Patches Of Mist Did Not Deter Biking To Roman Forest

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Making up for not riding on Tuesday was the theme for today’s bike ride. Wanting to ride north I checked SportTracks for my recent rides into Roman Forest to see if they were 40+ miles. The last time I rode there was September 5th, 2022, for 44.86 miles. That is above the typical distance for this route of 41 to 42 miles but the number I wanted to get close to. That ride was an outlier. I chose that route but was not going to ride the same exact roads today thinking I would bike 42 miles.

4-20-2023 SportTracks Ride History New Caney-Roman Forest-Valley Ranch
4-20-2023 SportTracks Recent Ride History New Caney-Roman Forest-Valley Ranch

The sunshine was gone leaving an overcast sky as I rolled away at 10:34 AM on my Cervelo Caledonia bike to bike the New Caney – Roman Forest – Valley Ranch route. I decided to dress lighter than yesterday with shorts, arm sleeve and a short sleeve jersey. Without the sun it was a little chilly until I warmed up after about 15 minutes of riding.

Nothing different as far as streets riding north through Kingwood and Woodridge Forest to the US59 frontage road. I headed north crossing FM 1314, making a stop at the cemetery to visit my wife’s grave where I felt the first patch of light rain. This didn’t deter me from continuing hoping the mist would move away or I would ride out of it. Back on the frontage road I made the right turn onto the TX 99 service road to Loop 494. More mist patches there as well. On Loop 494 the mist left encouraging me to keep biking. At Payne Road I saw the big beams for the new bridge over Caney Creek parked on the road, maybe that bridge will open yet. It was damaged by Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The detour back to the frontage road to get to Tavola where I went over the new railroad crossing. Through Tavola I made the turn onto Roman Forest Blvd. to begin the loop into Roman Forest. I rode the normal streets I take until the Appian Way and Galaxy Blvd. intersection. I don’t remember ever biking north on Galaxy Blvd. to Roman Forest Blvd. so I went that direction. It was a smooth road lined with trees and no driveways. A surprise happened at Roman Forest Blvd., the old road was resurfaced with smooth asphalt. The rough road and potholes were gone. A nice ride from there to Appian Way where the new asphalt ended but the road was still nice. Back to US59 and the familiar roads back to Kingwood. West of US59 I didn’t run into any patches of light rain and finished the ride at 1:52 PM. The patches of mist were all I encountered thankfully.

Two Strava medals with the second overlaying on this 2nd fastest time on Out of Roman Forest (14:27).

The week mileage stands at 124.93 and the month at 558.51 (80% of my 700 mile goal).

Weather conditions: Start 76 degrees, 77% humidity, dew point 69, overcast, wind SE 14 mph; Finish 75 degrees, 78% humidity, dew point 68, overcast, wind S 13 mph. The wind wasn’t too demanding on the way back to Kingwood though I would’ve preferred a tailwind. I used the 35×13 gears for 2:15:24 (33 miles) out of a total moving time of 3:07:12 according to my AXS.SRAM.com ride report.

4-20-2023 Strava Ride Summary New Caney-Roman Forest-Valley Ranch
4-20-2023 Strava Ride Summary New Caney-Roman Forest-Valley Ranch

Texas Biking: Here’s What You Need to Know

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Kingsville Noon Lions club hosts fundraiser to help community

By: Corderro McMurry | www.kristv.com

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Kingsville Noon Lions Club is getting ready for its Ride on the Wild Side fundraiser.

R.J. Loera, President of the club, said last year they gave out about $1000 to 10 students who applied for the organization’s scholarship.

“And we will send the funds to that college. So that helps them in their first semester to help get them going, and that is what we are all about is making sure we can help the kids,” Loera said.

Mackenzie Everett attends Texas A&M University-College Station, but …

Play, walk, bike in downtown San Antonio streets for 21st Síclovía

Rebecca Salinas | www.ksat.com

SAN ANTONIO – People in San Antonio will have a safe space to play, walk, run and bike this spring when the 21st Síclovía closes streets around downtown.

The 21st Síclovía event from the YMCA of Greater San Antonio will take place from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Sunday, May 7, which is also National Ride a Bike Day.

The free event means that city streets are temporarily closed so people can have vehicle-free space to exercise.

There will also be exercise classes, youth activities, food trucks and more, according to a news release. …

The Yoga Ride
by u/ThisEnd5752 in BikingATX

Vitus Bikes and Austin Aviators unite to prioritize diversity and community in US Pro Crit Racing

www.endurancesportswire.com

April, 2023 – Park City, UT /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Vitus Bikes, the storied bicycling brand dedicated to the human side of performance, is proud to announce its partnership with the Austin Aviators cycling team. This diverse team of athletes, part of Williams Racing Development’s expansion, will compete in a series of US pro road and criterium racing events throughout the 2023 season.

“We’re stoked to be kicking off our partnership with the Austin Aviators. As a global bike brand we didn’t want to go down the traditional UCI Pro Tour route, yet we love the fast-paced action that comes with US pro crit racing. For us, it’s not about race wins or podiums, but rather the people that make up the team and the city they represent,” said Alex James, Global Marketing Manager at Vitus Bikes.

Vitus Bikes is thrilled to enter the world of American crit racing at this level with the Austin Aviators. While the brand sponsors privateers and a regional team, the Aviators are Vitus’ professional athletes and represent the best of the best in terms of cycling talent. As a brand, …

91-year-old Alvin cyclist with over 30K miles of experience completes Tour de Braz

Pooja Bhakta | www.houstonchronicle.com

When he joined hundreds of other cyclists for the Tour de Braz Bike Ride on April 15 in Alvin, Bill DeWitt, 91, wasn’t fazed at the prospect of heading out on a 34-mile route that was one of the options for the event.

Through the years, he has participated in the annual race many times as well as others throughout the country, covering some 30,000 miles. Despite hazards such as careless motorists and potholes, DeWitt continues to hit the road, although he now limits his races to the annual Alvin event.

DeWitt isn’t just known in the community as a cyclist. As a legacy ambassador for the …

Texas State Criterium & Time Trial Bike Race this weekend

www.corsicanadailysun.com

The Texas State Criterium & Time Trial Bike Race two-day event will be held in Downtown Corsicana Saturday, April 22 after the Veterans’ Parade and in Dawson Sunday, April 23. This event is sponsored by the Corsicana & Navarro County Chamber of Commerce, Corsicana Visitors Bureau, Corsicana Main Street, and Navarro County Office of Emergency Management.

The race will begin around noon Saturday around until 7:30 p.m. that evening. The Sunday races in Dawson will begin at 8 a.m. and run until 1 p.m. Many of the races will determine if cyclists will move to Nationals or even potentially the Olympics. There will be a lot of adrenaline and excitement as the bikes fly through downtown on the brick streets.

According the …

Southern Tier CoMotion

By Keith Misegades | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Testing the heart: Johnson City to Fredericksburg

Wednesday April 19, 2023, 38 miles (61 km) – Total so far: 1,634 miles (2,630 km) With the Texas hills continuing, I made a decision to stay on the ACA route and test my heart. I could have used a more southern route which would have been flatter and easier, but I wanted to stay fairly true to the route to accomplish my goal. The short story is that I felt much better today after the ride. My heart is doing fine. Enough on that.

I didn’t sleep all that well last night in the tent, depite having fixed three holes in my sleeping pad. The night before last I would find myself on the hard ground after about an hour and then had to inflate the pad again. Finding the super tiny holes on these pads is a challenge. I first found two and fixed those. I took a nap yesterday afternoon and noticed that it was still going flat, so I found one more and it stayed inflated. Yesterday and last night until 1:30 this morning I had a strong wind out of the south at about 20-30 mph. I had firmly staked out my tent and it still moved around a little when the wind would gust stronger. I also had a street light very close to my tent and had to wear my buff over my eyes. The flapping of the tent kept waking me up.

I was finally up for …

Cyclists working with Harlingen officials to draw children, disabled riders to trails

By Fernando Del Valle | myrgv.com

HARLINGEN — A cycling group is working with city leaders to draw more families and children as they plan to turn the city’s Arroyo Colorado trail system into an outdoor attraction.

At City Hall, officials are supporting members of the Valley Off-Road Bicycling Association as they request the Valley Baptist Legacy Foundation help fund construction of an adaptive trail aimed at drawing disabled riders and a pump track geared to help children learn to handle off-road cycling.

“It really compliments the entire trail system,” Javier Mendez, the city’s parks director, said. “It brings a different level of rider to the trail.” …

Big Bend Conservation Alliance to host binational bike ride

By Sam Karas | bigbendsentinel.com

PRESIDIO — This Sunday, April 23, Presidians are invited to strap on their helmets and join the Big Bend Conservation Alliance for the organization’s first ever binational bike ride. The group will meet up at Presidio Pour Over Coffee and ride across the bridge to Ojinaga, with stops at the Museo Regional de Ojinaga and the Presidencia Municipal.

Community bike rides have become a new and fun tradition for sponsors Presidio Pour Over Coffee and Big Bend Conservation Alliance — on a cold and windy morning in January, Presidians gathered for a slow ride around town that brought people who came all the way from Marfa into the fold.

In March, the group got together again to ride from the …

Road to Hotter’N Hell

by Fun Bikin’ Enterprises | www.bikereg.com

Are You Ready for a BAG?

Sometimes you need a Big Awesome Goal to get motivated – and this series fits the bill. The Hotter’N Hell is loaded with challenges – Heat and Wind being the biggest challenges – then they add a few hills in just the right places – and 20+ miles of headwind in the last miles of the 100 mile route. Through the years I have noticed that the people who handle these challenges the best are the people who are out cycling in area rides leading up to the HHH. This little secret motivated me to put together a ride series that would help you get ready for the BIG ride in Wichita Falls.

The Road to Hotter’N Hell is a bundle of 4 small community bike rides that are in the final weeks leading up to the Hotter’N Hell. Each ride in our series features challenging routes and a variety of distances blended with Texas Hospitality. We’ve ridden these rides for decades and know that they are all committed to providing an excellent ride experience. Here’s how it works.

When you register for the RTHH you are automatically registered for all 4 of our featured rides (unless you pick the 3 ride option). Single registrations are available (no tandem registration rate is available). All registrations include one of our Limited Edition Jerseys. After you register for the RTHH Series you will be provided a code and store link to use to order your jersey. We’re even paying the shipping fee so that your jersey is delivered to your home.

Each ride will send you a confirmation so that you can get your packet, t-shirt and other goodies before the ride or on the day of the ride. Here are our featured rides and their scheduled dates:

Peach Pedal July 8, 2023 Weatherford, TX Routes of 8, 28, 38 and 60 miles

Tour de Paris July 15, 2023 Paris, TX Routes of 20, 24, 35, 57, 68 and 80 miles

The Goatneck July 29, 2023 Cleburne, TX Routes of 10, 27, 41 and 70 miles

Evening Ride The Woodlands, Texas

Melissa Kunthea | strava.com

Full body workout – Big Double 34-16 Harris County, Texas

Kevin Highfield | strava.com

Bring your bike to work day! Houston, Texas

Michelle Yoder | strava.com

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Dusted Off A Route From 2019, Kingwood – Hare Cook Road – Kingwood

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Not riding yesterday put me behind for the week so I looked at the ride workout history in SportTracks at a route I haven’t done since May 28th, 2019, Kingwood – Hare Cook Road – Kingwood. That time I rode 45.49 miles but I now incorporate some streets in the beginning when I ride south that I didn’t use back then. I guessed the new distance would be around 48 miles and today’s bike ride came in at 47.52 miles. This route includes most of the Kingwood – Stroker Road – Kingwood roads but adds an extension going south from Stroker Road on Miller Wilson Road to Hare Cook Road that goes west to FM 2100 and then north rejoins the Stroker Road route. Road construction on FM 2100 kept me away for almost 4 years. With no room for biking I avoided the area but now the construction is mostly finished and a nice wide shoulder runs from Hare Cook Road north to FM 1960 in Huffman. This route is a good preliminary ride to circling Lake Houston.

Tuesday wasn’t a total bust for bike things. I applied Silca Super Secret chain lube on the Cervelo’s chain which began making some rubbing noises on the last few rides. Today’s ride was silent running with the chain whirring nicely. The chain has 7,075 miles of use. That is much more than I usually get on my previous bikes.

Watching three races this morning didn’t delay the ride start much with my Cervelo Caledonia’s wheels down at 10:26 AM. I hoped to finish the ride around 2 PM and did at 2:01 PM.

Weather: Start 77 degrees, 70% humidity, dew point 67, mostly cloudy, wind S 14 mph gusts 22 mph; Finish 82 degrees, 64% humidity, dew point 68, mostly cloudy, wind S 15 mph gusts 25 mph. I wore shorts, a long sleeve jersey with a short sleeve jersey over it. I was comfortable but I probably could’ve not worn the long sleeve jersey and added arm sleeves for sun protection. I probably should’ve stopped on FM 2100 and refilled my water bottle with ice water at one of the stores. It was almost empty at the finish.

Heading south the wind was going to be tough until Stroker Road where I turned west but Miller Wilson Road was back into the headwind going south until the right turn onto Hare Cook Road and a tailwind back to FM 2100 and all the way north to Huffman at FM 1960. My legs rejoiced when the tailwind began after working hard on Old Atascocita Road, Ramsey Road, and Miller Wilson Road. They were strong enough to push the 35×13 gears into the wind. The images below are from my AXS.SRAM.com ride report.

4-19-2023 SRAM Component Summary Gear Usage by Time
4-19-2023 SRAM Component Summary Gear Usage by Time
4-19-2023 SRAM Component Summary Gear Usage by Distance
4-19-2023 SRAM Component Summary Gear Usage by Distance
4-19-2023 SRAM Component Summary Avg Power in Gear
4-19-2023 SRAM Component Summary Avg Power in Gear

I find the ride cadence data interesting especially on a longer ride. 11775 crank revolutions with active cadence time of 2:57:45 out of the total moving time of 3:28:37 leaves about 31 minutes when I wasn’t pedaling.

4-19-2023 Strava Cadence Details Kingwood-Hare Cook Road-Kingwood
4-19-2023 Strava Cadence Details Kingwood-Hare Cook Road-Kingwood
4-19-2023 Strava Ride Summary Kingwood-Hare Cook Road-Kingwood
4-19-2023 Strava Ride Summary Kingwood-Hare Cook Road-Kingwood
4-19-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary Kingwood-Hare Cook Road-Kingwood
4-19-2023 SportTracks Ride Summary Kingwood-Hare Cook Road-Kingwood

Bicycling News Around Texas

Texbiker.net Posted on by

‘I almost bump into them all the time’: Pedestrians, cyclists feel unsafe sharing roads

Pili Saravia | thedailytexan.com

The design of roads surrounding campus poses a threat to pedestrian and cyclist safety, according to urban studies professor Greg Anderson. This creates a domino effect as their struggles for safety threaten how others travel.

According to Anderson, the urban mobility transit plan Project Connect found that the 24th Street and Guadalupe Street intersection may see more pedestrian traffic than any other intersection in Texas — yet 85% of it still caters to automobiles. Anderson said there is a lack of attention given to cyclists that sets them apart from both cars and pedestrians, leaving them without a clear path to follow. These unclear rules can make pedestrians feel unsafe while navigating the intersection, he said.

“(Downtown Austin) is the …

University of Texas at Austin Students Selected for Goldwater Scholarships

indiaeducationdiary.in

Two University of Texas at Austin students have been named recipients of Goldwater scholarships, the preeminent award for undergraduate students who conduct research in the natural sciences, mathematics or engineering.

Kevin Wen, a physics student in the College of Natural Sciences, and Maanas Gupta, a biomedical engineering student in the Cockrell School of Engineering, were selected for the 2023 scholarships, which are awarded by the federally endowed Goldwater Foundation in partnership with the Department of Defense National Defense Education Programs (NDEP). …

… With plans to obtain an M.D./Ph.D. and become a physician-scientist, Gupta hopes to conduct research and use what he learns to help patients. He is the incoming vice president of Texas Engineering World Health, an organization that conducts research and develops medical devices for low-income patients. Gupta spent two years on UT Austin’s competitive men’s volleyball team and will be bicycling from Austin to Alaska with Texas 4000, a UT Austin fundraiser that increases awareness and provides support for cancer patients and their families. …

Houston BCycle increasing prices, further reducing stations as METRO mulls bike-sharing future

Adam Zuvanich | www.houstonpublicmedia.org

The region’s mass transit provider is still considering whether to take over Houston BCycle operations and incorporate them into its services, according to METRO board chair Sanjay Ramabhadran.

The mass transit provider in the Houston region continues to explore the possibility of adding bike-sharing to its slate of services, either by expanding and updating the city’s existing network, creating a new one or utilizing a combination of those options.

The sputtering Houston BCycle system remains hopeful that it will be part of a long-term, bike-sharing solution being devised by the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO), which earlier this year entered into an exploratory period to consider taking over the BCycle program and incorporating it into METRO services. METRO board chair Sanjay Ramabhadran said Monday that process remains ongoing and has an indefinite timeline, with board members voting in January to spend 6-9 months evaluating a potential partnership while investing up to $500,000 in the BCycle system. …

Bike with the Blue event to be held in Lakeside

By Mark Smith | www.crosstimbersgazette.com

The community is invited to a fun family-friendly event next month in Lakeside, hosted by the Flower Mound Police Department and the town of Flower Mound.

The FMPD’s annual Bike with Blue event is scheduled for 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. May 13, with a 5K, all-ages all-skills civilian bike race, the kids Bike with the Blue ride with police officers, and the police bicycle unit race. All proceeds from the event will benefit Journey to Dream, Kyle’s Place, a shelter for teenagers in Lewisville.

Click here to register. For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact Sgt. Jason Rachal at jason.rachal @flower-mound.com.

Bicyclist killed after falling into roadway in Downtown Austin Tuesday morning

by Victoria Garcia | cbsaustin.com

AUSTIN, Texas — A bicyclist was killed early Tuesday morning after falling off the bicycle and into traffic in Downtown Austin.

It happened in the 1100 block of N. Lamar Boulevard near West 11th Street at around 8:20 a.m.

Austin-Travis County EMS medics and Austin police responded to the crash between a pickup truck and the bicyclist. …

Upcoming Rides

Fort Worth Bicycling Association | www.fwbaclub.org

Rusty Romp
Thu, April 20, 2023 9:00 AM
Benbrook YMCA, 1899 Winscott Road, Benbrook, TX 76126
Burleson and Beyond
Thu, April 20, 2023 9:00 AM
Spokes Parking Lot, 155 W Bufford St., Burleson, TX
Kind of Peach Pedal
Sat, April 22, 2023 9:00 AM
Weatherford High School 2121 Bethel Rd, Weatherford, TX
Chisholm Rusty Chain Gang Ramble
Tue, April 25, 2023 9:00 AM
4936 McPherson Blvd, Fort Worth, TX
Rusty Romp Tuesday Edition
Tue, April 25, 2023 9:00 AM
Benbrook YMCA, 1899 Winscott Road, Benbrook, TX 76126
Rusty Romp
Thu, April 27, 2023 9:00 AM
Benbrook YMCA, 1899 Winscott Road, Benbrook, TX 76126
Burleson and Beyond
Thu, April 27, 2023 9:00 AM
Spokes Parking Lot, 155 W Bufford St., Burleson, TX

Evening Ride Houston, Texas

Monica Sosa | strava.com

Afternoon Ride Missouri City, Texas

Amos DeVoge | strava.com

Pop A – dropped, rejoined Richardson, Texas

Arthur Westover | strava.com

I started ahead of the group on the Cannondale. Waited at Holford. Very small group on a very windy evening. Not racing because body still recovering from crash trauma. It was hard, this ride. At Parker before firestation hill, I got gapped when I slow rolled into the light, and I was never going to catch back on with that tailwind. So I took the Pop B route and hoped to cut them off. But when I turned on Jupiter they were already up the road. Luckily the next light was red, and there was Pop C as well. Later on we were going into the headwind on Murphy. Chris L. took a huge pull with me as 2nd wheel (which feels like no draft). I thought "I’m going to the back." After Bobby went by, I drifted back and realized that the entire group was WAY back having been dropped. Got back together at a red light. Renner warn’t easy either. Powermeter battery died during the ride.

Sugar Land Sugar Land, Texas

Michelle Casper | strava.com

Texas Biking from Twitter