Texas Bicycling News Digest September 30th 2017

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Sam Watkins to be honored at statewide tour’s Longview stop

By Chelsea Katz | www.kilgorenewsherald.com


When the Southwest Transplant Alliance was asked to submit a name to represent their organization at the Lone Star Circle of Life, one name popped into their mind: Sam Watkins.
Choosing Sam was based partly on the community’s response while the 18-year-old was fighting for her life after a seizure left her in a coma in December 2016, and following her death on Dec. 4, 2016, her mom, Barbara, said.
Since Sam’s death, Barbara and her family have helped advocate and help more people understand what it means to be an organ, marrow and tissue donor.
The Lone Star Circle of Life is a biennial bike tour with bicyclists traveling about 600 miles of Texas on a circuitous route from San Antonio to …

Whim of the road

By Jessica Pounds | www.cleburnetimesreview.com


It’s been almost every night this year that Dyar Bentz of Grandview has laid his head down to sleep in a different city, in a stranger’s home.
His winding, wandering path has led him around the world and back with interactions with so many different types of people.
So different that Bentz — who travels by way of bicycle — has filmed and is in the process of filming documentaries that highlight the cultures of different regions of the world.
“I love the pace and speed of a bike trip,” he said. “It’s ideal if you want to look at things in an artistic way. The ride can be so slow that you are forced to encounter and interact with people and places while the …

CRASH UPDATE: Cyclist injured in downtown Austin crash dies from injuries, police say

Alejandro Martinez-Cabrera | www.statesman.com

A cyclist who was seriously injured last week in a wrong-way crash with a minivan in downtown Austin died Friday, Austin police said.
According to a preliminary investigation, a 2006 Dodge Caravan was traveling east on the 600 block of Fifth Street when a cyclist exiting a private driveway turned the wrong way on Fifth Street (which is a one-way road) and struck the minivan head on.
The cyclist, later identified as Justin Richard Shapiro, 33, was taken to …

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Almost Missed Other Cyclists Bicycle Ride

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I was beginning to think I wouldn’t see any fellow cyclists on today’s bike ride until 10 to 12 of them appeared on Old Atascocita Road. I started a little later than I planned because the temperature was in the 60’s and I wanted to wait some for it to warm up. This put me a little later than the other riders. At 9:30 AM I rolled out the driveway headed for the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route. By then the temperature was 74 (70% humidity) under a nice clear blue sky. The wind was manageable at 7 mph though it accentuated the coolness a little. I was optimistic it would warm up and wore a short sleeve jersey though I was tempted to don a long sleeve one. As the ride progressed the sun warmed the air and by the time I finished at 11:45 AM it was 84.

For variety I rode the Blue Norcross AL bike which rolled smoothly over the bumps with the wider tires.

No rest stop today since the cooler temperatures lowered my thirst leaving enough water for the whole ride of 31.2 miles. I wanted to get back in time to watch the Astros play the Boston Red Sox but just in case the DVR was on duty to record it. Closing out September I rode 803 miles and am at 6,083 miles YTD. (September ride summary below) In years past September was vacation month so I rode less than this year, around 300 to 400 miles.

I will take a rest day tomorrow as October begins.

Strava Ride Summary (click on the image to go to Strava.com)

Strava Bicycle Ride Summary

September Rides Summary

RWGPS September Bicycle Rides Summary

Texas Bicycling News Digest September 29th 2017

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This weekend’s rides: Dam Loop! Red Horn!

by Thomas | steinerranchcycling.com

This Saturday lets do a classic Dam Loop clockwise at a fast pace. After the ride we meet up at Lakeside for some discounted burgers and beer!
Sunday is our usual Coffee Shop ride to Red Horn. It is 50 miles and is at an endurance pace typically finishing around a 17mph average speed overall. While we make great efforts to keep the group together, this is NOT a no drop ride. If you cannot hang with the group after …

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A Touch of Fall Bicycle Ride

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It felt like fall during the bike ride today. Although the temperature was 83 (70% humidity) when i started at 10:50 AM the NE 8 mph breeze had a coolness to it. Bicycling along the “New Caney – Roman Forest – Valley Ranch” route to the north the wind required extra effort to maintain a 17 to 19 mph speed. The sky was almost blue with some very thin clouds scattered around causing the weather station to call it mostly clear. The bike ride went 41.0 miles increasing the YTD to 6,052 miles and the month to 772 miles. With one riding day left this month I should reach 800+ miles for the third month this year.

Feeling good with the nice weather I rode with strong legs getting the overall average speed up to 14.6 mph and holding it there for a number of miles.

Biking through Roman Forest is a pleasant experience with light traffic and smooth streets though on Appian Way there is a section about 100 feet long where the road is full of potholes. I am not sure why this one section is so beat up. The other two lanes going the opposite direction do not have this problem. The school buses leaving nearby Dogwood Elementary School must rock and roll driving over this section.

Stopping at the Stripes station on FM 1314 and Valley Ranch Parkway I refilled my water bottle, grabbed a Greensheet and another advertisement newspaper and headed to the shade by the pumps. Looking through one of the papers the number of portable buildings for sale struck me by surprise. I didn’t know there was such a market for them. I ate two fruit and grain cereal bars and drank some ice water while resting for about 25 minute. I talked with the Stripes attendant who was emptying the trash containers when he came to the ones near me.

Leaving Stripes I enjoyed the mostly tailwind through Briar Tree, Oakhurst and Kingwood Place before heading east to Kings Manor and then into Kingwood. Riding east the wind wasn’t as friendly. I passed all of the schools before the dismissal traffic arrived finishing the bike ride at 2:14 PM. By then the temperature was 90 (humidity 60%) which felt more like summer.

I think I will start earlier than usual on tomorrow’s bike ride to catch the Bike Barn crowd. The weather should be much like today but the early morning version.

Strava Ride Summary (click on the image to go to Strava.com)

Strava Bicycle Ride Summary