Texas Bicycling News May 27th 2022

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Pivotal Heights-area bridge long closed reopens to walkers and bikers

By Steven Devadanam | houston.culturemap.com

A vital and long-unused bridge in a buzzing Houston neighborhood is set to reopen.

The M-K-T Bridge, located in The Heights near White Oak Bayou, will be accessible to users on Friday, May 27, the Houston Parks Board announced. A key artery for walkers and joggers, the bridge spans over the bayou at I-10 near Studemont Street. Out of use since it was significantly damaged by a fire in August 2020, the bridge reopens after repairs began in March.

This reopening is actually ahead of schedule, as the bridge was set to open this summer, as CultureMap previously reported. It provides a pivotal outlet for those who use the M-K-T Trail, which connects The Heights to Sawyer Yards and the Washington Avenue Corridor area.

To celebrate the reopening, a …

I-35 Capital Express South Project is Approved for Construction

www.txdot.gov

The Texas Transportation Commission has approved a $547.6 million contract to build the I-35 Capital Express South project. The project will add two high-occupancy-vehicle lanes in each direction along I-35 from SH 71/Ben White Boulevard to SH 45 Southeast. In addition to the new capacity, the project will also construct intersection bypass lanes and improve pedestrian and bicycle paths. Fluor Corporation was awarded the construction contract.

The Commission also approved a $3.5 million contract to extend the pedestrian barrier along I-35. The barrier is designed to deter pedestrians from trying to cross the interstate and instead use crosswalks for pedestrian access. Once complete, the pedestrian barrier will extend along 25 miles of I-35 from SH 45 Southeast to Greenlawn Boulevard in Round Rock. …

Reopening of M-K-T Bridge celebrated as crucial recreational, mobility win

Dug Begley | www.houstonchronicle.com

Two blocks north of White Oak Bayou, Billy Pyle, 26, was still smiling about his first trip across the M-K-T Trail bike bridge.

“Hello, old friend,” Pyle said between catching his breath at mile 16 of his Friday morning ride.

The bridge, spanning White Oak Bayou near where the Heights Hike and Bike Trail and M-K-T Trail converge, reopened Friday — 646 days after a fire closed the critical trail link.

“It’s been two years, but it feels good to be out here, Mayor Sylvester Turner said during a late-morning celebration.

Riders and runners, however, did not …

Texas Biking from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

My Legs Thought The Wind Was Stronger

Texbiker.net Posted on by

The Cervelo Caledonia wheels rolled out at 10:47 AM this morning after I watched stage 19 of the Giro d’Italia and took of some chores. It looks and feels like summer is edging closer with the temperature at 85 and the humidity getting closer to normal for Houston. I chose my “New Caney – Gene Campbell Road” route to get a couple of extra miles towards my 700 mile goal for May. I biked 37.39 miles lifting May’s total to 647.09 miles and the week to 154.09 miles. Year to date I rode 2,948 miles, 118 miles less than last year at this time and 361 miles short of 2020 as of today. Maybe I can get closer to those totals. I altered the route to avoid the Rock Creek at Northpark Drive because of the dogs.

So far in 2022 I rode this route 4 times with the distance close on each ride. 3 rides on the Cervelo and 1 on the Lynskey R300. A quick comparison of the rides below. I should rename this route to “New Caney – Gene Campbell Blvd – FM 1314”.

5-27-2022 YTD Bike Rides Summary New Caney - Gene Campbell Blvd - FM1314
5-27-2022 YTD Bike Rides Summary New Caney – Gene Campbell Blvd – FM1314

Weather conditions: start 85 (humidity 66%, dew point 72), a few clouds, wind W 9 mph; finish 90 (humidity 54%, dew point 71), a few clouds, wind SW 9 mph. The wind felt stronger than 9 mph to my legs. I thought it might be 12 mph or higher when I rode west and SW. Lots of sun. The dew point made it feel hotter.

Link to AXS.SRAM.com ride report. Total moving time: 2:43:21. Time using the 35×15 gears was 1:12:07 or 14.9 miles. I pedaled the 35×13 gears 1:09:08 or 18.4 miles. 29 RD shifts.

I regained the Strava Local Legend on Briar Willow to Lodge.

5-27-2022 Strava New Caney - Gene Campbell Blvd - FM1314 Data Summary
5-27-2022 Strava New Caney – Gene Campbell Blvd – FM1314 Data Summary

Texas Bicycling News May 26th 2022

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Why the bicycle is the best form of urban transit

By Mark Lamster | www.dallasnews.com

Architecture critic Mark Lamster talks to Jody Rosen, about his new history of the bike

In his encyclopedic new book, Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle (Crown, $28.99), Jody Rosen delivers a deeply researched and vastly entertaining history of the bicycle, told from the perspective of an inveterate urban cyclist. Balancing the mechanical, the historical and the personal, Rosen travels in time from the bike’s Victorian origins to our pedal-crazed present, while circling the globe from New York to Beijing, Copenhagen to Dhaka.

In this conversation with architecture critic Mark Lamster, he describes the bike’s everlasting allure, and the challenges faced by riders from the time of its invention.

ML: The great Texas architect O’Neil Ford marveled at the design of the bicycle, calling it “this magic thing that man has made.” He even modeled his circular Assembly Building at La Villita, in San Antonio, on the spoke-hub engineering of the wheel. That basic design of …

HHA bike rally, scavenger hunt set for next weekend

Landan Kuhlmann | www.theleadernews.com

Residents of the Heights and surrounding areas are invited to participate in the Houston Heights Association’s annual bicycle rally and scavenger hunt.

This year’s family-friendly event is set for June 4-5. The annual event serves as a fundraiser for the HHA, a nonprofit organization which serves residents and businesses in the neighborhood, and has seen previous events draw hundreds of riders.

Participants can choose between a 5-mile or 15-mile course, both of which will include scavenger hunt items. Riders will receive an emailed list of clues the day before the rally that describes sights or objects visible along the route, and the person or team who correctly identifies the most items will win the scavenger hunt and accompanying prize. The list can also be picked up at 605 Omar St.

Riders can begin their …

Council approves construction contract for Gattis School Road

www.roundrocktexas.gov

Round Rock City Council approved a contract at its May 26 meeting that will reconstruct Gattis School Road from Via Sonoma Trail to Red Bud Lane.

The $17.4 million contract with Capital Excavation Company includes expanding the existing four-lane roadway to a six-lane divided arterial, installation of a raised median, intersection improvements, turn lanes, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities. Improvements along Red Bud Lane at Gattis School Road are also included in the project.

An additional project on Gattis School Road from Windy Park Drive to Round Rock Ranch Boulevard is also slated to begin in the coming years.

Both projects are a …

Sam Houston Trails awarded $600K for rehab project as part of $4.8 million in TPWD grants to Texas communities

bluebonnetnews.com

During Thursday’s meeting, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission approved more than $4.8 million dollars in grants funding 17 motorized and non-motorized recreational trail-related projects across the state.

One million dollars of the amount allocated today came directly from state Sporting Good Sales Tax funds dedicated to the Recreational Trails Program through a rider passed by the 82nd Legislature. The rider increased the total amount of funded projects this year.

The National Recreational Trails Fund (NRTF) supports recreational trail construction, renovation and acquisition. The grants are funded from a portion of the federal gas tax generated by gasoline purchases for off-highway vehicles. Thirty percent of the total NRTF grants must be earmarked for motorized recreational trails, while another …

MKT BRIDGE OPENS AT 10 AM ON MAY 27TH from bikehouston

Saturday Morning Caffeine Cruise – May 28th 2022 from socialcyclingaustin

Texas Biking from Twitter

Completed Tuesday’s Attempted Bike Ride, Opposite Weather Today

Texbiker.net Posted on by

(In the video I say Monday’s bike ride was in the rain but it was Tuesday’s bike ride)

Today’s bike ride followed the route I tried to use on Tuesday but ran into rain and shortened the ride. The weather for today’s ride was the opposite of that; blue sky nice humidity and dew point, and a light wind at the start. I watched stage 18 of the Giro d’Italia before getting ready which finished there before the rain arrived. Rolling away at 10:36 AM on my Cervelo Caledonia on the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route and finishing at 1:15 PM. During that time the wind picked up making the return to Kingwood harder than I expected.

I’m getting closer to my 700 mile goal for May with 609 miles after today’s bike ride. The Cervelo now has 2,088 miles on it.

While I watched the bike race I worked on setting up my new Lynskey Helix bike that arrived on Monday. I waited until today because I need the disc rotors which arrive today. Most of the work was removing the packaging materials. I think I now own a year’s supply of bubble wrap.

Weather conditions for the bike ride: start 83 (humidity 49%, dew point 62), fair, wind SW 8 mph; finish 88 (humidity 37%, dew point 58), fair, wind W 10 mph gusts 18 mph. At the end of the ride salt stains adorned my gloves, arm sleeves, and shorts. This might be the humidity and dew point lows for quite some time according to Space City Weather.

I adjusted the route a little at the start and while riding through Kingwood Greens to add some more distance. As you can see in the list below I ride this route frequently with 10 rides so far in 2022. Today was the longest distance so far. 8 rides on my Cervelo and 2 on the Lynskey R300.

5-26-2022 YTD bike Rides Atascocita - Walden - Huffman Summary
5-26-2022 YTD bike Rides Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Summary

Looking at the AXS.SRAM.com activity report page, moving time was 2:34:10. Of that time I spent 1:21:49 using the 35×15 gears and 49:23 in the 35×13 gear combination. That reflects the headwind time mostly and my leg power riding into the wind. Distance was 17.7 miles for 35×15 and 12.6 miles for 35×13. I made 22 RD shifts.

I think taking some time off the bike during my trip to Florida allowed my legs to recover some.

5-26-2022 Strava Atascocita - Walden - Huffman Data Summary
5-26-2022 Strava Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Data Summary