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Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for August 6th

Rick Ankrum — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 03:00:34 +0000

Your legs need more fuel in high country
by San Angelo Standard Times
The problem with running at altitude on steep gradients is that your legs don’t have multiple climbing gears like a bicycle. The trail run, while enjoyable, …

The Song of The RainCrow: Seeing Cycles
by William RainCrow
Now for the bicycle part. I am hugely in favor of bicycle riding. Other than walking, there is no other form of transportation that I know of that is as energy efficient, healthy, or ecologically friendly as bicycling. … I still don’t live on city streets, and I’m not sure if I’d have the courage it takes to ride there, even with the wonderful new dedicated bike lanes. I live out in the country near McDade, Tx now, my bike is an old, but solid, Murray 18 speed mountain …

It’s Time To Ride…to School « It’s Time To Ride!
by cartertx
Earlier this year Patsy Sommer Elementary in Round Rock became the first school in Central Texas to join a unique bike to school program called Boltage. Boltage provides students with a little extra incentive to ride to school … Bicycle safety and awareness classes are taught in PE while students learn about the physical benefits cycling offers them in health class. Robert and 2 other families co-op trips to school with their kids so that one parent rides with 5 kids. …

Mountain biking in Breckenridge: How does it compare to Austin?
by Austin 360
By Pam LeBlanc
We have a world-class mountain biking scene here in Central Texas.

The stair-stepped ledges of Emma Long Metropolitan Park, the rock- and root-studded single track through the Barton Creek greenbelt, and the up-and-down, whoop-de-do terrain of Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park chum up cyclists riding knobby-tired steeds like wriggly worms draw in bass.

So how does mountain biking in Austin, where the elevation is 621 feet at Camp Mabry, compare to mountain biking in the real mountains — the Rocky Mountains of Colorado? …

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for July 21st

Rick Ankrum — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:12:30 +0000

White Rock Trail bicycle crossing at Lawther still open for now …
from www.txcn.com
But West Lawther still will be closed to motorized traffic at that intersection, said Texas Department of Transportation spokeswoman Cynthia Northrop. …

Return to the Alamo: Music, food and a benefit ride
by Dallas Morning News (blog)
Bicycle and motorcycle competitions. Stunts. Free admission. Time: 5 to 9 pm, starting with bicycle and motorcycle ride from the Grassy Knoll downtown. …

A Reverence for Riding
by The Interior News
By Andrew Hudson – Smithers Interior News When 55 University of Texas students roll through Smithers July 22 on an Austin-to-Anchorage charity bicycle tour, …

Touring West Texas – For the bicyclists, there was the joy of sweet tiredness, never wearisome, for a worthwhile cause.
from www.mywesttexas.com
It was an amazing heartiness devoid of tedium yet whacked, but not defeated, by the weekend ride in the summer heat, challenged by the rising landscape, a hill that never seemed to end horizon after horizon. The last endurance climb came in the rolling plains, neighboring the Cap Rock Escarpment, west of Gail and meandering upward toward Lamesa’s vast cotton country. …

Encourage people to walk, cycle | palo, cycle, alto – Viewpoints …
from www.brownsvilleherald.com
I am grateful to our city for providing the excellent bike trail from the Palo Alto Battlefield to Brownsville’s old cemetery. It is thrilling to ride along the trail and watch birds, rabbits, ground squirrels and the occasional snake as well as see happy families and friends bicycling, jogging and walking their cheerful dogs. Of course, we need to extend…

Texas cycling and sailing with Dennis: Lake Mineral Wells Trailway …
by Dennis and Michele Starkey
Michele and I had planned a trip to ride the Lake Mineral Wells Trailway on Saturday the 17th, the weather forecast was for hot, hot, hot, and we were glad when Marla and Rick accepted our invitation to ride with us. We met at the trail head to find the gate locked even though the sign on the gate…

Law of 3′s
from Mike’s Bike Blog
I’m not sure if this is a written rule but crashes usually happen in 3′s, celebrity deaths happen in 3s. My last 3 rides fell to this pearl:
Sunday
First thing in the morning Jack and I got out for an hour of pace line work and descending drills. After that I was going to ride for another hour. I headed out on Limecreek Road towards Volente Beach. 2 Miles into it I hear a loud pop and the hiss of the air being released from my back tire. Upon inspection my tire had a severe blowout. I booted the tire with a dollar bill and changed the flat and rode home. That evening at the boys’ soccer practice…

Daily News Roundup March 9th – Texas Bicycling

Rick Ankrum — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 06:12:40 +0000

USA CRITS moves finale to Texas
from Cyclingnews News Headlines
The USA Crits series will expand to nine races for men and five races for women, with the finale moving from Las Vegas to Dallas, Texas. The series will maintain its traditional start at the 31st Athens Twilight Criterium in Georgia on April 24 with events for both men and women. It will then take a two month break before the next race on June 19, the Giro d’Grafton in Wisconsin, which is also part of the Tour of Americas Dairyland. The series will continue at the Hyde Park Blast in Cincinnati, …

This is not Texas bicycling but if you like to watch European races some of the bigger ones are on Universal Sports. In the Houston area this is channel 39.2. The press release times (all are EST):

Universal Sports will have same-day delayed television coverage of all the cycling events below. All events will be available LIVE online, complete with full-length videos, highlights, photos and recaps.

2010 Universal Sports Road Cycling Schedule (Schedule subject to change; Events will be added.)
*March 10-16: Tirreno-Adriatico – 3pm and 8pm EST nightly; also at 11pm (10th and 11th); 12am (12th); and 1am (13th – 16th)
*March 20: Milan-San Remo – 3pm EST
*April 5-10: Tour of Basque Country – Noon EST
*May 8-30: Giro d’Italia – Noon EST
*Aug. 28-Sept. 19: Vuelta a Espana – Noon EST
*Sept. 29: Road Cycling Time Trials – Men’s Under 23, Women’s Elite – 7pm EST
*Sept. 30: Road Cycling Time Trials –Men’s Elite – 7pm EST
*Oct. 2: Road Cycling Road Race – Men’s Under 23, Women’s Elite – 7pm EST
*Oct. 3: Road Cycling Road Race –Men’s Elite – 7pm EST
*Oct. 16: Giro di Lombardia – Noon EST

Google Maps adds ‘Bike There’ option
from BikeBiz
Big news for online journey planning but Google Maps isn’t the only planner. Watch out for a raft of iPhone apps, too.

LOST LUNG – Reward if found… « Connie’s Bike MS: Sam’s Club 2010 …
by connie98
I have to take the kids over to South Texas for Spring Break on Friday afternoon, my husband is spending the week in California starting Saturday night and I’ll be home alone until about Thursday of the following week. …

High Five project to connect Dallas bike and walking trails to northern neighbors
by Dallas Morning News
Texas Department of Transportation engineers built a sixth level just under the $261 million project for nonmotorized transportation. …

Heading into the wind (on a bike)
by Austin 360 (blog)
Just how much wind is too much when you’re riding?
I’m leaving Wednesday for West Texas. On Thursday, some friends and I are planning to bicycle Highway 54, from Hotel El Capitan in Van Horn to the intersection with Highway 62, in the shadow of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. …

Friends of WDVA: Top Veterans and Military News from Around the …
by admin
Texas: The San Marcos (TX) Record (3/6, 2K) reports that over 100 veterans with war wounds will take part in a seven-day bicycle tour through Texas. The second annual Texas Challenge is sponsored by “Ride 2 Recovery,” part of the …

RISE ACROSS TEXAS | Hill Country Herald
by Julie Bishop
Frio Canyon Chamber of Commerce will host a sendoff for the Rise Across Texas Challenge bicycle ride. This event is to raise money for the Rise Schools of Texas. The nonprofit schools provide early childhood education services to …

Fat Cyclist » Blog Archive » No One Rides Alone
by fatty
I can’t remember the nice one liners Phil has provided me during the race. I’m thinking of racing with a voice recorder just so I can capture the brilliant commentary that goes on in my head during races. So Texas CAT 4′s if you see the …

Rise Across Texas Challenge Day 4 « ReOverThinking
by kipmcc
The little break in the map is where I forgot to turn RunKeeper back on…but it seems like it wasn’t that big of a gap. Off to the right is Conroe (see previous map). I’d write more but I’m going to bed; tomorrow we ride at 8:15! …

Sen. Ellis and State Rep. Alvarado Bike Across Texas
by mbenton
We would like to thank Steve Hicks, the President of the Rise Across Texas Foundation for hosting a great journey. This morning we departed from Orange, TX. We kicked off the ride with a nice ceremony hosted by the Orange Chamber of …

Day 32: Navasota, Texas, to Coldspring, Texas
by brendanpleonard
Day 32: Navasota, Texas, to Coldspring, Texas. March 8, 2010 · 1 Comment. I walked into the Shell convenience store at the east end of Navasota, Texas, this morning to hear Tony saying to the clerk, “Did you just say ‘Chuck Norris’s ranch’? ” Oh yeah, she said. Ranger Walker? Yeah, his ranch is just over the bridge on 90, and you’ll see the sign that says “Lone Wolf Ranch.” I said, oh yeah, like Lone Wolf McQuade. …

HandleBar Mustache « PedalHouston.com – Where the Houston bike …
by PedalHouston
Recently, I was given the great opportunity to have an interview with Erik and J from HandleBar Mustache. On twitter, they are known as @hbstache. PedalHouston had been introduced to them by Lynn of Voices of Survivors. These guys are also strong supporters of cancer-based charities. One thing for sure is that they appreciate quality and it is not only represented in their designs but in their materials as well. It is great to see biking influenced designs so it’s time to jump on it!

PedalHouston: What exactly does the phrase “Handlebar Mustache” mean to you guys?
J: I’m not exactly sure what it means right now…

Recreational Sports Calendar & Sign-up Sheet – March 10, 2010
by San Antonio Express
Bicycling: Saturday, 9 a.m., Boerne Ride, 25 to 70 miles, city hall, Boerne. (210) 325-2500, (210) 524-9393.

Bicycling: Sunday, 9 a.m., Elmendorf Ride, 21, 40 and 51 miles, park-and-ride on southwester corner of highway 181 and 1604 intersection. (210) 392-9996.

Bicycling: Sunday, 9 a.m., Fair Oaks Afternoon Ride, 20, 32 and 45 miles, Fair Oaks Ranch Center. (210) 698-6625.

Bicycling: March 20, 9 a.m., Southside Mission Ride, 27, 39, 51 and 61 miles, visitors center, San Jose Mission. (210) 533-3416.

Bicycling: March 20, 9 a.m., Classic Devil’s Backbone Ride, 27, 43 and 52 miles, rear of parking lot across from Gruene Hall, Gruene. (210) 497-6820.

Bicycling: March 21, 9 a.m., Woman Hollering Creek Ride, 26 to 70 miles, Judson High School, Converse. (210) 240-6717.

Bicycling: March 21, 9 a.m., Stay Together Ride at the Woman Hollering Creek Ride, 26 or 36 miles, Judson High School, Converse. (210) 884-9470.

Bicycling: March 27, 9 a.m., Cibolo Ride, 20, 27, 39, 51, 66 and 71 miles, city hall parking lot, Cibolo. (210) 884-9470.

Bicycling: March 27, 9 a.m., Stay Together Ride at the Cibolo Ride, 27 to 39 miles, city hall parking lot, Cibolo. (361) 701-5369.

Bicycling: March 27, 9 a.m., LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour, 10, 30, 44 and 65 miles, LBJ National Historical Park, Stonewall. (210) 355-2645, (210) 414-8559.

Bicycling: March 28, 9 a.m., Helotes to Castroville Ride, 26, 45 and 58 miles, parking lot across from Floore Country Store, Helotes. (210) 679-0513.

Bicycling: April 3, 8 a.m., Bullis Park Ride, 21, 34, 48 and 66 miles, Bullis County Park. (210) 863-6201.

Bicycling: April 4, 8 a.m., Castroville Ride, 11, 25 and 40 miles, park-and-ride off highway 90 by Sammy’s Restaurant in Castroville. (830) 931-9744.

Bicycling: April 4, 1:30 p.m., Fair Oaks Afternoon Ride, 20, 32 and 45 miles, Fair Oaks Ranch Center. (210) 698-6625.

APD Chief Acevedo returns for second forum with the cycling …
from www.wellsphere.com
The weather outside may have been cold and stormy, but the reception from the cycling community to Austin Police Department Chief Art Acevedo was warm at last night’s forum at One Texas Center. The forum was a follow-up on last year’s meeting with the Chief, the first of its kind in Austin, and was sponsored by the Austin Cycling Association, Bicycle Advisory Council, Bike Texas, League of Bicycling Voters, and Austin Yellow Bike Project. The forum began with pre-selected questions from a panel chosen by the sponsors…

Loves To Create: Inspiration
by Nancy W
Inspiration
Comes in all forms, and this past weekend it came from lots of incredible folks cycling the hills of Montgomery County here near Houston Texas! I have been doing Weight Watchers since January and have lost just under 8lbs. I know any loss is a good loss but I had hoped to be losing more quicker, but patience is the key! I volunteered for the Continental Airlines 7th Annual Cycling Classic…

GreenComotion: What’s new in Roanoke, Texas?
by Chandra
On Saturday (3/6/2010), I was itching to ride a 50 miler. I thought of riding to WRL and doing a couple of rounds around the lake, and heading back home. This might have given me the mileage I was desiring but I decided to go some place I haven’t been in a while and it was a great decision. I rode to Roanoke, Texas and back – roughly 53 miles. This is the route I used!…

Williams Factory Texas Team: BICYCLES PLUS SPRING CRITERIUM
by Team Members
Look for the Williams Tent at your next Texas bicycle race and come say ‘Howdy’! Oh, and bring your sunglasses. You never know when you’ll need ‘em. Jason McCombs. Williams Cycling Texas Team.

How Many Water Bottles Do You Need? « Bike Noob
by rainycamp
Spring has come to Central Texas! It was 78°F (25.5°C) and sunny today, a great day for a bike ride. I saw two members of my club head out on theirs just as I was leaving for yet another trip to the doctor. Oh, well. …

Texas Bicycling Blog and News Roundup for November 26th

Rick Ankrum — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 06:03:43 +0000

UT Reporter: Bike Study
02:41 video
You may have noticed new bike signs and lanes around town — they’re coming from UT. The city asked the university to help with a bike study. [www.clipsyndicate.com | KTBC FOX 7 Austin, TX]

City Wants A Bike Boulevard Downtown
02:10 video
A one mile stretch of Nueces Street will be transformed into a safe haven for bicyclists under this new plan, but drivers will have a harder time navigating the changes. Cars outnumber bikes on Nueces Street in downtown Austin now, but the City of Austin is trying to reverse that trend with Austin’s first bicycle boulevard. [www.clipsyndicate.com | KTBC FOX 7 Austin, TX]

Autumn in West Texas « Urban Spotlight
by urbanspotlight
Saturday morning some of our group did a grueling bicycle ride. Fortunately some friends invited me to go to Alpine for the annual Artwalk festival. Activities included art galleries, crafts, food, a silent auction and music. …

C y c l e * D a l l a s: A cause for thanks giving.
by PM Summer
Ken Dille, an old friend from my Greater Dallas Bicyclists and Texas Bicycle Coalition days, made the mistake of riding in a bike lane in Austin (as required by law) and came away somewhat the worse. This is the typical “right hook” …

A Ride in Austin Texas
by admin
This last week our editors had a chance to ride the roads of Austin Texas as part of an organized group ride presented by the Austin Cycling Association (ACA). Austin has quickly become known as the hip part of Texas where it is actually okay to lean slightly to the left. The city displays this liberal slant by creating, signing, and maintaining usable bike lanes and pedestrian walkways. …

A branch of MTB you don’t hear much from is observed trials.

Pics-Dallas TX Small Group Ride
Here are some shots from this past Saturday in Dallas… There are thousands of boulders here. We mostly stayed on the medium to small sized stuff for this ride. All sandstone boulders on a nice pitch…

Seminole Canyon State Park southwest Texas surprise RV Wheel …
by Julianne Crane
Arrived at the Seminole Canyon State Park and Historical Site late yesterday afternoon in time to go on a six-mile bike ride along the Rio Grande River (loop) Trail. It was a very challenging ride for me because more than 3/4 of the …

The Texas Triffid Ranch – “And the Bikepath Warrior? That was the …
by The Texas Triffid Ranch – Odd Plants and Oddities
“And the Bikepath Warrior? That was the last we ever saw of him.”
Okay, I’ve been bicycling to work and for errands for nearly six straight years, only driving when the weather was too foul, and I’ve been biking for a lot longer than that. In that time, I’ve come perilously close to being taken out on Dallas streets by inattentive, arrogant, and/or senile drivers more often than I’d care to admit to the Czarina. …

Recreational Sports Calendar and Sign-up Sheet – Nov. 25, 2009
by San Antonio Express – San Antonio,TX,USA

Bicycling: Friday, 9 a.m., Leon Springs Day after Turkey Day Leaderless Ride, 18, 33 and 50 miles, behind Starbucks at corner of I-10 access road and Boerne Stage Road (exit 551).

Bicycling: Saturday, 9 a.m., Cibolo Ride, 20, 27, 39, 51, 66 and 71 miles, city hall parking lot, Cibolo. (210) 884-9470.

Bicycling: Saturday, 9 a.m., Stay Together Ride at the Cibolo Ride, 27 to 39 miles, city hall parking lot, Cibolo. (361) 701-5369.

Bicycling: Sunday, 9 a.m., Woman Hollering Creek Ride, 26 to 70 miles, Judson High School, Converse. (210) 826-0884.

Bicycling: Dec. 5, 9 a.m., Bullis Park Ride, 21, 34, 48 and 66 miles, Bullis County Park. (210) 884-9740.

Bicycling: Dec. 6, 9 a.m., Castroville Ride, 11, 25 and 40 miles, park-and-ride off highway 90 by Sammy’s Restaurant, Castroville. (830) 931-9744.

Bicycling: Dec. 6, 1:30 p.m., Fair Oaks Afternoon Ride, 20, 32 and 45 miles, Fair Oaks Ranch Center. (210) 698-6625.

Bicycling: Dec. 12, 9 a.m., Boerne Ride, 25 to 70 miles, city hall, Boerne. (210) 325-2500, (210) 524-9393.

Bicycling: Dec. 13, 9 a.m., Comal Elementary Ride, 28, 48, 55 and 72 miles, parking lot across from Comal Elementary School. (210) 289-8905.

Bicycling: Dec. 13, 1:30 p.m., Fair Oaks Ranch Afternoon Ride, 20, 32 and 45 miles, Fair Oaks Ranch Center. (210) 698-6625.

Bicycling: Dec. 19, 9 a.m., Southside Mission Ride, 27, 39, 51 and 61 miles, parking lot of visitors center, San Jose Mission. (210) 533-3416.

Bicycling: Dec. 20, 9 a.m., Woman Hollering Creek Ride, 26 to 70 miles, Judson High School, Converse. (210) 650-2525.

Bicycling: Dec. 26, 9 a.m., Cibolo Ride, 20, 27, 39, 51, 66 and 71 miles, city hall parking lot, Cibolo. (210) 884-9470.

Bicycling: Dec. 26, 9 a.m., Stay Together Ride at the Cibolo Ride, 27 to 39 miles, city hall parking lot, Cibolo. (361) 701-5369.

Bicycling: Dec. 27, 9 a.m., Rebecca’s Mirror Ride, 25, 45 and 75 miles, Bulverde Elementary School. (210) 289-8905.

FtW CycEx: Dallas CX
by rab
So we’ve got three races coming up this weekend in Dallas. That is about the only good reason I can think of to head more than a few miles east of I-35.

Friday night Bryan Fawley (aka – Fort Worth CX Race Weekend Dominator) has an event at the usually TNX location. Heard it is good but never been there. Read all about the flyover in the txbra.org cx forums section. Even have some video links if you want a visual. …

Bike Lemming: This is cool if it wasn’t for the hype
by Bike Lemming
The Land of a Thousand Commutes – That’s what Texas feels like this time of year. This morning was chilly, foggy and damp. I started out before sunrise and rode in. Here are a few scenes fr… 1 day ago. Cycling Obsessions …

I wasn’t sure where Manor was located. This Google map shows the location.

Manor Texas Bans Cyclists from Road
by Dean
I don’t like the idea of the many oppressing the few but, I understand there really isn’t a large enough cycling population to support pro-cycling legislation on a local level. That being sauid I’m sorry for the cyclist that are there. …

New Braunfels Downtown merchants ready as shopping begins
by Herald Zeitung
“The cycling industry has always been pretty recession-proof,” he said. “If you have a good product at a reasonable price, people will buy it. …

Has Anyone Seen the Finish Line?
by roostertx
This race is part of the West Texas Mountain Bike Series… it’s a very low key race with a small town feel. The race was very different than the TMBRA races that I’m used to… not many racers, maybe 50 or so, no map of the course, …

Dani Rudd, 15, competes in off-road cycling

Rick Ankrum — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 03:20:27 +0000

Teen cyclist focuses on training, advancing Gearing Up

from lubbockonline.com (full article link)

Dani Rudd, 15, sped along a dirt path on an open field in East Lubbock. He made a turn, climbing a steep, bumpy hill, then swung back around, ready to make yet another lap. To the untrained eye, the 0.6-mile loop across the street from the American Wind Power Center and Museum doesn’t look like much. But the slopes, turns and obstacles put a strain on the young cyclist – exactly what he and his father wanted when they built the course.

The Coronado High School sophomore competes in off-road cycling. He says he is currently ranked third in the state and seventh nationally in the junior expert men 15-16 age group in cross-country mountain biking.