I worked in the front flower bed after watching stage 5 of the Itzulia Basque Country while waiting for the temperature to go up a few more degrees. No need to wait for the wind to increase, it was already plenty strong from the north to northwest. Apparently I got too close to the Texas Laurel bush I was trying to stand up and it nicked my arm sending blood down my hand. A trip inside and to put a bandage on it. Completing the work I got ready for today’s bike ride. Rolling away at 11:49 AM on the Cervelo Caledonia. (Check the video to see a new item on the bike). I wanted to make the route a little different biking north. I chose my “New Caney – Roman Forest Blvd – Valley Ranch” route modifying a few streets at the start and later on at Porter. The streets are familiar ones but not in this combination. Since 2012 I biked this route just 4 times.
4-8-2022 All Bike Rides on Today’s Route
Since the distance varies each ride the route map must’ve been different from today’s trip. The 2012 ride was on my Motobecane – 2011 Le Champion CF Ltd bike. The other three are on current bikes I ride.
The wind does not want to let up. It is strong enough to cause the NWS to issue a fire alert with very low humidity and dew point. My legs got punished on the ride to Roman Forest Blvd. I thought when I made the turn back to Kingwood the wind would be friendly but I still had to fight it when I was out in the open. The wind is hanging around since the front passed through on Wednesday. I like the low humidity and dew point but the wind is brutal. Weather conditions for the ride: start 70 (humidity 23%, dew point 30), fair, wind N 17 mph gusts 24 mph; finish 73 (humidity 21%, dew point 31), fair, wind NW 16 mph gusts 29 mph. The humidity is not normal for the Texas gulf coast.
My kit reflected the new combination of shorts, long sleeve jersey, and a short sleeve jersey. The wind had some chill to it but the LS jersey was enough to feel comfortable with the sunshine once I warmed up.
Highlights from the AXS.SRAM.com activity report: 27 RD shifts, 1:36:48 riding time in the 35×15 gears, total biking time 2:23:59. Finished the ride at 2:18 PM.
4-8-2022 Strava New Caney Roman Forest Blvd Valley Ranch Data Summary
San Antonio is a long way from making the list of bicycle-friendliest cities in the United States, but this Sunday’s inaugural L’Étape San Antonio, a cycling event affiliated with the Tour de France, could be the start of something big.
The question is: Will San Antonio build on it going forward?
The Sunday event features organized cycling rides of 100-, 60- and 25-mile distances starting and ending at UTSA’s Main Campus. Riders on the longer route will head west toward Bandera and Comfort and back through Helotes. An impressive 2,200 riders are registered, proving that if you …
Day 27 – Marathon to Sanderson: Downhill and downwind!
Tuesday April 5, 2022, 56 miles (90 km) – Total so far: 1,127 miles (1,814 km)
We left Marathon this morning at the first rideable light. About 7:40 or so. The ride started with a gentle climb of maybe 300 vertical feet spread over about 15 miles. Winds were calm and the temp was in the high forties. A great start to a great ride. Following the climb, we met a few very gentle rollers under the same conditions, except the temperature had risen to somewhere near the seventies. Time to shed a layer. At some point that I don’t recall exactly, the …
Day 28 – Sanderson to Seminole Canyon State Park
Wednesday April 6, 2022, 82 miles (132 km) – Total so far: 1,209 miles (1,946 km)
A long ride today. Wind was our biggest worry today. The NWS had issued a wind advisory for today predicting northwest winds with gusts over 40 MPH. While the wind was definitely up, the worst we saw was gusty cross winds and later on in the day we actually got a little tailwind.
Scenery today was once again unremarkable. Much the same as the past several. The highlights for me were the total mileage of 82 (and I’m still able to stand and walk under my own power), the Judge Roy Bean visitor center in Langtry, and crossing the PECOS River. My childhood memories of Pecos Bill have been rekindled …
Friday April 8, 2022
Adventure Cycling’s intro into this ride:
This ten-day, van-supported trip explores the wild and picturesque terrain of the west Texas Big Bend region. A road rider’s dream come true, this tour offers low-traffic byways, an abundance of stunning scenery, and ample opportunities to discover the secrets of Big Bend National Park, the Chihuahuan Desert, the Davis and Chisos mountain ranges, and the Rio Grande Wild & Scenic River
Day 9: Leander to Inks Lake State Park: Headwinds again… Will we ever get to Inks Lake?
Tuesday April 5, 2022, 49 miles (79 km) – Total so far: 322 miles (518 km)
We did check the weather forecast before starting today and saw that it was going to get up to about 97(!) degrees this afternoon. Because of that, we got an earlier start than usual at 7:53AM (approximately). We knew the heat would be a challenge but really did not expect to be riding into a headwind (again) most of the day. This made for some long, ssssllllloooooooowwwwwwww miles.
We are definitely back in the hill country again. From the start of the ride to the high point, the elevation difference was about 1,400′ but we ended up climbing about 1,800′ because of the rolling hills. The roads continue to be, for the most part, low traffic with a few exceptions around some towns.
The elevation profile for today’s ride was a bit deceiving. I was thinking that once we got to Burnet, that it would be a nice downhill coast into Inks Lake State Park. Wrong. We headed directly into the wind for a long 9 mile mostly uphill grind. We then hit some nice downhills and thought we were done with the hills. Wrong again. It’s absolutely beautiful countryside, but we were pretty sapped by the time we finally got to …
Tuesday April 5, 2022, 49 miles (79 km) – Total so far: 1,522 miles (2,450 km)
It was already warm in Fort Clark Springs when we left at 8 AM. Emily made us breakfast and we ate in the same room where we had dinner last night.
We finally left route 90 and traveled on more rural roads until we turned left on TX-55. There was some road construction and we had to watch for traffic. There were more greener trees and entrances to ranches. Occasionally you might see a cow or other animal. It was a little hazy and slightly overcast. You didn’t see any ranch houses but you might see some ornate gates for the ranches.
At 45 miles we crossed a bridge over the Nueces River and we went down to the river to a swimming hole created by damming the river. The water was so refreshing. I went in in my bike shorts and sports bra. It was starting to get really hot out.
A short ride took us to …
[ Day 28: Camp Wood, TX to Vanderpool, TX
Wednesday April 6, 2022, 39 miles (63 km) – Total so far: 1,561 miles (2,513 km)
Since we had no breakfast at this hotel but we all had coffee in the rooms we each got a bagged breakfast. I had oatmeal a couple of hard boiled eggs a banana and a dairy free yogurt. I never had dairy free yogurt so I tried it but I will avoid in the future. We expected a headwind but i never expected 20 mph with 40 mph gusts. After about 9 miles the first steep climb begins. There are three on this route. I was having trouble making enough speed to stay upright on the bike so I got off and walked on some steep parts. We’ll, if the van wasn’t there i might of kept going but I didn’t think it would be safe. So I joined almost the whole group except our 5 strongest riders and Linda Gardner who had already taken the SAG to the top of the first climb.
The van went up a very narrow mountain road with no shoulder, rough pavement and …
AUSTIN, Texas – It’s been one week since a witness unintentionally captured video of Nicolas Gardiner getting hit by a car while biking down Riverside Drive.
Gardiner and witnesses told FOX 7 that it was intentional. The person responsible has still not been caught.
"I got to say it’s pretty violating," said Gardiner on Wednesday. "Apparently you …
AUSTIN, Texas – The Austin Police Department (APD) has released photos of a vehicle they say "intentionally swerved and struck" a bicyclist on W. Riverside Drive in late March.
APD says that on March 30, just before 8:30 p.m., officers responded to a call about a crash in the 700 block of W. Riverside Drive. Nicolas Gardiner had been riding his bike when a white vehicle intentionally swerved and struck him. The driver did not stop or render aid after hitting Gardiner.
Gardiner received medical treatment at a local hospital, says APD. He told …
From @rivardinsa: The Sunday event features organized cycling rides of 100-, 60- and 25-mile distances starting and ending at UTSA’s Main Campus. https://t.co/R0nYfUfEbV
New Event Wednesday Night Ride (WNR) – El Paso, TX El Paso Bicycle Club
It's Back !! Wednesday Night Ride (WNR) – An El Paso cycling tradition!! Leaderless ride for all groups. Organize your group for your particular speed range. Ride as hard as you c… https://t.co/bX1dZ4AJ50
Delayed starting today’s bike to allow for the temperature to warm up from the 49 degrees at sunrise. While waiting I watched the 4th stage of the Itzulia Basque Country from Spain. Beautiful scenery there with some steep climbs. None of those here. I tried a different kit today with the 68 degree temperature at the 11:42 AM start time. Usually I would wear a wind jacket but today I opted for a long sleeve thermal jersey and a short sleeve jersey over that. That worked great and I will try this on some future rides. Maybe wind jackets are not always necessary. It was definitely windy for today’s bike ride.
This was the second biking this route this week but I rode the Lynskey R300 today. Overall I biked this route 7 times so far in 2022. Today’s ride was consistent with the other 6 rides except my average heart rate was lower. Out of the 7 rides 5 have been on the Cervelo Caledonia.
4-7-2022 YTD Bike Rides Atascocita-Walden-Huffman Route
The strong wind didn’t stop the other three cyclists I saw on the ride, all near Fairlake Lane and FM 1960. The first cyclist made the video but the other two were too far away and too quick to catch on the GoPro.
Wind from yesterday’s cool front stepped it up a notch. The weather conditions for today: start 68 (humidity 29%, dew point 35), fair, wind N 18 mph gusts 28 mph; finish 75 (humidity 22%, dew point 34), fair, wind NW 20 mph gusts 35 mph. Mostly the wind wasn’t too bad on the way to FM 2100 and Old Atascocita Road except for riding east over Lake Houston. Exposed to the wind and gusts my bike got pushed around. I kept a firm grip on the handle bars but sometimes front wheel struggled to not go towards the concrete barrier to my right. This would’ve been the day to use the 30mm wheels instead of the 50mm. When I got a tailwind the pedaling was easy. Another hard section came riding north on FM 2100 to FM 1960 straight into the wind. Riding west over Lake Houston wasn’t quite as rough as east bound.
The week is up to 140 miles. With 3 potential biking days left a 200 mile week looks possible. For the month I’m up to 252.9 miles, 39% of my 650 mile goal. All road miles so far this week. If the forecast is correct no Zwift rides necessary to keep my consecutive days streak alive.
4-7-2022 Strava Atascocita-Walden-Huffman Data Summary
This past Saturday, Rice University celebrated the first Beer Bike to resemble pre-COVID celebrations in two years. The festivities began with college-specific events early Saturday morning, followed by a campus-wide Martel public, a color festival in the central quadrangle, a water balloon fight and a float parade, culminating in the races at the track.
Beer Bike last year was held in limited capacity, while the year before that was completely canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Official 2022 race results have yet to be released from the Rice Program Council. …
Avid cyclists Taylor Houts and wife Missy saw it again and again when they were going to rides last year.
Cyclists would forget to bring glasses for protection during a gravel ride, leave a water bottle at home or find themselves suddenly needing a new jersey, a nutrition boost, an extra innertube, a CO2 cartridge or a minor bicycle repair.
"We thought, man, wouldn’t it be cool if we had a trailer with just all the stuff that people forget?" Taylor said. "Invention comes …
Roxo Racing checks in from their winter training camp in Fort Worth, Texas: As the racing season gets under way, we thought it would be a great time to take a look behind the scenes at the recent Roxo Racing women’s team training camp in Fort Worth.
Fort Worth, Texas is home to our team organization and staff. Two of our main sponsors, Roxo Energy and Scott Dennett Construction, are also here. For convenience’s sake we’re close to the DFW airport, which sits squarely in the middle of the southern United States. And we have the best BBQ and Mexican food but y’all already knew that. …
AN ANTONIO – Get ready to break a sweat! San Antonio Sports introduces Fiesta FitFest, a new fun event that will bring more fitness and fun to Fiesta. There will be tons of music, food, libations, entertainment, and of course fitness.
This event will kick off Friday, April 8 through Sunday, April 10 at the UTSA East campus lot.
There will be all types of fitness experiences including, the L’Etape San Antonio by Tour de France, a world-class amateur cycling event, …
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — A man who stole one bike from a Wichita Falls bike shop, then fled on a second bike stolen from a nearby house after employees chased him down, pleaded guilty to two charges.
Thomas Wagoner was given five years probation for burglary and a drug possession charge. …
BY STUART WHITAKER AND PENNYLYNN WEBB | www.palestineherald.com
More than 200 cyclists descended on Anderson County this past weekend for the first Dogwood Omnium. This road race is part of the Triple Crown Series hosted by Momentum Sports and is tied to the USA Cycling organization.
"With over 200 racers for the inaugural Dogwood Omnium, we couldn’t be happier with the turn out,” said Mary Raum, Tourism Marketing Manager for the city of Palestine. “After speaking with many of the participants, they were pleasantly surprised by the ‘small town vibe’ in Palestine and they are looking forward to coming back for the El Camino Gravel Adventure this coming September.”
According to Raum, cycling enthusiasts typically compete in races similar to the …
Join us on 4/10 for a special edition of the VC Sunday ride sponsored by @WHOOP. We'll have coffee and pastries from @juanpelotacafe at 7:45 and will be wheels down at 8:20 for 3 hours at 16-18 mph. More details on the Sunday ride can be found at https://t.co/YAkbXh6D6Ppic.twitter.com/tMLcDP1358
Saturday 4/9/2022 The Bagel Ride 8:30am; Starts behind Little Woodrow's, 12601 Tech Ridge Blvd, Austin 78753 54mi (87km); a longer option may arise Store stop at 31mi. Plan accordinglyhttps://t.co/ua2xTGwHcI
What a great ride this past Sunday! Beautiful weather, hard-working volunteers and generous sponsors helped to make the Tour de Houston presented by Apache Corporation a success! Photo credit: Richard Carson pic.twitter.com/MgFr9n28zC
For the FIRST time we'll be racing at Merus Adventure Park! Join us April 10th for a race that's sure to please! All riders welcome, from first time riders to sea… https://t.co/cDH31fQmzf
The 6-Pack Trail bike cruise is a 10 mile bike cruise lead by knowledgeable Beer Guides that is lively & thirst quenching. The cruise showcases local craft breweries and restaurants, t… https://t.co/vQVT7vFiCj
This is our makeup date for Shelby Winter Wanderland. All participants who were registered for Winter Wanderland are eligible for a free entry into this one. Check … https://t.co/XAHhSr4QtH
New Event Six Pack Outdoors Series: Rita Blanca Rampage – Dalhart, TX https://t.co/dxJhBJhdAA
The Six Pack Outdoors Series returns to Lake Rita Blanca in Dalhart, TX on September 18th! Fun for all ages and riders, Beginner to expert come out and race… https://t.co/AoxHp7nZ8T
