Texas Bicycling News Digest April 26th 2019

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Houston’s booming bike-share system is reshaping a car-centric city

BY EILLIE ANZILOTTI | www.fastcompany.com

As Houston BCycle rapidly expands, the biggest jump in ridership has come from people swapping out car trips in favor of a bike–in a city where less than 7% of people walk, bike, or take transit to work.

For a bike-share system, annual ridership growth of around 10% is good. That’s what Motivate, the largest bike-share provider in the U.S., touted as its across-the-board growth metric for its seven systems in 2017. …

A Look Ahead (April 26)

www.timesrecordnews.com

BICYCLING EVENT DOWNTOWN

DOWNTOWN ON WHEELS: 6 to 9 p.m. May 3. Bike Wichita Falls cycling safety event to be held at the corner of 6th and Ohio St. Message @bikewichitafalls on Facebook.com

The Woodlands Township Board holds meeting

By: The Woodlands Township | www.woodlandsonline.com

THE WOODLANDS, TX — The Woodlands Township Board of Directors held its regular meeting at 4 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, 2019, at The Woodlands Township Town Hall, 2801 Technology Forest Boulevard in The Woodlands, Texas. …

… To promote The Woodlands Bike-Friendly Community designation and increase public awareness for bicycling during National Bike Month, The Woodlands Township Board of Directors proclaimed May 17, 2019 as Bike To Work Day and May 18, 2019 as Bike The Woodlands Day in The Woodlands, Texas. …

From Maya Ford, Bicycle Advisory Committee Chair:

City of Houston Planning & Development Dept. | campaign.r20.constantcontact.com

The Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) offers condolences for the two lives lost to bicycle crashes this month. It is with deep sadness that we observe the deaths of cyclists in Third Ward on April 7 and Magnolia Park on April 18. Houston Police Department is investigating both crashes. Mayor Turner has activated the Safer Streets Initiative which includes hiring a safe streets coordinator, leading a safety campaign, and implementing the safety recommendations made by the Federal Highway Administration.

Immediately, we recommend the following: …

Cyclist struck and killed by Mercedes near SW Freeway entrance ramp

By Alison Medley | www.chron.com

A man was struck and killed while he was riding his bicycle on the entrance ramp to 59 Southwest Freeway near Richmond at on Thursday night, HPD investigators said. The female driver of a Mercedes reportedly made a right turn from Richmond Avenue onto the ramp at around 11 p.m., not spotting the bicyclist, HPD Sergeant John Benavidez said. Benavidez added that were …

Weekend Rides: Mt Bonnell/Scenic Dr & Lamppost

Brad Weaver | steinerranchcycling.com

Saturday training rides leaving from Cups & Cones:

7:30 am – Let’s go on our expanded dam loop which takes us up Mt. Bonnell and over to Westlake and Cuernavaca finishing with a tailwind push home. The route is 60 miles and can be found here …

Riding from Houston to Austin, starting today! from bikehouston

Pickup-bicycle collision on UT road raises broad liability issues

By Ralph K.M. Haurwitz | www.statesman.com

If you ride a bicycle, walk a dog or otherwise engage in recreation on University of Texas property, are you necessarily trespassing?

The university is arguing that the answer is yes in a case pending before the Texas Supreme Court. Two lower courts have disagreed.

The seeds of the dispute were planted four years ago this month, when April Garner, a graduate of UT and 57 years old at the time, was riding her bicycle from her Tarrytown home to meet a friend at the Butler Hike and Bike Trail. …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

As The Miles Passed My Legs Said This is a Recovery Bike Ride

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At the start of today’s bike ride I didn’t think of it as a recovery ride but as the miles started to pass my legs sent the message along to the rest of my body. The route was my most frequently used one, “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman”. I rode 33.61 miles putting the week total at 175.3 miles and the month at 710.14 miles. With 4 possible biking days left in April I should top April 2018 miles and probably 800 miles too.

Starting at 11:54 AM the weather was picture perfect for biking: 79 (59% humidity), fair, wind NE 12 mph. Finish 84 (48% humidity), a few clouds, wind NE 6 mph. I dressed for cooler weather with shorts, long sleeve jersey, and a short sleeve jersey. I didn’t need the long sleeve jersey so much for coolness but rather for sunscreen. I started taking a mild antibiotic for a skin condition and it makes me sensitive to the sun.

  • Start weather
  • Finish weather

Not long after long I started I noticed the speed was not showing on my Elemnt computer so I stopped, removed the sensor, flipped the battery over to reset it, put the battery back and attached the sensor to the front wheel hub. I thought this fixed the problem but during the last mile I looked at the Elemnt and no speed. After the ride I tested the battery and it was almost dead so I replaced with a new one (CR2032).

I saw one other cyclist along the route and we waved at each other.

Not much issue with the ride today other than no leg speed keeping at 15 to 16 mph most of the time. On the way back to Kingwood I stopped at a small park on Kings River Drive for a few minutes of rest. I took these photos.

The blue sky can be seen above the trees. The beefy weathered benches felt good for my tired body. At this point I was about 5 miles from the finish.

After the rest my legs regained some power for the ride to the finish. I avoided the Kingwood High School traffic and crossed Kingwood Drive with only a few seconds of waiting. I finished the ride at 2:40 PM.

According to Space City Weather Saturday should be a carbon copy of today and I plan on biking.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

Strava Year Progressions YTD Bike Ride Miles

Strava Year Progressions YTD Bike Ride Miles

Texas Bicycling News Digest April 25th 2019

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Project Hero stops at Hood

By Kelby Wingert | www.forthoodsentinel.com

Around 40 wounded, ill or injured service members, veterans and first responders rode through the Great Place on bicycles as hundreds of Fort Hood Soldiers lined the roads and cheered them on April 18.

The cyclists were on the fourth day of the 2019 UnitedHealthcare Texas Challenge, a 300-mile bike ride organized by the non-profit organization Project Hero. The six-day bike ride started in Austin and ended in Arlington. …

Waco Cycling Map

by Renee Van Treuren | wacobicycleclub.com

After several years of work by the city staff, MPO board and WBC Bicycle Advocacy Committee, we now have an accepted and bonafide cycling map of the City downtown and surrounding area.

This map should help anyone who might want to bike to work, school, or just get around town more safely on a bike.

There are paper copies coming soon which will be placed in all local bike shops and other locations. …

Tommy Ketterhagen’s killer gets ten years in prison for probation violation from BikingATX

Tuesdays – Now through the time change in the fall Bike Rides

Waco Bicycle Club | wacobicycleclub.com

Level: A, B & C Terrain: Flat to moderately rolling hills with very low traffic Start: Roll out at 5:45 PM – Bring lights! Just in case.

Waco Dam 3803 Skeet Eason Rd Waco, TX 76708

Please note the guidelines for riding abilities for A, B and C groups. This ride is for those people who can at least ride 25 miles in a group setting. If you are not quite at that level of ability yet, please check out our weekend chill rides. If you are new to the Tuesday ride please introduce yourself to one of the ride leaders. …

Captain’s Blog – 4/25/19 – Training ride at Bulverde Community Park!

by danitza | cycling.powweb.com

Come out and join Velo Valero and the San Antonio Cycling Alliance this Saturday April 27th for a training ride starting at Bulverde Community Park – just south of the Bulverde Post Office & the Exxon station on Bulverde Lane.

We have two routes:

33 mile 42 mile Velo Valero will be conducting a raffle benefiting Bike MS during each of the Velo Valero led SACA rides. Buy a ticket at the ride start …

We’re Denton Dammit – April 25, 2019

By Lucinda Breeding | www.dentonrc.com

Someone in Denton fashioned a homemade bicycle frame out of wood. A local artist, Tonya Littman, saw the bicycle and its rider, who explained that he made the bike himself. Impressive.

Heights shop taking part in annual MS bike ride

by Landan Kuhlman | theleadernews.com

Cyclists all around are gearing up for the annual Houston-to-Austin trek aimed at raising money and awareness for multiple sclerosis, including a team in the heart of the Heights.

I Cycle Bike Shop owner Matt Wurth and the iCycle team will join thousands of riders across the region this Saturday and Sunday, uniting in a mission to end MS with the annual BP MS 150. …

3 West Design driven to take the pain out of finding the perfect bike saddle

by Dean Yobbi | www.bicycleretailer.com

FRISCO, Texas (BRAIN) — Sometimes finding the right product requires sitting down and designing it yourself.

Especially when that product is a comfortable yet high-performance bike saddle.

Just ask Jon Marceleno.

After a futile search for a saddle that didn’t cause soft-tissue pain in the perineal area, Marceleno, a self-described "tinkerer" and son of an engineer, went to work. The result is his grassroots saddle company 3 West Design, which currently has three models. All feature a patented three-quarter-inch dropped middle section and a V-shape notch that mimics the shape of the male perineum. …

Bellmead: Driver arrested after truck hits bicyclist

www.kwtx.com

BELLMEAD, Texas (KWTX) A Waco man whose truck struck a woman who rode a bicycle into his path on the northbound Interstate 35 access road in Bellmead was arrested after officers determined he was named in outstanding warrants.

The 56-year-old woman was riding her bicycle south on the northbound access road at around 5:20 p.m. Wednesday in Bellmead when she attempted to cross the roadway in front of the truck.

She suffered minor injuries and declined medical treatment.

The 33-year-old driver was taken to the McLennan County Jail, police said.

The accident is under investigation.

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Awesome Blue Sky Replaced Overcast Sky Bike Ride

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From overcast sky yesterday to full blue sky today. What a difference a rain front passing through can make.

Choosing the “Kingwood – SH 242 – Kingwood” route I set off to the north facing a headwind until I made the u-turn at SH 242. I started the ride at 11:54 AM and rode 37.36 miles improving my April total to 676.53 miles. I am at 141.7 miles for the week. So far this year I biked 2,161 miles.

With the blue sky this is the weather during the bike ride: start 77 (62% humidity), a few clouds, wind W 10 mph gusts 20 mph. Finish 82 (47% humidity), a few clouds, wind NW 14 mph. I wore shorts, a long sleeve jersey topped with a short sleeve jersey. This was a good choice and I was comfortable riding into the wind and with the tailwind.

On the way to SH 242 I rode through Tavola to add a couple of miles to the route and took these photos.

The bright blue sky pops out in the last two photos especially.

From there I took the road that parallels along the east of the railroad track hoping to minimize the wind and the trees helped but the gusts still could be felt. When I returned to the north bound frontage road the wind was waiting. The legs were up to the wind and I made the left turn onto SH 242 and rode west into the wind. When I got to the guardrail where I could see Grand Texas I took these photos.

To the left of the photos a big sign flapped in the wind announcing that Grand Texas is hiring. I read in one of the papers they need about 500 employees when they open soon. Traffic on SH 242 will increase quite a bit then.

The ride back to Kingwood with the tailwind allowed me to improve my average speed to 14.3 mph which maintained until I got back into Kingwood around the 34 mile point. My timing was good and avoided the school traffic to finish at 2:41 PM. After finishing the ride the weather was so great my wife and I sat on our patio for 20 minutes or more.

Friday’s weather forecast calls for a repeat of today’s weather and I plan on biking.

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

SportTracks Bike Ride Summary

Strava Year Progressions YTD Bike Ride Miles

2019 still leads 2016 and 2018 YTD miles but 2017 is a tough year to beat and lead 2019 by 103 miles.

Strava Year Progressions YTD Bike Ride Miles