Cool Outside So I Rode With ZSUN On Zwift Watopia’s Waistband

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Cool temperatures hovering around my outside bike ride threshold caused me to chose Zwift for today’s bike ride. Scanning the Zwift companion app I landed on the ZSUN Saturday Social Ride starting at 12:10 PM. This time the route followed the Watopia’s Waistband which was mostly flat with a few short climbs thrown in to challenge my flatland legs. The ride lasted 60 minutes and I managed to bike 14.03 miles. At the start I saw 401 people registered and it didn’t take too long for me to be near the back. Occasionally a rider or two passed me but most of the time I enjoyed the scenery.

Since my last Zwift event I got a new phone and the Zwift companion app wasn’t connecting to Zwift. Fortunately my desktop computer’s Bluetooth connection was strong and all of the sensors connected. I powered my phone off and restarted it then the companion app connected. I like to use it to see where I am in relation to the group and map.

Before the ride I had time to tweak my bike, hair, helmet, shoes, and socks. Using the Wahoo Utility app on my phone I enabled ERG Power Smoothing to see if it had any impact on my power output. My power seemed to be a little higher but still lower than what I generate on the road as measured by my Favero Assiomo pedals.

Below is my ride data summary from Golden Cheetah. 84% of the ride time I held power to zones 1 and 2. This is 2 times my typical road ride. I think I need to do a spin down on my Wahoo Snap smart trainer to validate the calibration. On the road my max power is usually 400+ watts but today it was 195 watts.

12-12-2020 Golden Cheetah Zwift Bike Ride Summary Data

No personal records on today’s ride according to Strava.

The full ride video is below.

Texas Biking News December 11th 2020

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Bike riders decry speed limit on Harris County Precinct 3 park trails

Dug Begley | www.houstonchronicle.com

A bicyclist rides past a speed limit sign in Terry Hershey Park on Dec. 11, 2020 in Houston. Precinct 3 installed speed limit signs in George Bush and Terry Hershey Park and says they will enforce them for the trails. The 10 mph speed limits are needed, county officials said, because of complaints about cyclists on park pathways where there …

Robert Simpson flew past the new speed limit signs in Terry Hershey Park on Thursday, practically daring someone to tell him to slow down. He is not a lawbreaker by nature, and considers himself a safe rider, but this bit of civil disobedience, he said, was warranted.

“I mean, really?” Simpson said between squeezes of water from a bottle as he rested from a 22-mile ride. “10 mph? Just go ahead and tell everyone who …

December 2020 Executive Director’s Report

Joe Cutrufo | bikehouston.org

“Houston? Wow. You’ve got your work cut out for you.”

When I told colleagues in New York that I was headed to BikeHouston, they no doubt had an image in their minds of highways, trucks and sprawl.

But what they don’t know is that Houston has been hard at work laying down some serious cycling infrastructure, and momentum is on our side. Last year BikeHouston won 50 miles of high-comfort bikeways — twice as much as New York City has ever built in a single year. This year the City of Houston hired its first-ever chief transportation planner, and just this week, published its long-awaited Vision Zero Action Plan. County Commissioner Rodney Ellis has invested tens of millions in building protected bike lanes throughout Precinct 1, with more to …

Bank employees deliver bikes and toys to organizations

By Katherine Lee | www.newschannel6now.com

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (TNN) – As Christmas approaches, employees at American National Bank & Trust take part in Banking on Kids.

This started with the Bank’s Executive Vice President Donald “Bubba” Whately about 35 years ago.

“Now we’ve got several of our co-workers and directors and friends who come in and donate money and we go around and now we’re buying more and more bikes and other gifts,” said Damon Whatley, Senior Vice President at American National Bank & Trust.

Employees contribute to donations, which goes to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Wichita Falls, Interfaith Ministries, and Children’s Aid Society. In the last couple of …

Lee YAWN Creek Dirt Don’t Hurt!

Alex Maldonado | www.strava.com

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Texas Biking News December 10th 2020

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Bicycles & Bibles: Beaumont, Texas foundation giving Christmas gifts to 1,000 needy youngsters

www.einnews.com

COVID-19 forced changes to the 21st Annual Bicycles and Bibles event but 1,000 less fortunate children in Southeast Texas will still have a blessed Christmas.

BEAUMONT, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, December 9, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ — Over 1,000 underserved children in the Beaumont, Texas area will each receive free meals, clothing, bicycles, and a children’s Bible this Saturday, December 12, 2020, during the 21st annual Bicycles and Bibles Christmas program by the nonprofit Reaud Charitable Foundation.

“Since the holiday program began in 1999, the foundation has given away over 25,000 bicycles and Bibles to children who otherwise would not have a Christmas at all,” said the …

Dick’s Sporting Goods – Bicycle Technician in Katy, Texas

workintexas.jobs

We are genuine in our belief that sports make people better and so are you! Immerse yourself in a workplace that loves to be active and lives the brand. Associates joining our team have an opportunity to be a part of the #1 sporting goods retailer in the country and create a lasting impact on their communities through sport and activity.

On our Team, everyone plays a critical role. Your Mission (and Ours) is to serve and inspire athletes and outdoor enthusiasts to achieve their personal best through the relentless improvement of everything we do.

Bike Technician Duties: …

With added e-bikes, Houston bike share charges forward with expansion

ANDY OLIN | kinder.rice.edu

BCycle rolls out the first batch of its electric bikes, which could help riders go farther and choose to bike more often. The boost from the e-bikes, along with plans to install more docking stations, should extend the network’s reach and improve access to biking for many in the city.

While ridership declined significantly from March to July in the cities with the nation’s largest bike-share systems, it’s been higher than ever in Houston. The city’s BCycle bike-share program has seen record rentals during the pandemic. In eight cities, including New York, Chicago, …

Houston’s New Dedicated Bicycle Lane Ordinance: What’s At Stake?

By Phoebe Zipper | bikehouston.org

This fall saw the Houston City Council pass a big win for cyclists: an ordinance prohibiting vehicles from parking in dedicated bicycle lanes. Bikers navigate Houston by way of a patchwork of dedicated lanes, on-street lanes, and neighborhood streets. With the new ordinance, the most protected of these options—dedicated bike lanes—now have legal guard rails to back up the physical ones.

Once the initial 90 grace period expires, vehicle owners will face a $100 fine or the choice of taking a Bicycle Friendly Driver course for parking in these dedicated bike lanes. Accidents happen when cyclists are forced to leave protected lanes due to obstacles in their path, and the city ordinance will go a long way towards ensuring these routes stay clear. The ordinance is …

Throwing it sideways on my local trail jump line. – Fort Worth, TX from MTB

21 Jump Street

T REDLINE Nguyen | www.strava.com

Clown Dog Bike Shop to the Rescue!

ADude ABikes | www.strava.com

Was not feeling great, up too late working on my blog, but I got ready and started to head out anyway. But then I noticed Sophie had picked up another flat in her rear tire. It was almost closing time and I didn’t want to be that guy, but I popped…

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Wind, Warmth on New Caney – Tavola – Valley Ranch Bike Ride

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The wind shifted to the south for today’s bike which ramped up the humidity and dew point. I didn’t have to wait too long for the temperature to get to a comfortable level. I rolled out on my Lynskey R300 bike at 11:29 AM and returned at 2:15 PM. I headed north enjoying the nice tailwind as I rode what I call the “New Caney – Tavola – Valley Ranch” route. By the time I finished I rode 34.62 miles. This put me with 27 miles of reaching my 150 mile goal for December.

Today was the 27th time I rode this route in 2020. 21 times on my Canyon Endurace and 6 on my Lynskey R300. No changes in the roads but housing construction continues in Woodridge Forest and Tavola.

Weather conditions: start 73 (70% humidity, 62.5 dew point), a few clouds, wind S 10 mph gusts 17 mph; finish 77 (55% humidity, 59.4 dew point), partly cloudy, wind SW 8 mph. That was a pretty stiff tailwind that helped me get to Tavola. Thankfully the wind let up some for the return leg to Kingwood. I repeated yesterday’s kit with shorts, long sleeve jersey, and a short sleeve jersey on top. I felt chilly for about 15 minutes when my body warmed up from the exercise. From then on I was comfortable.

Only one GoPro camera (Hero 7 Silver) on today’s bike ride. I think it worked well except for 2 clips where the camera didn’t record when I pushed the button and then recorded as I fumbled with it. Later another clip shrunk the size for some reason. I deleted both of them. I used the lanyard/case to hold the GoPro which worked good but sometimes when I shifted my right hand I had to find a new position for the camera.

  • 12-10-2020 Golden Cheetah Bike Ride Summary Data-1
  • 12-10-2020 Golden Cheetah Bike Ride Summary Data-2

Strava let me know today’s bike ride was harder than my usual rides. Golden Cheetah bike ride summary data confirms that with 55% of my ride time spent in zones 3 to 7, but only 9% in zones 6 and 7. Max power came in at 442 watts. I can produce these watts on the road but in Zwift I cannot.