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Houston to Austin/Austin to Houston

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Maybe this might already exist so help me out if it does. In an effort to keep expanding the rides and add some diversity, I would like to find dirt/gravel/back road routes to all the surrounding major cities. Since Austin is fairly close, I was thinking that would be a good one to start with. So Houston riders and Austin SE riders less collaborate and make a nice track back and forth. Some dirty roads and back roads, if possible let's include something interesting to look at in between.
@my6 @hambone334 @William Wolfen
 
Someone at some time here must have done it. Going let's say from Houston to Austin on as much dirt as posssible.
 
There are routes from Houston to Fayetteville. Do that and then ride to Bastrop. Don't know of much gravel between Austin and Bastrop though.
 
I used to ride to Austin on backroads through Fayetteville, Winchester, Bastrop State Park...rode on 71 for just a couple of miles to 969, which wasn't nearly as developed as it is now...those big sweepers are far more congested. Great set of twisties between New Ulm and Lone Oak. I was always on a sportbike, you can get a whole lot more gravelly or busted up road if you want, I found those too.
 
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The idea is to put a route together. Get some .gpx files together that we can share, test out and refine. If you have something we can use please share. Thx.
 
Some counties pave almost all of their roads. Not sure how close to Austin or Houston you could actually get. I know in the West side of Houston you have to get out of Harris county first.
 
Some counties pave almost all of their roads. Not sure how close to Austin or Houston you could actually get. I know in the West side of Houston you have to get out of Harris county first.
Let's say we ride to Fayetteville like we do sometimes as someone suggested up above. Now instead of winding back and forth, we stretch out a bit. Maybe use some of the roads similar to the ones you, I and @my6 took on Sunday to head back towards Houston. I'm sure we can find a good mix.
 
Interested in this since I go to Houston a lot however I’m completely clueless on the east side of town.
 
Interested in this since I go to Houston a lot however I’m completely clueless on the east side of town.
Welp, let's change that! Let's get this researched and put together. How do you come to Houston now?
 
In the RIDE TEXAS! booklet these roads where covering the Houston-Austin-San Antonio triangle.

GOPR0794.JPG


GOPR0795.JPG
 
Nice. Would you might happen to have a page of Austin to Seguin too? I'm tryng to figure up a round trip...
 
To clarify, our goal is to tie as many dirt roads together as earthly possible. I know I know but we gotta try....
 
I dont have dual sport but there used to be quite a few gravel roads in Austin County, I know there are still some nice ones around Industry going back towards Bleiberville and Kenny, and some that go between Industry and New Ulm I rode them all as a kid growing up living in Industry I know they are not all paved over as I took the wife's suv down the one from Industry over to Bleiberville a while back looking for a friends old homeplace

I know there is one over close to Winchester that leads over close to Bastrop state park as I took a group of street guys down it a few years ago and listen to them whine all during lunch later that day
 
Thanks, oh and thats funny. Been there and heard that whiiiiiiiine!
 
Plotted out my fave route to Austin from West side of Houston. All back roads (with the exception of maybe two miles on 71) on some of the twistiest paved roads I know.
I like to start on 359 in Richmond 'cuz there's some really fun roads south of I-10. (Watch for bicyclists and pelotons.)
You can pick up the route in Brookshire on 359.
Houston - Austin, All Back Roads
ETA, removed all the odd little 1/4 mile detours the plotting tool added. This route will produce many smiles per mile, expect light traffic with easy passing.
Partial route image shown to give an idea of all the curves on this route.
Ride within your limits, there's a challenging section I took a very experienced motorcycle shop owner on one day. Two weeks later that same road was his last ride, ever.

1588482144113.png
 
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