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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for October 28th

Rick Ankrum — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 04:58:25 +0000

No bike ride report today. The temperature got to 60 degrees around 3:30PM but the wind was 24 mph from the north. This would make the wind chill fall below my whimp cut off so I stayed home. Saturday the sky is supposed to clear, the wind drop off and the temperature reach the low 70′s. I plan on being back on the road.

Why are bikes being targeted by Congress?
People for Bikes
How in the the world can biking and walking be controversial?

They’re good exercise, fun to do and—as an alternative to driving everywhere—help us save money and the environment. Both biking and walking are increasingly popular for transportation and recreation today, thanks in large part to a recent flowering of federally-funded trails, bikeways and pathways that make getting around on two wheels and two feet safer and more convenient.

But in these antagonistic political times, bikers and walkers are now targets of controversy for some members of Congress. In September, Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn proposed stripping all designated federal funding for bike and pedestrian projects from the pending Transportation Bill. After an outpouring of opposition from citizens…

A potential source of riding events and groups can be found at www.meetup.com

Upcoming Meetups (Meetup.com)
Oct 28 6:00 PM
Weekly Road Bike Ride and Run (Brick)
Terry Hershey Park 15200 Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77079
This is a weekly brick. We will ride between 20-23 miles, and run afterward. The run will be 3/5/12 miles (it’s up to the individual). The ride is a straight shot to Katy’s Fry Rd. on the paved path. There will not be any traffic or red lights to…… MORE

Oct 29 10:00 AM
Weekly Mountain Bike Ride For Beginners@ Memorial Park
Memorial Park N Picnic Ln, Houston, TX 77007
This is for beginners. We will do slow to medium pace through the trails. WHAT TO BRING: Snacks Spare tire or patch kit Pump (not mandatory) Helmet (required) TIME: Please be on time, call me @ 832-665-5960 if you’re going to be late so we can wa…… MORE

Tour Das Hugel … A voyage of transformation, and pain (Part II)
by robdamico Austin on Two Wheels

This is the second part of Rob D’Amico’s series looking at Tour Das Hugel and his attempt to do the 2011 ride. See here for Part I. He also is hosting a fundraiser that lets you donate a set amount for each mile he completes, with all proceeds going to local bike nonprofits.

About Me: Part II
I mentioned before that I really wanted to lose a bunch of weight, maybe 15 pounds in two months, to make the hills a bit easier. I kept picturing a backpack with a 15 pound iron weight in it, hoping it would spur the discipline to eat (and…

Energy Corridor Shared-Use Pathways Project
by Aaron Chang BikeHouston

On Monday, October 31 the Energy Corridor District will be submitting a federal grant application (TIGER III) for their Shared-Use Pathways Project. The Energy Corridor District is contributing local matching funds and will be responsible for future maintenance of the project. BikeHouston and numerous local organizations have written letters of support in favor of this important project.

About the Project
The Energy Corridor Shared-Use Pathways Project encompasses four transportation corridors along SH 6 and Eldridge Parkway. The shared-use pathway is a 13-mile path designated specifically for pedestrians and cyclists. It will connect residential…

Cycling – 101.5 miles! … No! … 101.5 Hilly Miles!
Don Bynum’s Blog

Last Saturday (22 Oct, 2011) Gil Jones and I cycled from my home on the west shore of Lake Buchanan, TX to Junction, TX. Gil and I cycle to many nice little towns in central Texas. Junction just happens to also be 101.5 miles away, if one takes the scenic route. I may mention that 101.5 thing again somewhere. …

Open Mountain Bike Trails in DFW and Weekend Weather.
by Shawn Texas Mountain Bike Trails
Texas got dumped on last night. I’m not talking about the Rangers game either. (#collapse) Well, maybe I am just a little bit. The Dallas area got hit with their first winter shower of the year last night putting up to a half inch of rain on our trails. The rain is much needed and…

Enchilada Buffet Mountain Bike Trail -Austin Texas
www.singletracks.com
Description: The History of the EB
The idea for the annual Enchilada Buffet Ride started with a simple blog post in 2008 by one Austin Mountain Biker with the extreme urge to ride all the Parks in Austin in one day. The entire post from the Bike Mojo Forum site is below:

It’s been on the backburner for almost 2 years now. Last year we went as far as planning it and it fizzled out. This year I’m setting a day and am going to show up. If I am by myself then so be it. I’ve wanted to attempt this ride for a long time. …

Premier multisport event a victim of poor economy
By Bill Cullins San Angelo Standard-Times
Striders Duathlon, the oldest run-bike-run event in Texas, has been canceled for 2012 after being a San Angelo classic for 18 years.

The event promotion company, Ironhead Race Productions, cited “a down turned economy and the vast and continuing proliferation of multisport events without regard to impact” as being the reason that continuation of the event was no longer fiscally possible. …

Austin’s Cultural Campus Bike Tour
utvac.org
Sign Up Now For Austin’s Cultural Campus Bike Tour, Co-Hosted by Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop Saturday, November 12, Starts @ 9 am

Explore art, history, the humanities, and science while enjoying a casual bike ride! Co-hosted by Mellow Johnny’s Bike Shop and the Austin Cycling Association. This no-drop, co-ed group ride is perfect for cyclists of all levels and riding abilities. Total distance is about 6 miles. On this route, riders will visit museums that are…

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for January 28th

Rick Ankrum — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:26:06 +0000

Dale Robertson is the Houston Chronicle reporter covering cycling. I have not seen a “Cycling Notebook” column for awhile and I was concerned that Dale might have been caught in one of the recent layoffs at the Chronicle. Good to see he is still on the beat.

Cycling Notebook: New year leads to new paths
from HoustonChronicle.com — Cycling
It appears that 2010, despite the change in administrations, will see more progress on the bikeways system, with at least two significant trail construction projects starting. …

Amputee – Get Your Bike Ride On. Ozzy Reyes Interview
from www.youtube.com 6:22
Interview by Ty Wilson with veteran left BK amputee cyclist Ozzy Reyes. This is a video for amputees interested in cycling. While Ozzy is an advanced cyclist, this video concentrates on the basics. Subjects covered are using clipless pedals for strapping your prosthetic foot down, clipping in/out, starting off and stopping.

I generally avoid Lance A. news but this is an exception.

The Lance Armstrong Bikeway in Austin, Texas | AffairBoard
by Tina
Austin, Texas is a bike friendly city, which is a good thing considering the champion rider and worldwide inspiration Lance Armstrong calls this city his home. …

Reason Foundation – Surface Transportation Innovations #75
by bob.poole@reason.org (Robert Poole)
I have not seen much research on this question, though in all the reading of long-range transportation plans that I’ve done over the past decade, I’ve hardly ever found projections of significantly larger transit or bicycle or walking mode … The Texas Transportation Institute’s latest newsletter reports on a “permeable friction course” (PFC) aimed at making roads less hazardous in response to severe rainfall. It’s a porous pavement layer that allows water to drain away. …

The 313 Life : Red Kite Prayer
by Padraig
Skiing is but a vacation endeavor if you live in Texas. But living near the mountains isn’t enough; the best ski areas are still open fewer than six months. Sure, there are wintery days when getting on the bike would be no fun, ….

Ride for Heroes 2010 | The Wheel Brothers – Cycling in Texas
by admin
In addition, the Ride for Heroes bike ride supports various student clubs from Aledo High School and the Texas Bicycle Coalition (working for safer cycling in Texas). Website: http://www.rideforheroes.org …

USA Cycling is pleased to announce the dates and venues for its 2010 Regional Road, Track, and Mountain Bike Development Camps.
Open to all athletes between the ages of 14 and 22, the regional camps provide aspiring young riders with opportunities to develop their skills while learning from some of the top coaches in the nation. Camp discussions cover topics ranging from event preparation to becoming a healthier cyclist. Daily on-the-bike skills work includes cornering drills, paceline/echelon riding, and practice taking a feed, among other skills deemed essential by the USA Cycling National Team Coaching Staff.
ROAD CYCLING
June 6-11: Texas Tech University – Lubbock, Texas

Austin Bike Culture Calendar Events: 1/28- 2/3/10
from austinontwowheels.org
My apologies for getting the weekly event round up out late this week, but our full calendar of events needed some major updating and now has all the upcoming ACA rides, Traffic 101 classes and mini clinics and TXBRA road races as well as most of the charity rides on the calendar for this spring. Being the end of the month, the Critical Mass ride and Frankenbike are on the board. In addition, the Austin Cycling Association will be having the second meeting under their new more sociable format which this month will include presentations by three local bicycle framebuilders at the new Yellow Bike Project Headquarters.

Here’s a quick run down of recommended events for the coming week from our comprehensive calendar of all cycling events. …

Krause to give free lecture on preparing for endurance mountain …
from austinontwowheels.org

Sara Krause, regular contributor to Austin on Two Wheels is putting on a free lecture at Pure Austin for those interested in endurance racing or getting ready for the The Dirty Dozen or Super 6 Hour Mountain Bike Races.
Location: PURE Austin Quarry Lake on Tuesday, February 2 at 7:15pm
“PURE Endurance for The Dirty Dozen and Super 6 Hour Mountain Bike Race: 10 Things You Need To Know Before Clipping In”. …

Robert’s HomeTown Tour de France: On the road again!
by STRICK
With the INCREDIBLE weather in south Texas lately I couldn’t resist throwing on the Spandex and jumping on the bike. And, like a relapsing addict, I’m hooked! Quads and hammies are sore but it had to happen sometime! The 2010 Tour de …

Chris has an issue with bicyclists.

Have You Ever Disliked Someone Because Of Their Bumper Stickers …
by Chris
I live in Austin, Texas, so there are bikers everywhere during the entire year. They get in the way and ride on heavy-traveled highways, where they are raising the risks of accidents because of their slow crap. Supposedly cities with large biking populations … Bicyclists are another thorn in my butt —…

These riders started in NYC back in October 2009 and have made their way to Texas.

Bike the Borderline: Not the only cyclists in the Village
by Ant and Kat
We rolled the first 25 or so miles through the beautiful Sam Houston National Forest, with a clear blue sky, and thought again how different this was to what we had expected of Texas. And then, emerging from the distant heat haze, …

GIVETOLIVE Passes $1 Million Mark – Announces Epic Cycle for 2010
by Ashley Ward
Fresh off the heels of raising their millionth dollar for the war on cancer, GIVETOLIVE (www.givetolive.ca) is announcing yet another epic charity cycle. Now in its 4th year, GIVETOLIVE’s “Cycle for Life – Celebrate Life” is aiming to attract another 60+ cyclists to join this 2-week journey of a lifetime that will take them on a relay-style cycle from Vancouver, British Columbia to Austin, Texas. Departing October 11th, this year’s 4,000km trek will pass through some of the most breathtaking scenery on the continent including the mountains of Montana, Yellowstone National Park, The Grand Tetons, and the Colorado Rockies. …