Texas Bicycling News October 13th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

NICA’s College Essay Scholarships Awarded

www.nationalmtb.org

We are pleased to announce the 2016 NICA College Essay Scholarship Recipients! The following deserving NICA student-athletes will receive $500 as result of our Educational Partners. We thank Lees-McRae College, Fort Lewis College, King University and Prescott College for their partnership and for this opportunity. …

…
I am currently attending Sam Houston State University, and studying biomedical science. I am also racing for team chumba in the women’s age division 19-39 CAT 1, with the hopes of starting an official club cycling team at SHSU!
Megan Gautreaux, Huntsville High School MTB Team, Texas League (read her essay here!) …

Teens on bikes accused in armed robbery along White Oak Bayou

Will Axford

www.chron.com

Three teenagers on bicycles are accused of robbing women at gunpoint along White Oak Bayou. They were arrested Wednesday night.
According to Houston Police Department spokesman Kese Smith, police received calls around 7:30 p.m. about three teens on bikes approaching people. One of the teens had a gun. In one instance, Smith said, the boys got into a shoving match with a woman, but nothing …

Biking in the ‘burbs: The Woodlands considers master plan

By Mike Snyder

www.houstonchronicle.com


THE WOODLANDS – We rode side by side along the wide, smooth shoulder of Research Forest Drive, chatting amiably in that huffing way people do while they’re exercising. A comfortable distance separated our bikes from the cars and trucks streaking by on our left.
As we approached an intersection, my guide, Randall Cade, pointed to a spot in the roadway …

Southern Tier Part II

By Ann Metcalfe

www.crazyguyonabike.com

D-Day Tomorrow: Back on the road for the second half!
Wednesday October 12, 2016
Mac and I left Juneau yesterday at the frightening hour of 5:10 a.m., bikes in boxes, headed for Austin, Texas to pick up where we left off last year on our ride across the country. Last year we did the first half of the Southern Tier–San Diego to Austin. You can see the story of that journey in a separate blog (http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/annmactour2015). This year, it’s Austin, to St. Augustine (or thereabouts), then up the Atlantic Coast to Youngsville, North Carolina outside Raleigh-Durham, total of around 2,000 miles. We ride unsupported on Surly Long Haul Truckers, about 40 miles a day average, camping and doing motels.
Packing was a little easier after the experience gained last year. You don’t really need that much stuff, especially clothes, but even with less than 24 hours left, I was going through the difficult calculus of paring my load to what is truly needed. We bought a lighter tent this year – Hubba Hubba 2-person tent. It’s a breeze to pitch, which should …

A Ride to Remember

By Ken Kuntz

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 38: Marathon, TX to Marfa, TX
Thursday October 13, 2016
Starting Point: Mararthon, TX
Ending Point: Marfa, TX
Riding Conditions: Cold early this morning (low 50’s), warming into the low-80’s. And on and off headwind.
Miles Today: 56
Quote for the day: “A bad attitude is like a flat tire… you can’t go anywhere until you change it.” — Unattributed
We left before sunrise again this morning. The mornings are chilly, but it’s been getting warm about an hour after sunrise. So I wasn’t surprised when I was shivering in the first few minutes of the ride this morning. Liz rode out with me, and is never cold, so it didn’t seem worth it to return to the van for a jacket. Actually, we learned later that …

READ THIS! Many important things SRC related

by Thomas

steinerranchcycling.com

I have a few important things to get out to everyone, so I’m gonna combine them all in this wonderfully crafted post.
It is SRC Party Time! Save the date for Sunday, November 6 at 2 PM. We have the Steiner Ranch Lake Club Pavillion reserved ( https://goo.gl/maps/vUBF7x82EM92 ) and we will have food and drinks for everyone. Anyone that rides with us (on occasion or regularly) is …

Houston’s Energy Corridor Getting Dutch Inspired Intersections

Cycling Space City

cyclingspacecity.blogspot.com

Today the Energy Corridor Business District just announced that intersections at Highway 6, Eldridge, and Dairy Ashford along the I-10 frontage road will get new pedestrian and cycling friendly redesigns. The article goes into detail but this video is a great explanation of the design coming soon to the Energy Corridor: …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/pitvins/status/786622461739532288

https://twitter.com/BBQ44/status/786615194239709185

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Valero Station Rest Stop Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I almost started the bike ride before 11 AM but I missed it by a few minutes and started at 11:07. I went back and forth on what route to pick going north and landed on the “New Caney – Gene Campbell Road” one. I rode 5 miles before leaving Kingwood to set up what would turn out to be a 37.06 mile long ride. The weather continues to be late summer with 90 degrees, mostly cloudy skies and SSE 7 mph breeze. The weather when I stopped at the Valero was slightly cooler and less of a breeze.

Making my way through Woodridge Forest on the way to I-69/US59 my attention moved to the work going on: fence going up, new homes being built, sidewalks being poured and utilities dug.

Once I was on the northbound service road I made good time to New Caney with the help from the breeze. On FM1485 the breeze continued to assist until I made the left turn onto Gene Campbell Road. Traffic was light going west while the east bound traffic was more active. I think one vehicle passed me during the 4 1/2 mile ride to FM1314. I noticed Gene Campbell Road is not flat riding from FM1485 to the Walmart Distribution entrance. It is a long slow incline and required extra effort. The road surface has some soon-to-be broken places that need repair.

Lately I stopped at the Cumberland Blvd. Shell station but today I biked past there and stopped at the Sorters Road Valero. I used to stop there before the Shell station was built. The ride data when I pulled into the Valero:

10-13-2016-sorters-road-valero

10-13-2016-porter-weather

I got some paper towels from the pump area but I had to throw them away because they were covered in tiny ants. I found a spot between the ice coolers and the propane tanks to eat my snack crackers and water. Being at a different station I got to see different people. After resting and cooling down I got back on the bike and rolled away about 1:10. This would put in front of the school traffic all the way to the end of the ride at 2:08.

After 11 rides this month I am past 67% of the way to my 600 mile goal. Year to date I biked 175 times. Tomorrow the weather should continue and I plan on biking.

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Texas Bicycling News October 12th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Cyclist hit by car near UT Campus

Mark D. Wilson

www.statesman.com


A cyclist was hospitalized on Wednesday after being hit by a car near the University of Texas.
Austin-Travis County EMS crews were called to the crash in the 2800 block of Guadalupe Street around 11:50 p.m. after …

Fox plans to recall some Float X2 shocks; tells suppliers and retailers to stop sales now

by BRAIN Staff

www.bicycleretailer.com

SCOTTS VALLEY, Calif. (BRAIN) — Fox Factory is advising bike owners with certain Float X2 shocks on their bikes to stop using the bikes; the company also is telling bike suppliers and retailers to stop selling bikes with the shocks until further instructed.
Fox is working with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission on details of a forthcoming voluntary recall.
The company is …

Lone Star Enduro – Stage 4 – Snakeskin

by TC

www.turnincranks.com

Snakeskin is a lot of fun! There’s a little double roller jump about midway through, but with my injured shoulder, I could not pull up confidently on the bars so I took the B line. My jumping and bunny hopping were greatly limited by my shoulder. …

Lone Star Enduro – Stage 5 – Mind the Gap

by TC

www.turnincranks.com

The final stage and what a doozy! It ends with a 20′ gap jump that is not very flexible. Either you hit it well, or you might be in for a trip to the hospital. Considering my experience with jumps is next to nil, I opted for the B line around the jump. …

A Ride to Remember

By Ken Kuntz

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 37: Sanderson, TX to Marathon, TX
Wednesday October 12, 2016, 55 miles (89 km) – Total so far: 1,865 miles (3,001 km)
Starting Point: Sanderson, TX
Ending Point: Mararthon, TX
Riding Conditions: About 60 degrees early, warming into the mid-80’s. Light winds. A lot of uphill, but a gentle slope.
Miles Today: 55
Quote for the day: “She’d grown up believing in hell in an abstract nightmare way; but west Texas had given her something more concrete upon which to dread the afterlife.” — Cherie Priest, from “Dreadful Skin”
Today’s ride took me from Sanderson to Marathon, and I have to admit I wasn’t looking forward to it. There aren’t any services between the two towns (not even a convenience store), and the first 35 miles are uphill. So I started much earlier than usual – just before sunrise.
Actually, it wasn’t a bad ride. The uphill slope was fairly gentle, slowing me down more than wearing me out. And at mile 23 you enter Brewster County, and the shoulder of the road went from rough chip seal to smooth asphalt. So nice! Thank you, Brewster County.
And right before the end of the uphill portion I came …

Captain’s Blog – 10/12/2016 – Good Night Sweet (Cycling) Prince – The Party’s Over!

by Peter Ray

cycling.powweb.com

…NOT! The party’s NEVER over for this team. Even though the Bike MS: Valero Ride to the River was last week, there’s still a lot going on…
Shout out to the RTTR Valero Volunteers at Rest Stop 2
In my post-ride rhapsody last week when I composed the most upbeat blog ever, I somehow managed to overlook the incredible contribution of those Valero Volunteers who staffed Rest Stop#2 on Day 1, aka the best rest stop ever. I’m going to defer to team member and former Captain Laura “The Queen” Vaccaro for this heartfelt homage to Maureen C and her …

Tuesday: Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Bike Ride at the Ant Hills

Tuesday, Oct 18, 2016, 6:15 PM

15200 Memorial Dr
15200 Memorial Dr Houston, Te

2 cyclists Went

This will be a medium to fast pace ride through the Ant Hills of Hershey Park! Bring WATER, spare tube/tire, snacks, etc…Helmets required. Call if you are going to be late so we can wait for you. Wheels rolling by 6:30! See you there

Check out this Meetup →

Pedal patrol: Plano teen bikes with officers for two years

Hannah Davis, WFAA

www.wfaa.com

Officer Erik Ahrens didn’t realize what would come of a gift he and fellow officers gave two years ago.
“We saw this kid and he was outgoing and so nice. Then we noticed the pink bike with no brakes,” Ahrens said.
The community police officer is talking about D’Andre Nelson, who was 15-years-old when they first met. Nelson was riding his sister’s old bike after someone …

Community members attend Bike Night event

www.ksat.com

Cyclists learn about new projects in Alamo City

SAN ANTONIO – Trails, bike lanes and bike paths were just some of the cycling infrastructures mentioned at Wednesday night’s Bike Night.
The event was a chance for community members and cyclists to learn more about bicycle projects throughout the Alamo City.
“We also have a call for projects for about $15 million worth of funding that will be allocated to different projects that are either oriented toward bicyclists or pedestrians,” said Linda Vela, planning …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/bicyclesplus/status/786245641655623680

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

45 MPH on a MTB? Bike Ride to Huffman

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Started the bike ride today at 11:55 on the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Extended” route. The weather changed some from yesterday to mostly cloudy, 90 degrees and a SSE wind at 12 mph. Cycling to the southeast put me into the wind for about 17 miles until I turned left onto FM2100 to go to Huffman. Earlier when I crossed FM1960 at Pinehurst Trail and the shoulder from Atascocita Shore Drive to the western edge of the Lake Houston causeway I biked through the rough asphalt where the old surface had been ground off. Crossing FM1960 wasn’t too bad but the shoulder going east from Atascocita Shore Drive was rough with lots of debris from the work. The return trip from the west end of the causeway to Atascocita Shore was rough as well but one good thing is the old concrete droppings that blocked the shoulder near the turn are now gone. No more edging into the lane of traffic to get around the concrete. With the grinding out of the way maybe the new asphalt will be put down soon.

With the extended route I ride north from the Huffman Chevron rather than west on FM1960. I don’t ride the extended portion of the route very often. Smith Road is where I turn west and it has some issues with the road surface. The asphalt has “slipped” toward the shoulder in places which leaves cracks in the road. For cars these are not a big deal but for the narrow bike tire it is a big deal so I have to pay close attention to avoid the cracks.

I stopped at the Huffman Chevron for a break before riding north on FM2100. I was 18.9 miles into what ended up being a 32.33 mile long ride. Today when I got to the railroad crossing there was no train and I was first in line waiting for the traffic light to change. The ride data when I stopped at the Chevron station.

10-12-2016-huffman-chevron

I forgot to take a screenshot of the weather while I was eating because I was talking with this man who rode into the station on a mountain bike with a lady also on a mountain bike. He asked me about my Stradalli and how fast I could ride on it. I told him the bike was much faster than I can ride it but I do ride 21 or 22 mph when the conditions are with me. He told me he had a 29″ Giant MTB (different from the one he was riding today) that one day when he was riding on FM2100 a policeman pulled up beside him and told him to slow down to 45 mph which was the speed limit. I don’t know where he was riding on FM2100, which is flat in most places, or if this was with a strong tailwind but I am not convinced he could ride a 29″ MTB 45 mph or more. I nodded and then the lady came out of the store and they went to the air station to air their tires up. I watched them ride south on FM2100.

Finishing my snack crackers I refilled my water bottle and got ready to leave the station. It was 1:47 when I clipped into the pedals for the 13+ miles to the end of the ride. I was slightly concerned the extended portion of the route might put me in the Kingwood High School traffic at Kingwood Drive but I got there at 2:32 and the traffic had not backed up. I stopped for a few seconds and then made my way across Kingwood Drive. From there it was about 2 miles to the end. I stopped the Elemnt at 2:42.

My ride progress for October:

10-12-2016-october-to-date

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