Texas Bicycling News, Experiences – July 29, 2023

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Video: Bike Rodeo and Summer Safety Fair promotes safe roads for drivers and bicyclists

By KGNS Staff | www.kgns.tv

LAREDO, TX. (KGNS) – The first-ever Bike Rodeo and Summer Safety Fair took place on Friday evening.

TxDOT partnered with Laredo Police to educate residents on how to keep roads free from accidents.

Organizers put on bike safety checks and gave out new bicycle helmets.

Part of the goal was to educate the public on how to share the road with other bicyclists and cars.

Another was to remind younger riders to start forming good habits.

“Aside from the bike rodeo, it’s a summer safety fair; we want to emphasize the importance of people using motor vehicles on public roads and using their seatbelts,” said Sgt. Jonathan Castillo with the Laredo Police Department. “It’s like TxDOT says, ‘If you love them, click it’. We want to make sure our children are safe and educated in knowing that there is an importance to the equipment provided by your vehicle.”

Based off this year’s turnout, the goal is to bring back the fair every year.

TUESDAY NIGHT CRITERIUMS AT BRECKINRIDGE PARK • Jul 18 2023 • Richardson, TX

www.road-results.com

Categories » Men Cat 1/2/3/4 Master 40+ » Men Cat 3/4 » Men Cat 4/5 » Men Cat P/1/2/3

TUESDAY NIGHT CRITERIUMS AT BRECKINRIDGE PARK • Jul 25 2023 • Richardson, TX

www.road-results.com

Categories » Men Cat 1/2/3/4 Master 40+ » Men Cat 3/4 » Men Cat 4/5 » Men P/1/2/3

TxDOT holds meetings to gather public input on Amarillo Boulevard project

Michael Cuviello | www.amarillo.com

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) hosted a second round of public meetings Thursday to get input on proposed improvements to Amarillo Boulevard near Interstate 40.

With the project aimed at reducing the increased congestion in the area, TxDOT is looking at making significant safety improvements on Amarillo Boulevard (or Business I-40D) from its underpass at Interstate 40 up to Southwest 9th Avenue. The first meeting on this project was held April 27. A staff member of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) speaks with members of the community Thursday during a discussion about proposed improvements to Amarillo Boulevard. The presentation was held at Amarillo College West Campus in Amarillo.

Various safety enhancements to this area are being proposed, such as left turn lanes, eliminating crossovers, improved LED lighting and installation of median safety barriers. In addition to these enhancements, there are proposals to add bicycle accommodations, with an 11-foot shared use path and sidewalk adjacent to the highway. …

Ft. Worth – Lake Benbrook – South Holiday Park

tcs | www.bikeforums.net

Corps of Engineers to limit cycling @ lake:

https://www.cbsnews.com/texas/news/b…UMiFl9ldNGvQno

I’ve never been there. As near as I can tell from the map, the contentious ‘camping areas’ are off the main road (green dots), in the areas I’ve circled in red.

From Strava

Haarvarks to Manvel 60 mi w Varks rest Solo ??? “Bella” 80 & “?” 57 ??????????Pearland, Texas

Troy Serrano

Canyon Lake Dam and Some Tacos San Antonio, Texas

Mark Noblitt MTCCSA

I’ll take 2673 over 306 every day! Last Saturday wasn’t much fun on 306.

Scrambled legs Longview, Texas

Jason Herrington

Awesome event. Cramping last couple laps.

Forest service road 287 has been recaptured! Come ride it! This is one of the links for the ride across the Sam Houston National Forest. Huntsville, Texas

Shannon Wyatt

Morning Ride Deer Park, Texas

Justin Imel

San Felipe Loop + Bois D’arc Fort Bend County, Texas

Eduardo Carrillo

The city of Austin is looking for feedback on their proposed solutions to the gaps in Shoal Creek trail
by u/StxtoAustin in BikingATX

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Event

Later Start but Good Company on Atascocita – Huffman – Walden Loop

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I overslept about 15 minutes delaying the start of today’s’ bike ride to 8:04 AM. I hoped this didn’t rule out seeing other cyclists as I rode my Atascocita – Huffman – Walden route aboard my Cervelo Caledonia bike. That turned out not to be the case with possibly the most cyclists I’ve seen on a Saturday bike ride in sometime. The first cyclist came by on Kings River Drive as I headed to FM 1960. The last group caught up to me at FM 2100 and Old Atascocita Road on the way to Huffman. They went straight and I turned right on FM 2100 for Huffman. Later when I stopped at the Exxon store at E. Lake Houston Parkway 2 cyclists from that group rode through the parking lot on their way to the donut shop, I think. I filled my water bottle there and headed west over Lake Houston not facing a strong headwind for a change. A loop through Walden and I started back to Kingwood, finishing at 10:50 AM.

Starting that early meant the temperature hadn’t reached 80 yet but the humidity was high. It felt cooling for awhile and riding south on Fairlake Lane in the shade was refreshing with the breeze cooling effect. I got back home before the temperature hit 90. Weather: Start 78 degrees, 86% humidity, dew point 73.9, partly cloudy, wind calm; Finish 88 degrees, 61% humidity, dew point 72.6, mostly cloudy, wind SW 6 mph.

Ninth time biking this route in 2023 not counting the two rides in reverse. All but one of the rides was on my Cervelo bike. Today’s 34.23 miles was the average distance for the route and improved the week’s total to 223.04 miles and July to 945 miles.

7-29-2023 SportTracks 2023 Rides Atascocita-Huffman-Walden
7-29-2023 SportTracks 2023 Rides Atascocita-Huffman-Walden
7-29-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary Atascocita-Huffman-Walden
7-29-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary Atascocita-Huffman-Walden

Texas Bicycling News – July 28, 2023

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Bicyclist fatally struck by 18-wheeler in southeast Houston

Erica Ponder | www.click2houston.com

HOUSTON – A bicyclist was fatally struck by an 18-wheeler in southeast Houston Friday, the Houston Police Department said.

Officers were called to the 11000 block of Fuqua Street at around 4:27 p.m.

When they arrived, they found the bicyclist dead on the road.

According to police, the truck driver stayed at the scene.

Investigators have not yet released the identity of the victim.

Corpus Christi cyclist assaulted by aggressive motorists during group ride

Author: Madeline Salinas | www.kiiitv.com

Gerado Gomez is the leader of Team Life Cyclers, a group of cyclists that frequently ride together. However, their ride took a violent turn for one of their members.

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A man who was riding with his cycling group, was left beaten after two men got out of their car to first verbally, then physically attack him.

Gerado Gomez and his cycling group, Team Life Cyclers, were enjoying an evening ride just like they do every Thursday. Gomez is the leader of the cycling group and said the group’s ride took a violent turn for one of their members.

“We had a car on Ennis Joslin that was not happy that we were on the road,” he said. …

Building bikes: Wrenches to Wheels program provides constructive advice to students

BY JOEL VALLEY | kdhnews.com

Angie Solis, a volunteer with Panel Specialists Inc. in Temple, helps Jesse Green IV, a 13-year-old Bonham Middle School student, build a bicycle during an event at Temple High School on Friday.

More than a dozen Temple ISD sixth- and seventh-graders spent their Friday with a smile on their face, as they pedaled their bicycles around the Temple High School parking lot.

Each of them had hand assembled their ride that morning through Workforce Solutions of Central Texas’ inaugural Wrenches to Wheels program — an initiative where industry professionals guided students on the building process for approximately three hours. …

Temple ISD students build their own bikes with Workforce Solutions of Central Texas

By: Adam Schindler | www.kxxv.com

TEMPLE, Texas — In an effort to give back, Workforce Solutions of Center Texas helped kids use their own hands to build their own wheels.

“Wrenches to Wheels,” that’s what they’re calling the program that teaches kids how to build a bike.

Charley Ayres is the Director of Industry and Education Partnerships at Workforce Solutions of Central Texas.

”Students have a lot of experience with digital technology,” Ayres said. “We thought we’d do …

Edinburg Cano Hike and Bike Trail Improvements

texasborderbusiness.com

The City of Edinburg announced the successful completion of a significant project that will greatly benefit the community in Edinburg and enhance the safety and accessibility of the Cano Hike & Bike Trail. The City of Edinburg officially unveiled 115 solar lights along the trail, strategically spaced approximately 50 feet apart to eliminate dark spots and promote a safer outdoor experience for all trail users. …

Rainey Street Trailhead – The Trail Conservancy

www.virtualbx.com

Austin, TX (Travis Co.) –

Work includes the construction of a new trailhead, consisting of waterfront access, seating, a nature play area, new accessible pathways, and landscape restoration.

The Rainey Street Trailhead comprises approximately 2 acres of space at the intersection of East Avenue and Cummings Street continuing along the shores of the Colorado River (Lady Bird Lake). The project will connect to the existing Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail along Lady Bird Lake with accessible routes from the street level down to the water’s edge. Access to the Hike-and-Bike trail shall not be interrupted during construction. Temporary detours for the duration of equipment crossing are allowed with barriers and flaggers for safety.

The Miro Rivera Restroom will remain undisturbed with new …

14-year-old boy struck, killed by car in The Colony, police say

By Jamie Landers | www.dallasnews.com

According to department spokesman DiMario Bishop, the driver is cooperating with police and no charges have been filed.

A 14-year-old boy who was struck by a car while riding a bike in The Colony on Tuesday has died of his injuries, police confirmed to The Dallas Morning News.

The crash occurred about 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of Main Street and Memorial Drive, according to department spokesman DiMario Bishop. The boy, Adrien Villegas, was taken to the hospital, where he later died.

Iseedents Villegas, who identified himself as …

I call bull shift on San Antonio’s terrible bike-friendly ranking

Brandon Lingle | www.expressnews.com

A cyclist rides the greenway at Padre Park. Does this look like the seventh-worst biking city in the nation?

A recent study hit like a thorn in a tire, ranking San Antonio the seventh-least bike-friendly city in the U.S.

Deflating.

Memphis was the worst. Houston landed the second-worst spot, and Dallas came in 10th worst, giving Texas a not-so healthy representation. Oklahoma City, Riverside, Calif., Phoenix, Jacksonville, Fla., Charlotte, N.C., and Virginia Beach, Va., rounded out the bottom of the bad biking cities.

Austin, of course, ground all our gears, ranking 17th as one of America’s most bike-friendly cities. Minneapolis, Portland, Ore., and San Francisco were the kings of the mountain on that list.

The study by Clever Real Estate, an online real estate research firm, scored …

$52 million in bond projects could be on Abilene’s November ballot for Kirby Lake trail, recreation centers, zoo improvements

by: Erica Garner | www.bigcountryhomepage.com

ABILENE, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – $52 million worth of bond projects could be on the ballot for the City of Abilene in November including new recreation centers, a hike and bike trail around Kirby Lake, and continued improvements to the zoo.

Three different proposals will be on the November ballot if Abilene city council members give them the green light – $15 million for zoo improvements, $28 million for recreation centers at GV Daniels and Cesar Chavez, and $9 million for a hike and bike trail around Kirby Lake. …

Texas Biking from X (Twitter)

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Slow Uphill Stressed My Legs But Not Too Hard

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I chose a northerly route for today’s bike ride, Community Drive – Cumberland – Oakhurst, rolling out at 8:47 AM on my Canyon Endurace bike. The temperature was 85 and the humidity a not too heavy 72%. I last rode this route on July 19th for 35.08 miles. That ride was on my Lynskey Helix bike. My week total miles sat at 154 as I began the ride today. Finishing at 11:34 AM after biking 34.62 miles put the week at 188.82, well within range of a 200+ mile week with tomorrow’s bike ride.

No issues from the different saddle on the Canyon Endurace. It was comfortable and the position was good.

Today’s ride covered a few different streets. I used a longer greenbelt trail at the beginning and at TX 99 I stayed on the frontage road to Eagle Drive then to Loop 494. The slow uphill from Loop 494 to the US59/I-69 frontage road stressed my legs but not too hard. At the top going over the freeway a speedy downhill awaited to take me to Valley Ranch. Traffic was accommodating giving me the room I needed. Riding through Suncliff in Valley Ranch, Forest Colony, and the Azalea District took me to Valley Ranch Parkway and onto FM 1314. A slight headwind on FM 1314 slowed me some to the turn around at Cumberland Blvd. That headwind changed to a angled crosswind interrupted by the trees on my right to Old Sorters Road. I made a water and ice stop at the Circle K at Sorters Road. That left Briar Tree, Oakhurst to ride through to Northpark Drive. The final 7 miles went smoothly.

Weather: Start 85 degrees, 72% humidity, dew point 74.8, a few clouds, wind calm; Finish 89 degrees, 58% humidity, dew 72.0, mostly clear, wind S 5 mph.

7-28-2023 SportTracks Rides History Community Drive-Cumberland Blvd-Oakhurst
7-28-2023 SportTracks Rides History Community Drive-Cumberland Blvd-Oakhurst
7-28-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary Community Drive-Cumberland Blvd-Oakhurst
7-28-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary Community Drive-Cumberland Blvd-Oakhurst