Texas Bicycling News February 8th 2017

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Unsafe streets

Houston Chronicle | www.houstonchronicle.com

Houston continues to build a car-centric city that is dangerous by design.

BEEEEEEP
The wailing horn of a Metro light rail train is supposed to shock pedestrians and drivers to attention as they cross into the path of danger.
Consider this editorial a warning for Metro.
Two cyclists were killed by the light rail over the past week, adding to the system’s already embarrassingly high collision rate. Our 23-mile system has more collisions per mile between trains and pedestrians or bikes than any other major line in the nation, Houston Chronicle reporter Dug Begley wrote Monday.
All that Metro can …

Free stuff: We Love Houston Bike Ride

Texas News | texasnews.online

We Love Houston Bike Ride
A group bike ride through the city.
When: 1:30-3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Memorial Park, 6501 Memorial at the parking lot by the rugby field
Information: houston.bcycle.com

The revised Houston Bike Plan been released!

Houston Bike Plan | houstonbikeplan.org

The Planning Commission conducted a public hearing on the Houston Bike Plan on January 19, 2017. On February 2, 2017, the Planning Commission recommended approval of the Bike Plan and forwarded the Plan to City Council for consideration, subject to revisions. The revised Bike Plan has been updated and published at houstonbikeplan.org. Key updates include strengthening recommendations regarding public engagement, additional clarification on map legends and bicycle facility types, and additional recommendations for the role of the Bicycle Advisory Committee. The Plan is scheduled to be heard at the City Council’s Transportation, Technology & Infrastructure Committee on Monday, February 13, 2017 at 9:00 AM in the City Council Chambers, 901 Bagby St, Houston, TX 77002.

Request For Qualifications – 2017 Local Mobility Field Engineering for Pedestrian, Bikeway and Urban Trail Rotation List

Texas Bids | www.texasbids.net

This is Austin’s three-year plan to fight congestion with bikes

Michael Andersen | www.peopleforbikes.org


First in a series of profiles of the Big Jump Project’s 10 focus areas.
Central Austin seems to have everything: a massive research university, the world’s biggest annual media festival and one of the country’s strongest local job-creation engines.
But when a city sees so much success, it runs short of something else: space.
Austin is filling up. Its freeways and arterials are packed with cars.
“Even globally, no city has solved their transportation challenges by …

Burma Road

Pedal Pushers | roy-pedalpushers.blogspot.com


San Angelo, Texas
February 7, 2017
I had been wanting to try out the Giant on Burma Road, one of our local signature rides because of the constant rolling hills with some worthy challenges. Bob and John were visiting from Minnesota. The previous day we road on of our relatively “tame” routes to Knickerbocker and Guinn Road. Knickerbocker has one good climb and Guinn Road has rolling hills. So, we decided to try out Burma as it would show off our different terrain in and around San Angelo. …

Registration for 32nd Tour D’Italia now open

By Kelsey Poynor | www.waxahachietx.com


ITALY – Grab a bike and throw on a helmet because registration for the 32nd annual Tour d’Italia cycling event is now open. The event, hosted by a biking enthusiasts organization out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Lone Star Cyclists, is a fundraiser that donates a portion of the proceeds to Italy ISD to use for scholarships.
The partnership between Lone Star Cyclists and Italy ISD has been nothing but beneficial for the district and something IISD Superintendent Lee Joffre is excited to continue.
“The Lone Star Cyclists have had a tremendous effect in …

Nation’s First Solar-Powered, Glow-in-the-Dark Bike Lane Protects Cyclists at Night

Lorraine Chow | www.ecowatch.com


Texas A&M students, teachers and staff no longer have to worry about cycling the campus’ busy Bizzell and Ross intersection at night thanks to an innovative glow-in-the-dark bike lane.
The university boasts that the lane is the nation’s first “non-signalized, Dutch-style intersection … [that] includes …

Man on bike struck, killed by van near Holland

Brandon Gray | www.kcentv.com

A man is dead after being struck by a van while riding his bicycle Wednesday morning at the intersection SH 95 and Mills Lane just a few miles north of Holland, Texas.
The accident happened around 6:00 a.m., according to a …

League and 3M announce the 2017 National Bike Challenge

The League of American Bicyclists | bikeleague.org

The League of American Bicyclists and presenting sponsor 3M are excited to announce the sixth annual National Bike Challenge. The Challenge will welcome over 60,000 riders to pedal a combined 30 million miles between May 1 and September 30, 2017 for improved health, fitness and fun!
Challenge participants will use the Strava platform to record their commuting and recreational miles, and statistics and leaderboards will then appear on the new nationalbikechallenge.org site. There is no cost to participants to join, and riders are encouraged to form teams at their …

Group raising awareness for organ donation

By RAUL GARCIA | www.valleymorningstar.com


SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — Debi Plamondon was riding with the wind as she pedaled her bike down Padre Boulevard yesterday and every turn was all for a good cause.
This wasn’t the first time she participated the Tour de Padre Bike tour and pub crawl that takes participants to different Island restaurants.
Debi, a Winter Texan from Maine said she and her …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Remembered Sunscreen Bike Ride

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Another short sleeve jersey bike ride day and I remembered the sunscreen on my arms. I started a little earlier than usual (11:02) bicycling the “Kingwood – SH 242 – Kingwood” route. Riding north I made great time averaging 15.5 mph when I made the turn around at SH 242. Then the tailwind became my enemy. The temperature was 82 to 85 when I finished the ride at 1:16 which was great but that wind was from the west at 14 mph gusting to 18 mph. My legs bogged down whenever the windbreak to my right vanished. I did notice the concrete guardrail on the bridge over Caney Creek was high enough to block the wind better than the trees and buildings set back from the road. South of Roman Forest Blvd. biking south there are some tall mounds of dirt and these blocked some wind.

From the 15.5 mph average speed at SH 242 it starting dropping and ended up at 15.1 mph at the Kingwood Drive u-turn. I was surprised it didn’t fall further given how slow I seemed to riding. After yesterday’s ride I thought my legs would be too tired to handle more wind but they recovered overnight.

All of this warm weather and sunshine will spoil me. I am thinking early May weather but the calendar says it is early February. A mild cool front is supposed to move through this afternoon and evening with tomorrow’s high in the low 70’s or high 60’s. But by Saturday 80’s will be back in time for the Humble Lions Club Bike Ride.

Today I cycled 31.35 miles boosting February to 176.75 miles, 51% of my 345 mile goal. Year to date I am 9% of my 6,800 mile goal.

Depending on how the cool front affects the weather will determine if I bicycle tomorrow. This could be the most miles in a week so far this year.

Links to RideWithGPS.com and Strava.com.

Home weather at the start
Home weather at the finish
Airport weather at the finish

Ride Summary

Texas Bicycling News February 7th 2017

Texbiker.net Posted on by

North Cat Mountain Greenbelt

Austin Parks Foundation | www.austinparks.org

Free bicycle clinic for beginners and the experienced

By Rachel Cole | www.kristv.com

Video

Biking in the coastal bend has grown in popularity and because of the boost, a local bike shop is hosting a free clinic. We’re talking about everything from where the best bike routes are here in town, to how to fix a flat.
Saddling up for a bike ride should be a smooth process but as Pedal Bicycle Shop owner, Sam Crecelius explains sometimes riders hit a snag. …

400 youngsters receive bicycle helmets

BY JANICE GIBBS | www.tdtnews.com


BELTON — Monday morning, members of the Bell County Medical Alliance were perched on tiny chairs in the cafeteria at the Belton Early Childhood Center prepared to fit bicycle helmets on about 400 youngsters as part of the Hard Hats for Little Heads.
About every 15 minutes a different group of 4- to 5-year-olds arrived prepared to receive their helmets. …

Veterans Donate Bike to Veteran in Need

By: Alfredo Cuadros | www.rgvproud.com


BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A veteran receives a new bike in Brownsville to get a new outlook on life.
This morning the Warriors United in Arms give a fellow veteran in need access to a transportation method.
This comes as the veteran group discusses the harsh reality that can be homelessness within veteran communities.
Each year the Department of Veteran Affairs sees thousands of veterans on …

John Long Email to City & Metro

BikeHouston | bikehouston.or

We are reaching out regarding the two people who have died over the weekend to ask if there is any way we can help in a follow-up investigation and in communication with the public.
I know we are all feeling these personal tragedies. We are mourning for the families and friends of these two Houston people. Each of us sees ourselves, our loved ones, in their place and our hearts ache.
BikeHouston has been following up with media and people with bicycles on these deaths as …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

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Azaleas Blooming Early Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I must’ve been mesmerized by the 83 degrees when I started the bike ride on the “May Park Community Center – Huffman” route today. Maybe for the first time this year I didn’t wear a long sleeve jersey or jacket and I forgot to put sunscreen on my arms although I put it on my face. Today’s bike ride displaced yesterday’s as the second longest coming in at 39.5 miles. I saw one other bicyclist along the ride today so I wasn’t alone taking in the great biking weather.

The warm temperatures have triggered the azalea plants to start blooming. I saw several plants in full bloom which is about a month early. It looks like the warm weather will be hanging around for awhile. According to Space City Weather commentary today: “After Houston reached 81 degrees on Monday (tying a record high set in 1911), the city has now recorded 12 days with high temperatures of 80 degrees, or warmer, this winter. According to the National Weather Service, the record for total number of 80-degree days in “winter,” defined here as December through February, is 17, which has happened three times (1995-96, 1956-57, & 1910-11). We’re likely to pick up at least two more 80-degree days this week, so that will put us at 14. I’d give us even odds of breaking the overall mark.” Great for biking but unusual for February.

Wind was my big problem on today’s ride. The wind was from the W at 7 mph but my legs pedaled like it was 25 mph. I rode okay as long as it wasn’t into the wind. The worst section started when I reached the May Community Center and left onto Wolf Road. The legs bogged down like a truck starting out in 4th gear. My average speed went from 15 mph to 13.4 mph when I took a short break at the Huffman Chevron. This was the first rest stop there this year. I ate a Clif bar hoping for some magical energy to power me west on FM 1960 into the wind. The magical power must’ve been somewhere else because leaving the Chevron station the max speed my legs produced was 16 or 17 mph for short bursts.

Relief should have come turning onto Atascocita Shores Drive biking north to northwest but the wind moved too, or so it felt. It was a struggle all the way home getting there at 2:53 with very tired legs. The ride started at 11:54 with more promise from the warm weather. Maybe biking three days in a row this early in the year is asking too much for average speeds higher than that.

Even with the maxed out legs I am at 42% of February’s mileage goal of 345 miles. 21 days remain though I probably won’t ride every one so the goal is within reach. The weather continues tomorrow (Wednesday) and I plan on bicycling.

Links to RideWithGPS.com and Strava.com.

Home weather at the start
Home weather at the finish
Airport weather at the finish

Ride Summary