Established in 1970, FWBA has become one of the largest bicycling clubs in North Texas. The FWBA club’s goal is to offer fun recreational bike rides in Fort Worth and the surrounding area. The club has riders of all fitness levels, skill levels, and ages. Our members ride various types of bicycles: road, E-bikes, hybrids, mountain, gravel, tandems, and recumbents. Because of our diverse background and skill levels, we offer several types of regularly scheduled rides allowing riders to choose the rides that best suit their riding skill.
Our Rides
Led by a volunteer designated ride lead. Routine club rides are not fee based and visitors are highly encouraged.
Scheduled: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and as posted on website by specific events
Routes: Vary by skill set, distance, pace
Route Location: Tuesday and Thursday rides are consistently set at designated locations. Saturday location varies throughout the FW area including Tarrant, Johnson, Ellis, Parker, Hood and Palo Pinto counties. You can choose from more urban fast paced rides to beautiful country endurance rides with rolling hills
Route Maps: Riders are provided route hyperlinks which are posted on the RidewithGPS website, where maps and GPS/.tcx files for your Garmin or navigation device of choice are accessible.
Special Event Rides: The club offers members a chance to participate in overnight distant events in places like Colorado, Texas Hill Country, Fort Davis, and Little Rock, AR. Ride times, pace levels, locations, and routes are posted on the Home page and Ride Calendar.
Newer or less experienced riders: The ride leader makes every effort to ensure every new participant has a ride companion. Please see scheduled rides on our calendar website. Contact the posted ride leaders for details/questions on ride pace and distance options. Contact the ride leader before your first club ride to help insure the availability of a ride companion. Please check the Ride Calendar page for specific details and signup for our rides on line so we can support you.
FWBA communication tools: Our calendar provides the most up to date information for all rides, activities, what is coming and how to sign up for our rides. We also provide similar information on the FWBA Facebook page. We post our weekly schedule and update event status. Facebook is an excellent way to receive a small glance of the places we ride, links to local rallies our members attend and posts on general issues of our cycling community. We also welcome comments on Facebook and do our best to respond with all information available. Please remember that the calendar is the official place to sign up for our rides and events.
The FWBA is a nonprofit, totally volunteer organization dedicated to a high quality, year-round recreational ride program with a friendly, social atmosphere. Membership in the FWBA is open to anyone and makes you a part of our community providing several benefits and funds to create activities. If you like our rides and continue to ride with us, we welcome you to become an FWBA member. Your individual, or family paid membership fee includes:
- Gives you free access to several RidewithGPS Basic & Premium account features on our club routes ($50 value)
- Supplemental medical health insurance: In the unfortunate case of an injury on a club supported ride, this insurance is designed to supplement your out-of-pocket medical costs.
- Discounts at Fort Worth area rallies for club members
- Special event participation: Fort Worth Parade of Lights, meetup tents with support at bike rallies, social after ride meetups, multi day ride events (Fort Davis, Colorado, Arkansas …). New rides are added each year pending interest
- Subsidizes club events for members only; picnics, holiday parties, multi day events
- Provides member discounts at local bike shops
- Admittance to FWBA tent at supported rallies
- Cycling skills and education courses based on demand
- Multiple volunteer opportunities
As you can see, the membership fee is a great value and supports club operations. We hope you will join us as a member and that you will join us out on the road soon!
Communication Tools
Website Calendar: Our calendar provides the most up to date information for all rides, activities, what is coming and how to sign up for our rides.
Facebook: Facebook is an excellent way to receive a small glance of the places we ride and posts on general issues of our cycling community. We also welcome comments on Facebook and do our best to respond with all information available.
Strava: One of the more popular public forums for riders allowing new riders a way to see our rides and compare results.
Personal Responsibility and Safety
Please take all precautions to ensure a safe and fun ride. It is up to all riders, not just ride leaders, to ensure safety first above all other things. Your comfort level is key with a group ride and we are here to help you get there.
Helmets are required and refrain from using earbuds/phones/or loud external speakers on the ride that will impede with hearing cars or hazard callouts. Carry emergency contact info: Road ID /I.C.E. card/ on your mobile phone screen saver.
Please, CALL OUT and use HAND signals for road Hazards, Holes and Cracks, loudly so others can hear you. If there is a mechanical problem, make sure the ride leader is informed so we can help. Do not ride while overlapping wheels with the rider in front of you or pass on the right. Both of these are a recipe for disaster! Please call out all passing and verifying the rider in front of you is aware of your intent.
You are responsible for your own safety and the safety for everyone else in this group. So, it is important to follow our ride rules and obey all traffic laws.
If these simple and common-sense items are followed, riding in a group is much easier for cars to see you than if you were riding by yourself.
OK we are all here to have fun and get in a great ride. These rules are important for everyone’s safety and we hope you understand their importance.
Leakey Scenic Challenge
Ride HQ is the Frio Pecan Farm. It is a delightful resort with 2-bedroom cabins and several 3 or 4 bedroom houses that can all be reserved. The Pavilion is our meeting, greeting, and eating location each evening with plenty of room, a stage, cash bar, and whatever adventures we plan for. The Pecan Farm also has a kids' playground, paved loop for kids to ride, acres of trees, and friendly deer to watch. It is a fun place for the whole family!
Friday is a jump start with some great climbs and equally breath-taking descents. Although it is a warm up for the main event, it is usually challenging. We do offer a more relaxed "Flatland Route" along the river for those so inclined. Saturday is the most scenic, challenging, unforgettable century loop you will ever ride in Texas. Known to some as the Twisted Sisters, this route traverses valleys, mountaintops, river crossings, big climbs, big descents, and tree-covered backroads. Sunday offers a pilgrimage to the Lost Maples Cafe in iconic Utopia, Tx before heading home. Did I mention that we eat A LOT!? Some combination of provided meals, pot-luck, and an emerging restaurant base in town. A delightful lunch is provided out on the century route on Saturday. All meals are accompanied by fun and fellowship. You will GAIN weight on this trip. There is no telling what the weather will be: hot and dry.. cold and rainy... FABULOUS... you never know till you get there - bring all of your gear. We ride lots of miles, tell lots of stories, laugh all weekend, meet lots of new friends from all over. If you do this ride once, you will be hooked forever. Fort Davis Weekend
Austin to Ft Worth An on-again, off-again Spring event... most recently we have taken the AMTRACK Texas Eagle from Burleson down to Austin on Friday. It is amazing how much fun it is sitting in the upper deck bar car watching Texas roll by on the rails. Then we get on our bikes and ride back to Ft Worth, about 100 miles Saturday and Sunday.. not for the faint of heart! Due to the vagaries of Texas' spring weather.. sometimes we have a screaming tailwind, sometimes a punishing headwind! Once we took a detour to San Antonio.... look at a map and see how that works. On Sunday the FWBA club ride leaves Ft Worth and heads south to meet us half way and escort us back home! |
The third weekend in October is the FWBA's annual pilgrimage to Leakey in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. (It is pronounced LAKE-EE... we need to establish that right up front. The locals are pretty adamant about that.) This is the absolute best road riding in Texas. Vanderpool, Lost Maples, Camp Wood, Sparrow's Nest... some of Texas' greatest challenging beautiful hills. The Apple Store in Medina - best rest stop EVER. Friday and Saturday have full sag coverage provided by FWBA's BEST! For non-riding spouses or hiking enthusiasts, there is Garner State Park along the Rio Frio and Lost Maples State Park. 
The second weekend in August we trek to the historic west Texas town of Fort Davis. Thursday we ride to Balmorhea State Park for swimming in the crystal clear water of the world’s largest spring-fed swimming pool. Friday we ride to Alpine Loop. Saturday we ride the (in)famous Davis
Mountains Scenic Loop past the University of Texas' world class McDonald Observatory at the highest, darkest peak in Texas. At some point we see the Marfa lights, sample the local fare at the Drug Store with old fashion Soda Fountain & other Ice Cream Stores. Stay at the historical Hotel Limpia, among others in town or in the State Park at Indian Lodge then head home on Sunday.