This is the second feature on Tarantula, which opens Friday barring rain. We staged this on a closed trail under controlled circumstances. Do not do this when you ride it.
A cloudy but very fun day for our photo shoot with @Austin_Monthly at @Zilker_Park This morning. Adam captured some great moments today and made us laugh and look great. Can’t wait to see the final results in the September issue. pic.twitter.com/YEErdNsBmf
Two milestones with today’s bike ride: June total miles stand at 801.54, 1.54 miles over my goal, and my Canyon Endurace CF SLX bike passed 11,105 miles since I bought it in February 2018. All of this happened after I rode on the “Kingwood – FM1485 – Kingwood” route for 30.22 miles. My next goal is 200+ miles for the week with 92 miles left to reach that.
Due to a morning commitment I started the bike ride at 12:31 PM and chose the shorter route to fit my time window. I finished the ride at 2:50 PM.
Weather during the bike ride: start 87 (81% humidity, 80 dew point), overcast, wind E 9 mph. Finish 85 (77% humidity, 77 dew point), mostly cloudy, wind SW 8 mph. The humidity makes for sweaty rides and I am ready for it to go down. Thursday the weather is supposed to changed and maybe the humidity and dew points will go down some. The sky looked threatening to the west southwest as I rode back to Kingwood but I got home without rain.
After yesterday’s ride I replaced the Shimano cleats on my Sidi Road shoes. Now the pedals and cleats operate smoother. The old cleats should have been replaced several weeks ago.
Physical activity data points during today’s ride:
average heart rate: 123 bps (70% of max)
max heart rate: 146 bps (83% of max)
average power: 119 watts
max power: 464 watts
The wind didn’t require too much extra effort to get through it unlike yesterday when I rode over Lake Houston.
SAN ANGELO, TX — The Bell St. bridge over U.S 67 in north San Angelo will reopen to traffic Tuesday afternoon.
According to information from the Texas Department of Transportation San Angelo District office, the Bell St. Bridge over U.S. 67 will open to traffic Tuesday afternoon.
It will be one lane going in each direction. A temporary sidewalk will also be open for pedestrians and bicycles.
Saturday was an eventful day for me on and relating to the bike. I somehow got my butt up early and the five miles down to the start of a training ride. Then later I attended a party for the bike manufacturer of my bike, Sophie the Weekender Archer. As usual, engaging with various people in different realms of the bicycle community was meaningful and fun. Seeing people you know and meeting ones you didn’t is always cool, right? Yes. …
WACO, Texas (KWTX) When a ledge collapsed, possibly as a result of recent rains and left boulders strewn across a Cameron Park trail popular with runners, hikers and bikers, an unheralded group of volunteers from the Waco Bicycle Club turned up to clear the way.
The men, most of whom are retired and in their 60s and 70s, have taken on the task of maintaining Cameron Park’s trails for decades, says Rusty Hansgen, who’s been a member of the club for more than 25 years.
“It’s part of our responsibility to keep our trails clean since we are riding out there frequently,†Hansgen said. …
HARRIS COUNTY, TX — Crime Stoppers and the Houston Police Department’s Vehicular Crimes Division need the public’s assistance identifying the suspect responsible for a Hit and Run – Failure to Stop and Render Aid.
On Saturday, May 25, 2019, at approximately 1:18 a.m., the victim was riding a bicycle eastbound in the 11300 block of Westheimer Road, in Houston, Texas. The suspect’s vehicle (a dark colored SUV) was also traveling eastbound in the 11300 block of Westheimer in Houston, Texas. The suspect’s vehicle struck the back of the …
Can't wait to see these corridors open! It took less than a year and more corridors are coming thanks to @RodneyEllis and his team at Harris County plus the Mayor's team at the City of Houston! It's been a blast with the @tooledesign & @TEI_PlanDesign to see this come together! https://t.co/RePYhs1uIw
We are celebrating the new network of bikeways on Hardy, Elysian, Kelley and Lyons streets this Thursday. Join us and bring your bikes to try out these new high-comfort bicycle lanes on the Northside! pic.twitter.com/4dndI1PuVH
Tarantula, the new blue trail is opening in three days. It has 5 wooden features including a 36' wall ride visible from the lift! #spidermountain#wallride @ Spider Mountain https://t.co/CDWJbk39ye
When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When Mother Nature gives you dry trails, you RIDE THEM!!! Although this clinic was not on our original schedule,… https://t.co/tjY8sKqps4
New Event Houston Bicycle Club Bernado Rd to New Ulm – Cat Spring, TX https://t.co/z2qydnjFKV
Ride Starter: Ronald Pretty ride on quiet back roads to New Ulm and back, ca. 36 miles, return at 11am. To get there, head west on I-10 to Sealy then kee… https://t.co/LxnqFocyeK
Ride starter: Don Route to be determined at start. Several distances ranging from 33 miles to 59 miles, pretty hilly by HBC standards. Rest stops in Independence… https://t.co/vri9YCVnyG
New Event Houston Bicycle Club Chappell Hill Bike Ride – Chappell Hill, TX https://t.co/nZeNHDNq4Y
Starter: Don Route to be determined at start. To get there, take Highway 290 from Houston, go about 65 miles (12 miles past Hempstead) until you come… https://t.co/JpCeOZzttk
New Event ARR Monthly Club Ride Muleshoe Bend – Spicewood, TX The Muleshoe trail is a perfect complement to the trails we already enjoy in the Austin area. It is a 7.5-mile loop trail with 95% wooded single track with some moderate climbs and descents, a… https://t.co/Bfcy1465YM
Another bike ride where I worked around rain, well almost. I waited until 11:36 AM to start the bike ride to allow rain areas to move farther to the east so that I could ride the “Kingwood to Ramsey Road – Huffman” route.
The overcast sky looked dry and stayed that way until I made the return on FM 1960. Up to that point the rain held off. Overall the weather during the bike ride: start 79 (83% humidity, 73 dew point), mostly cloudy, wind SE 10 mph. Finish 82 (72% humidity, 72 dew point), overcast, wind S 12 mph 17 mph gusts.
With today’s 39.12 miles my June total stands at 771.41 miles, 29 miles short of my goal. The week totals 78.32 miles. Due to some appointments I will need to be creative to get to 200+ miles this week. YTD I am at 3,952 miles.
As I rode the streets contained some damp places but overall were dry. I kept an eye on the clouds looking for changes or rain coming my way. While I rode east on Old Atascocita Road at the railroad crossing another cyclist came over the tracks and down the incline as I went up. We exchanged hellos as we passed. Later on the east side of FM 2100 I stopped and took these photos.
In the background the overcast sky looks non-threatening but not long after that as I sat on the guardrail by the bridge on Ramsey Road looking south the sky was getting darker so I didn’t linger longer than it took me to eat the Clif Bar and drink some water. As I got ready to leave I noticed a metal plaque in the concrete of the short bridge commemorating the 1989 opening of the bridge with the Harris County commissioners listed and other officials.
Riding back to Old Atascocita Road another cyclist arrived from the west and before he turned south on Ramsey Road we exchanged waves. I wondered if he would avoid what looked like rain where he was headed. I picked up speed riding west and felt a few sprinkles myself but they went away.
I stopped at the Huffman Chevron to refill my water bottle but the fountain machine was out of service. My bottle was empty so I stopped at the Shell station on FM 1960 as I rode west. The sky to the south was getting darker and closer but I thought it would not come my way. Wrong as I approached the traffic light at E. Lake Houston the rain started and I took cover at the Exxon station there. Waiting 25 minutes or more the rain slowed and I decided to ride. The road was wet but as I moved I didn’t feel any rain.
What I did get though was spray from the passing traffic. This wasn’t too bad and I kept riding. As I got over Lake Houston the wind got stronger from my left and I held the handlebar tightly and pedaled harder. It let up a little bit once I passed the section of the causeway where the water goes through but still stronger than I wanted. I kept going and got some relief when traffic passed me. The closer I got to the west end of the causeway the wind let up a little more and the pavement got drier. I was not comfortable biking over the lake and was glad when I made the right turn onto Atascocita Shores Drive. Not too long after that the streets were dry like it never rained and stayed that way until the finish.
Back home at 3:10 PM I washed the Canyon again. As I washed my shoes off I looked at the cleats and noticed they needed to be replaced which explains why I had trouble clicking in during the ride. I will do that before the next ride.
Wednesday the rain should be rare and I hope to get a ride in after noon.
