Texas Bicycling News Digest March 12th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

FITNESS: Andersons were top short-course runners in Shannon Trail series

www.gosanangelo.com

… Local athletes have also been doing well in the Texas XC Mountain Bike State Championship Series (tmbra.org).
San Angelo resident Tony Sturdivant ‘aged up’ to the Category 1 60-69 age group this year and is dominating his group thus far in the 2016 championship series with first-place finishes at both the opening race in Smithville and in the second event held last weekend in Dripping Springs. He’ll be trying for a third consecutive 2016 series win at the next stop on the series tour, the …

An Englishman in America

By Rob Lee www.crazyguyonabike.com

Mar 12: To Orange
Saturday March 12, 2016, 75 miles (121 km) – Total so far: 1,561 miles (2,512 km)
Posted via email Sat Mar 12 19:33:02 2016 PST
I was getting flashbacks today of my first day on the bike of this trip…coming up for four weeks ago now! A day chasing my tail and then a late dash to just make it into Texas. So I’m writing to you from Orange County – but that’s Orange County in Texas not the one further West!
As I was having breakfast (nice to have some flavoured instant oatmeal in the cabin to add some variety to the usual plain oats!) Sheila dropped by to say that there seemed to be more road closures due to the flooding along the Sabine River. US 190 directly West from Merryville was now closed and she couldn’t suggest a sensible alternative route. Fortunately I had ordered a Texas road map (waiting for me at Merryville Post Office) so I went to pick that up when they opened at 9 AM. I would at least not be pedalling blind when off the …

Loop Group

by Bill Cullins bcullins.blogspot.com


Every city has cycling traditions that define the sport in that area, and San Angelo is no different. We have the infamous Loop Group rides (or at least, we had until they became small and not-so-infamous).
These group rides have taken place for years every Tues/Thurs evening during daylight-saving time, starting from the TxDot front parking lot (Knickerbocker Blvd and Loop 306) at 6:30 pm (sometimes 6:00 early in the season). Be there on time or you’ll get left behind.
Loop Group rides are not organized by an individual or club – instead, riders just show up. There is no event permit from the city, no police support and no overarching event insurance. In past years the group size was often 30-40 riders each evening, although that’s …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/708804553806913537

Texas Bicycling Event Reminder

B-geO Magnolia Miles – Magnolia, TX Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I got up earlier than usual this morning to drive 44 miles to Magnolia, TX for today’s ride. Since this was the first time driving to Magnolia West High School I wasn’t sure how long it would take and left home at 7:00AM. I pulled into the school parking lot about 8:10 leaving plenty of time to register before the 9:00 AM start time. I walked to the registration area inside and filled out the necessary paperwork and stood in line for about 5 minutes or so. After paying $40 I got a nice sport tek T-shirt with the ride graphics, ride number (#426), a blue wrist band for lunch after the ride and some other ride materials. Going back out to the Jeep I walked around handing out Texbiker.net business cards to other riders. I ran out of cards before I got around to everyone. From there I unloaded the Stradalli RP-14 bike and got ready for the ride to begin. Here are some pictures before the ride started.

Registration area
Registration area
Registration area
Fat tire bike

The weather before we started.

I figured the weather would be cool so I dressed warm with a heavy long sleeve jersey, a Texbiker.net short sleeve jersey over that, shorts and half finger gloves. It ws chilly at the start but as I warmed up I didn’t notice it much. The overcast sky gradually changed to mostly cloudy around noon.

The plan was to ride the 50 mile route but I should have sensed a problem when I lined up with the 20 mph riders for the start. I thought I was back far enough to be in the next group but not until I passed the start line did it dawn on me which group I was in. I stayed in the group and followed the signs and other riders.

Roads were smooth most of the time but riding into the wind was hard. There were inclines but not actually hills. I passed the first and second rest stops because I was making good time and I didn’t need to stop. Going by the second rest stop was where my problem began. I found out at rest stop 7 that I was on the 28 mile route with about 8 miles left to the finish. I wasn’t alone. About  a dozen other riders at rest stop 7 were also off course. Some people looked at their phone trying to figure out how to get back to the 50 mile route without retracing back to rest stop 6 (the second one I didn’t stop at). With the recent heavy rains and the ride not supporting the side roads back to the 50 route I opted to ride back to rest stop 6 and get back on course riding on FM1488. Before I left rest stop 7 I took these pictures.

Leaving rest stop 7 I headed back to FM1488. I turned right onto FM1488 and was by myself except for passing traffic. I came to a left side road where a bunch of riders came onto FM1488 and I followed them. I pulled up beside a lady rider and asked what route she was riding. She said the 70 mile route. I asked how far she had rode and she said 28.6 miles. This was about a mile less than what I had on my Garmin. With the retracing the route I guessed I would add about 14 miles to the 50 mile route if I managed to find it. I stayed the course and followed the signs and other riders. At rest stop 4 I talked to another lady rider who was on the 70 mile ride but wasn’t sure if she was on the right route. We looked at the map trying to figure out which rest stop we were at and finally decided it was #4. I ate a trailmix bar, drank some lemon-lime Gatorade (yuck), filled my water bottle before leaving and took these pictures.

I was at 39.40 miles according to my Garmin 520. My guess was this was about 23 miles from the finish. The signs got better after leaving rest stop 4 until I came to an intersection where the sign said the 50 mile route turned left. There were 6 or 7 riders there trying to figure out where the 70 mile route went. I told them about a turn 3 or 4 miles back where the sign and corner person said the 70 mile route turned left and the 50 mile route turned right which was how I got to there. When I rode away they were still trying to figure out what to do.

Following the route signs I came to rest stop 6 for the third time. I stopped to eat and take a short break for the 14 to 15 miles to the finish. I talked with the rest stop volunteers about what happened and where I think I made the wrong turn. They said the correct turn was west of FM1488 which I missed. While I was there a lady rider pulled in. she was a tall lady with a backpack. At first I didn’t pay too close attention to her backpack until I saw something move. It was a small curly furred dog. I asked her how the dog was doing on the ride and she great. She also was lost looking for the 70 mile route. At this point I showed 46.8 miles on my 520 which was pretty close to what she had on her computer. I ate a granola bar, drank some more bad tasting lemon-lime sport drink, ate some very good pumpkin bread before leaving for rest stop 7, again.

The road was familiar since this was the third time on it today. When I got to rest stop 7 I stopped again. The lady I spoke with earlier about which route she was riding pulled in shortly after me. Apparently she wasn’t riding the 70 route any longer or she wouldn’t have caught with me. I drank more of the lemon-lime stuff, refilled my water bottle and went to the port-a-potty before leaving. Only 8 miles to the finish. I got there at 1:26 after riding 61.69 miles. So much for the 50 mile route. The highest ride number I saw was 734.

Surprisingly my legs were in good shape at the finish. I managed to average 16.0 mph and at times it was up to 16.2 mph. This is the longest ride for 2016 so far. This bumped my March miles to 281.16. Only 350 more to ride to reach my 631 mile goal.

After putting the Stradalli in the Jeep I walked to the cafeteria for lunch, a big stuffed baked potato. After eating I changed clothes for the ride home. I had to walk to the portable restroom by the starting area. I was surprised when I went inside the trailer restroom. It was almost like one at home, no port-a-potty smell or mess.

No Garmin 520 phone disconnect message on this ride. Not sure why it decided to behave today.

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Texas Bicycling News March 11th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Annual “LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour” Set for April 2

www.hillcountrypassport.com

The 9th annual LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour will be held at the LBJ Ranch near Stonewall, Texas on Saturday, April 2 at 9 am (the ranch gate opens at 7 am). The ride begins and ends on the LBJ Ranch airstrip with routes of 10, 30, 42, and 62 miles, taking riders on peaceful country roads and past historical landmarks that figured prominently in American history and Johnson family history. Luci Johnson guides a bicycle tour around the …

Cycling Advocates Say Confidence Is The Key To Getting More Houstonians On Bikes

myinforms.com

Cyclists meeting here in Houston are talking about ways to make bike riding safer and more accessible. The discussion is taking place as Houston develops a comprehensive bike plan that’s designed to encourage more people to r…
Transportation
Cyclists meeting here in Houston are talking about ways to make bike riding safer and more accessible. The discussion is taking place as Houston develops a …

2016 Texas Team Preview : Team Cadence Cyclery

texasbikeracing.com


Team Cadence Cyclery p.b. MINI of PLANO
Roster:
Elite
Corey Ray
Grayson Keppler
Chris Wright
Dayne Martin
ChrisTopher Dauwe
Caleb Hulsey
Tyler Stewart
Kent Myers
Kyle Walker
Brady Reed
Masters
Chad Plumlee
Rhett McKeller
Robert Watson
Jason Cook
Patrick Herron
Ryan Godfrey
Chris Hunt
Chuck Hill
Eric Warden
Chris Powers
Matt Brady
Shawn DePew …

This weekend’s rides: Redbud Dam Loop! Red Horn!

by Thomas steinerranchcycling.com

The rain looks like it will be done this evening leaving us a great weekend for riding! Tomorrow we will tackle Redbud Trail and Cuernavaca! Check out the route here: https://www.strava.com/routes/4330598 . Afterward, grab some burgers and beer with us at Lakeside!
Sunday is our usual Coffee Shop ride to Red Horn. It is 50 miles and is at a more relaxed social pace than our Saturday rides, but we typically finish with a …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/bicyclesplus/status/708380605663338498

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Texas Bicycling Event Reminders

No Loop Back Bike Ride With More New Stuff

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Today’s route falls into my ideal route category: no loop back on roads during the ride. I selected the “New Caney – Gene Campbell Road” route riding to the north and west of Kingwood. After 2 days of rain I was ready to get back on the bike. I left home at 12:45 with a mostly cloudy sky, 78 degrees and a SE 10 mph wind. With the clouds and wind I decided to wear shorts, a long sleeve jersey and a short sleeve jersey. The shorts were a new pair of Bellwether Forma and the Pearl Izumi Quest white long sleeve jersey was new as well. These shorts are very comfortable and rated for long distance rides 3 to 6 hours in length. The jersey is very comfortable but light fabric. The one compliant about the jersey is the sleeve length; I roll up about 4 inches to keep the bunch above my gloves. Over the ride the sleeves unroll. In the warmer temperatures I can wear this jersey without over heating.

I got a new saddle bag from GearBest and installed it on my bike before leaving home. I had been using a Topeak bag and the new one is the same shape and size. The fabric is different. I got all of my “stuff” in the new bag tucked under my saddle. I need to see how the bag does in the rain.When I removed my old Topeak bag I noticed a worn spot which might account for water getting into the bag. I have had the Topeak bag for several years.

I tried to add a new GearBest flashing light but there wasn’t enough room under the saddle bag for the light to wrap around the seat post. The light is different with a solar panel on the top to recharge the battery. The problem is exposing the solar panel while being under the saddle bag. To attached the light I used a tool from GearBest that was a design I hadn’t seen before. Maybe I can figure out another place to mount the light.

I made good time on the ride north to New Caney. The roads had dried out but the ditches were full in many places. The SE wind helped me get there quickly and build up my average speed. Riding west on FM1485 the wind continued to help me but when I turned onto Gene Campbell Road the wind was not so friendly. With the trees slowing the wind down some I managed to get back up to speed after climbing from the low spot at the turn off FM1485. All went smoothly on Gene Campbell Road including the “U” among the business to add about 1/2 mile to the ride. Reaching FM1314 I didn’t have to wait long for the light to change thanks to the cars in front of me tripping the sensors. Usually if I am the only person waiting the sensor doesn’t see me.

Riding SE on FM1314 I felt the full brunt of the wind until I got beside the trees. This went well until I got stopped at the Grand parkway construction when the deputy sheriff stopped traffic while I workman was in a bucket over FM1314 installing traffic light hardware.

3-11-2016 Bike Ride

After several minutes the workman moved the bucket to the side and traffic resumed. I was going to stop at the Valero station at Sorters Road and FM1314 but changed my mind to the Stripes station at Valley Ranch parkway and FM1314. It was getting close for school to let out and the traffic would be heavy. I waited at Stripes for the traffic to leave while eating a trailmix bar and a granola bar. This is what my Garmin looked like when I stopped.

3-11-2016 Garmin Edge 520 Rest Stop

Before the ride I saw the firmware for the 520 had an update so I installed that hoping it would fix the “phone disconnect” and “reconnect” problem. My hope didn’t last long. At the .25 mile point the disconnect message popped up with a beep. About 3/10 of a mile later I got the “phone connected” message and that was the only problem on the ride. I wonder why the 520 has to disconnect once and reconnect during a ride? On the Garmin 520 forum other people have this problem and more so I am glad this is the only one I have.

With today’s ride I am at 1016 miles for the year to date. March miles are up to 219. MY goal for March is 631 miles. Saturday’s weather looks like it will be good so I am planning on riding the B-geO Magnolia Miles ride in Magnolia, TX. The ride starts at 9:00AM so I don’t have to get up super early to drive the 44 miles. This will be the first time to ride this one.

Home weather at the end of today’s ride.

3-11-2016 Home Weather Finish 350PM

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Comparison of the last three rides on today’s route.

3-11-2016 Ride Comparison Today's Route