Tour de Corpus Christi

Group has weekly rides for all levels of cyclists

By Matt Young/Caller-Times

Part of the thrill of the Tour de France, the most popular cycling event in the world, is the stunning scenery that zooms past the riders. Corpus Christi can’t boast the rugged beauty of the Alps or the finishing ride down the Champs-Elysées, but a ride down Ocean Drive is nice and the year-round temperate weather is tough to beat.

"Cycling here, you have gorgeous opportunities to ride along Ocean Drive, and there’s just very few places in the country that you can get that kind of scenery with your ride," said Gretchen Arnold, who organizes several cycling events in Corpus Christi. "We also have a very conducive climate for cycling. You can ride your bike all year long. Most places in the country are confronted with snow or bad weather during parts of the year, but we don’t get that much here."

Although cyclists always seem to be at odds with those behind the wheel, local cyclist Don Kloster says Corpus Christi isn’t too bad.

"A lot of people have bad things to say about the traffic, but I find people down here to be OK," said Kloster, who moved to Corpus Christi from Anchorage, Alaska. "There will always be some jerks, but people here are pretty friendly to those on their bikes."

Cycling group
For 15 years, Arnold has been part of a group of local cyclists who get together on Saturdays and Sundays for an informal cycling tour around Corpus Christi.

"I started doing it in the late ’80s, and the group had already been together for several years," Arnold said. "Various clubs have been part of the ride, but right now, there’s not a club, and we don’t really need one anymore. The word is out there so much that everyone just shows up and rides together as a group."

The group meets at about 8 a.m. at Lamar Park and rides along Interstate 37 to Labonte Park and turns around. Depending on the experience of the rider, some turn around sooner and others go farther.

Everyone is welcome
More recently, the group also has gotten together for a similar ride at 6 p.m. on Wednesdays.

"It’s a pretty diverse bunch, because anyone can show up and everyone is welcome," Arnold said. "The only requirement, and it’s not really a requirement, because this isn’t some official event, but a helmet is strongly encouraged. You just show up with your bike and take off. We have people anywhere from in their teens to their 60s that ride with us, and they ride distances anywhere from 15 miles to 50 miles round trip."

According to Arnold, the frontage roads of I-37 and Ocean Drive are the best places for cyclists.

This article is originally from the Caller-Times publication South Texas Life.
View the original publication.