SAN ANTONIO – There are some San Antonio sights you just can't see in a car. San Antonio Mural Ride is a biking experience giving tourists and locals a chance to see a different side of the city while getting some exercise.
It's a 10+ mile ride that can take you across the city-- from the Saint Mary's strip to the South Side, and more. But with stops at colorful murals, riders say it's hard to notice you've gone that far.
"This isn't a ride where you're going to feel like you're on the Tour de France," said Brian Benavidez. "It's just a way to get outside and not feel like you're actually getting a hard workout. But then when you look down at your watch or your smartphone and see "I burned 700 calories" and it didn't feel like it. I think that's like a real big plus."
Benavidez started the ride in 2015. He'd sneak away from his normal bike route with SATX Social Ride and snap photos of his bike with local street art most people didn't even notice. His posts gained some traction on social media and he soon set out on his first ride. He took the same route as normal but this time took the time to point out all the art along the way.
"One thing that I really try to do is I always try to promote the artists themselves and not only the artists but also the the area in which the artwork is in."
From tacos to mariachis-- Benavidez says the art you'll find on the ride truly depicts San Antonio culture and it's a side to the city tourists can't see on the Riverwalk or the Alamo.
It's also a new opportunity for the community to explore parts of town they didn't know existed.
"When people come in and they can see a new restaurant, a new bar, a new piece of art by an artist that they've never seen and now they can follow on social media, it just puts more pride back into your city. "
The mural ride is a paid experience. You can book with a group or one-on-one tours.
With a passion or his city, Benavidez also puts on free community rides for locals to take advantage of every couple of months. You can follow their Facebook page to to stay updated. The next community ride is August 10.