I thought I'd ridden all the back roads (paved) within a 100 mile radius of Houston. But I was wrong again. I rode my new '09 Street Bob on a 6 1/2 hour, 230 mile tour to the back roads around Bellville and Cat Spring. Good thing it was a solo ride since I was lost 50% of the time. And part of that "lost" was a nasty stretch of gravel road about 5 miles long. I didn't plan that.

After I got back home, it took me about an hour to figure out where I had been on Google Map. Here is a screen shot of my road trip, some planned, some not planned.



Bridge over dried up river along Cat Spring Rd.



Same bridge, same motorcycle.



This ranch with lake was along New Ulm Rd. Looks like they have their own private park, lamp posts and everything.



FM 949 and Hwy 36. Stopped to take off rain gear.



Same spot, same motorcycle.



The rain started when I got to Columbus, but it never rained very hard. Not enough to slow me down except in the curves. Mostly riding 75 to 80 mph. Still had good traction. I did notice a significant reduction in gas mileage when I increased my cruising speed to the high 70's. It dropped from my normal 42 mpg down to 39 mpg. At 2,500 miles, I figure I'm still in the "new engine" period where tolerances are tight and the bike is running "stiff". Another 2,000 miles and I hope things "wear in" a bit where I get that advertised 53 mpg. Does anyone get 53 mpg on a Street Bob?

The stock H-D saddle works just fine on rides less than 350 miles and today was no exception. If all my rides were 350 miles or less, I wouldn't have ordered the new Mustang Wide Vintage seat with driver backrest. If that arrives (UPS) by next weekend, I will give it a test run up to Rusk and back. The details of the Butt Bruiser 350 are in my thread:
https://www.hdforums.com/forum/dyna-...ser-350-a.html

 

Plenty of backroads within a 100 miles...and 3 or 4 curves

 

Has anyone got a list of the good ones they wish to share?
Maybe we need to start a Houston "motorcycle roads" catalog.
Just from memory, here are a few of my favorites:

CR 302 (Grimes Co.) (a.k.a.Finke Rd.)
CR 304 (Grimes Co.)
Dyer Mill Rd.
FM 1097
FM 1155
FM 1375
FM 1458 (especially north of 1-10)
FM 1486 (south of Shiro)
FM 1488 (western end only)
FM 149
FM 1725
FM 1774
FM 1791
FM 224
FM 3090
FM 362
FM 390
Honea-Egypt Rd.
House-Hahl Rd.
Hwy 156
Mill Creek Rd. (Bellville)
Osborn Rd.
Park Rd. #1 (oops, more than 100 miles from Houston)

My computer dumped about 10 others I had listed, but this is a start.

 

There is a lot of good roads in the Northeast starting around cleveland,tx some in between 59 and 45 and others between 59 and 69 all going towards lake livingston..

 

Show me the list!