Texas Bicycling News July 27th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIXXL7iAKQH/

Bicycle thief points gun at Fort Worth Wal-Mart employee, then pedals away

By Elizabeth Djinis

www.dallasnews.com


Police are looking for a man who stole a bicycle from a Fort Worth Wal-Mart at gunpoint last month, police say.
The man entered the store at 2245 Jacksboro Highway around 4:30 p.m. June 20, and a loss-prevention employee recognized him as a repeat shoplifter, police said.
The employee watched on the store’s cameras as the man grabbed a bicycle and rode it past the store’s garden center. …

How to Choose the Right Bike for Your Child

Megan Wilson

www.fix.com


There is one step you need to take to build a bicyclist that strong and confidence from toddler to teen and beyond: the right bike. Every option, from starter bike to adult version, aims to help kids build their bike skills. But there are a few steps you need to understand in order to buy the best bikes.
For starters, think about a balance bike little different than the ones you may have learned on. These donÓ´ have pedals, and can be sized from the smallest toddler on up. Once your child is ready for a pedal bike, there are a number of options in materials and extras, too. Some or all may be necessary, according to your lifestyle and your needs. No matter the bike, there are sizing guidelines for your kid and his or her helmet. Follow them, according to this graphic, and youÓ¬l keep your kid biking happily for years.

TX: Plan Aims to Improve Biking, Walking Options in Woodlands Township

Bridget Balch

www.masstransitmag.com

The Woodlands Township Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, which offers short and long-term improvements for walking and biking around town, is nearing completion.
The creation of the plan has been a topic of discussion among residents and The Woodlands board of directors since 2012, when the League of American Bicyclists awarded the community a bronze-level designation for being bike friendly. Part of the reason The Woodlands fell short of the gold is that it lacked a long-term plan to improve and expand the pedestrian and bicycle network in the community, said George Mendes, a member of the Bike The Woodlands Coalition, a grassroots organization dedicated to improving cycling in The Woodlands. …

Master Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan for Town of Rancho Viejo

www.texasbids.net

Bid Date & Time: 08/16/16 4:00 PM Prebid: 07/26/16 3:00 PM
Solicitation Title: Master Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan for Town of Rancho Viejo
Owner Solic Number: RVM-44-0916
Status: bidding Report: 7185746
Country : United States State: TX County: Dallas Location: Cameron County
Scope: Master bicycle & pedestrian plan.
Notes: Question Acceptance Deadline: 08/09/2016 05:00 PM EDT.
Plans: From Owner. See outside link.
Outside Link: http://www.bidnetdirect.com/texas
Owner Type: Public
Buyer: Balch Springs, City of
Address: 13503 Alexander Rd
City: Balch Springs State: TX Zip/Postal Code: 75180
TEL: 972-557-6070 FAX: 972-286-7531
Website: [http://www.ci.balch-springs.tx.us](http://www.ci.balch-springs.tx.us] …

Cyclist’s GoPro video shows safety concerns on Ocean Drive

By Priscilla Torres

www.kristv.com

Video


CORPUS CHRISTI – Ocean Drive is a popular route for the cycling community. But a cyclist’s GoPro video shows us that it can be a dangerous route despite the bike lanes already in place for most of the road.
Nick Olvera’s video shows that in some areas the bike lane is clearly marked, in other areas it completely disappears, and then you have to watch out for cars and trucks parked in the bike lane.
He started riding 4 years ago to get control of his life and his health. “My diabetes was out of control. I was weighing 325 pounds I’ve lost like 85 pounds since I started doing this,” Olvera told KRIS 6 News. …

Ride to La Mesa NM Group B (14-17 mph average)

Saturday, Jul 30, 2016, 7:15 AM

Upper Valley Rd (just north of Artcraft), El Paso, TX
6205 Upper Valley Rd (just north of Artcraft), El Paso, TX El Paso, TX

1 Cyclists Went

Meet:  7:15 am.  RIO PLAZA – Upper Valley and ArtcraftRoll Out 7:30 amPark across the street from the shopping Plaza.  Do NOT park in the shopping center parking lot….Pace: 14-17 mph avgRoute: Ride Hwy 28 N to LaMesaReturn by same routeDistance:  Approx 39 miles• Ride Leader:  Alan Mork,[masked]

Check out this Meetup →

DORBA Beginner Clinic

Sunday, Aug 14, 2016, 8:30 AM

Harry Moss Park
7610 Greenville Av. Dallas, TX

56 Participants Went

There will be a beginner clinic on Sunday the 14th of August at 8:30am at Harry Moss Park near Central Expressway and Forest Lane (you should arrive no later than 8:15am to unload your bike and gear up).What: There is a “classroom” for about an hour or so, a mini-skills workshop for 30 minutes, and then a ride of an hour or more. So count on appro…

Check out this Meetup →

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

Tuesday, Aug 2, 2016, 6:15 PM

15200 Memorial Dr
15200 Memorial Dr Houston, Te

1 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

Check out this Meetup →

Casual Tuesday Evening Ride (B.I.G)

Tuesday, Aug 2, 2016, 6:00 PM

River Run Plaza
1071 Country Club Rd El Paso, TX

5 Cyclists Went

Casual Tuesdays are a continuation of the Beginner Intermediate Group (B.I.G.) program that began in May. No more lessons! Just a friendly, easy ride of 15-18 miles through the Upper Valley. Meet at 6 p.m. so we can leave no later than 6:15 p.m. Pace is 12-16 mph depending on riders. No rider left behind! Route to be announced.Coordinator is Randy…

Check out this Meetup →

Friends remember bicyclist killed in Longview hit and run

By Francesca Washington

www.kltv.com

Video


LONGVIEW, TX (KLTV) – An East Texas man is now charged with driving while intoxicated in connection to a bicycle rider’s death.
Monday night, 19-year old Paul Price was killed when his bike was hit by a car in the 3700 block of West Loop 281 in Longview.
The driver of the car, 49-year old Bryan Arnold, was arrested and charged with accident involving injury, failing to stop and render aid, DWI and driving with a suspended license.
Comic books and cardboard cutouts, surrounded the unoccupied couches at SovereignLove Church on Tuesday afternoon. Pastor Mark Lee Dickson said the relaxed atmosphere is for church services as well as fellowship. …

Eighter From Decatur Bike Rally and Fly In, Decatur, TX

www.funplacestofly.com

Saturday, Aug 13, 2016
Decatur Municipal Airport (KLUD), Decatur, TX
The Eighter from Decatur Bicycle Rally and Fly In is a fun-filled, family-friendly event designed to get our participants out of the city to enjoy the backcountry roads of Wise and Montague counties, all while raising money for a worthwhile cause, the transport of cancer patients to treatment centers by airplane, free of charge to the patients. The countryside is beautiful, the roads are good, the people are friendly, and …

Adventure 1

By Jazael Martinez

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 72-78: Corpus
Friday June 17, 2016, 10 km (6 miles) – Total so far: 3,191 km (1,983 miles)
June 17th – 23rd
After finding sanctuary in the home of one of my old friends from college. I set about resting and catching up with him. I had a few travel chores to take care of while there but mostly I wanted to just hangout. Which was good, because my friend having some recurring issues with his Jeep that I tried in vain to help with. That poor thing was cursed till I left apparently.
On my first full day in Corpus Christi, I went with my friend, whom I shall call Mr. Diamond or Zeke #2, to a self service junk yard to get some parts for his …

Bicyclist, 61, killed in Haltom City hit-and-run; police seek driver

By Marc Ramirez

www.dallasnews.com


Haltom City police are seeking the public’s help in locating the driver of a red SUV believed to have fatally struck a bicyclist last Thursday evening.
Officers responded to the 4100 block of NE Loop 820 around 11:30 p.m. after a report of a collision involving a bicycle in the westbound access road. They found Michael Rodriguez, 61, whose bicycle had been heavily damaged. …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/BBQ44/status/758454951525756928

https://twitter.com/GabrielSlape/status/758153774531829760

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Texas Bicycling News July 25th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

AEP Texas spokesman dies after hit-and-run

By Natalia Contreras of the Caller-Times

www.caller.com


When power went out in the Coastal Bend, Andy Heines’ cellphone would ring.
The same was true when residents’ favorite shows were interrupted by power outages from rain and thunderstorms, or when fierce winds dragged down power lines.
He worked behind the scenes to reassure residents that someone was on the job trying to fix the problem.
Heines, AEP Texas communications director, died Monday after he was hit by a …

Ride of the Barrio – Fun social bicycle ride!

Friday, Aug 12, 2016, 7:00 PM

Southwest Schwinn
6607 S Braeswood Blvd Houston, TX

14 Members Went

Ride of the Barrio.We are a ride at your own pace, fun social bicycle ride.We are just a group of people riding for fun.Meet Times: 2nd Friday of every month. At 6607 Braeswood Houston Texas 77096Start time is around 7:00 pm The ride is 15 to 20 miles long with a stop along the way.We ride rain, shine, hot or cold. Helmets, clothes, ext. are a…

Check out this Meetup →

Sunday morning ride

Sunday, Jul 31, 2016, 8:00 AM

Intersection of 19th and Nicholson
19th and Nicholson Houston, TX

5 HHRC members Went

Join us for a beautiful ride with brunch afterward. Meet at 19th and Nicholson. We will ride down the Heights and White Oak Bayou trails through downtown to Buffalo Bayou. Then brunch at Last Concert Cafe afterward.

Check out this Meetup →

CCPD Reminds Drivers to Share the Road

www.kiiitv.com


CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) – Earlier this year, the Corpus Christi Police Department released a public service announcement urging drivers to share the road, and in light of this city’s most recent hit and run fatality, they want to remind drivers to do just that.
61-year old Andy Heines, the victim in a July 20 hit and run accident, died Monday from his injuries. He was struck by a driver while riding his bicycle along the SPID access road near Paul Jones Avenue. …

Longest annual charity bike ride in the world rolls through Peace

www.cjdccountry.com

The numbers are fairly staggering.
66 riders, over 4000 miles, and almost $500,000 raised for cancer research, treatment and prevention.
The Texas 4000 journey is the longest annual charity bike ride in world, which starts in Austin, Texas and ends in Anchorage, Alaska. The group of students passed through the Peace region this weekend on the back stretch of their 70-day journey.
“It’s been really amazing. So I think you have a lot of conceptions of what it’s going to be like to meet people all along the South or the Midwest or Canada or whatever it may be. And the first thing you realize is we’re all a lot more similar than you think we would be. One thing that’s been this huge current through all the people we’ve met is generosity,” said rider Fred Tally-Foos. …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

Point-to-Point Bike Ride With Drama

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Today’s ride was a rare point to point route. I cannot remember the last time I rode a point to point route. One that comes to mind was back in the 1990’s when I biked from Kingwood to Corrigan to visit my in-laws. My wife drove there and I drove back. Today the route from was Cleveland, TX to Kingwood. Our 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee is part of the a factory recall. I drove to the dealer in Cleveland, left the Jeep and rode back to Kingwood. I guessed the route would be around 29 to 30 miles and I biked 30.72 miles. The ride put me over my 765 mile goal for July!!

I wore my bike clothes and once the car was checked in I unloaded the bike and started riding at 8:54. I didn’t know there was a back road from the dealer to SH 105 so I rode the shoulder of the service road north to the Burger King and cut through to SH 105. As I did that I saw a UPS truck turn onto the back road to the dealer. If I do this again I hope to remember that. Many years ago I biked on SH 105 and the shoulder was not very wide across the east fork of the San Jacinto River west of I-69/US59. Now the shoulder is wide but not very smooth. Until the 3.8 mile point the shoulder was a rough chip’n seal. It changed when I entered Montgomery County. My body appreciated the smoother ride. I turned left onto Fostoria Road headed to I-69/US59. Again I haven’t biked this road for several years. Many new houses line the road which could mean dogs. I kept a watchful eye as I rode by but no dogs, thankfully.

The wind was coming from my back to right rear quarter helping me up the speed. Riding south on the service road I built my average speed up to 16.2 mph. Riding through Splendora the road was now more familiar. The ride was going well until I crossed over Roman Forest Blvd. I heard a clicking sound as a wheel turned and quickly stopped to check. I looked at the rear tire first and found a nail sticking out. I pulled it out to keep it from going through the tire/tube twice. I looked for a shady place to fix the flat and walked back a couple of hundred feet to sit under the I-69/US59 overpass. There was a place to sit by the traffic light control box. This was 16.2 miles into the ride and around 9:58. Removing the tube I found the hole and applied the patch. I aired the tire up and it looked good. Putting it back in the tire I pumped it up but the air would not stay. My technique is to patch a flat at least twice and this was no exception today. I pulled the tube out, removed the patch (no problem finding it), sanded the area, applied new glue and after it dried another patch. Checking my work it appeared it was fixed this time. The tube went back in the tire and the tire bead back on the rim. Pumping the tire to a hard condition the air stayed this time. I put the wheel back on the bike and was off again at 10:34. I count this as a 36 minute rest stop. I was able to cool down some and quick pouring sweat. I drank all my ice water.

In New Caney I made a quick stop at the Mobil station to refill my water bottle and wash my hands. the soap dispenser didn’t work so I rinsed my hands and headed off again. I was making good progress when a phone call alert popped up on the Elemnt from my wife. She was going to drive the Jeep Wrangler to her hair appointment but ti wouldn’t start. As she described what was happening I remember the same symptoms when my key wouldn’t work from the WCM module failure last year. I told her to use my key and it worked. I forgot about reprogramming her key.

Back on the bike again I rode south to Kingwood Drive and then made my way home. About 2 miles from home it started to rain lightly. I was wet already so it didn’t really matter. Once I was on Woodbridge Drive the rain stopped and I finished the ride at 11:44. I was wet but okay. I aired up the rear tire to 110 psi, replaced the patch kit and went inside to cooler and drier air.

Hopefully getting the Grand Cherokee from the dealer goes smoother.

[iframe http://rwgps-embeds.com/trips/10138668/embed 600px 600px]

[iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/653150809/embed/be72d412217077a27cf35193d9b8468176e51054 590px 405px]

Weather at the end of the ride

Home
Airport

Texas Bicycling News July 24th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Pedal South: Four Austin storytellers bicycle from Alaska to Argentina

by Pam LeBlanc

www.mystatesman.com


Four bicycles. Fourteen countries. More than 14,000 miles.
When Thomas Allison, Dyar Bentz, Riley Engemoen and Ricardo Palomares dipped the tires of their bikes into the ocean at Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego on March 18, it marked the end of a 21-month adventure that took them from the edge of the Arctic Circle to the southernmost city on the planet.
Along the way, the four University of Texas graduates and storytellers survived armed robberies, slept anywhere they could pitch a tent or hang a hammock, ate hundreds of cans of refried beans and, one sleepy morning, woke up in the middle of a Zumba exercise class in Guadalajara. …

Huntsville biker to compete in Portugal

By Glen Schorr

www.itemonline.com


RIDERWOOD, Md. × Sarah Ginsbach, a seasoned athlete from Huntsville will soon be competing in the World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships. The competition begins today and ends on July 30 in Agueda, Portugal.
Mountain Bike Orienteering (MTBO), a challenging sport which involves using a map and compass to race across terrain on a mountain bike, is highly competitive abroad. Ginsbach, 32, was chosen for the U.S. Mountain Bike Orienteering Team earlier this year. This will be her third consecutive year on the U.S. MTBO Team. …

Circle C Cruise 1/2 hour earlier by agreement.

Sunday, Jul 31, 2016, 8:00 AM

Dick Nichols District Park
8011 Beckett Rd, Austin, TX 78749 Austin, TX

5 Austin Cyclists Went

We will meet before 8:00 wheels down 8:00 at Dick Nichols Park for about two hours of casual rambling around SW Austin. Gary knows the area like the back of his hand.

Check out this Meetup →

Circle C Cruise

Sunday, Aug 7, 2016, 8:00 AM

Dick Nichols District Park
8011 Beckett Rd, Austin, TX 78749 Austin, TX

6 Austin Cyclists Went

We will meet before 8:00, wheels down 8:00 at Dick Nichols Park for about two hours of casual rambling around SW Austin. Gary knows the area like the back of his hand.

Check out this Meetup →

Go for an easy beginner ride

Saturday, Jul 30, 2016, 7:30 AM

Performance Bicycle
7549 Westheimer Rd Houston, TX

6 Cycling Enthusiasts Went

You’re invited to join our Saturday morning, beginners group ride starting from and ending at our W. Houston, Performance Bicycle store. The ride is for beginners and those getting back on the saddle. The average pace will be between 10 and 14 miles per hour and the ride will last approximately one hour. We’ll explore some of the local bike paths a…

Check out this Meetup →

RIDE THE CAR-FREE WALNUT CREEK TRAIL ALL THE WAY

Saturday, Aug 13, 2016, 7:45 AM

Don’s Automotive Repair
1636 S 1st St Austin, TX

15 Austin Cyclists Went

OK, we are going to ride the very mellow car-free Walnut Creek trail.  We leave from Don’s Automotive on South First, meet 7:45, WHEELS DOWN 8:00 Five miles to the trail head, trail is about 10-15 miles out. (??)   So about 32 miles total.  BUT, you can fall in at the Govalle Park parking lot on Bolm Rd. alternatively.  Please RSVP with comment pos…

Check out this Meetup →

Saturday Beginner Ride

Saturday, Jul 30, 2016, 8:00 AM

Performance Bicycle
4750 Fm 1960 Rd W Houston, TX

4 Bicycle Enthusiasts Went

“We are moving our bike ride back to the shop! Every Saturday morning meet up at the store at 8 AM to get ready to leave on our weekly group ride. Please bring a helmet, water and a positive attitude and be ready to have fun! We will leave from the store parking lot and go through the neighborhoods behind the shop away from the busy traffic of 1960…

Check out this Meetup →

Cotton Patch Challenge announces new routes

www.heraldbanner.com


The Cotton Patch Challenge, a major bicycling ride, today announced it will mark its 20th anniversary with new routes that will traverse the southern part of Hunt County, showcasing growing areas of Hunt County and allowing riders to have the wind at their backs in the homecoming stretch.
Ô—eÓ¶e heard from our riders over the years how they would like to finish the tours without riding into the wind,Ô said YMCA of Greenville & Hunt County CEO Christa Compton. Ô—ith the new routes, they can …

Bird of Prey Park – Leon Creek – Mountain Bike

Mitch Bynum

youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1HnTCO03PE

ARR ~ July 22, 2016 Walnut Creek Hike & Bike Trail Austin, TX

Karen Daniel

youtube.com

Sonya Nathan and Terry at River Legacy

Terry Hervey

youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1h9HTt0R9Xk

Mountain bike at Bay Area Park & University of Houston Clear Lake

Coleman Ashworth

youtube.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynMROibP9Ss

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar