Kingston Thou Jr., right, and his dad, Kingston Thou, middle, prepare for a ride Aug. 13 in downtown Arlington. The bikers meet at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop before their Wednesday rides.
As the sun set and the air cooled in Arlington, Jose “G-Bear” Gomez Jr. pedaled his glossy black cruiser along the city’s streets.
Gomez and more than 60 cyclists motored through the UTA campus, and around the downtown area to the Entertainment District once a week — in a good-natured pack of whirling wheels.
Zoom.
The DFW BMX Cruisers wait on their bikes together at a stoplight on UTA Boulevard on Aug. 20 in downtown Arlington. The bikers ride at least 10 to 12 miles at every meetup.
“You get to see a lot of things that you never saw while you’re in the car,” said Gomez, a 43-year-old Dallas resident working in sales.
Gomez is a member of the DFW BMX Cruisers group, established in 2018 to bike across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The group meets in Arlington on most Wednesdays.
For many cyclists, riding with DFW BMX Cruisers provides mental and physical exercise along with a sense of community.
Members from all walks of life say they’re looking out for each other — during and after the rides. Many are small business owners who trade services through the group, from plumbers and technicians to car dealers.
“You can see anybody on our page, they’re all saying BMX family,” Midlothian resident Peter James said. “We all try to help each other out.”
Grand Prairie resident Kriss Parra nodded, chiming in.
The DFW BMX Cruisers ride past Texas Live on Aug. 13 in the Arlington Entertainment District. The bike group was established in 2018.
“Someone gets a flat tire on the ride, everybody stops and helps out,” Parra said.
At around 8 p.m. on a recent Wednesday, the group met at the Fuzzy’s Taco Shop on East Abram Street where members readied themselves for the ride.
For Dallas resident Joana Cornejo, the rides relieve stress from her job in the food industry.
“I take it as therapy,” Cornejo said. “It helps me out to destress from everything going on in the world or at home and just go out and have a good time with all the guys, all the girls that come. Now it’s more of us girls, which is fun.”
Mansfield, Texas, resident Peter James, 35, does tricks in a parking lot Aug. 20 in downtown Arlington. Members of the DFW BMX Cruisers come from different areas of the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
Calves tightened, helmets were balanced, wheels inched forward.
Then they were off.
Whoosh.
On campus, a tide of riders poured across the University Center’s wide pavement. Neon bike rims flickered, casting a party glow as bass-heavy EDM music pulsed through portable speakers. Some performed wheelies, leaning back with a bent leg and balancing on the rear wheel.
The DFW BMX Cruisers ride on a bridge across Cooper Street to the UTA Fine Arts Building. The bikers cruise through UTA every Wednesday.
They made a steep ascent around UTA before heading out to the bright lights of Arlington. A 7-Eleven came into sight.
Skrrrt.
Members rested, grabbed a drink at the store and caught up with one another. Then they pedaled around the Globe Life Field area before circling back to Fuzzy’s — sometimes reaching about 10 miles per hour.
On average, the group rides at least 10 to 12 miles every time they meet.
Members keep the same route for peace of mind, Gomez said.
By Dang Le, The Shorthorn staff
Despite the familiar path, they are still learning new things.
“We discover a lot of restaurants and a lot of new places,” Gomez said.
Then they get back to their daily lives.
“Ultimately, you know, that’s what we all have to do, get back to our everyday,” said Arlington resident Eddie Pineda, who leads the Wednesday rides. “But this is our escape from everyday.”
@DangHLe