Texas Bicycling News December 22nd 2016

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What’s It Cost the City When a Cop Hits a Cyclist?

By Nina Hernandez | www.austinchronicle.com


After two years of negotiations, injured cyclist receives settlement
The city didn’t just settle with one Austin cop on Dec. 2 when it threw $35,000 to Geoffrey Freeman, the officer who shot and killed 17-year-old David Joseph back in February. The same day Freeman waived his right to arbitration and ended his effort to get his job back, the city agreed to settle a case that involved a second officer, who hit a bicyclist in the road and later admitted in a deposition that he didn’t know the …

Gift bicycles stolen from Some Other Place giveaway

By Dan Wallach | www.beaumontenterprise.com


Volunteers James Ruby, left, and Gerardo Segura, check their list to retrieve the right bicycle for the right family at the Some Other Place Toys for Kids program. More than 20 bicylces were stolen from a … more
Beaumont police might have located perhaps 20 or more bicycles stolen earlier today from the Some Other Place Toys for Kids gift giveaway and families that had counted on giving a bike to a child might see their Christmas saved.
Early today, a thief or thieves cut through three locks, forced open a gate in a storage pod on Some Other Place property at …

Beaumont police find 13 stolen bicycles in time for giveaway

Associated Press | www.oaoa.com

BEAUMONT, Texas (AP) — Police say 13 snazzy new bicycles meant for needy children in Southeast Texas were stolen but recovered just in time to hand out as Christmas presents.
Beaumont police say nobody has been arrested for the theft reported Thursday morning by officials with a volunteer group called Some Other Place. Police say a storage unit where the …

Mary Moore Searight Park – Disc Golf Course

cyclingfan1981 | www.youtube.com

Clockwise loop from basket #18 to #1

Tweener 12/24 8:00 start

by planobob | www.planobicycle.org

Temperatures in the 50s, winds less than 5mph, 80% chance of no rain, OF COURSE we ride! Let’s burn some calories, so we can have some egg nog and pie and on and on. Meet at my white pickup by 7:45 for sign in and tail gate pre-ride chat. We will ride the usual 42 mile route at about 16 mph. This is a no drop ride.

Wednesday night ride

Wednesday, Dec 28, 2016, 7:00 PM

No location yet.

0 HHRC members Went

Road bike ride from the Heights hike and bike trail up White Oak Bayou and back. Please make sure your lights (front and back) are operational and bring plenty of water.

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Captain’s Blog – 12/21/2016 – It’s the Most Wonderful Time of Year!

by Peter Ray | cycling.powweb.com

$100K and Climbing – Woo hoo!
…It is indeed the most wonderful time of year. Hopefully each and everyone of you will find a little time in the next week or so to spend with family and friends. We’ve had an amazing year as a bike team in 2016, and there is just so much to celebrate. But first things first (drum roll please): We need to pause and acknowledge that we as a cycling team have now officially raised over $100,000 for Bike MS as …

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Texas Bicycling News December 21st 2016

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West Houston Cyclists Are Getting Some ‘Dutch Junctions’

Gail Delaughter | www.houstonpublicmedia.org

Dutch Junctions
With its busy feeder roads and crowded thoroughfares, Houston’s Energy Corridor doesn’t seem like the place where you’d ride a bike to work. But a lot of people do, and officials hope a new design project will make the experience safer. …

Stephenson Nature Preserve Trails

cyclingfan1981 | www.youtube.com

Donated bikes bring delight to refugee children in Austin

By Taylor Goldenstein | www.mystatesman.com

bikes for refrugees
Snug in a black peacoat, 12-year-old Rafael Al-Mashahedi eyed the bikes around her, standing next to a few and sizing herself up. Then she spotted the one: a Magna in pink, her favorite color.
Al-Mashahedi had never owned a bike before. She had a small tricycle when she was a toddler, but she had to leave it behind in Baghdad, along with nearly …

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BPSA: November wholesale bike shipments up 12%

by BRAIN Staff | www.bicycleretailer.com

Year to date shipments are down nearly 8%.
BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — November gave suppliers a glimmer of hope and helped offset earlier losses. Suppliers shipped 16,715 more units to retailers than last year — about a 12 percent increase. Dollars were up nearly 3 percent month on month as well, according to the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association’s November sell-in report.
However, year to date, bike shipments were down 7.7 percent or 183,525 through November. The shortfall …

Tuesday: Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Bike Ride at the Ant Hills

Tuesday, Dec 27, 2016, 6:15 PM

15200 Memorial Dr
15200 Memorial Dr Houston, Te

2 cyclists Went

This will be a medium to fast pace ride through the Ant Hills of Hershey Park! Bring WATER, spare tube/tire, snacks, etc…Helmets required. Call if you are going to be late so we can wait for you. Wheels rolling by 6:30! See you there

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73 Degree Winter Solstice Bike Ride

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I wasn’t the only bicyclist out enjoying the 73 degree weather on the first day of winter. It’s hard to think of winter when the weather is that warm. Earlier in the week, Sunday and Monday, the temperature was as low as 30 degrees and I stayed inside. Those other bikers crossed my path on the Lake Houston causeway (FM 1960). The first two rode west while I biked to the east. The third rode east while I rode west on the return route to Kingwood. I almost missed the last rider concentrating on the road in front of me and I just glanced to my left as he passed on the far side of the road. This took place on the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route as I biked 31.47 miles. This put me over my 130 mile goal for December and at 7,307 miles for the year. The goal chart from SportTracks.

December Biking Goal Chart

It could get even warmer as the week progresses. My next possible biking day will be Friday but the forecast shows a 50% chance of rain. Saturday looks better and drier.

Even with the 73 degree weather the 9 mph SW wind was chilly. I decided to wear one of my Voler thermal long sleeve jerseys and a short sleeve jersey underneath rather than a jacket. For the first few miles I felt chilly but as my body heat increased the wardrobe choice paid off. No leg warmers, just regular bike shorts. It felt good to be back on the bike and riding. I still remembered how to shift the gears, stay vertical and turn through the corners.

This morning while I was eating breakfast I read an article in the Kingwood Observer community section in the Houston Chronicle. The subject was TxDOT consideration of widening FM2100 from the Cleveland-Huffman Road to FM1960. This interested me because I rode this section of FM2100 several times but because the traffic increased and the lack of any shoulder for about 2 miles south from the Cleveland-Huffman Road I no longer bike ride there. I get off FM2100 as soon as possible riding through side streets and into The Commons of Lake Houston to stay away from FM2100. the project will widen the road to 4 lanes with sidewalks on each side and a center turn lane. Because the road does not have a lot development close the impact on homeowners and businesses will be minimal. The work would probably not start until 2018 but when complete this could open a new biking route. Add in the upcoming Grand Parkway construction in the area and mobility improvements will change access to many side roads.

FM2100 TxDOT Project

Link to RideWithGPS.com map and metrics.

[iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/808143001/embed/b2ea6c2aa5eac4693227b47eaf29b9ea5c0cb19e 590px 405px]

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Texas Bicycling News December 20th 2016

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Two-wheels, one historic highway

By Flip Putthoff | www.arkansasonline.com


Neal Picken gets his kicks on Route 66 one leg at a time, bicycling the famous highway in sections on a quest to cover more than 2,400 miles from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Picken of Bentonville hopped on his bike in late October and pedaled solo 550 miles in 10 days from Amarillo, Texas to Joplin, Mo. This first leg of his Route 66 adventure went so well that the the 75-year-old is eager to tackle …

Dick Nichols Park to Broadie Ln on offroad trails

cyclingfan1981 | www.youtube.com

Construction to begin on trail extension, phase four

lakewood.advocatemag.com


Construction on the SoPAC trail, also known as the Katy Trail extension, continues beginning this week as crews embark on phase 4, which extends through the Vickery Meadow, Fair Oaks and northern areas of Lake Highlands. This phase utilizes an old railroad bed that runs south of the Target at the Skillman and Abrams intersection. …

Start the Year on the Trails with a First Day Hike

www.gilmermirror.com

AUSTIN— Start 2017 with a walk on the wild side by participating in a guided stroll through a Texas State Park as part of the national First Day Hikes initiative.
“Last year, 80 parks hosted 116 First Day Hikes across Texas,” said Brent Leisure, director of Texas State Parks. “More than 3,000 participants covered more than 6,500 miles as they walked, ran, paddled, peddled and swam at First Day Hikes events. This program has proven itself as an ideal way for people to begin a more active lifestyle in the New Year and Texas State Parks are a perfect place to achieve that goal and enjoy nature simultaneously.”
State parks and natural areas across Texas will host First Day Hikes to help visitors commit to their New Year’s resolution to lose weight and get healthy. These events are part of the America’s State Parks First Day Hikes initiative taking place in all 50 states.
The First Day Hikes events range from brisk strolls on scenic trails, polar plunges, bike rides, …

After the Flooding: West Harris County Hike and Bike Trail Repair Update

By Dennis Spellman | coveringkaty.com

Flooding Katy TX
April Flood Damage being repaired on several hike and bike trails
HARRIS COUNTY (Covering Katy) – One of two sections of hike-and-bike trails closed in August in George Bush Park, 16756 Westheimer Parkway, is now reopened in time for the holidays.
A 1.5 mile section of the South Barker Cypress Hike-and-Bike Trail was closed so the precinct could replace an old road bridge with a new bridge. That project was completed on …

Bike racks bloom across city thanks to Wellness Coalition

By RICK KELLEY | www.valleymorningstar.com

Bike Racks Harlingen TX
HARLINGEN — Red, green and blue loops anchored in concrete are becoming a sight to see across the city.
The bike racks — eventually 100 will be installed — are being positioned outside businesses and municipal buildings and in parks gratis thanks to a donation from the Harlingen Wellness Coalition.
“Right now what we’re doing is …

Normally I do not include “old news” but Pedal Pushers publishes interesting reviews of rides with good pictures.

Fort Davis Cyclefest

Pedal Pushers | roy-pedalpushers.blogspot.com

Fort Davis Cyclefest
September 17, 2016
Fort Davis, Texas
Fort Davis, now a National Historic Site, was established in 1854 on the San Antonio-El Paso Road.
From 1854 to 1891, Fort Davis was strategically located to protect mail coaches and freight wagons and to control activities of the Great Comanche and Mescalero Apache War Trails.
A shot of the above mosaic was taken at a rest stop on I 10 and honors the presence of the 24th and 25th U.S. Infantry regiments and the 9th and 10th U.S. Calvary regiments, all-black regiments (known as the buffalo soldiers) who were stationed at the post. …

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