(Not so) Great Rides Austin - Walnut Creek + Decker Lake Loop - NOT AT ALL WHAT I EXPECTED TO FIND

After getting rained out of a 300k the day before in Austin, TX, I had a few hours to kill and a serious urge for an easy bike ride, so I did a quick google search and found this www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/gr...
Given Trek Bicycle Corporation's flawless track record for everything great in cycling, I knew it couldn't possibly be bad....right? It wasn't terrible, but what I found along the way was SHOCKING 🤢🤮
Route link! ridewithgps.com/routes/35496109
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[@RicLevine]

Aside from all that roadside trash...another good one, man!! The unpredictable weather, the omnipresent overcast skies and the humidity of central Texas were just a few of the things that helped drive us out of that state.

[@elishmittywerminghanjensen1264]

That first bike stand had wonderful comedic timing

[@bkefrmr]

Story of my life 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@ohiomoto]

Hard to believe that you picked up a nail on that ride. It's not like you rode through the local dump or anything.

[@MumfordJim]

Trash along the road was VERY disappointing! The Trail looked very nice. I hate flats, so I went out and purchase a Schwalbe tires and have been riding them without a flat for four years.

[@senorspiegel]

I live a couple miles from there, I love riding my road bike on that trail! Glad you got to enjoy our trashy roads!

[@BiggCliph]

Brushy Creek Trail is where it’s at. About to move to an apartment that has a sidewalk contacted to it. Very excited!

[@kristamcnamee1456]

Seeing this reminds me of the slogan “don’t mess with Texas.” It needs to be brought back. Texas is a beautiful state with diverse landscape- desert 🌵 out west and lush green in the east. Beware of goat heads, they can flatten a tire quickly, so can roadside debris. Nice video!

[@gregkollasch5494]

That’s what I like seeing. Good ol bike paths with no traffic. If you want good rail rail trails and paths galore, try Des Moines . Some of the best trail systems in the Midwest IMO! Great vid! Thanks for sharing !!

[@robertunderdunkterwilliger2290]

And places with snow in the winter have less debris on the road surface. Generally they're cleaner too! Must be something with the people that lives in colder climates..

[@No_ReGretzky99]

I grew up 30 years in council bluffs Iowa which is about 3 hours from Des Moines I used to go to Des Moines every year for wrestling tournaments the state I'm getting into mountain biking will back into it I now live in Memphis but if you can't check out the Wabash Trace trail it runs all the way across Iowa ragbrai came through as well talk about some expensive setups on those bikes man holy crap I talked to a guy that had like 10 grand in his bike 😅😅

[@BillSmithPerson]

Yeah Decker loop has a lot of trash. The pavement is cracked in places too. Walnut Creek Trail is pretty nice though. You probably saw they’re building another 5-mile segment out to Manor.

[@mitmon_8538]

HA! Pathlete. Never heard that before. So good.

[@TrekMTBikeRider]

I started out as a pathlete until I made the mistake of becoming a roadie. Eventually I became a bike mechanic, go figure!

[@tonyjennison3199]

Tour de trash can, parts of that look like Britain in the 80's, then again no one threw a brick at you, so that's a bonus.

[@robertunderdunkterwilliger2290]

Your start at Govalle reminded me about a program saw about a Swedish- American approx. 30 years ago. I can't remember his name, but should not be hard to find out. He came from a part of southern Sweden called Småland, and he named parts of Austin Govalle, apparently this park to. It's not really a Swedish word, but rather from his local accent. It means Good Pasture. I just thought it was funny with a name in 'Småländska' in Texas. There's been many Swedish Texans, and even small Swedish Towns in Texas, but they're gone now. Now you know ...

[@marta150]

I "mountain" bike in the desert in Arizona. If there is an access road, even a rutted road, there will be garbage. Sometimes we work to clean it up, hauling old couches and mattresses out by ATVs. Sometimes it is just too daunting.

[@brucejanson2849]

At first, I was aghast at the three water bottle frame bag load-out, but then the garbage gave me PTSD flashbacks from riding in Maryland, and I was distracted, but then the water bottles cropped up again with their weight causing that branch to give way, it was a non-stop roller coaster of emotions. Nice job. 🎉

[@bkefrmr]

All that extra weight sure was a huge problem for me on a relatively flat 25 mile ride I probably should buy a carbon fiber frame to maximize my cycling performance now

[@schrodingerthecat]

@@bkefrmr Waiting for that update - next vid perhaps?

[@craigsmith5134]

@@bkefrmr laying on the sarcasm pretty thick there :D

[@FLUSHER822]

I’m in AZ riding this week. Tucson. Loop trail is great but trash along the roads is awful. Didn’t bring one of the fleet but found a wonky old bike shop near the UA campus. (Does repairs rentals and used bikes - didn’t see a new bike or an e-bike on the place). Got a decent bike that was easier than shipping. Great weather and decent motorist tolerance for an old man on a bike. Road Saguaro yesterday. Share the road signs everywhere but shoulders were pretty tight. So far so good. Only two more days of riding- then more touristy stuff.

[@bkefrmr]

Nice! Sounds like a cool shop!

[@FLUSHER822]

@@bkefrmr I find ‘em everywhere

[@Galiuros]

I bet you're talking about Fair Wheel Bikes on the south side of campus. It's the only place I go and recommend to others. The Loop, about 120 miles, I think, basically circles Tucson. It's popular with folks who want to get out. There are a couple of "bike boulevards" in town. Mountain Avenue (north/south) is one and 3rd Street (east/west) is another. They will be turning Blacklidge Drive (east/west) soon into another one. The City also has a lot of light controlled crossings along major roads.

[@jbratt]

I’m my area they started charging at the dump. The a lot of scumbags just started dumping anywhere because as long as they were not caught it was free. Then the city paid to have the trash picked up. 😕

[@suntzuwarsword1964]

What a lovely peaceful ride..thank you for sharing..from Queensland Australia 💯💯💯

[@TwoWheelWarrior]

Hahaha. I'm a pathlete. I have most of the Strava KOM's on the path system in my city. It got me a call from the police.

[@bkefrmr]

FUCK YEAH!

[@BHman841]

enjoyed riding with you. Thanks

[@billkosses3808]

Cool route overall. Good job starting early

[@mikefleissner4415]

My visits.to Wisconsin amazed me almost 0 litter.i survey how many block i drive.4.blocks to find 1 piece of litter.i would move to Wisconsin

[@spyrosg3172]

Park Tool should consider selling that bike stand (the second one). Not very adjustable but robust and better looking than some others..!🙃

[@tonyalewis9053]

Wow! I thought Missourians were trash throwers but not even close. Volunteers & road crews pick it up here. Some “volunteers” are making up community service hours. 😉

[@craigsmith5134]

Nice ride man, trash was a pretty big let down though. But the size of that nail and it's ease to find certainly make up for it!!

[@gradywright]

I lived in Austin in the very early two thousands. I commuted everywhere by bike and I don't think those paths were there. Pretty amazing development. But the trash was always there. Streets lined with beer and alcohol bottles doesn't bring any peace of mind when riding a bicycle on the side of the road.

[@aaronbehindbars]

All that trash is pretty common in the rural areas east of Austin. Less resources are expended in the lower income areas of the city and county for cleanup and the DdA doesn't pursue people for dumpng. Williamson County to the north puts people in jail for this. It's surprising how many people dump their trash with mail that makes it really easy to figure out their identity.

[@TimWesline]

Thanks!

[@bkefrmr]

Nice! Thanks so much!

[@paulmaurice4491]

Nice ride indeed. Too bad about all the trash!

[@bikenraider99]

Haha! The Austin let down. It happens. Not that riding in the rest of the state is any better my man.

[@EliTheEnlightened]

That black truck with the red towel moves around every once in awhile. I’m embarrassed I recognized it.

[@jrockthecasbah]

I think an earlier Mad Max movie was filmed on this trail.

[@thecitizen49]

People who dump their garbage on the side of the road are garbage people. This is a pretty common sight on rural roads of not only Texas and but everywhere America. Americans just don't care. Travis County should be dealing with this situation but I guess that's not happening. I've riding this trail since before it was even finished and I still love it.

[@kumakhan]

Welcome to TEXAS. Wish it would have gone better sir.

[@nowyourefinished6481]

Pretty bike! ;-)

[@entropy0917]

Wow that was really sad to see the roadside turned into a full-on garbage dump. At least there were no groups of druggies smoking crack. probably too rural for them. We get a few of them but no trash here in Tucson that I have seen on the part of wonderful bike loop that I have started riding this year.

[@scottraines4254]

There is roadside trash in every state I've ever been in but this seems particularly egregious

[@bkefrmr]

Absolutely incredible

[@TwoWheelWarrior]

Shorts weather!!!

[@TrekMTBikeRider]

You should come to Atlanta and ride either the Beltline or the Silver Comet Trail. The potential of being the victim of a violent crime while riding your bike is always exhilarating and not for the faint at heart!

[@ClintDowd]

Come to Louisville Kentucky! We've got some beautiful trails in the area.

[@joelweinberger3695]

Thanks for the ride! I hope that wasn’t typical for a Texas bike trail. 😢You dislike tubeless but…. It makes me really appreciate our great trails here in the upper Midwest.

[@bkefrmr]

I seriously doubt tubeless would have helped there. In fact, it would’ve been WAY more difficult, and messy to fix.

[@joelweinberger3695]

@@bkefrmr that little hole would have sealed right up! They fix themselves unless a big chunk of tires gets torn off. You really need to experiment with tubeless and join us in the 21st century 🤣😂🤣

[@bkefrmr]

@@joelweinberger3695 I’ve experienced tubeless. I don’t think the “benefits” outweigh the drawbacks.

[@joelweinberger3695]

@@bkefrmr I understand. Changing out a tube for you is easy peasy. Me doable but a bit harder especially if it’s cold and my fingers aren’t working too well. I will admit removing a tubeless tire that has seated on the rim for a couple thousand miles is tough and not very enjoyable. I let my go to mechanic at the LBS, who convinced me to switch to tubeless, handle this task. I even tip him!

[@6479rob]

I lived south of there about 80 miles the true Hill country of Texas is a lot prettier thay didn’t put up with the trash like that in Kerr county. But Kerrville is a much smaller town than Austin. The pretty blue sky is still there I see. Your trail is like the very foothills of the Hill country Highly recommend San Antonio palm trees with a very southwest feel. You were also in Rattle snake country lots of them where you were at.

[@6479rob]

Being from Ohio I have been shocked just how good some of our bike trails are, I have only seen about 120 miles never any trash like that Texas run wow. Can’t wait to do the Erie to Ohio river run I know it’s nice.

[@godfellas483]

I don't like cleaning up after "slobs". I often leave it as a monument to what bunch of "pigs" we really are. But sadly, if something isn't done about "humanity's" waste it just grows. All that is needed is for a dedicated politician to campaign for a dedicated garbage truck to work along that route for a couple or three weeks picking up the trash discarded by those ignorant people. Fly dumping is treated seriously (usually by fine only) in most places, but the truth is, it is rarely ever caught, and then rarely ever prosecuted. Texas used to care about that problem, now they just have too much on their plate to care about the growing "detritions'" of mankind. The US is starting to look like a 3rd world country IMHO... Anyhew....thanks for posting Bike Farmer...Have a safe trip back.

[@davidviegut3982]

This is the real Austin. Garbage everywhere.

[@ninjabortion]

Is that a throwaway spur of the moment trash comment or is this the type of insight you share regularly?

[@davidviegut3982]

@@ninjabortion considering everything is relative, Austin is a dirty, trash strewn city.

[@Kelekona_808]

I don't have enough Lycra to be a Pathlete so I'm probably more of a Patehercize Curmudgeon. Aside from the stump and the tire hook, the path itself seemed to be fairly well maintained. Shame that greenspace was treated as a dumping ground is so many areas along the path.

[@gk5891]

Bike Farmer goes to Austin? Any connection (name) or just an unrelated coincidence?

[@johnzee691]

I guess if that nail went all the way thru the rim it would have made for better content. doubt you were carrying pliers to remove it as well. it happened to a teammate once many years back. he had many flats on that morning ride before school and we were aiding him the best we could, he got all our spare tubes......but when he picked up that 16d nail that went thru the rim as well......and we were over 30 miles from school, he was on his own and we said goodbye maybe we'll see you at school at that point. never seen anyone with that kind of bad luck before.

[@StefaanVanDamme]

What camera do you use?

[@wandamaddox7824]

A lot of people must think that they're still in Mexico.

[@ScottCarlson-cz7wj]

The trash reminds me of Ryan Van Duzer's latest Baja vids; third world. Americans used to not put up with that. Apathy. I wondered if you might pick up a thorn in a tire, instead of trash. It's dried blackberry vines up here in western WA. I like the riding vids. Thanks.

[@keithschrack]

Graveyard of old sofas.

[@riskyrax]

Come for a ride here in Portland Or you’ll be numb to the trash elsewhere ha

[@nickylazer]

...when the tree broke, I lost my shit.....bwahahaha

[@bkefrmr]

Ya. Keeping Austin weird for sure!

[@Lol-jl9sm]

I don’t know if you’re still in the area of Austin is a real nice bike path at Lake Georgetown. There is some famous skate parks in the area called house park & ninth Street. & Walnut pump truck There is a big Mail order place called Empire Bmx.

[@ninjabortion]

Don't send him to walnut pump track aka BMX loop, huge camp there right now. They don't bother anyone, so I just let em be. The roadside trash is nothing compared to that scene.

[@user-yu6px4xp1u]

What a shame about all the rubbish..we have the same problem hear in the UK...i live in bournemouth,dorset..near the woods and river..its such a shame people feel its ok to do this..

[@cgatlin65]

The PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF AUSTIN isn't what it was in the past. It's downright disgraceful.

[@cmleoj]

It’s cool to be down on Austin, I get it. But I’ve lived in and around Austin for almost half a century, and what I see in Austin is opportunity, good jobs, and a comfortable life. If someone wants the old days, they might find it in Cincinnati or Kansas City, but there won’t be the vibrant economy that’s here.

[@cgatlin65]

@@cmleoj I've lived in Dallas for nearly 60 years. It's not the same place it once was either. No place is.

[@jedschleisner8960]

Wow, that’s going to take a army to clean that up 😢 there’s no place like Wisconsin to ride.

[@smedleybutler1969]

Everyone is blaming the other guy for the dumping but the truth is it is everyone fault,Send out trucks to clean it up.The trash piling up only encourages more dumping!

[@terrycruise-zd5tw]

youre a funny guy

[@tonyjennison3199]

Get caught fly tipping in the UK you're in for a hefty fine, people are tramps.

[@bkefrmr]

What is fly tipping?

[@frankthomas8436]

@@bkefrmr Similar to cow tipping.

[@tonyjennison3199]

Oh sorry, British language there. Well dotted around the country (UK), are government controlled facilities that the populace can use for free to deposit rubbish and recycle material, commercial enterprises have to pay a fee for this service. Sometimes people do not wish to go to the facility, (dump?) or do not wish to pay the fee for business waste, so they dump (tip) their refuse in a public space and step on the gas, (fly). hence Fly-tip. UK Councils have a constant fight clearing up this mess and seeking out the culprits to prosecute them. It's a disgraceful practice, however, only the people who would not do it are angered by it, such as your good self. @@bkefrmr

[@kevinwilleford7876]

Looks like the 'don't mess with Texas' campaign has come to a sad end.

[@bootchop88]

its all the californians that have come to Texas.

[@trishaleaver3581]

That image appears in lots of town these days😔

[@bicycleutopia]

a concrete path with expansion joints??? americans never stop insulting bicyclists...

[@ninjabortion]

Run 28s or bigger and you won't even feel em. That path is built on drainage and swamp lands, the joints are a requirement or the entire thing would fall apart. Hell it already is, some joints the gaps have shifted but they fill em in.

[@vhs10907]

This is too bad. Austin has better, but the trash is a shame.

[@HappyCricketHelmet-pz5dg]

I know some good a$$hole bike mechanics that can set you up on tubeless systems and maybe a used bike stand from their yard 😅

[@donmynack]

The graffiti should tell you what side of town you are on there. Yikes!

[@NightPwnGaming]

This is like The Walking Dead levels of trash. What in the world

[@ej2863]

I think the trash is from homeless camps

[@michaelwebster2416]

Trash, disheartening

[@dondonner1095]

I thought you were in California with all the garbage spewed everywhere. Then I also realized there were no homeless people so it could not be California.

[@peterago1082]

dont like flat states