Texas Pedaling Ahead: Bicycling News for March 24, 2023

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Video: Bike club in Cypress upset over closure of unauthorized trails; Developer says there are ‘safety and liability’ concerns

Deven Clarke | www.click2houston.com

A group of people who live in the Bridgeland community in the Cypress area are now calling out the developer. They say the Howard Hughes Cooperation, which owns the land, has started prohibiting access to areas they used to mountain bike on, without any explanation.

The area is along Cypress Creek.

Many of the people who built and use the trails are part of the Brigeland Mountain Bike Trails Club.

You can’t see the trails they carved out on the area map, and The Howard Hughes Corporation says there’s a good reason.

Howard Hughes Corporation representatives say that particular land is not meant to be open to the public and those who go there are trespassing, stating that those areas are unsafe.

The controversial trails tucked away in …

Video: City of College Station takes next steps on separated bicycle lane project

By Tyler Hoskins | www.kbtx.com

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KBTX) – Earlier this month, College Station took the next steps on its separated bicycle lane project.

On March 9, College Station City Council awarded a $235,000 design contract for the project. The project will create a physical barrier that separates bicycles from the roadway on George Bush Drive from Texas Avenue to Wellborn Road. According to officials, the goal is to make it safer for cyclists on the road.

The city was also provided a $1 million grant from TXDOT through a Transportation Alternative Programs fund, which covers 80% of the cost, Susan Monnat, senior project manager for the City of College Station, said.

“It’s a great benefit to the city and the residents to be able to really utilize 80%, with an 80-20 split we’re spending 20% and then …

Southern Tier 2023

By Sharon Greenwood | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 19: Las Cruces to El Paso, TX: Recipe

Thursday March 23, 2023, 45 miles (72 km) – Total so far: 933 miles (1,502 km) Recipe for a pain free ride: Post ride ice, roll calves and hamstrings. Place Hot Toes at tendons to sleep. In morning, roll calves and hamstrings and ice. Pop Aleve. Ride on! This morning we had a special breakfast for our departing tour leader Dennis at the campground’s outside kitchen. Kathy made wonderful veggie omelettes and Steve cooked bacon and hash browns. It was a treat. On bikes (late) at 8:30. A short 9 miles to Masilla, the old town district of Las Cruses. Walked around a bit then had decaf and a …

City of Longview seeks $12M grant to complete trail system

By Yoleyne Romero | www.news-journal.com

The city of Longview will apply for a $12 million grant that would complete its extensive trail system.

Laura Hill, the city’s Grant and Human Services director, talked to the City Council during its Thursday meeting about the future of Longview’s trail system.

"The U.S. Department of Transportation issued a call for projects, and we have applied … for funding to extend our trail system and actually complete the 2007 Master Trail Plan which will take Paul Boorman trail from Highway 80 south all the way down to the loop out by Komatsu," Hill said.

The grant would not require any match from the city.

Information from the city states the …

One Million Dollars for Texas Road Defect

By Charlie Thomas | www.bikelaw.com

Recently, attorneys with the Bike Law network took a case to a trial against a titan of a defendant: the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT was represented by the Attorney General’s Office, one of Texas’ largest legal teams. We had a great client, but it was a tough case to prove. So tough, in fact, that TxDOT offered nothing to settle the case before trial.

The Crash that Altered Mike Bagg’s Life

On a sunny Sunday in October, our client, Mike Bagg, a 56-year-old surgeon, was riding his bike in a bike lane in El Paso. It turns out the bike lane had a gap between two concrete panels. The gap was the right size to trap a bike tire and take control of the front wheel from the rider. The gap had once been filled with filler, but that had long since eroded away. …

Century in and around Austin
by u/seeaaannnnn in BikingATX

Southern Tier 2023

By Sharon Greenwood | www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 20: El Paso to Fort Hancock, TX: Sprint

Friday March 24, 2023, 62 miles (100 km) – Total so far: 995 miles (1,601 km) Holy cow! Karen and I were ready to leave at 7:30 at the same time as Steve & Rick (they are our sprinters). “Let’s ride through the city together”, they suggested. And so we did. We had heard that El Paso was a very bike-unfriendly city. We found the early morning drivers to be very kind, giving the four bikes the full inside lane of a fairly busy four-lane street. We sprinted fast up and down rolling roads through green light/red light intersections. We traveled from West El Paso through Old El Paso to East El Paso before a rest stop out of the city. It took 23 miles to get out of the urban area. Didn’t realize El Paso was that big and sprawling. We knew we had about 13 more miles to reach Kathy with the van and trailer. I worked hard to keep up with these strong cyclists knowing my quads will be …

Night Ride San Antonio, Texas

Simon Garcia Jr | strava.com

PHENOM team camp day 1 Fredericksburg, Texas

Monica Merced | strava.com

y’all know I had to crash the peenom team camp

Cat’s In The Cradle Mission, Texas

Daniel Cruz | strava.com

Celebrating Nick turning 24 with an MTB ride.

Morning Ride Fort Bend County, Texas

Roland Panjaitan | strava.com

Texas Biking from Twitter

Tragedy, BCycle Status Quo, Billboards, Beer Bike, Photos

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Bicyclist hit and killed while pedaling on busy Gulf Freeway, HPD says

abc.13.com

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — All inbound lanes of the Gulf Freeway have been shut down Wednesday afternoon near the 610 East Loop as police work a deadly crash. Houston police shared on Twitter that investigators are headed to a crash that happened at about 4 p.m. on the Gulf Freeway at Woodridge Drive. Police said a man was riding a bicycle on the freeway when he was hit and killed by a vehicle. …

BCycle likely to stay source of grab-and-go bikes in Houston, Metro says amid transit takeover

Dug Begley | www.houstonchronicle.com

Changes are likely coming for Houston’s system of grab and go bicycles, but a change from the BCycle system is unlikely, Metropolitan Transit Authority officials said, as they continue planning to absorb the system into their operations. "A vendor switch is not feasible without incurring an estimated $8 to $10 million in swapping costs," said Jimmy Park, director of Metro’s office of management and budget. However, Park noted, the "current technology is very lagging," something Metro must address as it prepares to incorporate the bicycles and their drop-off points into its own operations. Officials approved the move to take on bike …

Walking Billboards Promote Pedestrian & Bicyclist Safety

Texas Border Business | texasborderbusiness.com

McALLEN – TxDOT will travel to cities across Texas this month with its walking billboards. -Campaign ambassadors will carry these sandwich boards with messages to remind drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians to follow traffic safety laws and watch out for each other. Pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and serious injuries continue to rise at an alarming rate. From 2017 to 2021, pedestrian crash deaths increased 34% and bicyclist crash deaths increased 58%. Each of us must do our part to help reverse this dangerous and deadly trend. …

Beer Bike to divide races amid safety concerns

By Spring Chenjp | www.ricethresher.org

Beer Bike races will be held in two heats this year, instead of the traditional singular race, according to Anne Wang, a campus-wide Beer Bike coordinator. The change is in light of last year’s crash during the women’s race, which injured three bikers and sent one to the hospital. Associate Director of Campus Events Petre Herbert said that the decision to hold the races as two separate heats was collectively made by administration and students.  “[Bikers and pit crew] have a higher risk for physical injury during the actual race, as they are in the lanes … Two heats reduce the amount of people on the track at once, which allows bikers to navigate around [fewer] people while riding,” Herbert wrote in an email to …

Old Man, Big Country

By John Springfield ???   | www.crazyguyonabike.com

74 or 4: It’s the Same

At the ripe old age of 74, I get the same reaction as if 4. "Wow, nice going, John." [Aren’t you a little old/young to be on a bicycle?] Same answer now as in 1953: Nope. The plan is to start at the southern tip of Texas and head north. That’s the plan. The actual trip may be terminated by high winds, hungry coyotes, or my frame giving out. There will be NO self discovery. I know who I am. Some people enjoy the movement of dancing, running, or ice skating. I like bicycling, always did, always will. Simple and profound. But I also enjoy discovering new places, especially small towns. And diners. Nothing like wolfing down a second breakfast at mid-morning. …

The Route

Day 01: March 23 – Boco Chica Beach to Brownsville, Texas: Wind WInd and Heat

Thursday March 23, 2023, 30 miles (48 km) – Total so far: 30 miles (48 km) After several days in a car, this was my first cycling day. The plan was to bike to Boca Chico Beach, take a look at the Gulf of Mexico, and return to my motel. On Route 4, there is a battlefield from the Civil War, as well as an encampment during the war with Mexico. …

Thursday Ride San Antonio, Texas

Mark Noblitt MTCCSA | strava.com

Part solo and part with MT. Fun ride! Babcock eyes x3!

CRSA another flat, wadafaksanababish San Antonio, Texas

Joshua Serna GSR | strava.com

MTHCC PM Ride Missouri City, Texas

Rickey Garrett ?A?- MTHCC | JL Cycling | strava.com

Evening Ride San Antonio, Texas

Eduardo Salas (Cyclones) | strava.com

Blue Agave skills clinic & info session ouston, Texas

Michelle Casper | strava.com

Helping teach our sponsor SOFEC’s MS150 team

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tiny Trucks, No Tiny Wind Riding to Spanish Cove

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I was watching the women’s Classic Brugge-De Panne race as I worked on a new computer setup when the screen froze and my internet went offline. At first I thought it was a problem at my house but after checking Nextdoor it was all over Kingwood. So much for watching bike races before starting today’s bike ride. I ate breakfast and got ready to ride. With the internet out I checked my phone for the weather. The temperature was 77 degrees with a mostly cloudy sky. I went back and forth on what to wear. It was warm enough to not need a jacket but should I wear a long sleeve jersey or arm sleeves? I decided it was cool enough for the long sleeve jersey under a short sleeve jersey. I didn’t know if the sun would come out or hide behind the clouds.

As I walked my Cervelo Caledonia to leave the internet returned. I would have to watch the races when I got back. Wheels down at 11:55 AM for the start of the ride on my Atascocita – Walden – Spanish Cove route. I rode north yesterday and battled the wind on the way back to Kingwood. Today I fought the wind to Spanish Cove with a tailwind most of the way back to Kingwood. The wind was waiting for me.

Weather conditions: start 78 degrees, 81% humidity, dew point 67, overcast, wind S 12 mph gusts 21 mph; finish 82 degrees, 64% humidity, dew point 69, partly cloudy, wind S 20 mph gusts 30 mph.

The gusts attack my 50mm rims when it comes from the side pushing the front wheel as it wants. Riding south on FM 2100 to Spanish Cove was probably the hardest segment. Making the u-turn there the tailwind riding north on FM 2100 gave my legs a break. I got my speed up to 20 mph with the tailwind boost. As usual riding west over Lake Houston the wind was tough coming at my left side. I kept my speed up but the gusts tightened my hands on the bars to hold the front wheel steady as possible. The turn onto Atascocita Shores Drive got the wind off of my left side and on my back side. I finished the ride at 2:42 PM, a little quicker than I guessed.

Riding on FM 2100 I stopped at the tiny trucks sale lot to look at them closer. Check the video for some details.

I spent most of the ride using the 35×13 gears according to the AXS.SRAM.com ride report. There were times when I probably should’ve shifted to the 35×15 to save my legs.

3-23-2023 SportTracks Recent Ride History Atascocita-Walden-Spanish Cove
3-23-2023 SportTracks Recent Ride History Atascocita-Walden-Spanish Cove
3-23-2023 Strava Ride Summary Atascocita-Walden-Spanish Cove
3-23-2023 Strava Ride Summary Atascocita-Walden-Spanish Cove

Taking the Lead: Texas Bicycling Action

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This is past but interesting

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar