I will get to the title stuff in a minute. Today 6 other bicyclists thought it was a good day to ride based on the people I saw. In the first 2 miles I spotted two bicyclists on Tree Lane in Kingwood. This would be all until I was stopped at the Huffman Chevron when Manuel Hernandez pulled into the Chevron station. After leaving Huffman heading back home 3 more bicyclists popped up on Atascocita Shores Drive. I was glad I chose the Atascocita – Walden – Huffman route today.
Leaving home at 1:36 I rode under a clear sky and 67 degrees. This is the first ride since December 19th due to cool weather and Christmas. I was inspired today by both the nice weather (for December anyway) and the Superprestige Cyclocross Diegem cyclocross race I watched after church this morning. The race was a little unusual because they raced under the lights in mud and cold. All of the racers wore shorts, arm warmers and jerseys. They must have more cold endurance than me.
The route today came in at 31.78 miles bringing December miles to 275.44 and year to date to 6261 miles. With the weather change I don’t think I will get to ride any more this year but New Year’s day might warm up enough to go biking.
Back to the lead. The rider who stopped at the Huffman Chevron was Manuel Hernandez and we visited for a few minutes. He noticed I ride a Motobecane and he told me about the Motobecane Nemesis he rode in the past. The bike he was on today was a Lightspeed and I told him that I use to rode one until I crashed (in 2005 a SUV side swiped me breaking the frame). He then told me about the Scott bike he had before the Lightspeed. I am not sure when but one day he was riding on FM1960 going west and turned onto Atascocita Shores Drive. At the first stop sign a Jeep stopped on his left. The Jeep had a trailer attached. Manuel pulled away from the stop sign with the Jeep. Not too long after that he heard some noise and looked back to see the trailer come loose from the Jeep with the safety chain holding the trailer but not too long after that the chain broke and the trailer started coming into the lane Manuel was in. He was too close to the curb to ride up over it so he jumped off his bike into the grass leaving the Scott bike in the street. The trailer went right over the bike before crashing into a mailbox. It was a total loss.
While Manuel was talking I noticed he was wearing a pair Google Glass. This is the first time I have seen these in person. Manuel is an IT person so I guess this a natural for him. I told him I am playing around with a Raspberry Pi.
By the time I finished the ride at 4:12 the blue sky turned overcast and the temperature went down to 64.
While I was biking I noticed the left brake lever has slipped down the handlebar and the bar tape is loose . Looks like I need to take the bar tape off and reposition the lever.
January Club Ride at Rocky Hill Ranch
Austin Ridge Riders
Saturday, January 11, 2014 – 10:00
This month we join RHR’s Jordan’s Challenge as they raise money to fight Systemic Lupus and Juvenile Arthritis.
All mountain bikers are welcome, riders will break into groups based on skill level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) and pace (fast, casual, slow). This is a No Drop ride so no one gets left behind or lost, we will get you back to the trail head for the after party;)
Remember to bring your helmet, plenty of water, and cash for the park entry fee. Everyone is also invited to bring a dish to share after the ride: i.e. cookies, chips, dips, salads, fruit, drinks, etc.
You do NOT have to be an ARR member to attend the club ride but we do ask that you…
February Club Ride on the granite at Reveille Peak Ranch!
Austin Ridge Riders
Saturday, February 8, 2014 – 10:00
All mountain bikers are welcome, riders will break into groups based on skill level (beginner, intermediate, advanced) and pace (fast, casual, slow). This is a No Drop ride so no one gets left behind or lost, we will get you back to the trail head for the after party;)
Remember to bring your helmet, plenty of water, and cash for the park entry fee. Everyone is also invited to bring a dish to share after the ride: i.e. cookies, chips, dips, salads, fruit, drinks, etc.
Parking will be in the main parking area in front of the pavilion, look for us near the ARR banner.
You do NOT have to be an ARR member to attend the club ride but we do ask that you…
San Angelo Bicycling Association
NEW YEAR’S DAY RIDE – STATE PARK, SOUTH SIDE AT THE PAVILION AT 10 AM. ROAD BIKE OR MOUNTAIN BIKE. FOODÂ AFTER THE RIDE. CONTACT RICK OGAN FOR MORE INFO @…
ALL RIDES LEAVE FROM SPRING CREEK & COIT AT 10:00 AM SHARP!
PLEASE ARRIVE TO LOT BY 9:45 AM TO SIGN IN AND GET LAST MINUTE INSTRUCTIONS.
4 Pace Groups:
JACK RABBITS: 19-21 MPH     David Appleby            DISTANCE: 40 MILES+/-
COYOTES: 17-19 MPH             Steve Standifer           DISTANCE: 35 MILES+/-
BOBCATS: 15-17 MPH             Jerry Hubbard             DISTANCE: 30 MILES+/-
ARMADILLOS: 13-15 MPH       Alex Dulaney              DISTANCE: 30 MILES+/-
Food and Hot Chocolate will be served when you…
New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar
New Event: San Antonio Wheelmen – Toutant-Beauregard Ride: When: Sun Dec 29, 2013 9am to 12pm CSTWho: Texas B… http://t.co/aC7dV85cz1
A local resident loads a brand new bicycle into his car for a Christmas gift, compliments of the Palestine Police Department. This is the second year for the department to give away free bicycles at Christmastime. Palestine PD Lt. James Muniz is pictured at left.
A bicycle trail from Dallas to Fort Worth is in the works
Nicholas Sakelaris   Staff Writer- Dallas Business Journal
Plans to connect Dallas to Fort Worth via bicycle trails are slowing gaining speed, thanks in large part to Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, an avid cyclist.
The proposal would use 30 miles of existing trails in Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Irving and Dallas and connect them with 34 miles of additional trails, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported.
Of the 34 miles yet to be built, 10 miles have secured funding and…
Godsey Martin Law Firm teamed up with 104.1 to give away 100 bikes this Christmas! Like our Facebook page for future giveaways and events!
Individual Time Trial Series
Team McAllen Cycling
Sunday, January 19th, 2014
Sunday, February 16th, 2014
Sunday, March 23rd, 2014
Sunday, April 20th, 2014
Location: Bentsen Palm Park
Team McAllen Cycling’s individual time trials are back! Join us Jan 19th to test your speed!
Place: Bentsen Palm Park, located of Inspiration Rd Mission (North of the Veterans Memorial Cemetery)
Time: 7:00 AM to register, first rider out at 8:00 AM
Cost: Free to TMC members, $10.00 to non-members
Open to all classes of bicycle…
WCCRT TTR (All welcome)
Woodlands Cycling Club
Saturday, January 04, 2014, 07:30am – 10:30am
Meet at the Ashlane YMCA, wheels down at 7:30 am. This is a race team training ride, pace will be fast – but can also break into different groups of ability. There will be regroup points for brief stops to come back together as a group.
Although it is a race team training ride, all are welcome to come out and ride to experience riding with the race team. While we do look out for one another, know the route and be prepared – each rider is expected to be responsible for him/herself. We observe all the same safety protocols of the club – be prepared to stop at all stop signs, etc.
Ride route: MapMyRide (CLICK HERE)
The lake route (counterclockwise) is: woodlands parkway to Honea Egypt road to Honea Egypt Community road to…
I still remember my first real bicycle – not the red hand-me down trike I careened around on when I was still wearing bloomers. I’m talking about the purple two-wheeler with a sparkly banana seat and plastic streamers at the ends of the handlebars.
That bike meant freedom. I rode it all the way down to the end of the street, tipped it on its side and played on the old fire engine parked in an…
ROUND ROCK, Texas – An Austin non-profit called Please Be Kind to Cyclists is hosting a memorial ride in Round Rock Saturday morning for a married father of four, who was killed while riding his bike a week before Christmas Day.
44-year-old Joseph Holan was on the frontage road of Interstate 35 near 1431 heading in to work on his bicycle on Dec. 17. A Texas Department of Transportation spokesperson told KVUE it is legal to ride a bicycle there.
Round Rock Police said a driver didn’t…
West Texas man hospitalized after pit bull attack
www.kfoxtv.com
SAN ANGELO, Texas (AP) — Authorities say a 28-year-old West Texas man was hospitalized with puncture wounds to his arms and legs after being attacked by five pit bulls while riding his bicycle.
Chief Deputy Dale Pearce of the Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office tells the San Angelo Standard-Times (http://bit.ly/1cvkAis ) that the man was attacked Thursday afternoon in the small community of Carlsbad, located about 16 miles northwest of San Angelo.
Pearce says deputies found the owner of one of the dogs but…
New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar
New Event: Saturday Urban Ride – Houston, TX: When: Sat Jan 25, 2014 8am to 9:30am CSTWho: Texas Bicycling Ev… http://t.co/gvXP1wWZYD
HOUSTON—Authorities believe a dispute over a stolen bicycle sparked a Christmas day brawl at a northwest Houston apartment complex.
Police responded to the Pines at Northwest Crossing Apartments around 5:30 p.m. Wednesday following reports of a fight.
Once there, officers observed dozens of men, women and children engaged in…
Pico de Gallo Century Ride is a free cycling event. The four founders created it to bring awareness to cycling and promote the sport. It started as a large group ride. Quickly, it grew to a yearly event with many cyclists participating.
Christmas in Houston today was a cloudy 55° – great for a bike ride to put all our new bike stuff to good use. And we weren’t the only ones. We saw a ton of people and families out in the park riding, walking, running, and playing pickup games of soccer and football with friends and family. It was fantastic. Christmas in Syracuse consists of shoveling or snowplowing your driveway, scraping off your car, and staying inside where it’s warm. Of course, our closest…
Bicyclist hit and killed on Chestnut Street by hit-and-run driver
By JESSICA COOLEY/ The Lufkin News
A bicyclist was hit and killed by a vehicle that fled the scene late Christmas night on South Chestnut Street — the second of two freak accidents in the area in an eight day period.
As of 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, Lufkin Police Lt. Charlie Graham confirmed the fatality and said that the driver had fled, adding that a Justice of the Peace and funeral home were en route to the scene.
Mountain biker riders hit the trails during a beautiful day at the Franklin Mountains. A guided Beginner’s Mountain Bike Ride will be Jan. 12 at Chuck Heinrich Park. Cost is $5. ( Special to the Times)
Franklin Mountain State Park will again participate in the nationwide America’s State Parks First Day Hikes on Jan. 1.
In addition to the 3.5 hike up Mundy’s Gap Trail in the Tom Mays unit of Franklin Mountains, the state park has added a month-full of hiking and biking.
“There’ll be something for everyone,” said Adrianna Weickhardt, a park ranger and volunteer coordinator for the Franklin Mountains State Park. “The kicker is people don’t have to travel out of state or go too far to have a…
2013: Looking Back
Ray Garza      RGV Cycling
Well another year has come and gone and it’s time to reflect on this past year and the goals that I set out to achieve. Although I achieved many of them, some goals still elude me. No biggie, there is always next year. Over all, it has been a very good year with new friends, rides, bikes and the like.
As I said in my last post, I’ve dropped two pant sizes and I’m ecstatic about that, but the winter Holiday months have been hard and my weight has slid up a little. Yes, I’m disappointed but I gotta keep at it and not let up. Hopefully, next year will be even better with this weight loss. My goal is to lose enough weight to enable me to eliminate the need to use a CPAP machine. That’s my ultimate goal. You don’t know the extra freedom that it will give me. Try being tied to one and you’ll appreciate the freedom you have now.
Other than dropping two pant sizes, I also did metric century rides in both the organized…
According to Lufkin Police spokesman Det. JB Smith, the woman gave a statement admitting her involvement in the death of 22-year-old Alexander Jensen with her attorney present. Because a warrant for her arrest has not been served, Smith said her name will not be available for release until tomorrow.
FORT WORTH — When Mayor Betsy Price pitched an inter-city bicycle trail that will connect Fort Worth with Dallas to the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the council listened.
And they are running, or cycling, with the idea.
“She [Price] had a big vision to get the Metroplex to come together on connecting communities, cycling, health and economic development, and we could see a vision of this happening,†said Karla Weaver, program manager for congestion management and system operations for the council of governments.
The council’s plan is to use…
USA Cycling announces the 2014 Professional Cross-Country Tour calendar
www.usacycling.org
Colorado Springs, Colo. (December 26, 2013) — USA Cycling on Thursday announced the seven races that will comprise the 2014 USA Cycling Professional Cross-Country Tour (Pro XCT) calendar. At the end of the seven races, the top five men and women riders will be awarded an equal share of USA Cycling’s $15,000 prize purse. This marks the first time USA Cycling has offered a prize purse to the winners of the Pro XCT.
Wells chasing bishop last lap
Todd Wells will be looking to repeat as the winner of the Fontana City US Cup race in 2014. (Photo by John Muller)
The Pro XCT calendar, which enters its sixth year in 2014, will feature the premier domestic cross-country mountain bike races and crown the top professional male, female and team as calculated by season-long standings. The calendar boasts a stellar lineup of races with high level UCI categories. …
…The Subaru of Georgetown Mellow Johnny’s Classic US Cup scheduled to be March 1 in Dripping Springs, Texas, has been on the Pro XCT calendar since 2011 and has been the first race on the calendar since 2012. This race is the first of four races on the Pro XCT calendar inscripted as C1 by the UCI. A pair of Australian riders, Daniel…
You see them at most of the races – neither one showing any mercy while racing or heckling – and if you’re end up chatting with them you realize they are a couple of super cool people who are helping to grow the cyclocross scene in Houston. Rob and Lisa thanks for taking the time to answer a couple of questions.
Tell us about your bikes, well just the cyclocross bikes, because we don’t have time to hear about them all.
Lisa: 1. Specialized Carbon Crux Pro Disc 2. Specialized Cruz Expert SS
Rob: ON ONE – Dirty Disco, Stan’s wheel set up tubeless, 10sp shimano group, Hayes disc brakes.
And who do you guys race for? …
Memorial Ride for Joe Holan 2013-12-28 Saturday 9am REI Round Rock
bicycleaustin.info
On December 28th, 2013, a memorial bike ride will be held for Joseph “Joe†Eugene Holan of Georgetown, who was killed in a tragic car and cyclist accident on Tuesday, December 17, 2013, as he traveled to work on his bicycle.
Joe wrote about his life experiences on his bike in his blog Advantage Bike (http://www.advantagebike.blogspot.com/); and how his two wheels had helped him through many different stages of his life. Joe lived his life with the humor and attitude that “you can never give up and always know the sun will come up in the morning.â€
Attending the memorial bike ride and assisting in the placement of the Ghost Bike will be…
New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar
New Event: B1 – Beginner Ride # 1 – Waller, TX: When: Sat Jan 4, 2014 9am to 12pm CSTWho: Texas Bicycling Eve… http://t.co/zx7HZbxhGW