Finding Peace on a Bicycle in Downtown Lubbock

Quick Take: Most cyclists think peaceful rides mean country roads, farm lanes, or bike trails. One of my favorite places to unwind on a bicycle is the historic brick streets of downtown Lubbock, where traffic nearly disappears during evenings and on Sunday mornings.

When people ask me where I like to ride, they usually expect me to name some quiet country road or a bike trail outside of town. Those are certainly great places to ride, and I enjoy them as much as anybody. But one of my favorite destinations is somewhere most people would never think about.

Downtown Lubbock.

Now, before you think I have lost my mind, hear me out. Lubbock has more than 250,000 people, and during the middle of a workday downtown is exactly what you would expect. There are people going to work, delivery trucks making stops, city business taking place, and traffic moving through the streets. It is not some empty ghost town all the time.

But something interesting happens after business hours, and especially on Sunday mornings. The traffic fades away. The sidewalks empty out. The old buildings sit quietly along the streets, and for a little while downtown feels less like the center of a city and more like a place that time forgot.

An empty downtown Lubbock street on a Sunday morning when weekday traffic has disappeared.

Downtown Is Where I Slow Down

By the time I get to downtown Lubbock, I have usually already done the harder part of my ride. It is about eight miles from my house, so my legs have had time to warm up and I have usually put in whatever effort I planned for the day. Once I reach those old brick streets, the ride changes.

I shift into an easier gear, quit worrying about my average speed, and simply spin. I am not trying to prove anything. I am not chasing a segment. I am not training for speed. I am just riding my bicycle through a quiet part of town that most people probably never think of as peaceful.

That is one of the things I have always loved about cycling. A bicycle lets you experience familiar places differently. You can drive through downtown a hundred times and barely notice the buildings, the brick streets, or the way the morning light hits an old storefront. But on a bike, moving slowly and quietly, those same streets feel completely different.

Broadway in downtown Lubbock nearly empty on a Sunday morning despite being one of the area's busiest streets during the week.

Broadway is the main street through downtown and one of the busiest streets in the area during the week. On a Sunday morning, however, even Broadway can feel strangely quiet. It is one of the clearest examples of how much downtown changes when the workweek stops.

The Brick Streets Have Character

The old brick streets are part of what makes the ride special. They are not as smooth as fresh asphalt, and they are not perfect. You feel them through the tires, through the handlebars, and sometimes through the seat. But I like that. Those streets have character. They remind you that you are riding through a place with some age on it.

The photo above was taken on a Sunday morning. Look at how empty the street is. I can ride slowly, look around, and enjoy the surroundings without feeling as though the city is rushing past me. You do not find many places in a city the size of Lubbock where the atmosphere changes this dramatically from one day to another.

As my tires roll across those old bricks, surrounded by buildings that have been standing for generations, it almost feels like riding through another era. That may not sound exciting to everyone, but to me it is one of the most peaceful parts of my ride.

A quiet brick-lined street in historic downtown Lubbock with almost no traffic on a Sunday morning.

A Downtown That Has Tried to Come Back

Downtown Lubbock has been trying to bring itself back for years. There have been some real improvements. Some older buildings have been turned into lofts and apartments. A large historic building has been completely renovated into city offices. The police headquarters sits nearby, and several nice restaurants have opened in the area.

The downtown Lubbock street beside the city government building and police headquarters sitting nearly empty on a Sunday morning.

The street shown above runs beside the city government building and police headquarters. During the week, it is usually filled with employees, visitors, police vehicles, and people taking care of city business. On Sunday morning, it looks like a completely different street.

Those changes have helped. Downtown is better than it was years ago, and there are places now that people actually want to visit. But after hours, it still has a quietness that is hard to explain unless you have been there at the right time.

During the day, it belongs to workers, city employees, restaurant customers, and people taking care of business. But early on a Sunday morning, or in the evening after the workday is over, it belongs to the few people who are out there enjoying the silence. Sometimes that person is me, rolling slowly down the middle of an old brick street on my bicycle.

Every Cyclist Needs a Place Like This

After riding more than 155,000 miles in my lifetime, I have learned that every cyclist eventually finds a few secret places. They are usually not famous. They are not always scenic in the traditional sense. They may not show up on lists of great bike routes. But they matter because they make you want to ride.

For some cyclists, that place is a farm road outside of town. For others, it may be a trail around a lake, a quiet neighborhood loop, or a road that passes a favorite coffee shop. Mine happens to be an old downtown area that a lot of people probably drive through without giving it much thought.

I think of places like this as a cyclist’s third place. Home is one place. Work is another. But most of us need another place where our minds can settle down. A place where we are not rushing, performing, answering messages, or trying to get anything done. For me, one of those places is downtown Lubbock on a quiet morning.

You Do Not Always Have to Leave Town

One mistake cyclists sometimes make is thinking they have to get far away from home to find a good ride. I understand that feeling. I love country roads. I love long tours. I have ridden across states, through small towns, along rivers, across hot stretches of Texas, and through places I will never forget.

But you do not always have to travel far to find a meaningful ride. Sometimes the best part of a ride is only a few miles from your house. Sometimes it is a street you have passed a thousand times in a car but never really noticed. Sometimes it is a quiet downtown that feels completely different when the traffic is gone.

If your city has an older downtown district, do not automatically dismiss it. Try riding through early on a Sunday morning. Try it in the evening after the offices close. Use common sense, pay attention, and avoid busy times. But do not assume that peaceful cycling only exists outside the city limits.

The Gear I Still Use on Quiet Rides

Even on quiet streets, I still ride with the gear I trust. Empty roads are wonderful, but they are not a reason to get careless. A car can appear out of nowhere, brick streets can shake your hands more than smooth pavement, and even an easy ride deserves basic safety equipment.

Garmin Varia Rear Radar: I never ride without my Garmin Varia. Even on a quiet Sunday morning downtown, I like knowing when a vehicle is coming up behind me before I hear it. It gives me one more layer of awareness, and at my age I will take every safety advantage I can get. Check Garmin Varia on Amazon.

Take A Look Mirror: I also like having a mirror. The Varia warns me that something is behind me, but the mirror lets me quickly see what is actually happening. That combination has become part of how I ride. Check the Take A Look mirror on Amazon.

Giro MIPS Helmet: I wear a helmet on every ride. It does not matter whether I am riding fifty miles in the country or spinning slowly through downtown. A quiet street does not protect your head if something goes wrong. I use the Giro Fixture MIPS II helmet. Check Giro MIPS helmets on Amazon.

Cycling Gloves: Brick streets have more vibration than smooth pavement, and gloves make a difference. They help with comfort, grip, and protection if you ever do go down. I use HTZPLOO gloves because they are inexpensive and have lasted as long for me as more expensive gloves. Check cycling gloves on Amazon.

Comfortable Bib Shorts: This may not be a long-distance touring ride, but comfort still matters. Rough brick streets can remind you quickly why good cycling shorts are worth wearing. I personally wear Przewalski bib shorts. They have lasted as long for me as more expensive shorts, and they have the slightly thinner pad I prefer. Check cycling bib shorts on Amazon.

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Final Thoughts

I have ridden a lot of places over the years. I have ridden across Texas, New Mexico, California, Georgia, and along parts of the Mississippi River. I have done long tours, hot rides, hard rides, and rides that took everything I had.

But one of my favorite places to finish a ride is still an old brick street about eight miles from my house.

That is one of the gifts cycling gives you. It teaches you to see ordinary places differently. It reminds you that peace is not always somewhere far away. Sometimes it is hiding in the middle of your own city, waiting for a quiet Sunday morning and a bicycle.

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