Texbiker.net » Bike Through the Forest and the Hills

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for January 31st

Rick Ankrum — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 05:28:17 +0000

I came across this discussion on LinkedIn.com in the World Cycling Industry Group. This is a good question. I have to say I look at reviews on other products but not very often for cycling items except for tires. There are 35 comments on this topic. What about you?

World Cycling Industry
Linkedin.com – Scott Mares
One of my challenges is once we do a review on a product is getting the company and IBD to actually use the review. I would like to see the review used in the bike shop. Ideas anyone?

Tom Haedrich • Hi Scott – as a boutique branded company building custom bicycles and selling into the IBD channel and others I can tell you the road is not an easy one. Each IBD has their own reason for entering the business and idea’s of what THEIR shop should be, and rightly so, isn’t this one of the beautiful things about America’s free market system where you can be whatever it is you want to be. I preface this because as a small…

The Racing Post February 2012 Issue
The Racing Post is a monthly magazine dedicated to those who ride bicycles and like to ride them – fast. Event coverage includes Road racing, Off-road racing, Track racing, Triathlons, Bicycle rallies, and all levels of bicycle training.

F e a t u r e s
4 Olympics Bound
6 The Next Generation
9 Intensity
14 Reflecting on a Cycling Scholarship
18 Believe It Or Not
30 All Carbon Ain’t The Same
35 Playing In The Mus
38 Photo Essay – TRP Winter Crit
39 Team Focus – Fresh Racing
42 MSU’s Danny Robertson
Vol. 12, No. 2

LMRA Bike Club Morning Ride: TBD – 9AM
Lockheed Martin Recreation Association
All Day Event: Feb 03, 2012
Be a Positive Ambassador:
STOP – LOOK – and be SEEN
STOP at all traffic lights and signs. LOOK before continuing to ensure its clear. Be SEEN obeying the law while cycling safely.
… be safe and an ambassador for all other cyclists.

Helmets are required for club rides. Smiles encouraged.
Scheduled rides are a go, unless wet or below 40 degrees. Check this calendar entry as the ride approaches to get the planned starting location and if the…

New Report Highlights Biking and Walking in Rural America
Alliance for Biking & Walking: People Powered Blog
imageA new report from the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy dispels the commonly held notion that only residents of big cities bike and walk. According to “Active Transportation Beyond the Urban Centers” folks in rural areas travel by bike and on foot as much — and in some cases, even more — than people in major population centers.

“It’s a widespread assumption in popular media and politics that people in small towns and rural areas do not walk or bike for transportation purposes,” says Tracy Hadden Loh, co-author of the report and research…

Specialized expands ‘cross fork recall
Bicycle Retailer & Industry News
WASHINGTON, D.C. (BRAIN) Jan 31, 17:51 MT—Specialized is working with the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission on an expansion of a recall involving some carbon forks on cyclocross bikes.

The brake boss mount on the forks can fail, allowing the brake to fall into the front spokes. Consumers should stop using the recalled products immediately.

Specialized recalled about 14,200 2011-model bikes last year because of the problem. Now the company is recalling about 460 2012-model bikes. The new bikes affected are the 2012 Tricross Sport and 2012 Tricross Comp. …

Quality of Life in El Paso
by bmba Borderland Mountain Bike Association
The city of El Paso is planning to bring a quality of life bond to be brought to the November election. This bond would cause a small increase in your property taxes. The main purpose of the bond is not known, but there are some specifics that have been put on the table that fit in to two categories – SIGNATURE PROJECTS and Parks and Recreation. Signature Projects are big projects like a new arena….downtown…to maybe try to draw in a…

…As one of the leaders in the mountain biking community, I have created a list of specific ideas that will improve the mountain biking experience in El Paso. When you go online to make your suggestions, feel free to copy and paste these ideas. If you are not in favor of these ideas, don’t use them, but please contribute something to the…

Dallas Cycle Style is Born
by UrbanPedal Dallas Cycle Chic
You may have noticed a few changes to the website recently. Yes, time to reset your bookmarks – we’re leaving the Cycle Chic family to become our very own group, Cycle Style.

We’ve had a lovely year doing the Dallas Cycle Chic blog. As we’ve met Dallas riders on the streets, in the cycle shops and at large group rides, we’ve come to deeply appreciate the inspiring and broad range of cycle styles in our city. You are all so different and yet all the same: from cardigan wearing ladies crushing trails to hardcore racers in spandex packs, you all shared with us your…

Save Our Forest (Anthills) Update – Meeting February 8 and what you can do
by Veljko Roskar GHORBA

City looks at plans for a hike and bike bridge
by Oak Hill Gazette
Annick Beaudet with the city’s Neighborhood Connectivity Division told the Gazette that the need for such a bridge goes back to 1998, when the Texas Department of Transportation turned a northbound shoulder of Mopac into a turn lane for drivers going…

Biking group to hold presentations in Seguin
seguingazette.com Felicia Frazar
SEGUIN – Bike enthusiasts have something to look forward to this week.

On Thursday and Saturday the International Mountain Biking Association will be hosting two presentations about the activity and how to enhance and generate more interest in the community, said Pete Silvius, Seguin Outdoor Learning Center board member and Rodriguez Elementary physical education teacher.

“There are two presentations,” he said. “On Thursday night will be Better Living Through Trails presentation starting 6:30 p.m. at Texas Lutheran University Student Activity Center. On Saturday will be the IMBA Trail Building…

Cibolo Ride
Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club
Start: February 18, 2012 9:00 am
End: February 18, 2012 12:00 pm
Venue: St. Paul Evangelical Church
Address: 108 South Main, Cibolo, TX, United States,
Ride starts at 9:00 a.m. at the St. Paul Evangelical Church’s parking lot (the gravel part in the back) adjacent to Harmon’s BBQ for a 30 or 20 mile group ride at an easy pace. Ride will proceed southeast through rolling farm country to New Berlin, then northwest by Zuehl and Hackerville Road back into Cibolo. The 20 mile ride will cut over at Gin road between Santa Clara and Zuehl. See Map #506. Directions: To get to St. Paul’s (108 S. Main) in Cibolo take IH35 north. Take exit 175 and turn right on Roy Richard Dr. (FM-3009 S). Drive 3.2 miles and turn left onto Seguin Rd (FM 78). Drive 1.4 miles and turn left onto W. TX-539 Loop. Turn left on S. Main St. Paul’s Evangelical Church and Harmon’s BBQ will be on your left. Lunch after the ride will be at Harmon’s. For more information call ride leaders Ann Caldwell (508-8878) or Bob Caldwell (260-2584).

Bike Through the Forest and the Hills 2012 in ColdSpring, TX
by WB admin
The Bike Through the Forest and the Hills 2012 happening on January 28, 2012 at San Jacinto Courthouse 1 State Highway 150 Coldspring, TX

We were lucky enough to be granted an interview with Duane McPeak, Ride Director of Bike Through the Forest and the Hills to ask some questions about their upcoming ride.

…What was the most unforgettable experience or worst accident you had in this event? (prefer the rewarding/unforgettable experience ;o)) ?

During my first ride as director, just 15 minutes into the ride, I got a call from the local constable that we had a rider down. It was a young man still in High School that had lost control of his bike going down a hill. He had gone head/face first into the street. There was a SAG wagon at the start that I jumped into to go check on the rider. As we headed towards the rider, we could see an ambulance was already on it’s way ahead of us. By the…

Do not stop reading the next article too soon. There is a biking story in it.

All Washed Up
by Steve A Dallas Point-to-Point
In North Texas, we have to take our opportunities for inclement weather when they arrive. While we get lots of practice with “hot and dry” in the summer, wet don’t get a lot of opportunity to explore the finer points of cold weather. It DOES rain around here, but it isn’t the kind of rain I grew up with. In Seattle, the rain takes a week or more to accumulate to an inch or two. A little drizzle and a lot of gray clouds is the rule around this time of year.

Around DFW, on the other hand, the rain REALLY lets you know it is serious stuff. Lightning, thunder, flash floods and more. And then, as quickly as the rain arrived, it is past and drenching Louisiana or Oklahoma. I think the term around these parts is the rain comes down as a “frog strangler,” but I’m not from around here. …

Video Report Bike Through the Forest and The Hills Bike Ride 1/29/2011

Rick Ankrum — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 18:31:26 +0000

The report I posted yesterday was rather long and I did not have time to edit the video I took. Today I finished the video editing (not that hard with a FlipCam) and posted to Youtube.com.

Since I wrote the ride report I found another hole in my rear tire tube from the wire. It seems to have went through the tube two times. I am still not figuring out where this tiny wire comes from along the road. Because the holes are on opposite sides of the tube in the same place I replaced the tube rather than try to patch it.

The weather has been light rain today so no recovery bike ride today.

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for January 29th

Rick Ankrum — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 11:03:50 +0000

Cycling Buccaneer
from hubpages.com/hub/Cycling-Buccaneer

So again, I find myself exploring to Texas Gulf coast on my own. I found a interesting ride on the Brazosport Bicycle Club web site, actually there are …

LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour invites Houston-area cyclists – Houston …
from www.examiner.com
The ride is sponsored by the Friends of the Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, the Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club, and San Antonio’s Cool Cats …

Life On A Baron: Event Ride 1: Coldspring Texas Bike Through The …
by Mark Leuck

Event Ride 1: Coldspring Texas Bike Through The Forest And The Trees. Rider count: 650. Weather: Overcast but no rain. Temperature: 50 at the start, 60 at the finish. Wind: 5 mph from the south. Rest Stops: Beats me, didn’t stop …

DP Rotary’s bicycle tour set for Sunday
from insidedp.com
DP Rotary’s bicycle tour set for Sunday … Harris County are advised to watch out for participants of the Texas Independence Bike Tour Sunday morning. …

46 Miles Through the Forest and Hills – January 29th Bike Ride

Rick Ankrum — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:09:17 +0000

I broke my “below 60 degree” rule this morning to ride the Bike Through the Forest and the Hills ride in Coldspring. When I left home at 6:10AM this morning the temperature was 51 degrees and in Coldspring it was 51 as well. I was wanting to get an organized ride for January which I have never done before. In the past the first ride has been the Puddle for the Ducks or the Humble Lions club ride, both in February. The weather man mentioned that another cold front might arrive late next week and the temperature on Saturday February 5th might not get out of the 40′s. This is below my tolerance level even when I am really motivated to ride. So I may not make the Puddle for the Ducks ride in Katy. The ducks will have to paddle around the pond to keep the ice from forming on their own.

When I arrived in Coldspring the riders were still few so I did not have to stand in line for the portable toilets or to register. I thought the cost was going to be $40 but it turned out to be $35. The Kingwood High School Phillies were greeting all of the riders at the court house. Daylight was starting to come up but the clouds were holding back the sun though. By the time we started at 8:04AM the clouds were breaking some and the sun was shining through but the temperature was not moving upward by very much. I am amazed at how some riders can ride in much less clothing than I require. I had two long sleeve jerseys, windbreaker jacket, leg warmers and full finger gloves. I saw riders with a short sleeve jersey and no leg warmers. Others had long tights but short sleeve jersey and half finger gloves.

After the Star Spangled Banner finished the ride marshals gave a yell for riders to pull out. The first 6 miles were hilly but in a favorable manner, mostly downhill. This was good but the route returned this way so I thought the hills could be tough coming back. I did not realize how tough the hills would be until I was pedaling back up them in my small chainring and 3rd largest rear cog with an occasional shift to the 2nd largest rear cog. I passed a few riders walking up one particular hill that was about 2 miles from the finish. I was wondering if I would be joining them but I gutted it up to the top and on to the next one.

Generally the road surfaces were smooth except for the section on SR150 west of Shepherd which was the infamous chip’n seal. Granted, the main road surface had been well worn by the traffic but not the shoulder. Once we were in Shepherd the shoulder was very smooth asphalt, thank goodness. the other roads were good asphalt.

At the 30.5 mile point I had my first flat on the Motobecane Le Champion. Actually I it was two punctures on the rear tire. One was a piece of glass and the other was the mystery wire that appears on the roadways. Thanks to a ride marshal I was able to patch the tube and get going again. I was not aware that the tire had a wire bead and my FlickStik could not get under the bead to get the tire off of the rim. The ride marshal (I did not get his name) had a set of pointed tire tools so I got the tire off and the tube out. The next challenge was to find the hole(s). At first we thought it was just one but when I patched it there was still a leak. Finding the second hole was not as hard as the first. I got to use my Lezyne frame pump for the first time and it worked great once I threaded the rubber extension tube onto the Presta valve.

The rest stops were well stocked and the people were pleasant and helpful. I stopped at each one on the 46 mile route. Speaking of the 46 mile route, I am glad that was the maximum length because I am not in good condition yet to tackle a longer one with all of the hills this ride has. I might have tried a longer route and probably not finished it. I am pleased with this ride but last year the temperature was 36 degrees so I cannot predict that I will ride this every year.

So after this ride my miles for January and the year: 217.99. The ride data from my Garmin Edge 305 is below. Look at the charts picture gallery below the Garmin data to see the elevation chart.

1-29-2011 Ride Data

Select pictures from the ride.

[Show picture list]

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Additional charts, weather and map.

[Show picture list]

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Bike Through the Forest and the Hills – Coldspring, TX

Rick Ankrum — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 16:00:40 +0000

Bike Through the Forest and the Hills 2011 Bike Ride
Start: Saturday, January 29, 2011 @ 6:00 AM
San Jacinto Courthouse
1 State Highway 150 Coldspring, TX
Fees
All routes $30 thru 1/23/11; $35 thru 1/28/11; day of ride $40

Registration Closing Date Saturday, January 29, 2011 @ 10:00 PM

Brief Description
Saturday morning on January 29th 2011, our annual “Bike through the Forest and the Hills” will once again put you to the Test.

Previous Riders and Ride Marshall’s have commented that this is one of the most challenging MS Recommended Bike Rides you will find for training for the BP MS150 in southeast Texas.

Our ride begins in the small charming town of Coldspring, Texas located just northeast of Houston off Highway 59. The ride route immediately puts riders into demanding hills that you don’t find in other bike rides … hence the title “Bike through the Forest and the Hills”.

The ride then levels out onto clean and open scenic roads into “The Forest”. On your return dash to the finish, you are once again met head-on with those challenging hills.

We offer 4 ride routes for all levels of riders. The 48 mile route has been described as “one challanging ride”. All information on the ride can be found on our website.

We have full rest stops and SAG support. This will include all the fruit and drinks along with plenty of port-a-potties. So whether you need to take a break, need help with a flat or just need a lift, we will be there for you.

We encourage everyone to bring the whole family, as after the ride it is fun to visit the local restaurants, cafes and quaint shops in downtown Coldspring.

Additional Information
BP MS150 Recommended Ride
Registration Opens 11.29.10
You must register before January 23, 2011 to be guaranteed a T-shirt.
Registration will be available the day of the event from 6am to 8am.

Bike Through the Forest and the Hills Ride

Rick Ankrum — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:17:02 +0000

Last Saturday (January 31st) this ride took place in Coldspring, TX. The temperatures were brutal and the wind added to the pain. I did not go but these photos show a number of riders braved the weather. Note the number of blankets. These pictures are from the Bike Through the Forest and the Hills website.

Bike Through the Forest and the Hills – Coldsprings, TX

Rick Ankrum — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 17:48:42 +0000

Saturday, January 30, 2010 local time
San Jacinto County Court House
1 State Highway 150 Coldspring, TX
Saturday morning on January 30th 2009, our annual “Bike through the Forest and the Hills” will once again put you to the Test.

Previous Riders and Ride Marshall’s have commented that this is one of the most challenging MS Recommended Bike Rides you will find for training for the BP MS150 in southeast Texas.

Our ride begins in the small town of Coldspring, Texas located just northeast of Houston off Highway 59. The ride route immediately puts riders into demanding hills that you don’t find in other bike rides … hence the title “Bike through the Forest and the Hills”.

The ride then levels out onto clean and open scenic roads into “The Forest”. On your return dash to the finish, you are once again met head-on with those challenging hills.

We offer 4 ride routes for all levels of riders. The 48 mile route has been described as “one challenging ride”. All information on the ride can be found on our website.