Texas Bicycling News With Sadness 6/15/2023

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Report: Galleria-area police chase may have contributed to cyclist’s death

By Brittanie Shey | www.chron.com

The deadly crash on Westheimer is raising questions about how police chases occur.

A Houston police chase through the Galleria area early Tuesday morning may have contributed to a secondary accident in which a cyclist was hit and killed by a distracted driver.

The chase began around 4 a.m. June 13, when a man reported that the tailgate of his pickup truck had been stolen from his Woodland Heights home. According to ABC13, Harris County Constable Pct. 1 was able to use data from a GPS tracker and images from a neighbor’s security camera to track the alleged thief to an apartment complex in …

Cyclist taken to hospital after being struck by vehicle

By Mark Smith | www.crosstimbersgazette.com

A cyclist was taken by ambulance to a local hospital on Wednesday after he was struck by a vehicle at a busy Flower Mound intersection.

A 69-year-old woman driving an SUV was headed west on FM 1171 and started turning right onto FM 2499 about 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, according to a Flower Mound Police Department spokesman. While making the turn, the vehicle struck a 21-year-old man who was riding a bike in the crosswalk.

The victim was taken to the hospital for injuries not believed to be life-threatening, according to FMPD. The heavily damaged bicycle was loaded into a fire truck, and some minor damage could be seen on the front of the SUV. Police did not issue any charges or citations.

The comments are not favorable of the cyclist

One killed in automobile vs. bicycle accident

www.roysecityheraldbanner.com

The Royse City Police Department is investigating an early Monday morning fatality accident involving a victim on a bicycle.

The department reported the incident occurred at 12:10 a.m. Monday. A bicyclist who was traveling northbound on FM 2642 just past FM 2652 was struck by a vehicle traveling the same direction.

The bicyclist was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced deceased.

The bicyclist was an 18-year-old female from Garland who was staying with a family member in Royse City.

The driver of the vehicle was a 24-year-old female from Caddo Mills and is said to be is cooperating with the investigation.

The report from the police department said there were no signs at the scene that indicated drugs or alcohol were involved in the accident.

The identity of the deceased female had not been released as of early Monday afternoon, pending the notification of family members.

The accident remains under investigation by the Royse City Police Department.

Thursday Bexar County, Texas

Eduardo Salas | strava.com

Mountain biking with Hank, David, Adam, Ralph, and Doug San Antonio, Texas

Mark Anthony | strava.com

Brought a friend to suffer with Alvin, Texas

Haley Smith | strava.com

Texas Biking from Twitter

Carbon Wheel Swap, Two Rare Climbs Riding To W. Lake Houston Parkway

Texbiker.net Posted on by

An idea came to mind for today’s bike ride, why not change the wheels on my Canyon Endurace CF 7 to the ones on my Lynskey Helix? This would give me the opportunity to ride the Canyon with smaller lighter tires and carbon rims. Exchanging the wheels delayed the start by about half an hour because the rear wheel I was substituting on the Lynskey wouldn’t line up for the thru axle to thread. After several attempts I left the thru axle in the wheel but not threaded. The wheels now on the Canyon were the Alpha 46 with Continental Gatorskin 700x28c tires. I probably should’ve checked the tire pressure but the tires felt solid when I bounced them on the floor.

6-15-2023 Canyon Endurace CF 7 ICAN Alpha 46 Wheels-2
6-15-2023 Canyon Endurace CF 7 ICAN Alpha 46 Wheels-2
6-15-2023 Canyon Endurace CF 7 ICAN Alpha 46 Wheels-2
6-15-2023 Canyon Endurace CF 7 ICAN Alpha 46 Wheels-2

With the wheel change done I ate breakfast and then got ready to ride. Today’s route was an almost new one that I’ve biked just once before on April 12th, Atascocita – Balmoral – W Lake Houston Pkwy – Walden. I wanted to ride this route before but it was not open until the railroad overpass on Timber Forest was finished. Riding to Balmoral is not new. Back in May I biked the opposite direction as I circled the southern part of Lake Houston. Ready I rolled the Canyon Endurace out at 9:11 AM. The weather forecast warned of temperature near or at 100 after noon so I wanted to finish before then and completed the ride at 12:34 PM.

Comparing the two rides on this route the distances are close but my average speed was lower today. I’ll attribute that to the headwind.

6-15-2023 SportTracks Ride History Atascocita-Balmoral-W Lake Houston Pkwy-Walden
6-15-2023 SportTracks Ride History Atascocita-Balmoral-W Lake Houston Pkwy-Walden

The first thing I noticed about the wheel swap was the free wheel sound versus the silence of the DT Swiss wheels on the Canyon. It didn’t seem as loud though.

Heading south for 20 miles meant a headwind most of the time. This made it difficult to judge the Alpha 46 wheels for less effort. Only after the ride did I see the wind was 10 mph with 21 mph gusts. No wonder it was hard pedaling into the headwind. It was hard going up over the railroad overpass into a headwind but the ride down was nice. The overpass goes up quickly and I shifted to the 35×15 gear to go up but on the return climb I shifted to the 35×17 gears.

On the way back I stopped at Kingwood Bicycles to check on the Cervelo’s rear brake repair. Bad news, an o-ring split and a repair kit is needed to fix that. It won’t arrive for a couple of days so I’ll be riding the Canyon bike until then. That’s not bad, just not what I planned.

6-15-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary Atascocita-Balmoral-W Lake Houston Pkwy-Walden
6-15-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary Atascocita-Balmoral-W Lake Houston Pkwy-Walden

Texas Bicycling News – June 14, 2023

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Sharing Spaces: Corpus Christi officials developing plan for cyclist safety and other modes of transportation

By: Michelle Lorenzo | www.kristv.com

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — For several years, Coastal Bend community members have been asking for improvements to the infrastructure. Some have specifically made please for cyclist safety. It’s a matter many are urging city leaders to handle with urgency after several incidences of close calls, injuries, and even fatalities on Corpus Christi streets. …

Crash involving juvenile on bike and Honda SUV in Kingwood under investigation, HPD says

abc13.com

KINGWOOD, Texas (KTRK) — Houston police officers are investigating a crash involving a juvenile on a bike and an SUV in Kingwood. It happened at about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at 1101 Kingwood near Crestmont Ridge.

The person who reported the crash told 911 that the grey Honda SUV involved in the accident stayed at the scene, according to authorities.

The juvenile’s condition is unknown.

Bicyclist hospitalized after being hit by sedan, police say

Ben Spicer | www.ksat.com

Incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. in 2800 block of West Drive

SAN ANTONIO – A female bicyclist was taken to an area hospital after being hit by a car late Tuesday night, according to San Antonio police.

The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m. in the 2800 block of West Drive, not far from West Woodlawn Avenue and Interstate 10 just north of downtown. …

The Return of the Memorial Park Crits

Drop Bar, Texas: A cycling podcast By Paul Negrete | podcasters.spotify.com

Calling all crit racers, new and old! The Memorial Park Crits in Houston return July 2023. Eric Attayi (Urban Bicycle Gallery), Jimmy Boyle (Sun & Ski Sports), Mynette Murtagh Randall (Trek Bikes), and John Proctor (Pro Bikes Texas) sat down to share how the crits were brought back and what to expect. I also share interviews from Somerville, Texas when the MS150 passed by the Somerville Historical Society. Finally, a Feat of Glory shout-out wraps up this episode. Be sure to check out the links below to support those who support the cycling community. Links: Memorial Park Crits, Trek Bikes, Urban Bicycle Gallery, Sun & Ski Sports, Pro Bikes Texas, Shama Cycles, Gear Monkey Bike Repair, Planetary Cycles, Blue Line Bike Lab, Somerville Historical Society Music: Back to the Woods by Jason Shaw

‘We can open up many, many more streets’ | ATX Walk Bike Roll could reach the City Council this summer

Author: Isabella Basco | www.kvue.com

Austin Public Works and Austin Transportation want to update the city’s sidewalks, urban trails and bike lanes through an effort called ATX Walk Bike Roll.

AUSTIN, Texas — Last spring, Lauri Aylaian and Keith Culver were traveling on a cross-country bike ride from San Diego to St. Augustine, Florida when the couple arrived in Central Texas and planned to travel from Austin to La Grange.

20 minutes into their ride for the day, a driver hit their group from behind on East Stassney Lane. 74-year-old Culver died. …

I-35 construction could cause Austin traffic delays this summer

By Allie Kelly | www.dallasnews.com

The Texas Department of Transportation is moving forward with the I-35 Capital Express Program, and construction could cause traffic delays around Austin.

With the upcoming University of Texas football season and summer concerts on many people’s calendars, drivers can expect increased commute times, road closures and detours in a city that was recently ranked in the 20 most congested places in the United States.

The Interstate 35 expansion program — which has been in the planning stages since 2019 — outlines three projects that would add managed lanes and reconstruct six bridges on northern, central and southern routes around the city. …

… Through four phases of construction, high-occupancy vehicle lanes between State Highway 71/Ben White Boulevard and Slaughter Lane will be elevated, according to TxDOT plans. A bypass lane between Stassney Lane and William Cannon Drive is also set to ease east-west travel and add new shared-use pedestrian and bicycle paths. …

Tuesday Night Crit – A race – COMMENTARY – 6/06/2023

Honest Tree | www.youtube.com

Some discussion about race tactics as discussed by Daniel Holloway and Gabe during Tulsa Tough.

The city of Denton wants to improve pedestrian and cyclist safety with input from residents

By Vince Sims | www.nbcdfw.com

Getting around in the city of Denton can be a little tough at times for those on foot or two wheels.

"I got hit by a car on the square a couple of years ago," walker and cyclist Dave Denton said. "There’s lots of roads that don’t actually have bike lanes on them, or the bike lane all of a sudden disappears," he added.

Things like that are why the City of Denton is doing the Pedestrian and Cyclist Safety Audit. The city auditor wants public input on how to make the streets safer and more accessible for walkers and cyclists. …

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Flag Day. Canyon Endurace CF 7 Rides Community Drive – Valley Ranch – Gene Campbell Blvd

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Today is Flag Day and I saw numerous flags along the route. I continued starting the ride before 9 AM with my Canyon Endurace CF 7 moving away at 8:41 AM, a few minutes earlier than yesterday. The heat advisory is effect and another reason to start and finish before the hottest time of the day and I finished at 11:44 AM. I rode the Community Drive – Valley Ranch – Gene Campbell Blvd route for 39.20 miles. The Canyon now has 109 miles and the week totals 109.22 miles. June biking hit 436.13 miles. That’s over the halfway point to my 800 mile goal. This is an average of 31.15 miles per day versus the minimum of 27 miles per day. I’m 58 miles ahead of the minimum daily miles per day.

6-14-2023 SportTracks 12 months Ride History Community Drive-Valley Ranch-Gene Campbell Blvd
6-14-2023 SportTracks 12 months Ride History Community Drive-Valley Ranch-Gene Campbell Blvd

Today’s ride compared to the last 12 month activity was the second longest distance. I changed the route a little riding beyond TX 99 to Eagle Drive and then to Loop 494. Returning to US59/I-69 I stayed on the frontage road to Valley Ranch Blvd. and onto Valley Ranch Parkway. I think this was the second time biking on the frontage road to Valley Ranch Blvd. from US59/I-69. The 700x35C tires on the Canyon increase the rolling resistance but smooth out some of the road bumps and irregularities. The shoulder on FM 1314 to Gene Campbell Blvd. has a lot of dried concrete that escaped from the trucks. Once the Canyon is up to speed the effort to maintain that pace eases.

From the AXS.SRAM.com ride report I used the 35×13 gears for 1:57:00 (28.1 miles). My legs felt good. The headwind challenged them at times.

Weather: Start 82 degrees, 82% humidity, dew point 76.1, mostly cloudy, wind S 6 mph; Finish 90 degrees, 63% humidity, dew point 75.4, mostly cloudy, wind S 9 mph.

6-14-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary Community Drive-Valley Ranch-Gene Campbell Blvd
6-14-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary Community Drive-Valley Ranch-Gene Campbell Blvd