Texas Heat Bike Ride to Huffman

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Since I tightened the valve core on the tubes the need to air up my tires has went down. Each morning when I unlock the garage I squeeze the tires to see if they need air and so far they are hard enough that they don’t need air. I also can tell when I go over a bump when riding that the tires are still hard. The firm tires were helpful on today’s hot ride on the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route.Today’s ride was 31.97 miles, shorter than yesterday’s ride like I planned.

It was 95 degrees at my home weather station when I got ready to leave at 12:08. I tried to leave earlier but I was on the phone with a customer service rep trying to fix a problem with a piece of technology that has been working until last night. Why it decided to quit after about 2 years is a mystery to me and the rep. They are sending a replacement part that hopefully fixes the problem.

6-16-2016 Home Weather Start 1159AM

Other than being Texas summer hot the ride went as planned. I did seek out shade whenever it hung out over the streets. I made it to the Huffman Chevron ready for a rest and some wind blowing through the pump canopy. There were two men in the sun painting the curb around the station. Last year I leaned against one of the poles not knowing it was freshly painted and ended up with a big circle of aluminum paint on the back of the jersey I was wearing. I stayed away from the poles this time. The Elemnt screen and weather when I arrived and during the stay.

Where I sat at the station I could see the time and temperature sign at Action Signs across FM1960. Most of the time it showed 91 to 95 degrees but for a few minutes it jumped to 110 to 118. Glad I was in the shade when those high numbers hit. I stayed at the station for about 40 minutes getting hydrated for the 11+ miles home. Earlier I saw another biker as I was riding east over Lake Houston. He was going the opposite direction.

I rode the longer way through Atascocita Shores because I was not riding through Kingwood Greens later. I did have to wait for some traffic before crossing Kingwood Drive on the way home. I stopped the ride at 3:06, glad to put the Stradalli in the garage and me in the air conditioned house. It is supposed to be hot again tomorrow. I will try again to leave a little earlier and ride about the same distance.

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Inside Texas Bicycling June 15th 2016

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Cross-country trek blends bicycle riding, homebuilding

by Lauren Koski

amarillo.com


After a 107-mile day, 29 bicycle riders from the Southern United States route of Bike & Build rolled into town Tuesday for a meal and two nights’ rest at First Christian Church of Amarillo.
The group started the route in Jacksonville, Fla. on May 11. By the time they arrive in Monterey, Calif. on July 26, they will have biked a total of 3,900 miles, raised more …

Texas Police Games — Cycling Road Race Results

www.webscorer.com

Race started: Wednesday, June 15, 2016 9:05 AM (GMT-5)
Race location: Dallas, TX, United States
1 45 Hanna, Gary Lockhart Category 3 40 – 49 1:14:43.6 (1) 1:36:34.6 –
2 36 Prince, Alvis Austin Category 3 40 – 49 1:44:00.4 (2) -1 lap –
– 48 Franklin, Kevin The Woodlands Category 3 40 – 49 DNF

Texas Police Games — Cycling Road Race Wednesday, June 15, 2016 9:05 AM (GMT-5) – Final results

www.webscorer.com

1 50 Dotson, RichFt Worth Category 3 40 – 49 M 1:22:52.3 –
2 49 Here, BradleyWeatherford Category 3 40 – 49 M 1:23:03.8 +0:11.5
3 52 Storm, JoshuaFrisco Category 2 30 – 39 M 1:23:04.6 +0:12.3 …

Ride to the monument

Saturday, Jun 18, 2016, 7:00 AM

Bay Area Park
7500 Bay Area Blvd. Houston, TX

4 Cyclists Went

A 30-ish mile route, from Bay Area park to the monument. Not many bail-outs along the way and you can expect some wind on the return.  We will take 2 short breaks, one at the monument or battleship for some pictures, then a slightly longer one on 225 just to pick up water or snacks at the store there.We’ll meet up by the duck pond near the exit.  …

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Bicycle Ride @River Legacy Park

Sunday, Jun 19, 2016, 2:00 PM

River Legacy Park
703 NW Green Oaks Arlington, TX

2 Arlington Friends Went

Join us for a Social bicycle ride at River Legacy park on the paved trails inside the park.We will be riding three loops 30 minutes, then 1 hour loop, plus we added at extra 10 mile loop to Village Creek Park and back.  So you can ride 5 , 15, or 25 miles.Ride pace is social the first 2 loops at 10 to 12 MPH. Third loop is 12 to 14 MPH pace outsi…

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Route 66 at Age 66!

By Joseph Culpepper

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 22 – Vega, TX to Tucumcari, NM: Route 66 Midpoint, Deaf Smith, a New State, & Utter Fatigue!
Tuesday June 14, 2016, 77 miles (125 km) – Total so far: 1,388 miles (2,234 km)
Last night a huge thunder storm, including a tornado warning, blew in while we were eating supper at DQ. To help wait it out, we got ice cream, of course, & by the time we’d finished the rain had let up so that we could walk quickly back to our motel. It soon resumed storming & was a good night not to be in our tent! With Guy’s bad cold, we were doubly glad to be in the dry comfortable shelter of a motel.
This morning was quite foggy. We enjoyed a full continental breakfast, then set out at 7:45 under overcast skies just as the fog was lifting. It was very pleasant riding in the cool, & rather mysterious as the fog came & went. We made it quickly to Adrian, the Midpoint of the Mother Road – 1139 miles in each direction to Chicago & Los Angeles. A motorcyclist was there, so he took our picture before the …

Andrew Willis riding strong nearly 400 miles into Race Across the West

by Pam LeBlanc

fitness.blog.austin360.com


With nearly 400 miles under his Lycra shorts, Austin cyclist Andrew Willis has already charged well past the point he dropped out of last year’s 900-plus-mile Race Across the West because of overheating and dehydration.
Willis began his second attempt to ride from Oceanside, California, to Durango, Colorado, in the grueling race at …

Velodrome Training Sunday June 19th

Cycling Space City

cyclingspacecity.blogspot.com

The Alkek Velodrome is having another training session this Sunday. That’s Father’s Day so it could be a perfect bucket list present for the cyclist Dad. You can find more details on the Velodrome’s Faceboook Page and I have written about the training in the past

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

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No Shade, Lots of Red Lights New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Bike Ride

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Shade was at a premium on today’s ride on the “New Caney – Gene Campbell Road” route. It was hot today with 98 degrees and scattered clouds. I was in the sun most of the ride. The wind was from the SW which means hot and dry (for Houston that is). It sure felt good to take a break at the Cumberland Shell station sitting under the pump island roof. Occasionally a nice breeze would blow through and cool me.

My timing was off today. Of the 12 to 15 traffic lights on the route I stopped at most of them. There was a stretch on Loop 494 and FM1485 where I had to stop for four lights in a row. This breaks up the momentum and rhythm of biking. On FM1314 after leaving the Shell station on the way to Porter I stopped three out of four and the fourth one was red but I did a right turn on red.

Not too long after I started riding (I left home at 12:06) an alert popped up on the Wahoo Elemnt for an incoming text message. This is the first text I received on the Elemnt. This is quite a contrast to the Edge 520 which is supposed to have the same feature but I could not get it to work since I changed from a Nexus 6 to a Nexus 6P phone and several Edge firmware updates. I am impressed with the Elemnt. It performed perfectly today. The cadence sensor kicked right in as I rolled out the driveway and pushed the start button. There are many features I need to learn more about.

On Gene Campbell Road a Stephens Transportation 18 wheeler almost forced me off the road as we rounded a bend. He should have waited for the oncoming traffic to pass but he was in a hurry to get to the Walmart distribution center. I rode on the very edge of the asphalt and I could reach out with my left hand and touch the trailer as it went by. Normally the trucks give a wide berth when they pass.

The rest stop at the Cumberland Shell came at the 23.6 mile point of the 38.1 mile ride. I needed to refill my water bottle, drink some Gatorade and eat a couple of snack bars. The Wahoo Elemnt screen and weather while I was there.

It was 1:48 when I stopped at the station. It was hotter at my home weather station than the screen shot above.

6-15-2016 Home Weather Finish 344PM

With school out I didn’t need to time my departure from the station to miss the traffic. I think I was at the Shell station for about 36 minutes. Making my way through Briar Tree, Oakhurst and Kings Manor was not a problem except for the wind was mostly a headwind. My legs were slowing down but once I was in Kingwood I changed to a larger rear gear to ease my effort. My speed dropped and this pulled my average speed down but I needed the relief. I stopped at the mailbox at home and stopped the ride at 3:32. I think I drank close to a gallon of fluid during the ride but my mouth was dry as I made my way to the garage. There was enough fluid in me to cover my arms in sweat. I did wear wrist bands today and they were soaked when I stopped at the Shell station and at the end of the ride.

Tomorrow will be another hot day. I will probably ride a shorter route.

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Inside Texas Bicycling June 14th 2016

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Tour de Fort Worth

fitworth.org


Gear up and get ready to roll!
FitWorth is thrilled to announce that we are taking on Mayor Price’s Tour de Fort Worth, in partnership with Bicycles Inc. and presented by Lexus, and 21 days of cycling kicks off on June 26th!
FitWorth and Bicycles Inc. will host 8 organized rides, including walkable and kid-friendly routes, as listed below. On days without organized rides, we will meet up for 21-mile trail rides with Bicycles Inc. …

https://www.instagram.com/p/BGpzy-Hp2Gq/

A revamp of lower Westheimer Road could include major changes

By Dug Begley

www.houstonchronicle.com


Lower Westheimer is one of Houston’s most well-known streets, but on some fronts its reputation isn’t a positive one. Narrow and bumpy, the street is both a hub of retail and recreation activity and also a harrowing bike or automobile trip from time to time.
Everyone has a story or a suggestion of how to make it better – and next week the city is going to carve out time to listen to them in hopes of improving one of Houston’s premier streets.
“That is one of the most economically vibrant, critical corridors in the city,” said …

Texas Police Games — Cycling Road Race

www.webscorer.com

Wednesday, June 15, 2016 9:00 AM (GMT-5) – Start list
Race info
Sport: Cycling – road
Location: San Angelo, TX, United States
Start type: Mass start
Racers: 29 …

Texas Police Games — Cycling Time Trial

Tuesday, June 14, 2016 9:00 AM (GMT-5) – Start list
Race info
Sport: Cycling – road
Location: San Angelo, TX, United States
Start type: Individual start
Racers: 29

Texas Police Games — Cycling MTB Race

Thursday, June 16, 2016 9:00 AM (GMT-5) – Start list
Race info
Sport: Cycling – mtn cross-country
Location: San Angelo, TX, United States
Start type: Mass start
Racers: 23

Longtime Friends to Race Through Western U.S. to Raise Money for Child in Need of Service Dog

By R. Stickney

www.nbcsandiego.com

Sophia’s mother, Mellisa Matthews, was moved to tears when she thought about what the race means to her child.

Two longtime friends are about to race hundreds of miles as part of one of their “crazy adventures” and help an Oceanside girl get a service dog at the same time.
Jon Holmquist, 48, of Austin Texas and Bryan Krause, 47, of Littleton, Colorado started off Monday on a 928-bicycle race across the west.
It’s the first time for both of them. Neither is a professional athlete. But there is …

NwAus- Austin Cycling Team North Country Ride (Road) in Austin

austin.www.events.wile941.cbslocal.com.eventful.com

July 3, 2016
Sunday 7:30 AM
Bicycle Sports Shop
517 S Lamar
Austin, Texas 78704
Weekly Sunday ride of the Austin Cycling Team. More at http://teambrainandspinecycling.com/pages/event-calendar

8 AM start- Tour de Southern Walnut Creek Trail aka Morning Summer Solstice ride

Tuesday, Jun 21, 2016, 8:00 AM

Govalle Park
5200 Bolm Rd. Austin, TX

5 Austin Cyclists Went

Start Time is 8 AM!A D-pace ride (roughly 11 to 13 mph) on The Southern Walnut Creek Trail from the trailhead at Govalle Park up to the Abrupt End at Lindell Lane just north of Decker Lake.  Round trip is about 20 miles.  The trail is paved for the entire distance,with a 1/2 mile hill on the outbound.  We’ll regroup periodically on the outbound an…

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Intermediate Level (no stop) & Advanced Beginner ride @ Walnut Creek 6:00 PM

Thursday, Jun 16, 2016, 6:00 PM

Location details are available to members only.

6 Mountain Bikers Went

The intermediate level riders should be able to ride 12-14 miles with minimal to no stops at a pace of 8.5 – 9.5 MPH.Ride at your own Risk.   Helmets and eye protection are required.   Ensure your bike is in working condition and its recommended you have an extra tube and parts to keep it that way.Meet in the parking lot by the swimming pool. The…

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State Let Construction Contract – Bike and Ped Trail (10′ Wide)

www.texasbids.net

Bid Date & Time: 07/08/16 1:00 PM
Owner Solic Number: 0918-46-272, STP 2014(158)TE
Status: bidding Report: 7104161
Country : United States State: TX County: Denton Location: Austin
Est. Low Value: $5,352,272 Est. High Value: $5,352,272
Scope: Bike and ped trail (10′ wide).
Plans: From Owner. See lined file.
Outside Link: http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=6295545
Owner Type: Public
Buyer: Texas Dept. of Transportation, Austin HQ (TXDOT) …

State Let Construction Contract – Improving Helotes-Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities

www.texasbids.net

Bid Date & Time: 07/07/16 1:00 PM
Owner Solic Number: 0915-12-537, STP 2014(167)TE
Status: bidding
Report: 7104129
Country : United States State: TX County: Bexar Location: Austin
Est. Low Value: $1,298,373 Est. High Value: $1,298,373
Scope: Improving helotes-bicycle & pedestrian facilities.
Plans: From Owner. See lined file.
Outside Link: http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us/bid_show.cfm?bidid=6295544
Owner Type: Public …

Veteran on mission to honor deceased shipmates

By Dannie Oliveaux

www.miamiok.com


QUAPAW — At 3 a.m. the night of June 3, 1969, a U.S. Navy ship was struck by an Australian carrier, resulting in the death of 74 men.
Because the incident happened 100 miles outside the “official combat zone,” the men’s names are not currently listed on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C.
But one of the survivors, 74-year-old Navy veteran Del Francis is riding his bicycle from Sulphur Springs, Texas, to Washington, D.C., to …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar