Bicycle Austin forum

Austin is suppose to be a "Golden Bike City" yet there are really no loops or even contiguous paved trails for road bikers. It seems to me after looking at the map and the City of Austin Transportation plan of 2014 that there are no plans to tie anything together that forms any trip longer than a few miles?? This is why i'm posting to ask If anyone knows of any loop or out and back segment that's longer then 18 miles? Austin seems to be way more concerned about moving people from A to B throughout the city, great, for the rest of us we get short segmented trails crammed with families on the weekends. What the heck? Austin City Council wants everyone to ride 2 feet from a 5,000lb vehicle moving at 70mph (Parmer lane). I have found very little in the way of safe paved long didtance places to ride here. Unlike Florida where I can get on a paved bike surface 20ft wide and ride county to county 100 miles! Any thoughts or recommendations on safe paved road bike trails longer then 3 miles would be greatly appreciated.

"Matt the Knife" Miller
(I slice the wind)
2006 Kestrel Talon Ultegra