chefisaac

Just curious. Might be moving there soon.

alan s 

Yes, but they all drive full size pickup trucks.

fietsbob

Heading to Austin ? I Hear its kind of not like the rest of Texas.

WalksOn2Wheels

Where in Texas? It's kind of "big." There are a few of us on here.

chefisaac

Either Austin or San Antonio.

Are re you able to commute all year around? And how do you deal with such high temps?

rmfnla

My exact first thought...

SA_Brak

I live in SA but don't commute. You could commute year round but there will be times when you don't want to because of cold/wet/windy weather. I do know some people who do commute and the heat doesn't bother them. I run at lunch and you do get used to being in the heat (I'd hate to use the word acclimate but that is what happens). Mornings can be very warm, usually upper 70's to low 80's but the sun is low in the sky so that isn't a problem. But even at 6 pm, it can still be in the upper 90's to low 100's.

And yes, I also have a full sized pickup truck.

chefisaac

thank you for your reply.

Would hlu say SA drivers are used to cyclists and accept them?

Bandera

TX is a relentless hell hole of astronomical temperatures, homicidal heavily armed rednecks, festering urban decay and hordes of predatory border crossers only held in check by drought and bad meth.
Bicycle riders are a particularly easy target for rampaging biker gangs who sell their healthy organs across the border to Mexican organ transplant mills. San Antonio is a hub of this illicit international trade and is controlled entirely by the organ cartel Asesinos de Pandillas de Organos Vicioso.

Bexar county has one of the highest drunk driving, and child abuse, rates in TX therefore in the world.
Running down pedestrians, bicycle riders or baby strollers is a misdemeanor in TX punishable by up to a $25 fine or two days of community service.

Best to stay safely in NJ.

PS: I have a 4WD V-8 pickup truck

-Bandera

Onewithbike

Hey, I'm in Austin. I've been commuting 2ce a week 29 miles round trip during the summer. The heat is surprisingly bearable and the city has decent bike infrastructure. People pass closely but do seem reasonably aware of cyclists. I feel safe enough to not wear a helmet here.

Worst part of commute is a really wide shoulder for 2.5 miles with cars going 60mph next to me. I wouldn't have attempted the commute prior to a cellphone ban while driving.

blackieoneshot 

Light colored clothes, white helmet with many vents, pay attention to hydration, avoid 2-6 pm if possible, always carry a small towel (Douglas Adams was right.) White cotton long sleeve dress shirts are a surprisingly good choice in the summer (full coverage and you look presentable fully soaked.)

I live and commute in the DFW burbs and I don't own a truck or a car.

Sirrus Rider

Not all of us..

Minnesota Expat

Okay, I'm from Minnesota (surprise, huh?) and have lived in San Antonio for 8-years. Here's my view;

1) Coming from "up north", you'll be disappointed by the level of government services in Texas, Austin or San Antonio. Public safety, education, and infrastructure that is taken for granted "up north", is provided at a minimal level. The flip side, the cost of living is far lower than Minnesota (or New Jersey) and you'll find housing cheap. Dinner for two and bottle of wine at a nice small, non-chain, restaurant is less than $200.

2) That being said, you can ride year round. People here put on goose down parkas when the temperature dips below 32F and the freeways are closed with a 1/4" of snow (there just isn't much rain), but seriously, there is no winter here. However, the reverse of not riding in the winter "up north", is the summer heat in south Texas. If you're not on the road by 7:30am for a 50-mile Saturday morning group ride, you'll be riding in the sun and a 110F heat index.

3) Yes. Everyone has a giant pick-up truck, washed, polished and buffed. Most have never seen a day of "work", they're commuting vehicles. Basically, a Cadillac or Lincoln for the 21st century. They're fat man vehicles for someone that is uncomfortable in a regular sized car and there is a lot of that in south Texas. San Antonio is the fattest city in one of the fattest states in the country.

4) Riding is easy nine-months of the year, but you do need to be careful about the heat and the summer. Yes, you can acclimate, but that doesn't mean you need less water. Pay close attention to hydration. I've been on my hands and knees throwing up on the side of the road. It happens easily if you are not hydrated. I need a couple regular sized bidens for a two-hour ride. Sun screen is mandatory.

5) Lastly. I was concerned about riding in Texas. Generalizations about the "culture" suggest it would not be bike friendly. That has not been my experience. There is incredible riding north of San Antonio, wide county roads with nicely paved shoulders through gently rolling hills. It's called the Hill Country. Austin is the same. On the other hand, most of the county roads are chip seal that sucks the power out of your legs. You get used to it.

There isn't much dedicated bike infrastructure in San Antonio. But I've ridden 100-miles a week for the last three years and have only once had a bad encounter with a vehicle. The guy threw a bottle at me from his large shiny black pick-up. I was over the white line on the paved shoulder climbing a steep hill. Go figure. I just sold my house in a sub-division in north San Antonio, bought a condo 3-miles from work and start bike commuting Oct 1st.

Good luck and keep in touch!

Mos6502

I've lived in Austin since 2009 and still cannot stand the summer heat. It's not impossible to bike, but if you're commuting you better be able to shower wherever you're going because you're going to be sweating and half dead by the time you get there. I got a moped to ride during the summer, because I can't deal with that. The rest of the year is awesome though.

ggpepper

I've lived in Austin since 1950 the year I was born...never lived anywhere else, so I have nothing to compare it too. Although I like Bandera's answer the best, Austin really is a good place to cycle. I've been either delivering newspapers, riding to school, biking to the park and ballgames and even the golfcourse once for well over 50 years. Now I commute 3-5 days a week, trail ride or just cruise the neighborhoods and I enjoy it each and every day.

Jiggle

San Antonio is very friendly to bicycle commuting if you plan cleverly with your lodging location. Look up "San Antonio greenway map". Those are the paved trails. There are also a lot of trails in the public greenways that run all over the city.

the sci guy 

Houston, here.

Yes, you can commute year round. Yes, it's hot as balls in the summer even in the morning. But, if you've got a shower at work, who cares?
Basically from ~October to ~May, riding is great.

Hop to the Texas sub-forum in the regional forums section. We got some good threads there.

Whynot1999

I commute in Dallas-Fort Worth, which is supposedly one of the worst places in the US to commute, but it's not so bad. Take your time, get a water backpack, panniers, and wear clothes that fold small so you can change. During the rest of the year, I just wear wmy day clothes. I ride 12-18 miles round trip daily, depending on what I need to do.