Inside Texas Bicycling June 17th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Too much time on my hands

TStarry

www.bikemojo.com

I made a Google Map of the MTB trails at WC. Includes locations of the trail signs (green are present, red are missing or damaged). It has most of the single track, didn’t include all the little alternates and shortcuts. It also has the concrete trail (NWCT).
Google maps has data limits so some of the tracks are a little jagged due to loss while importing GPS data.
Works pretty good in the Google Maps app on iPhone. Any Android users out there want to test?

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?h…is4_JY0gI3QFk8

UT students biking across America take break in Beaumont

by Jennifer Johnson

theexaminer.com


For the next three months, three teams of bike riders from the University of Texas are taking their mission on the road, cycling from Austin to Alaska in hopes of raising awareness (and funds) for cancer research and treatment.
Along the way, 22 of the riders made a pit stop in Beaumont to get some much needed R&R, as well as food and water, at the home of Beaumont attorney and philanthropist Hubert Oxford III. Oxford’s daughter, Gabe, is …

Bentsen Hike & Bike Trail

www.texasbids.net

Bid Date & Time: 06/21/16 3:00 PM Prebid: 05/31/16 9:00 AM
Solicitation Title: UPDATED Bentsen Hike & Bike Trail Owner Solic Number: 06-16-C16-382
Status: bidding Report: 7054544
Country : United States State: TX County: Hidalgo Location: McAllen
Est. Low Value: $1,200,000 Est. High Value: $1,200,000
Scope: Hike & bike trail.
Notes: Event non-mandatory on May 31, 2016 9:00 AM Central at Conf. Rm 2A City Hall, 2nd Floor.
Plans: From Owner.
Update Notes: Attached pre-bid attendees list.Attached addendum 1. Q&A attached, estimated cost of project added. Addendum #2 files attached.
Addendum #3 files attached. Attached addendum 4.
Owner Type: Public …

Popular bicycling group making room for more cyclists, fun

By News 4 San Antonio

news4sanantonio.com


SAN ANTONIO — Want to get off the couch and get moving? A San Antonio bicycling group that started small is still growing, and the cyclists are willing to make room for more.
It’s hard to keep count since the “SATX Social Ride” keeps expanding. Right now, roughly 150 to 200 people of all ages gear up for a weekly ride.
There is literally a cast of characters, but no pressure to be a super hero or super fit, which was …

South West USA Touring

By Matt Gray

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 19 – Carlsbad, NM to Pine Springs, Tx
Thursday May 5, 2016, 90 km (56 miles) – Total so far: 1,132 km (704 miles)
Day 18 was a rest day finishing up some items on my computer.
I rolled out of Carlsbad the following morning armed with supplies and a battery of spare tubes. This would be the last major town before El Paso so no services for the next 130 miles. The weather forecast was suggesting moderate headwinds for the next two days followed by strong westerlies on Saturday. This was a concern as Saturday would be the final push of 100+ km into the wind for …

Day 20 – Pine Springs, Tx to Salt Flat, Tx.
Friday May 6, 2016, 33 km (20 miles) – Total so far: 1,165 km (724 miles)
Today turned out to be the final day on the road. I went to the visitors centre early morning and the forecast was if anything worse for the next two days in terms of headwinds. I hung around for a bit chatting to various people and then decided to leave. If the winds got really bad I planned to hitch the following morning (from wherever I ended up). I was planning on stopping at a …

Day 21 – El Paso, Tx – Epilogue
Saturday May 7, 2016
Ok so I cheated and got a ride into El Paso. Probably justified due to the massive dustorm which blew through late in the day. Certainly would have been a significant problem riding through on the bike. Pretty happy with my final decision.
After 724 miles I was ready to head back to Phoenix (by train). I had fulfilled a dream to explore the desert states and had come through rather well after a …

Summer bicycle riding is great for kids and adults — but wear a helmet

By Catherine Triosi

www.star-telegram.com


June marks the beginning of summer, and children will be out enjoying their school break.
One of the delights of summer is bike riding — and yet biking can be dangerous. We need to do all we can to protect our children from avoidable injuries while allowing them to enjoy the freedom and joy bike riding can bring.
One essential way to do this is a bicycle helmet.
The latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that in the …

15-year-old fatally struck while riding bike loved rock, studying tech

By Jacob Beltran

www.expressnews.com

Honor roll student was fatally injured close to home as he rode his bike

Vincent Luna was a 15-year-old freshman at IDEA Carver College Prep whose A’s and B’s earned him a spot on the honor roll and who had dreams of studying technology at Texas Tech.
“He was very funny,” his mother, Chantell Fonseca, said. “He liked to joke around and watch scary movies and listen to rock music.”
On Tuesday, Fonseca bought her son two tickets to a Black Sabbath concert they were planning to …

Andrew Willis now just 200 miles from finish of Race Across the West

by Pam LeBlanc

fitness.blog.austin360.com


After pedaling through the night last night, Austin cyclist Andrew Willis is now about 200 miles from the finish line of the grueling Race Across the West.
Willis started the California-to-Colorado race at about 12:30 on Tuesday. About 500 miles into the 900-plus-mile adventure, he stopped because of severe foot pain caused by gout. After taking a 9-hour break Wednesday night, he returned to the race and has been riding strong ever since, according to …

This weekend’s rides: Bee Creek! Red Horn (with a Father’s day option)!

by Thomas

steinerranchcycling.com

Tomorrow let’s revisit those lovely hills behind Lakeway and do that Bee Creek boogie (https://www.strava.com/routes/3985679). The route is about 62 miles total and includes some great roads.
Sunday is our usual Coffee Shop ride to Red Horn (https://www.strava.com/routes/4736117). It is 50 miles and is at a more relaxed social pace than our Saturday rides, but we typically finish with a 17mph average speed overall. While we make great efforts to …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

The Natives Talk While I Bike Atascocita South – Walden – Huffman

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I managed to leave a little earlier today (11:33) thinking I might see the Amtrak train at the Old Atascocita Road railroad crossing. The train travels from Houston to New Orleans on Friday’s. My timing was a little off. About 1/2 a mile from the crossing I heard a train horn blowing but I could tell from the sound it wasn’t the Amtrak train but a freight train. Maybe next time. I think the Amtrak takes alternate track through Crosby most of the trips east.

The “Atascocita South – Walden – Huffman” route is slightly longer than the route I rode yesterday although it covers many of the same street. On Atasca Oaks at the Atascocita Road traffic light a car pulled beside me and rolled down the window. The driver asked if I was crazy to ride in the heat (95 degrees) and I said it wasn’t that bad as long as I am moving and drinking ice water. I noticed he had an Astros t-shirt on and we talked about them until the light changed.

Riding through Atascocita South I passed two pools but there weren’t a lot of people there. I suspect it was a little too early (12:30 or so). I was tempted to take a dip though. Crossing W. Lake Houston Parkway I made my way through Walden on my way to FM1960. I remembered something I needed to tell my wife so I stopped in some shade and called her. She was startled because I usually don’t call. I told her nothing was wrong but that I forgot to tell her something. Back moving again the heat from the partly cloudy sky was hot, much different from stage 6 of the Tour de Swiss I watched before leaving today. It was snowing at the top of the mountain the stage finished at, all of the crowd was dressed for winter.

I arrived at the Huffman Chevron a little after 1 PM. Two ladies were washing the stores windows and my usual resting spot was wet though it might have felt good to sit there. I asked one if she was enjoying playing in the water and getting paid. She laughed and said yes. I took these pictures of the Stradalli resting at the station.

Stradalli Red Pro 14 Carbon
Stradalli Red Pro 14 Carbon

My resting spot was to the left of the front wheel in the cool shade where a breeze could blow and help dry out my jersey. I bought some blue Powerade and sat down to eat a couple of snack bars while I rested for the 12 miles back home. The Elemnt screen when I arrived and the weather before I left.

I think the 90 degrees is a little low but the 98 “feels like” is closer to what it really was. When I was getting ready to leave I talked with a couple sitting in their car in the shade at the store doors. They asked how far I was riding today and then we talked about what food to eat. It was a great conversation. They wished me a safe trip as we each left.

Since I went a different way when I crossed FM1960 earlier in the ride when I left the Chevron station I stayed on FM1960 all the way to Pinehurst Trail and turned right there. Two advantages to this route is the road is flatter and Pinehurst Trail is smoother than Atascocita Shores Drive. Once I was back to W. Lake Houston Parkway I rode it all the way to Kings Crossing Drive rather than riding through Kingwood Greens. At Kingwood Drive I quickly rode across the east bound lanes but the west bound lanes took longer due to the traffic. I was glad to stop the ride at 2:42 as I pulled up to our mailbox. The heat and sun were baking me. I sweated a lot at each stop along the ride.

The forecast for Saturday calls for slightly cooler temperatures and more clouds. I think I will watch the Tour de Swiss ITT after I go for ride allowing me to start earlier, I hope.

[iframe http://ridewithgps.com/trips/9506230/embed 600px 600px]

[iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/612268277/embed/5c1a2fce9b6cca1abdeacc13fbffeba665c72023 590px 405px]

Inside Texas Bicycling June 16th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

BW Ambassador Profile: Fiona Dougherty

By: Thomas Miller

visitbicycleworld.com


I remember the first time I saw Fiona Dougherty race quite clearly. I was watching the women’s field at the Georgetown Cyclocross Festival last year, and this tiny girl was putting the wood to pretty much everyone. She was chasing Samantha Runnels, who was in the lead. Just chasing, chasing, chasing… Endlessly, aggressively pursuing her prey. The gap they both had on the rest of the riders was ridiculous, and I kept wondering how …

Reward offered for any information related to fatal hit-and-run in Crosby

www.yourhoustonnews.com


Crime Stoppers and the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Enforcement Division need the public’s help in identifying the suspect responsible for Failure to Stop and Render Aid-Fatality.
On June 4, 2016, at approximately 2 a.m., Paige Balinski was riding her bicycle northbound in the 14800 block of FM 2100. She was riding near the left …

Henderson native set to ride cross-country for cancer research

By MICHAEL LYLE

www.reviewjournal.com

http://www.reviewjournal.com/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/field/media/web1_Michael_Tatalovich-e1445553052596.jpg?itok=j4t3rg9G
There are many reasons why people are taking part in the Texas 4000, a bicycle ride from Texas to Alaska designed to raise cancer awareness.
For Henderson native Michael Tatalovich, it’s about spreading a message of hope after personally battling the disease.
“For me, hope was almost like a stubbornness,” he said. “I would never let myself think I …

Race progress: Texas Police Games — Cycling MTB Race

www.webscorer.com

Race started: Thursday, June 16, 2016 9:05 AM (GMT-5)
Race location: San Angelo, TX,
Category 4 50 – 59 Total laps: 2 | Race finished
Place Bib Racer name Category After Finish time
1 43 Royal , Steven Belton Category 4 50 – 59 36:53.8 (1) 1:12:21.8 –
2 40 Kerrigan , John Midland Category 4 50 – 59 43:43.0 (2) 1:31:00.1 +18:38.3

Frisco named ‘Bicycle Friendly Community’

Sylvia Kim

starlocalmedia.com


The League of American Bicyclists recently named Frisco a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Community.
Thanks to the efforts of Mayor Maher Maso, the Parks and Recreation Department and Frisco’s Bicycle Advisory Committee, Frisco is one of only eight communities in Texas and one of 372 nationwide considered “Bicycle Friendly.”
“We’re very proud to receive this award,” Maso said, noting how the designation has been the advisory committee’s goal for six years. “Our residents support our continuing efforts to improve …

Mamma Jamma Training Ride #3 – San Marcos 5 Mile Dam (17, 34, 49, and 66)

Saturday, Jun 25, 2016, 7:30 AM

Blanco Vista Elementary School
2951 Blanco Vista Blvd San Marcos, TX

15 Austin Cyclists Went

Lookie here Mamma Jamma riders! IH 35 will be closed and all traffic routed to the access road at the Slaughter Creek Overpass.   Where:    I-35 and Slaughter Creek overpass (exit 226) in Travis County       When:    11 p.m. until 10 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights, June 24 and 25       What:    Both directions of I-35 mainlanes at Slaughter C…

Check out this Meetup →

Freeride512 Build & Ride Sesh at Rocky Hill Ranch!

Saturday, Jun 18, 2016, 10:00 AM

Rocky Hill Ranch
Rocky Hill Ranch Smithville, TX

3 Mountain Bikers Went

Build/ ride sesh Saturday June 18th 10:00 AM. Meet at the Freeride512 park located at Rocky Hill Ranch by the back gate off Arrowhead Dr. Bring; bikes, tools and lots of water/snacks. You must have a Freeride512 waiver filed online with us to participate. Fill your waiver out here: http://www.freeride512.com/membership.htmlSaturday we’ll be fixing…

Check out this Meetup →

Teen hit by truck while riding bike has died

By Fox San Antonio/Amanda Weber

foxsanantonio.com


SAN ANTONIO- A bicyclist who was hit by a pickup truck Wednesday evening has died from his injuries.
The San Antonio Police Department said Vincent Luna, 15, was riding his bike on Sherman when he rode through an intersection at North Hackberry and ignored a stop sign.
He has hit by a truck. The driver stopped and tried to help Luna, who suffered serious head injuries. He was taken to …

Five Students Complete Cross Country Bike Trek from Mexico to Canada

www.wheelbrothers.com

Five students in the Leadership Studies Program at Hardin-Simmons University organized and completed an iconic journey through 6 states starting from the bottom edge of Texas all the way to the Canadian border.

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

Texas Heat Bike Ride to Huffman

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Since I tightened the valve core on the tubes the need to air up my tires has went down. Each morning when I unlock the garage I squeeze the tires to see if they need air and so far they are hard enough that they don’t need air. I also can tell when I go over a bump when riding that the tires are still hard. The firm tires were helpful on today’s hot ride on the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route.Today’s ride was 31.97 miles, shorter than yesterday’s ride like I planned.

It was 95 degrees at my home weather station when I got ready to leave at 12:08. I tried to leave earlier but I was on the phone with a customer service rep trying to fix a problem with a piece of technology that has been working until last night. Why it decided to quit after about 2 years is a mystery to me and the rep. They are sending a replacement part that hopefully fixes the problem.

6-16-2016 Home Weather Start 1159AM

Other than being Texas summer hot the ride went as planned. I did seek out shade whenever it hung out over the streets. I made it to the Huffman Chevron ready for a rest and some wind blowing through the pump canopy. There were two men in the sun painting the curb around the station. Last year I leaned against one of the poles not knowing it was freshly painted and ended up with a big circle of aluminum paint on the back of the jersey I was wearing. I stayed away from the poles this time. The Elemnt screen and weather when I arrived and during the stay.

Where I sat at the station I could see the time and temperature sign at Action Signs across FM1960. Most of the time it showed 91 to 95 degrees but for a few minutes it jumped to 110 to 118. Glad I was in the shade when those high numbers hit. I stayed at the station for about 40 minutes getting hydrated for the 11+ miles home. Earlier I saw another biker as I was riding east over Lake Houston. He was going the opposite direction.

I rode the longer way through Atascocita Shores because I was not riding through Kingwood Greens later. I did have to wait for some traffic before crossing Kingwood Drive on the way home. I stopped the ride at 3:06, glad to put the Stradalli in the garage and me in the air conditioned house. It is supposed to be hot again tomorrow. I will try again to leave a little earlier and ride about the same distance.

[iframe http://ridewithgps.com/trips/9493117/embed 600px 600px]

[iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/611416407/embed/af8421261caeaf21d924af790bbf22eed3beb3bc 590px 405px]