Texas Bicycling News October 9th 2016

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#SaveMcAllisterTrails

Alex Cisneros

www.youtube.com

The city wants to give 68 acres of public park land at McAllister Park to Capitol Park Little League for baseball fields for private only use. The city wants to give $2 Million dollars from the 2017 bond program to the Capital Park Little League to build the fields instead of making …

College Station Fire Department tests bike paramedics at Northgate

By Rebecca Fiedle

www.theeagle.com


Patrons of Northgate bars and restaurants are familiar with College Station police officers on bicycles who patrol the area, but they also may see a new type of first responder on the streets — paramedics.
The College Station Fire Department is testing a new concept: two paramedics on bicycles patrolling Northgate on Fridays and Saturdays. Paramedics Stanley Stephenson and Carter Hall started their patrols when Aggie football season started and will continue until after Thanksgiving. The two are the test subjects in an experiment that was the brainchild of Assistant Operations Chief Joe Warren. …

The joy of creation

By Matt Payne

www.dentonrc.com


Those behind the second Denton Mini Maker Faire had the same mission as last year: to showcase innovation, creativity and resourcefulness for all ages.
Denton’s “greatest show and tell on Earth” hosted artists weaving together circular paint patterns next to cyclists with handmade bikes jury-rigged to generate electricity. Craft beer connoisseurs, student engineers and more all gathered to spread the word about how they’ve created imaginative, cool things. …

… Daisy Horta with Querencia Community Bike Shop brought bike panniers she built out of handbags purchased from thrift stores. For under $10, she designed a way to carry items on her rides.
The nonprofit shop also assembled a mounted bicycle wired to a generator that charges phones. …

FREE Skills Clinic – ALL Levels –

GHORBA.org

Trail: Memorial Park
Saturday, November 12, 2016 – 8:00am

Go for an easy beginner ride

Saturday, Oct 15, 2016, 7:30 AM

Performance Bicycle
7549 Westheimer Rd Houston, TX

6 Cycling Enthusiasts Went

You’re invited to join our Saturday morning, beginners group ride starting from and ending at our W. Houston, Performance Bicycle store. The ride is for beginners and those getting back on the saddle. The average pace will be between 10 and 14 miles per hour and the ride will last approximately one hour. We’ll explore some of the local bike paths a…

Check out this Meetup →

Memorial bike ride to be held for Fergus Falls teen who died in hit and run accident in Waco, TX

By WDAY / WDAZ Staff

Fergus Falls, MN (WDAY/WDAZ News) – In Fergus Falls a memorial bike ride will be held Monday for a young man who died in a hit-and-run.
19-year-old David Grotberg of Fergus Falls was killed while riding his bike with his girlfriend on Thursday in Waco, Texas.
The car was speeding, hit Grotberg and then drove off. …

Saturday Ride Schedule

Maverick Chain Gang

maverickchaingang.org

October 15, 2016
Pirkey Lake – West – 31.6 miles
Meet at: First Baptist Church, 405 W Austin St, Marshall, TX – 9:00 a.m.
October 22, 2016
Brad Spann – 27.3 miles
Meet at: Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 4700 Victory Dr, Marshall, TX – 9:00 a.m.
October 29, 2016
Scottsville, Marshall/Leigh Rd. – 29.9 miles
Meet at: Evangelical Presbyterian Church, 4700 Victory Dr, Marshall, TX – 9:00 a.m.
November 5, 2016
Pope City – 32.1 miles
Meet at: North side of Walmart parking lot, 1701 SE End Blvd, Marshall, TX – 9:00 a.m.

A Ride to Remember

By Ken Kuntz

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 34: 25 miles east of Brackettville, TX to Del Rio, TX
Sunday October 9, 2016, 60 miles (97 km) – Total so far: 1,694 miles (2,726 km)
Starting Point: 25 miles east of Brackettville, TX
Ending Point: Del Rio, TX
Riding Conditions: Very warm (low 80’s), with light winds.
Miles Today: 60
Quote for the day: “Good morale in cycling comes from good legs” — Sean Yates
Last year I felt noticeably stronger after about 10 days, and I’m counting on that happening again. Today’s ride was longer than the previous two, but the terrain was almost completely flat. That’s good news for my legs, but the area I covered today was considerably less scenic. The limestone hills with large oak trees have given way to …

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Texas Bicycling News October 8th 2016

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A Ride to Remember

By Ken Kuntz

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 32: Hunt, TX to Vanderpool, TX
Friday October 7, 2016, 42 miles (68 km) – Total so far: 1,580 miles (2,543 km)
Starting Point: Hunt, TX
Ending Point: Vanderpool, TX
Riding Conditions: Temp in the mid 70’s, light winds. Very hilly!
Miles Today: 42
Quote for the day: “If all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.” — Dan Rather
Well, we’re back on the trail. Many of you will remember that we did the first leg (St. Augustine, FL to Austin, TX) of the bike tour in Oct-Nov of last year. We started the second leg (Austin to San Diego) in February, but on the 2nd day I had a health issue and had to return to Houston.
Everything is fine now, so this morning Liz & I traveled from Houston to Hunt, TX, the …

Day 33: Vanderpool, TX to 25 miles east of Bracketville, TX
Saturday October 8, 2016, 54 miles (87 km) – Total so far: 1,634 miles (2,630 km)
Starting Point: Vanderpool, TX
Ending Point: 25 miles east of Bracketville, TX
Riding Conditions: Temps in the mid 60’s early, but warmed to the low 80’s. Light winds.
Miles Today: 54
Quote for the day: “Don’t buy upgrades, ride up grades” – Eddy Merckx
Before I talk about today, I want to mention that I just updated yesterday’s post. I started way too late last night, and had to hurry.
I knew what I was facing this morning, so there was nothing to do but get started. There were two long climbs in the first 12 miles, and it took me almost two hours to get through them. Not much fun. None of the training I’ve done in the Houston area prepared me for these climbs. But the elevation profile (see below) told me that life would radically improve once I got to the top of the second climb. I stopped frequently to rest, and gradually made progress. Not pretty, but it got done.
The silver lining was defintely the views. This is classic Texas Hill Country, and …

Boosting tourism, activity

By FERNANDO DEL VALLE

www.valleymorningstar.com


HARLINGEN — Pedal your bike along winding trails, from historic battlegrounds to breezy shorelines.
Then hop in a kayak and paddle across the Laguna Madre.
In Cameron County, a group of cities is working on a project aimed at promoting the area’s bike trails and kayak routes to draw “active tourism.”
This week, Harlingen city commissioners approved a …

‘Cycling Dutchman’ slows world tour for stop in Harlingen

By RICK KELLEY

www.valleymorningstar.com


HARLINGEN — Like Willie, he just can’t wait to get back on the road again.
When you’re 24,000 miles into your bicycle trip, why slow down?
Meet Rick Creemers of the Netherlands, a lanky young man who stands 6-foot-3 and just turned 24 — and he’s living the dream of rounding the planet on two wheels.
Creemers rode into Harlingen on Tuesday en route from …

Cyclists gather to remember Aggie killed by garbage truck

By Aimee Breaux

www.theeagle.com


When Clayton Niemitz, an avid cyclist and a member of the Texas A&M cycling team, met Alannah Ritch, he introduced her to his passion.
“I got her a bike this year — the first time we rode together, we went 30 miles,” Niemitz said.
On Friday, Niemitz joined with other cyclists in the Bryan-College Station Courtesy Mass, a club that advocates for …

Local bike race raises awareness for bone marrow registry

By Kristen Singletary

www.kwtx.com


WACO, Texas (KWTX) Hundreds of bikers gathered in downtown Waco for the Sweetest Ride in Texas race Saturday morning.
The race, sponsored by Wild West Waco and Mars candy company, benefited the Be The Match program.
Be The Match is the international bone marrow donor registry which helps blood cancer patients find unrelated, life saving, stem cell donors.
Bikers rode in honor of those still …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/pitvins/status/784802857723629568

The Heroes Bike Ride – Conroe, TX

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I did not think about this bike ride until last night when I got an email listing things to do in Conroe this weekend. Shame on me. the event is in the Texbiker.net event calendar and is close to home. Leaving home around 7:35 I arrived at the Montgomery County Fairgrounds a little after 8 AM. Many bicyclists were already there as I pulled the Wrangler into the parking spot. Walking to the registration area I passed out Texbiker.net business cards. After paying, getting my number and shirt I walked back to the Wrangler and passed out more cards. The weather was perfect but a little cooler than I prefer.

10-8-2016-conroe-weather-start

Fortunately I wore a long sleeve jersey under my Texbiker.net short sleeve jersey. At the registration in addition to the usual stuff I got a wrist band with the name of a police officer who died in the line of service. The one I received was Police Officer Boyce Hanes from California, EOW: November 5, 2015. This link tells his story.

We rolled out a little after 9 AM in groups the ride marshals managed. The sun was bright and the wind not too strong from the north, where we were headed. I was in the first group but the next group caught us as I rode slower for the first few miles to not burn out. I planned on riding the 51 mile route and needed to pace myself. The roads were good but there were a few sections of chip’n seal. I stopped at the first rest stop long enough to take a few pictures (see the album below for the pictures) and then resumed the bike ride.

Around mile 19 I came to a place with a cyclist down in the grass off the side of the road. One of the motorcycle men was there with him along with a couple of other bicyclists. He didn’t look too good holding his head. I continued riding but I said several prayers for him to be okay. At the 24 mile rest stop while I got some Gatorade and ate a couple of granola bars a pickup truck pulled in with a bike in the back. Not long after that two men helped the fallen cyclist walk to the first aid tent. I could overhear the conversation and the bicyclist said he hit a patch in the road and went over the handlebars. He didn’t walk very easily but sitting in the chair the medics looked after him. I left the stop not long after he arrived so I don’t know what happened to him.

FM1725 was smoother than SH 150 and not as hilly. As I rode on FM1725 it brought back memories of my first solo century ride in the early 1980’s. My route covered FM1725 and other roads in the area. Some of the houses looked similar to then though the cars were slightly newer. Turning right onto FM3081 I stopped to take a couple of photos of the burnt area. This section is in the Sam Houston National Forest and the burn area looked bad. My memory said FM3081 ended and the roads were not as good but when I reached the end and veered left onto Baldwin Taylor Road it was not bad but it was hilly. The rough road started when the route shifted to FM1484 which was chip’n seal all the way until the turn onto Willis Waukegan Road. This road was nice and smooth but into the wind. By this point the ride finish was less than 9 miles away. At the traffic light the route turned left onto concrete FM1484, much smoother and wider than the earlier section.

I finished the ride at 12:37 under the bright red arch at the finish line. Many cars were still there meaning bicyclists were still out on the ride. A few around the Wrangler were gone though, including the one in front of me. The biker in that car told me he was practicing for the Galveston triathlon so I guess he was fast, his bike was fast looking. The weather at the finish:

10-8-2016-conroie-weather-finish

Click on the image below to see the photo album

The Heroes Bike Ride 2016

[iframe http://rwgps-embeds.com/trips/11426194/embed 700px 700px]

[iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/738517625/embed/bb693751eabdefa069481009f6ace7e09c063b14 590px 405px]

Texas Bicycling News October 7th 2016

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Baylor student on bicycle fatally struck by car that fled

www.valleymorningstar.com

WACO, Texas (AP) Waco police say a Baylor University student was killed while bicycling with his girlfriend when a vehicle struck him and then fled.
Police say that 19-year-old David Grotberg was hit late Thursday night. Police say witnesses told officers that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when it struck the bicyclist. The driver WACO, Texas (AP) × Waco police say a Baylor University student was killed while bicycling with his girlfriend when a vehicle struck him and then fled.
Police say that 19-year-old David Grotberg was hit late Thursday night. Police say witnesses told officers that the vehicle was traveling at a high rate of speed when it struck the bicyclist. The driver …

Fergus Falls man dies in Texas crash

By Tim Engstrom

www.fergusfallsjournal.com

A young man from Fergus Falls living in Texas was pronounced dead Thursday night after a speeding car struck his bicycle in a hit-and-run collision, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald.
The newspaper this morning cites police in Waco in reporting that David Grotberg, 19, of Fergus Falls, was taken to …

The 20th Annual LIVESTRONG Challenge in Austin is Gearing Up

www.justmeans.com

WHAT: On Sunday, October 16, thousands of ridersحany of them cancer survivorsءnd other LIVESTRONG Foundation supporters from not only Texas, but cities and towns across America will come together to honor their courageous fight against cancer during the 20th annual LIVESTRONG Challenge.
It is the only ride that begins and ends in downtown Austin. Additionally, it is open to participants of any skill level. Riders, runners, and walkers from around the country can choose from 20, 45, 65, or 100-mile bike rides through the …

A Dutch Junction With Glow-in-the-Dark Bike Lanes Now Exists in Texas

by Angie Schmitt

usa.streetsblog.org


ItÓ³ AmericaÓ³ first unsignalized Ô„utch JunctionÔ × a type of intersection with protected space for cycling. It even has solar luminescent bike lanes. And hereÓ³ the kicker × itÓ³ in the heart of Texas.
The Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M led the design and installation at a campus intersection in College Station. The Dutch Junction is designed to keep bicyclists out of the blind spots of turning motorists, preventing right-hook collisions. …

You don’t need different bikes for different types of cycling

BILL CULLINS

www.gosanangelo.com

There’s a new and growing bicycle trend that I predict will have a significant impact on the cycling market for the next few years.
Simply put, that trend is “one bike for everything.”
Although every bike company has one or more models of adventure bikes in their lineup, bicycles like the Raleigh Tamland, Salsa Cutthroat and almost any model of cyclocross or dirt road design will work well if you want one bike that will handle almost any type of riding or even most types of racing.
Don’t be fooled by what the bicycle marketing people tell you. If you read the ads …

Texas Mutual’s Gergasko Named Best Large Company CEO in Central Texas

www.insurancejournal.com

Texas Mutual Insurance Co.’s president and chief executive officer (CEO), Rich Gergasko, has been named the 2016 Best CEO of a large company in Central Texas by the Austin Business Journal.
The ABJ has presented the Best CEO awards for the past six years, and this year’s awards …

… Gergasko also leads Texas Mutual’s annual participation in the BP MS 150 ride, a 150-mile bicycle trek from Houston to Austin to raise money and awareness for multiple sclerosis that has become an annual effort for Texas Mutual. …

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