Texas Bicycling News Digest November 11th 2017

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Austin cyclist riding on shoulder cited after being hit by car

by Jordan Bontke | cbsaustin.com

An Austin cyclist is recovering from being hit by a car on N FM 620. After the accident he was cited by Austin Police for riding on the shoulder.
On October 29th, Steven Todack said he had plans to ride his bike 100 miles. He said he only made it about a mile and half when he was struck by a car attempting to make a left into the parking lot of …

Midlothian Waxahachie Regional Trail Preliminary Engineering Study

www.texasbids.net

Status: bidding
Report: 8195156
Country : United States State: TX County: Dallas Location: Arlington
Scope: To prepare a design development schematic and environmental summary.
Notes: Contact Patricia Rohmer, P.E., Project Engineer, North Central Texas Council of Governments, 616 Six Flags Drive, Arlington, Texas 76011.
Plans: From Owner.
Owner Type: Public

Bid on Trailheads Parking Areas in El Paso

www.texasbids.net

Prebid: 11/14/17 1:30 PM
Solicitation Title: Trailheads Parking Areas
Owner Solic Number: 2018-676 Status: bidding Report: 8196019
Country : United States State: TX County: El Paso Location: El Paso
Est. Low Value: $750,000 Est. High Value: $950,000
Scope: Provide parking to access the trail system leading into the park. Install park amenities including landscaping, directional signage, Big Belly trash receptacles, solar LED area lights, and pet waste stations and other amenities.
Notes: …

Local insurance agent pumping up for 2017 Turkey Roll

Kim Phillips | www.dentonrc.com


Hector Mendoza, owner of the Hector Mendoza Agency, makes his living writing Farmers Insurance policies. He’s good at it. He serves on the board of directors for the Denton Chamber of Commerce. He’s good at that, too.

Hector Mendoza, left, is shown here with his friend Chase Hawkins at last year’s Breakfast Kiwanis of Denton Turkey Roll. Bicycle rallies are how Mendoza gets his thrills, and the annual Turkey Roll ranks among his all-time favorite ones in which to ride each year.

Courtesy photo
Hector Mendoza, left, is shown here with his friend Chase Hawkins at last year’s Breakfast Kiwanis of Denton Turkey Roll. Bicycle rallies are how Mendoza gets his thrills, and the annual Turkey Roll ranks among his all-time favorite ones in which to ride each year. Courtesy photo
Hector, 42, is also good at the thing that drives him most, and that drive is on two wheels, not four. His passion is cycling, and he is readying to ride in the Denton …

Children’s Build Work Party

austinyellowbike.org


Handy at fixing bikes? Want to help YBP give the gift of bikes to kids in need this holiday season?

If so, please join us for the first of our 2017 holiday kids bike builds tomorrow (Sun) from 2-6pm at our shop at 1216 Webberville Road.

We are also in need donations! We could use more kids bikes (tiny ones up to 26″ mountain bikes) during tomorrow’s bike build or any …

El Paso police looking for 2 bike thieves

by Javier Gutierrez | kfoxtv.com

EL PASO, Texas — El Paso police want to find two thieves who stole from a bike store on 2800 North Stanton street.
Police say, two thieves forced their way into the Westside El Paso store and stole property worth more than $15,000.
On the morning of …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/Fudgelump/status/929564054758227968/photo/1

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Austonio Trail Ride, Tailwind Bicycle Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I considered riding the Polk County Crime Stoppers Spirit Ride in Livingston but when I checked their website I missed the early registration and the cost today would be $45. Also the weather forecast showed the temperature might be in the upper 40’s to low 50’s at the start time. Plus I would drive about an hour so I opted to ride the “Stroker Road – Huffman” route and start later when it warmed up some.

Starting the bike ride at 11:08 AM the sun burned most of the clouds away and the temperature was 71 degrees. With the from the SE at 12 mph I knew to wear a long sleeve thermal jersey and a short sleeve on over it. Shorts would be okay without leg warmers. It was a little chilly at the beginning but as I warmed up I was just right.

With the later start I figured all of the other cyclists would be gone but I saw 4 starting at the turn from Fairlake Drive onto Old Atascocita Road and FM 2100. Later on the way back into Kingwood I saw another on the W. Lake Houston Parkway bridge. Maybe they waited on the temperature to warm up some.

Nothing unusual about the ride until I reached FM 2100 on Old Atascocita Road where I heard loud music from the south. Normally the only sounds are traffic rushing by. I figured it must a restaurant having a party.

Battling the wind riding east and south on Ramsey Road the music disappeared as got farther away from FM 2100. It was a relief to reach Stroker Road and head west with the wind at my left rear quarter helping me bike back to FM 2100. Once I turned north on FM 2100 I saw a sign with an arrow pointing straight ahead for the Austonio Trail Ride. Getting near Saddle Creek Farms Road the traffic was stopped. I slowed down but rode on the shoulder. Now I could tell where the loud music was coming from. In a large field to the right many horse trailers and RV’s were parked. I couldn’t see anyone because the trees blocked my view but around Spanish Cove a gravel road came to FM 2100 and horses and riders were moving from the field to FM 2100. A man was in the road stopping traffic and I came to a stop. A lady walked towards the man telling him to let the traffic go but he stayed in the road. After a few minutes a man on a horse rode out and took the place of the traffic stopper and the lady again told him to let the traffic go. He moved his horse to the shoulder and traffic started up; I did too. I thought I might catch up to the trail ride but they starting turning right onto Old Atascocita Road and by the time I got there everyone was off of FM 2100. I am glad I wasn’t going that direction with the riders and wagons filling both lanes of the road.

Riding past where the trail ride turned I made my way to FM 1960 in Huffman. Because I stopped for several minutes waiting for the trail ride to move and the cool weather I didn’t need to stop to refill my water bottle so I kept biking west on FM 1960. The wind continued to help as long as I wasn’t going south. I saw my average watts was 110 and average speed was 14.7 mph. The higher watts was from fighting the wind earlier and the average speed from the tailwind now.

Bicycling through Atascocita Shores and Kings River I was back to W. Lake Houston Parkway. Rather than ride through Kingwood Greens I stayed on W. Lake Houston Parkway. When I got to the shopping center strores between Ryan’s Cleaners and Asplaughs Hardware I saw someone was working outside of the Tailwind Bicycle shop so I rode over. Another man came out of the store and then another. We talked about the flood and how it delayed their opening. They have the store almost finished and will have the grand opening next Saturday, November 18th. The hardware store will have their grand opening (from the Harvey flood) the same day so people could see Tailwind Bicycles too.

From there I rode home to finish the ride at 2:10 PM. The temperature had moved up to 74 by then with a partly cloudy sky. I was still glad I wore the thermal jersey.

I now stand at 7,033 miles YTD, 213 miles for November leaving 400 miles for my year goal and 147 miles for November. The weather forecast for next week looks like it will be dry and in the upper 70’s. More biking should happen.

Texas Bicycling News Digest November 10th 2017

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Central Texas gets $4.5M in grants for bike, pedestrian projects

Rebecca Flores | www.kvue.com

Pedestrians and bicyclists in three Austin-area communities will see improvements after the Texas Transportation Commission approved more than $4.5 million in project grants.
The Texas Department of Transportation said the projects are part of $44 million allocated to 46 projects in rural/nonurban and small cities across the Lone Star State. The Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside (TASA) Program, where the funds originated, is designed to support areas with a …

Ultimate San Antonio Riverwalk Weekend! Hiking, Biking, and Kayaking

Saturday, Nov 25, 2017, 11:00 AM

Mission Concepción
807 Mission Road San Antonio, TX

5 Outdoor Adventurers Went

This is going to be our big kickoff event for our new San Antonio NEO chapter!  Spots are limited, so rsvp early.NEO will provide kayaks, mountain bikes, and safety gear for adults and children during this relaxed San Antonio weekend.  If you’re looking for a great way to spend the weekend after Thanksgiving or have family that need to be entertai…

Check out this Meetup →

This weekend’s rides: Pflugerville Loop! Red Horn!

by Thomas | steinerranchcycling.com

Saturday let’s do a relatively flat route around Pflugerville. It is about 65 miles and the route can be found here: https://www.strava.com/routes/3955052. After the ride we meet up at Lakeside for some discounted burgers and beer!
Sunday is our usual Coffee Shop ride to Red Horn. It is 50 miles and is at an endurance pace typically finishing around a 17mph average speed overall. While we make great efforts to …

November Meeting Announcements – Mirage Cycling

www.miragecycling.org

Next Monthly Meeting
Our next monthly meeting will be Monday, November 13th at 7:30 p.m. Lake Highlands North Recreation Center 9940 White Rock Trail, Dallas, TX 75238
Guest Speaker
We have requested but not confirmed a speaker yet and the topic will be DORBA, off-road cycling and how it can compliment road riding.
Rally of the month
November 18th Turkey Roll � http://www.dentonbreakfastkiwanis.org/Page/37942
New Members
Welcome Steve Long of Dallas
Elections
Nominations are now closed for board members. …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/edgargaucin/status/929024283271077889/photo/1

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Texas Bicycling News Digest November 9th 2017

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Walnut Creek Park: 293 acres for bicyclists � and dogs � to roam

Jay Wallis | www.kvue.com

AUSTIN – As Austin continues to grow through its neighborhoods as well as its business district, the city can lose a bit of its outdoors-y feel. However, there is one area of the Austin area that is not only keeping its outdoors atmosphere — it is only growing with time.
Drive to the northern part of Austin, and you’ll find it difficult to avoid running into the Walnut Creek Park. This 293-acre public park features 15 miles of …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter