Texas Bicycling News for November 7, 2023

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UTPB, City of Midland receive grants to begin Wildcatters Trail connecting both cities

by: Erica Miller | www.yourbasin.com

PERMIAN BASIN, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- The University of Texas Permian Basin and the City of Midland were each awarded a grant from the Texas Transportation Commission called the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program to fund the beginning stages of the Wildcatters Trail. The Wildcatters Trail is a biking, running, and walking corridor which will eventually connect the cities of Midland and Odessa.

The City of Midland was awarded $3,697,495 through the grant while UTPB was awarded $6,377,697. UTPB President Dr. Sandra Woodley and City of Midland Mayor Lori Blong worked together on these grants to “improve the quality of our spaces with safe and …

After Destruction Scare, a Popular Mountain Bike Trail in McKinney Is Again Ready for Riders

By Bethany Erickson | www.dmagazine.com

After a developer bulldozed a portion of the 8-mile loop of mountain bike trail in McKinney’s Erwin Park, fans of the trail were worried. But the association that maintains the track says all is well—now.

Shortly before Halloween, mountain bike enthusiasts who frequent the 8-mile trail at McKinney’s Erwin Park came upon a frightening site. A real estate developer who owned the land next to the park had seemingly bulldozed part of the trail. That action took down several mature trees and removed a section of the trail that had been there for “decades,” according to a post from the Erwin Park MTB’s Facebook group. (The park was deeded to the city in 1973 by Dr. J.C. Erwin and his wife, who hoped the park would protect the environment and native Texas plants on the property.)

“The section of trail that climbs out of the ‘jungle’ section after all of the …

67-year-old bicyclist dead after being struck by truck

by: Darby Good | www.ketk.com

ANDERSON COUNTY, Texas (KETK) – A bicyclist is dead after a crash with a truck early Tuesday morning in Anderson County.

According to preliminary report from DPS, the bicycle was stationary in the eastbound lane of US 175 when it was struck by a 2001 Ford F-150 traveling west on the road.

Bicyclist Russell Warrington, 67 of Frankston, was pronounced dead at the scene, and the driver of the truck was not reported to be injured in the crash.

The investigation is ongoing.

Racial Healing and Sisterhood on Two Wheels

by editorial | dallasweekly.com

By encouraging Black women to experience the freedom and joy of cycling, Black Girls Do Bike is also changing the complexion of a predominantly white, mostly male sport.

Growing up, riding a bicycle was one of Monica Garrison’s favorite summertime activities. The sense of excitement and freedom she felt on two wheels stayed with her into young adulthood when she commuted to and from work on her bike.

Then, life happened — her career, a family — and Garrison had less and less time for cycling. Eventually, she put down the kickstand and parked her bike. …

The Tiniest Thing Can Interrupt A Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

The tiniest thing can interrupt a bike ride. I was on my way to Huffman when that happened on Pinehurst Trail Drive. The rear tire on my Cervelo Caledonia called out for help when it went flat. I found a shady spot on a side street and went to work. Getting the tire bead loose took longer than it should’ve but I got it off. Next was finding the leak. This is where the tiniest part comes in. I aired up the tube several times adding more air each time. Finally the pin hole made itself known about 8″ from the valve stem. I got out my new adhesive patch kit, roughed up the tube around the tiny hole and applied the patch. Feeling around the inside of the tire I found a tiny piece of glass sticking in the tire. I pulled it loose with my fingernail but couldn’t see it because it was so small. I aired up the tube to check my work and all seemed well. I put the tube back in the tire. Getting the tire bead back on the rim was as hard as getting it off but I did it. The frame up got the tire pressurized enough to pop the bead on and I was ready to ride. All of this took about 45 minutes, no Indy 500 pit stop for me.

I planned on riding the Atascocita – Walden – Huffman route but with time loss I changed to the Atascocita – Walden – E. Lake Houston Parkway route shaving about 4 miles off the ride. All of this began at 11:06 AM with warm weather and I finished at 2:18 PM. I rode 29.92 miles. Hopefully tomorrow’s ride doesn’t include the fat tire.

Weather: Start 83 degrees, humidity 64%, dew point 69.3, partly cloudy, wind SW 12 mph gusts 22 mph; Finish 85 degrees, humidity 60%, dew point 69.4, partly cloudy, wind S 9 mph.

11-7-2023 Strava Ride Summary Atascocita-Walden-E Lake Houston Pkwy
11-7-2023 Strava Ride Summary Atascocita-Walden-E Lake Houston Pkwy

Texas Bicycling News for November 6, 2023

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Bike Around the Bay geared for fun, fitness and fundraising

by Cheryl Donatto | baytownsun.com

Do you remember when you got your first bicycle? You rode that thing every chance you got. Countless miles and hours passed as you pedaled around the neighborhood. And that feeling of freedom and fun was heightened when you were out with your buddies.

Bet you never thought about how healthy all that fun was, did you?

As a grown-up, you realize that cycling has many perks, beyond being a fun, social activity. It is a great way to get exercise and improve your health since it is a low-impact activity that can be done at most fitness levels. …

Two Hunt County projects among 83 projects awarded almost $350 million

By Kent Miller | www.heraldbanner.com

AUSTIN — New sidewalks, bikeways and other types of infrastructure will help improve safety and enhance quality of life in Texas communities with approval by the Texas Transportation Commission of more than $345 million for projects across the state.

Included in those projects are two in Hunt County – one in Greenville and the other in Quinlan.

The Greenville project is listed as a “Citywide Trails and Bikeways Master Plan” at a price tag of $197,800 that the State will pick up. The Quinlan project is listed as “Richmond-Clardy Sidewalk Improvements” and is budgeted for $704,269.

According to the TTC, the funding will go …

Associa Big Bike Giveaway Donates 300 Bikes To North Texas Kids In Need

www.globenewswire.com

250 team members volunteer to assemble 300 bikes; ensure disadvantaged kids have Christmas to remember

DALLAS, Nov. 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Associa, the community management industry’s largest company, is proud to donate $50,000 to purchase 300 bikes for disadvantaged kids throughout North Texas this Christmas. From 11 AM – 3 PM CST on Wednesday, November 15 the bikes will be assembled by approximately 250 Associa employees during a team-building event at the company’s Client Shared Service Center in Richardson. They will be donated to the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Dallas, Community Partners of Dallas, Richardson Fraternal Order of Police, and other local non-profit organizations that will distribute them to kids in need this Christmas.

“Giving back to the communities in which we live and work is a fundamental concept for Associa. Assembling and donating bikes for so many deserving kids is a great way for our team members to kick off the holiday season,” said Andrew Fortin, Associa Senior Vice President of External Affairs. “It’s also our way of ensuring that no child goes without and has a Christmas to remember.” …

Hill Country Bicycle Works Marathon State Championship Series opener in Palo Duro Canyon this weekend

Dave Bellante | www.tmbra.org

It’s almost time ! This weekend is round one of the Marathon Series in beautiful Palo Duro Canyon! Get up to date on the series rules ( including racing age and number of races needed to qualify for overalls ) Here: https://www.tmbra.org/wp/marathon-series/ . Registration is open for the first three marathons. Go here for individual race and registration information: https://www.tmbra.org/wp/events/ …

BellVelo #1 Set for Saturday!

Stuart Gardner, Program Director Greater Houston Cycling Foundation | shoutout.wix.com

We had MTHCC out on Saturday, our CX Series kicked off on Sunday with a big party at Alkek, next week the party moves to BellVille for the first of the BellVelo races this year! Look out for events on our Calendar and check out our Facebook and Instagram pages for announcements & photos. …

Texoma cities receive funds for pedestrian or bicycle projects

By Hannah Gonzales | www.kxii.com

Texas (KXII) -The Texas Department of Transportation allotted $345 million for pedestrian and bicycle projects across the state.

Here in Texoma, the Cities of Denison, Van Alstyne, and Gainesville were awarded millions of dollars.

“We want to provide once in a lifetime experiences for park goers guests,” said Justin Eastwood, Denison’s Director of Parks And Recreation, “Beyond that, it’s important to have infrastructure that helps with connectivity.”

The City of Denison was awarded more than $2.8 million for construction on Phase Two of the Katy Trail.

The 12-foot wide path will continue about a mile to Spur 503.

“Phase one, we had a 20% match with the city, this time around, we’re fully funded through TxDOT,” Eastwood said.

Denison said they don’t have a timeline on when construction will begin. …

Stages Cycling Austin Rattler MTB and Run produced by Life Time welcomes more than 1,100 runners and cyclists at sold-out Texas event

www.endurancesportswire.com

Burnet, Texas (November 6, 2023) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The Stages Cycling Austin Rattler MTB and Run events, owned and produced by Life Time (NYSE: LTH), took place this Saturday, bringing more than 1,100 runners and cyclists to Reveille Peak Ranch, located less than an hour west of Austin. Athletes representing 43 states and four countries aged three to 75 years old took on various event distances as part of this fun-filled family endurance weekend.

“The Austin Rattler MTB & Run is a special event because it brings together seasoned athletes and first-time competitors for a day of adventure at Reveille Peak Ranch,” said Peter Spencer, Event Manager at Life Time. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to announce yet another year of this event’s success.” …

… BIKE RESULTS

60-Mile Bike – Women’s Results …

Spring Creek Greenway To Pundt Park, San Jacinto Bayou Greenway Back To Kingwood

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I decided today was the day to ride the Spring Creek Greenway to John Pundt Park. The late summer weather was just right and I managed to start the ride relatively early rolling out at 10:03 AM on the Canyon Endurace CF 7 bike. Counting today this was the 7th time biking this route in 2023, four times on the Canyon, 2 times on the Cervelo Caledonia, and once on the Lynskey Helix. The average distance for 2023 rides is almost 44 miles and today I rode 43.11 miles improving my position towards November’s 360 mile goal to 141 miles, 39% of the way. This is more road miles than the whole November 2022; I was on a trip half of November 2022 out of state.

Being a Monday in the fall I didn’t know if the greenway would be busy or deserted. It turned out in the middle. When I arrived at the US59 trailhead there 8 vehicles parked, one with bikes on a rack. On the greenway I passed more than a dozen cyclists, some in both directions. Walkers and a jogger plus a skateboarder, too. The parking lot at Jesse Jones Park had a few cars. Two looked like they had bikes inside and one man yelled hello as I passed. PundT Park had about the same number of cars but I didn’t see any bikes. On the greenway I passed a man walking 4 dogs. When he came to Pundt Park I remarked at the number of dogs he had. I stopped at Pundt Park for a few minutes for a snack before heading back to the US59 trailhead. The clouds increased but I didn’t notice how much because of the trees. Wind was not too strong. The direction of the wind made it neutral riding both directions, very unusual.

The way back went on the San Jacinto Bayou Greenway and bike route through Forest Cove. I passed two cyclists on their MTB’s.

One Strava top result: 3rd fastest time on MM7.0 to 59 (29:08).

Weather: Start 77 degrees, humidity 76%, dew point 68.6, mostly cloudy, wind calm; Finish 81 degrees, humidity 57%, dew point 64.2, overcast, wind SW 10 mph. I wore my usual summer kit: shorts, arm sleeves, and short sleeve jersey. Fall weather might make this the last ride on the Spring Creek Greenway this year.

11-6-2023 Canyon Endurace at Pundt Park
11-6-2023 Canyon Endurace at Pundt Park
11-6-2023 SportTracks 2023 Rides Spring Creek Greenway to Pundt Park
11-6-2023 SportTracks 2023 Rides Spring Creek Greenway to Pundt Park
11-6-2023 Strava Ride Summary Spring Creek Greenway to Pundt Park
11-6-2023 Strava Ride Summary Spring Creek Greenway to Pundt Park