Most of my biking routes don’t have a different name when I ride all or part of it in reverse. Today’s ride was one of those. The route for today was Kingwood – Stroker Road – Kingwood. No new streets or roads but I biked FM 2100 south to Stroker Road to Ramsey Road to Old Atascocita Road in reverse. The scenery looks different seeing it from the opposite side of the road. The road surface is different too. No climbs or descents changed since the roads around here are basically flat. Riding east on Stroker Road that side of the road is rougher than the other lane with lots of cracks and patches. This route wasn’t feasible until the road construction on FM 2100 was close to completion. The ride history shows the March 25, 2021 route traveled east of Old Atascocita Road, south on Ramsey Road, west on Stroker Road. At Stroker Road the construction forced me to retrace the route back east on Stroker Road, Ramsey Road, and Old Atascocita Road. The other rides, except today, went in the normal clockwise direction. On FM 2100 the construction was to a point I could ride north on or beside FM 2100.
5-2-2023 SportTracks Ride History Kingwood-Stroker Road-Kingwood
I started the ride at 10:59 AM after watching stage 2 of the La Vuelta Femenina from Spain. I could’ve started a few minutes sooner but was hoping it would warm up a few degrees more. From early morning fog it turned to an overcast sky with a NE 5 mph breeze. The wind was mostly not a challenge and a couple of places where I expected some headwind it wasn’t a problem. I dressed a little warmer than necessary with a long sleeve jersey under a short sleeve one. Weather during the ride: Start 73 degrees, 82% humidity, dew point 68, overcast, wind NE 5 mph; Finish 80 degrees, 54% humidity, dew point 62, overcast, wind E 9 mph. I finished the ride at 2:19 PM.
Biking 44.08 miles today was about average for this route no matter the direction. Combined with yesterday’s miles the week (and month) is up to 81.24 miles. This is 11% of the way to my 750 mile goal for May. I need average 24.2 miles per day whether I ride or not. I’m at 3.4 days now giving me a small cushion.
Yesterday I received a new Bar Fly Mini 4 computer mount for my GoPro camera. I installed it for today’s ride. The Bar Fly lowers the GoPro below the height of the handlebars maybe reducing the wind resistance a tiny bit. You can see it in the video.
As I was getting ready to ride my Bolt computer downloaded a firmware update with the new summit feature. I’ve watched a couple videos on it and wished I could see it where I ride but there are no summits. One tiny uphill I rode today wasn’t steep enough or long enough to trigger it.
Riding by the tiny trucks on FM 210 I spotted a new tiny truck, a red fire engine with ladders, hose and lights. I’m not sure how practical it is. I don’t think it will get to the scene very quickly and probably doesn’t carry any water or more than 2 firemen.
No saddle changes on the Cervelo. Still riding the Velo Senso TT+.
Kalaba brothers finish first and second in conference cycling
Pavle Kalaba of Midwestern State University won the overall conference championship (Men’s A) at the South Central Collegiate Cycling Conference event in Celina, Texas. His brother and teammate, Dušan Kalaba, claimed second place. …
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) -Thousands of cyclists from across Texas flooded Kyle Field this weekend for the Bike MS 150 ride, the nation’s largest fundraiser for multiple sclerosis.
The event, which generates millions of dollars for research and treatment of the disease, starts in both Austin and Houston before ending in College Station.
Mark LeBlanc, an Aggie and graduate of the class of ‘85, has participated in the event more than 30 times, becoming a familiar face among the cyclists crisscrossing the Lone Star State.
“What I’m doing is minor compared to what somebody with MS has to do every day. You know, five times the effort to comb your hair, brush your teeth,” LeBlanc said. “When I started, there …
[Hundreds of cyclists ride 150 miles to raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis | FOX 7 Aust]
The 39th annual MS 150 bike ride came through Fayette County this weekend, with nearly 6,000 riders arriving in La Grange at the Fayette County Fairgrounds, overnighting there, and then departing by bike for the College Station finish line Sunday morning. Above, left, are some riders as they arrived at the fairgrounds Saturday. Above, right, several riders enjoy a beer at the fairgrounds as the …
By Bonny Osterhage & Kathleen Petty | www.sanantoniomag.com
From short strolls at city parks to long bike rides and running routes on the city’s greenways, these are the trails not to miss in the Alamo City
Hit the Trails at These 10 Parks …
… Panther Springs Park
Officially, there is a 3-mile paved trail that will take visitors at this 300-acre North Side Park to the Parman Library (and back). Cyclists, though, point to this acreage as a favorite place for exploring the various dirt paths and offshoots from the main trail that allow them to add some mileage and experience a bit more of nature (including views of the area’s covered caves). If your pup is one who can handle a walk, take them on the trails and then reward them with a stop at the on-site dog parks that are divided between large and small dogs. 22635 Wilderness Oak Road …
[Monthlong effort aims to highlight the benefits of biking | FOX 7 Austin]
Just as it sounds, this meetup is for cyclists who want the chance for a somewhat leisurely ride with friends. Follow them on Facebook or Instagram for specific dates, and then meet downtown for urban riding in a group.
Stuart Gardner, Program Director Alkek Velodrome | shoutout.wix.com
Last week was an off week at Alkek Velodrome but this week we are back! We also have another bumper weekend of USAC Sanctioned Racing coming up! Check the Calendar for more!
May Events
5:45pm Tues May 2nd – TNR Bunch Races
11am Sat May 6th – Intro to Track Cycling
5:45pm Tues May 9th – TNR Krazy Keirins & Super Sprints
8:30am Sat May 13th – Atomic TT Series #1
8:30am Sun May 14th – Super Sunday #2
5:45pm Tues May 16th – USAC TNR
5:45pm Tues May 30th – TNR Bunch Races …
Monday May 1, 2023, 68 miles (109 km) – Total so far: 2,127 miles (3,423 km)
Today, I had three options depending on the wind; 30, 50, or 66 miles. The winds were quite favorable and with an overall loss of about 1000 feet in elevation, it was not a problem to go 68 miles today. I climbed about 700 feet out of Van Horn at daybreak around 7:00 AM and was treated to a nice sunrise. I haven’t had very many decent sunrises on this trip and it was nice to get a good one.
The sky was pretty much overcast all day with a tailwind of around 5-12 mph which made for easy riding except for the last 16 miles. Today was the first day of interstate riding and the shoulder was quite smooth, but riddled as usual with a lot of debris. The main debris that I was afraid of was shredded tire pieces from the trucks. It seemed to be everywhere.
I am still riding with Michael and Ann. Since the wind picked up the last section saw us drafting each other on the interstate shoulder and doing our best to avoid the small pieces of tire wire. Fortunately, none of us got a …
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Sharing the road with cyclists isn’t just common courtesy, it’s become a matter of life or death.
There’s an estimated 52 million bicycle riders in the United States according to consumer data.Corpus Christi has its own growing community of recreational riders and bike groups. The Coastal Bend also has several populations who use bikes as their main form of transportation, including children, students, people with health or legal condition that may prohibit them from driving, people who are find bicycles financially beneficial, and people experiencing homeless.
However, many fear local leaders aren’t prioritizing safety for cyclists of all kinds. Some say they’ve …
Enjoy the beautiful weather by biking and save May 19 for Bike to Work Day, which will include over 40 fueling stations around town and a City Hall celebration with vendors, free food, special guest speakers and more ?
Bike to the store. Bike to a barbeque. Bike to a date. The possibilities are endless here in Plano during Bike Month in May. Learn the rules of the road, get a bike map, see what projects are in your neighborhood, and more at https://t.co/Fl5fMulVZw ????#bikeplano#bikemonth2023pic.twitter.com/1oRqSaTSGx
Get your bikes out of hibernation, because May is here and it's Bike Month! ??! So grab your helmet, pump up those tires, and get out and ride?????! Tag us all month long on your ride and win a pair of fun Play Frisco socks. #playandride#BikeMonth#PedalPowerpic.twitter.com/MPw56E1ScE
— Play Frisco – Parks & Recreation (@PlayFrisco) May 1, 2023
With April in the rear view mirror I started May biking to the north on a route I haven’t done since March 6th this year. In fact that is the only time I’ve been on the route this year. I wondered how the road construction progressed. The route, Kingwood – SH 242 – Kingwood. In 2022 I rode the route 10 times and the average distance is just over 37 miles. I didn’t have any computer or sensor issues mainly because I rode my Lynskey Helix bike rather than the Cervelo Caledonia from yesterday. There shouldn’t be any issues when I ride the Cervelo tomorrow because I replaced the speed sensor battery. Today’s ride was 37.15 miles. My goal for May is 750 miles. I need to average 24.2 miles per day. Today was equivalent to 1.53 days.
5-1-2023 SportTracks 1 year Ride History Kingwood-SH242-Kingwood
I pressed the ride start button at 11:11 AM rolling away on the Lynskey Helix bike. The weather looked good but not as warm as yesterday’s ride later in the day. Today’s weather for the ride: Start 74 degrees, 55% humidity, dew point 57, mostly cloudy, wind variable 6 mph; Finish 81 degrees, 41% humidity, dew point 55, mostly cloudy, wind variable 5 mph. I wore a long sleeve jersey and a short sleeve one on top. I was comfortable the whole ride. The wind on the way to SH 242 was a nuisance but not requiring extra effort. The ride back south from SH 242 enjoyed a slight tailwind helping me get my overall average speed up to 14.3 mph.
In the first few minutes of the ride a middle size white and brown dog decided to bark and run beside me. You can see it in the video. I don’t think he was ready to bit but I was concerned he would run in front of the bike and I would run over him and crash. Fortunately that didn’t happen and he gave up after a couple hundred feet.
When I reached Tavola Drive I stopped to take these photos. The yellow lantana and red Knockout roses were eye catching.
The video shows the road construction status at SH 242. After two months it doesn’t look much different.
Like most of the Houston area the ride elevation changes were small. The biggest climb was at Community Drive on the frontage road up to TX 99 and that overpass. Railroad Ave. slowly went up to Woodbranch Drive but not very high.
April bike activities included 23 days of riding all on the road. I rode one organized ride on April 1st in Iowa Colony at the zuhne Education Expedition. The days I did not ride were because of weather. A couple of days the weather was not enticing enough to get on the bike, I wimped out. This is the most monthly miles so far this year. I rode my Cervelo Caledonia bike 18 of the rides and my Lynskey Helix on 6 rides. Usually the rides are not so many on the Cervelo. Typically in 7 days I ride the Cervelo 4 times and the Lynskey 3 times. My goal was 700 road miles and I surpassed that with about a week left in the month. Four of the weeks ending in April were 200+ miles. The one exception was the week ending April 9th when I did not ride 3 days that week. Each ride has video clips on the Texbiker YouTube channel.
5-1-2023 RWGPS April Bike Rides Overview
How did April 2023 compare to the previous 4 years? 2022 goal 650 miles actual 993 miles, 2021 goal 600 miles actual 915 miles, 2020 goal 612 miles actual 938 miles, 2019 goal 600 miles actual 817. April 2023 actual miles (852) lower than 3 years but the goal was the highest (700).
One maintenance event during the month when I replaced the rear tire on the Cervelo I installed last month due to a flat and moved that tire to the front wheel. The rear tire now is a Continental GatorHardshell 700x28c and the front tire is a Continental GatorShell 700x28c. I moved the tire to the front because that tire gets less wear due to weight distribution. I ride the Gator tires because of the road debris and low number of flats I’ve had with the tire models.
I spent a number of rides testing saddles. I bought a Velo Senso TT+ saddle because I wasn’t happy with the comfort of the BiSaddle installed on the Cervelo. I added the “flat” insert to the BiSaddle riding it a few days and the reverting back to the Velo saddle. I ordered a Fizik Antares Versus Evo R3 Adaptive saddle on Saturday and will try it when it arrives. That is a 3D printed saddle I found on sale. A number of reviews say it is very comfortable.
5-1-2023 SportTracks April Bike Activities Summary
Year to date biking mileage is ahead of previous years since I’ve used GPS bike computers and upload the data to Strava. Missing the days in April narrowed the difference between 2019 to 2022 to double digits. 2019 is the closest. Prior to 2019 the YTD mileage is much bigger.
