So I can't get this 400 mile loop out of my head. I believe this will be my next excursion.

you should probably just wear diapers you big old mountain dew drinking baby.   

Thanks Travis. Kick the fat guy while he's searching for help.😳

Does anyone have any experience with Bontrager bibs for endurance? if so, are they any good and which one? if not, or what are folks using?

Packed for the gran-gravel 500

check out texas bikepacking on facebook. but ya count me in for anything bikepacking in texas. there is more than you think to do here. A buddy and I started it a while back. over 400 members.

I Live in Houston and just moved here from Fort Worth. Sam Houston National Forest has something to offer down this way. There is the NETT(North East Texas Trail) that runs from way out in east Texas to Farmington that's pretty cool too. Arkansas offers up the Ouachita Trail, Womble Trail, and Lovt. Last year was the first Race Across Texas and it was from Texarkana to Tucamcari New Mexico and 90% gravel roads and double track paths (887 miles). It is October 10 this year. If you do Face book, we started a group called Texas Bike Packing, it has its ups and downs for the amount of traffic that runs thru it. Enjoy your journeys!

im thinking this fall for some of this greatness.

Will do. Have you done any overnight trips across Sam Houston national forest?

Good thinking about pirates.  I will have to take my blunderbuss for safety!

have you done this trip? I now live in the Houston area and have been invited to do a Matagorda islandish overnighter. to go out to the Matagorda light house. waiting for the date to be set. I also heard the rattle snakes were bad.

bump

wow! watch out for the pirates. not from experience. just sayin.

I either read it or heard it somewhere. The fast guys live off a block of some type of cookie dough based block of fuel that they eat off of. Prolly something like peanut butter, seeds, nuts, chia, hemp hearts,chocolate chips, oatmeal. Anyone know what I might be talking about? I would to know more about it.
thanks

https://www.facebook.com/events/1379167685662276/?ref=ts&fref=ts

http://www.spinistry.com/race-across-texas/

I third that.

Hey Todd,
That information really excites me. Glad to hear y'all are doing this. I've just recently got my gear together and still getting some of it. But I am totally stoked about this type of riding.
CAB (cold as balls) will be at the fishing village again this year. We have reserved all 6 cabins for the weekend of 2/19/14. Come by and see us. Sure we will have plenty of bacon. We have about thirty confirmed riders coming thus far.

FYI: in the mere future there is going to be a ride/ race held on the NETT. I'll post up here when it is made public. Possibly 11/02/2013. Be watching Spinistry.com or on Facebook.

Well, I have a idea to catch the "Southern Tier" out of New Waverly (about an hour north of me) and head towards San Marcos. I'm new to the forum after discovering it via the MTBCAST.com. I was wondering if anyone in the area has a shorter weekend route in the area? I wish Adventure Cycling Association would have more routes down here.

google bike mojo speak for the forum out of Austin. Holler up for Sherpa xc. If anyone knows where to do some trips around that area, he will.

Amazing how things change in a short period of time. On June 23rd my 16 yr old son was dropped at my house and was told not to bring him back home. Needless to say a lot of my free me time has been replaced with father/ son time that I thought I'd never see. I reckon bike packing will be out for me a couple more years. I'm busy is ever now. You guys have fun. Congrats on the pregnancy.

I mapped out about 80 miles that is a loop. Did not put much of a dent in the forest. It starts out just east of kennard at the lake Ratliff state park. Made up mostly of forest roads and some county roads. Some of my plan was to get off the main path and explore some unmarked area on pipelines and jeep roads here and there, or just whatever we come across. The camp grounds at Ratliff have a shower and camp grounds. I did not link the netches river area into it cause i did not want to be on roads with traffic. Like I said in previous posts, I hunted down there about 20 years ago and drove a lot of the forest roads back then and even some of the pipelines. I'll keep tweaking on the route and give some alternatives to it. FYI, I did it with bike toaster if you want to play with that a bit. Can't save it on my iPad and that is all I have with me at the moment. Will post link at a later date.

Doesn't this run from farmersville to new Boston? Of what you have ridden of it, is it cx friendly? There is a small clan of us in the d/fw looking to explore this.