthcyclingandfitness.com
- DORBA (Dallas Off-Road Bicycle Association) — mountain bike trail maintenance and events. Source: dorba.org
Sources:
- DORBA.org for MTB trails
- Strava route finder
- Cycling group websites
Where do you ride?
DORBA does incredible volunteer trail maintenance. They built and maintain most of the DFW mountain bike trails. Support them with membership.