Texas Bicycling News August 24th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

FrankenBike San Antonio #75: September 17, 2016, 10am-4pm, Bottom Bracket Bicycle Shop

by Chris

frankenbike.net

FrankenBike San Antonio #75 – September 17, 2016 from 10am-4pm – will be held at Bottom Bracket Bicycle Shop located at 1802 S Flores St, San Antonio, Texas 78204.
Michelle is your event host for FrankenBike San Antonio so be sure to ask for her when you arrive if you need any help. …

Search for answers in death of elderly bike rider

By Dane Schiller

www.houstonchronicle.com


The search continued Tuesday for answers surrounding the death of an 85-year-old man who was hit by a car while riding his bicycle through late-night darkness.
There was no shrine of flowers, candles or cards along a manicured stretch of West 43rd Street in the Garden Oaks subdivision, just a blue fire hydrant rising up from the green grass and a pair of discarded bifocal reading glasses. …

Man, 85, killed on bike didn’t like riding in the heat

By Dane Schiller

www.chron.co

He was struck by car about 11 p.m. Monday
Eighty-five-year-old Marvin Rucker didn’t like to ride his bicycle in the heat, but he couldn’t convince his health insurer to pay for a stationary bike.
His family thinks he may have been headed to the grocery store on his bicycle about 11 p.m. Monday when he was struck and killed crossing an intersection.
“He was strong, independent, very spiritual,” his daughter, Kimberly Bass, said Wednesday. “We’d always end up talking …

Houston’s bike share program expands to Texas Medical Center, several college campuses

By Clifford Pugh

houston.culturemap.com


It’s going to get a little more convenient to get around Houston on a bike — even if you don’t own one.
Houston will triple its bike share system, Houston B-cycle, over the next two years, adding 71 stations with 568 bikes. New areas targeted for expansion include the Texas Medical Center, with 14 stations and 107 bikes, and 21 new stations and 248 bikes at the University of Houston Main Campus, Texas Southern University, UH-Downtown and Rice University. …

Captain’s Blog – 08/24/2016 – Goodbye August, Hello September!

by Peter Ray

cycling.powweb.com

…It’s that transition time of year in South Texas. August is winding down and September is just around the corner, a time when kids go back to school, football season cranks up, the days get shorter, the air (hopefully) gets cooler, and Velo Valero once again focuses on preparing for the Bike MS: Valero Ride to the River in October (henceforth known as the RTTR). Clip in my friends, and enjoy this late summer edition of the team blog!
Weekend Group Ride
Please come out and join Velo Valero as we lead the San Antonio Cycling Alliance (SACA) this Saturday for a ride starting at …

This weekend’s rides: Cozy Cove with special guest Chris Kraus! Red Horn!

by Thomas

steinerranchcycling.com

Saturday our good old friend Christopher Kraus will be joining us! Let’s remind him about our fantastic hills with the Cozy Cove / Bee Creek ride! It is about 62 miles of hilly fun (https://www.strava.com/routes/3985679). To borrow from Bat City, this is our “fast pace” ride. After the ride we grab burgers and beer at Lakeside next door to the start so be sure to …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/AustinBikePed/status/768468062077149189

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Root Beer Bottles Galore On this Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

The last I rode on SH 242 the resurfacing wasn’t finished between FM1485 and FM1314 so I used an alternate route today: “SR242 – Old Houston Rd – FM1314” in case it was still not finished. The section from FM1485 to Old Houston Road was nice, new and smooth asphalt all the way with all of the markings in place. The only rough place was turning from SH 242 onto Old Houston Road. I looked west on SH 242 to see if the pavement was done there but I couldn’t tell. At the little bridge west of Old Houston Road the shoulder looked rough when it came to the bridge. I will have to check that out on a later ride. Today’s ride was 45.21 miles making the week’s total 92.5 miles. I need 214 miles to reach my goal for August.

Weather conditions were a little warmer than yesterday and I didn’t ride on any wet roads. I stopped at the Chevron station at the corner of FM1485 and SH 242 to refill my water bottle with ice and water. Before I noticed all of the root beer bottles in the window and took pictures this time.

I couldn’t fit all of the different bottles in one picture without getting too far away. Click on the images to enlarge them. From there I rode to the Cumberland Shell station for a rest break. My legs were tired from battling the wind on FM1314 to the Shell station. My Elmnt screen when I arrived at the station and the weather while I was resting.

Fruit Punch Gatorade washed down the Clif bar and snack crackers. I was soaked with sweat and the paper towels almost fell apart from all the moisture. I was late enough to not worry about school traffic at Cumberland or Briar Tree. I started the ride at 12:16 because I was waiting for the general classification standings for the Vuelta a Espana after a crash within 3 K of the finish. I decided to go ahead and start the ride because it looked like it was going to take awhile to figure out who was where. As I was sitting at the Shell station some dark clouds moved south and to the east. When I started to leave about 3:05 I could see them to the south of where I was heading. I hoped I wouldn’t ride into the rain.

The wind was strong enough to slow me down as I rode towards Old Sorters Road on FM1314. I had built my average speed up to 15.2 mph but it was hard to get back up there with the head wind and my legs were not able to push the pedals harder. The dark clouds stayed away from where I rode in Briar Tree, Oakhurst and Kings Manor keeping the pavement dry. I felt a few stray drops on FM1314 but they didn’t last. Making my way through Kingwood I finished the ride at 4:09 tired legs and all.

Tomorrow’s weather has a 50% chance of rain but I think of it as a 50% of not raining. I want to ride to get closer to my monthly goal.

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Texas Bicycling News August 23rd 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Bicyclist, 85, hit, killed in north Houston

By Dale Lezon

www.chron.com


An 85-year-old bicyclist is dead after a car struck him in north Houston, according to the Houston Police Department.
The incident happened around 11 p.m. Monday in the 700 block of West 43rd Street near Shepherd.
The victim was riding his bicycle on the sidewalk when he rode onto the street, crossing lanes of traffic before the driver of a …

12 Hours of Erwin Park 9/10

Spinistry

forums.mtbr.com

How about some overnight awesomeness at the almost legendary Erwin Park Mountain Bike Trail?!
4, 6 & 12 hour options. Solo, 2 person & 4 person teams. Special awards for top performance in age group/gender, single speed and top fat bike for solo entries. Male/female/co-ed for team events. Special recognition for best team pit and we’ll probably throw some others in the mix too! Register early for the best discounts and round up your friends for what’s sure to be a lendary overnighter.
Each entry includes …

Mountain Bikes and Supplies

www.texasbids.net
Bid Date & Time: 08/25/16 10:00 AM
Owner Solic Number: B3161431 Status: bidding
Report: 7242746
Country : United States State: TX County: Dallas
Location: Park & Recreation
Scope: Matte viper red/15. 5-inch (27. 5 wheels) mountain bike frame: trek alpha silver butted-aluminum, g2 geometry, rims/wheels: bontrager at-550 2 each. See linked file.
Plans: From Owner. See linked file.
Outside Link:
https://bids.dallascityhall.com/webapp/VSSPROD/AltSelfService;jsessionid=00009TJjiKrygEW4
kODFRaZDNrO:-1
Owner Type: Public …

Two Texas masters snared by RaceClean anti-doping program

By VeloNews.com

velonews.competitor.com

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) increased testing of masters amateur cyclists continues to produce results. This week, USADA announced that Kimberly Ciolli of Austin, Texas, and Robert Baatz of Lewisville, Texas accepted sanctions for failed anti-doping tests.
As of July, USA Cycling said that 113 tests have been conducted in the amateur ranks, compared to 45 tests for all of 2015.
Baatz was caught by …

Flood-Damaged Buffalo Bayou Banks, Trails in Terry Hershey Park to See Emergency Repairs

energycorridor.org


The tax day floods this spring that hit Houston with up to 18 inches of rain took their toll along the banks and hike and bike paths of Buffalo Bayou when the Army Corps of Engineers was forced to double its rate of storm water discharge from the reservoirs feeding Houston’s primary waterway. …

CANCELLED – DORBA Beginner Clinic – CANCELED

Saturday, Sep 10, 2016, 8:30 AM

Rowlett Creek Preserve
2525 Castle Drive Garland, TX

40 Participants Went

A DORBA.org Beginner Clinic is scheduled for 9/10/16 at 8:30am at Rowlett Creek Preserve.Blain Norfleet will be your instructor, post up your questions below, or, you can send him a private message at “bikecop” on the Dorba.org website, if you have any questions. Blain was the mountain bike instructor for the Dallas Police Department for over 20 y…

Check out this Meetup →

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

New Battery, New Route Equals 47 Mile Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I tried to bike yesterday (Monday) but the rain came down. After I was dressed in my kit I walked outside to check on the dark clouds and not long after the wind kicked up and large rain drops starting coming down. Back inside the rain picked up and I was glad I was not biking.

Today was different. For a change the sun broke through the clouds and the temperature moved upward to 89 degrees when I rolled out at 11:42. I didn’t get far though. Looking at my Elemnt computer the cadence sensor was not working. After trying to get it to connect I circled back home and removed the sensor to replace the battery. That did the trick. I attached the sensor on the left crank arm with a cable tie and got back on the bike resuming the ride.

After missing yesterday’s ride I wanted to bike more than 40 miles today. I came up with a new route by combining two other routes: “Walden – FM686 – May Community Center”. The new route is made up of the “FM1960 – FM686 – back” ride and the “May Park Community Center – Huffman” ride. I thought this might be around 50 miles but it came up to 47.29 miles which moved my August miles to 540, 260 miles away from my goal. If the rain will cooperate I could reach my goal. Since this route was on roads I normally ride there wasn’t any surprises or new sights. I did stay a little longer at the turnaround at FM686 to give my legs a little time to recover. Pictures while I was there.

Lots of clouds but I didn’t see any rain, yet. The humidity was high from all of the rain and I was sweating up a flood. I tried to soak some of it up with paper towels but that was a losing battle. Back on FM1960 riding west the wind was more friendly than the ride to FM686. At Huffman – Eastgate Road I turned right for the May Community Center portion of the ride. The wind was behind while I rode north on Willy Lane and Scott Road on the way to the community center. Normally I stop at the center for water but I had plenty for the ride to the Huffman Chevron. Riding on Wolf Road to FM2100 the pavement turned wet from rain. It must’ve not been too long before I got there. The road grime didn’t take long to splatter my bike. On FM2100 riding south the road was wetter and dirtier making it worse. Earlier when I was riding west on FM1960 I thought the clouds looked like there might be rain ahead but my route took me around it I guess. When I reached the Chevron station in Huffman I could see all the dirt on my bike from the wet road. I would hose it down when I finished the ride.

At the Chevron station I used more paper towels to soak up the sweat but it flowed heavily. It was 35 miles into the ride and 2:29 when I arrived. I had guessed I would get there by 2:30; not a bad guess it turns out.

The weather screenshot shows 52% humidity but I think it was much higher. I went inside for a large blue PowerAde fountain drink to cool me down and replenish some energy. Today I brought two packages of snack crackers for fuel. They didn’t take long to consume. I felt better after food and drink. The first batch of paper towels couldn’t hold any more water and I went to the pumps for more. When I stood up the Greensheet newspaper was soaked like it fell into a puddle. That is why I think the humidity was higher. While I was there my wife sent me a text message that our internet wasn’t working. I tried to diagnose the problem from there but I didn’t succeed. I told her to take a break until I got home in about an hour. It was about 3:18 as I rolled away from the Chevron onto FM1960 west.

Getting closer to Lake Houston the sky looked dark ahead to the southwest and I wondered if I might ride in the rain before I got home but I didn’t. I finished biking at 4:13 looking like someone who just came out of a pool. A quick hose down of the bike and I went inside where it was much cooler and drier. I checked the internet and powered the router off and on to fix the internet.

The weather looks favorable for biking tomorrow but there is a chance of rain. My last three rides have each been 40+ miles and if I am going make my goal tomorrow’s ride needs to be that long or more.

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