Texas Bicycling News June 6th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Cyclin’ with the Mayor: Fish Creek Linear Trail Ride

www.gptx.org

Date: 06/08/2016 6:00 PM
Location: Starrett Elementary School
2675 Fairmont Drive
Grand Prairie, Texas 75052

Join Mayor Ron Jensen for monthly bike rides in April through November as part of the Get Fit GP community wellness initiative. The rides feature a different 5-mile route each month and are set at a casual pace.
The June bike ride through Fish Creek Linear Trail starts 6 p.m. at Starrett Elementary School.

Family, friends speak about Crosby woman on life support after being struck by hit-and-run driver

By Ciara Rouege

www.click2houston.com


HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – The family and childhood friend of a woman, who was on life support Sunday in preparation for organ donation, speak out after the woman was struck by a hit-and-run driver in Crosby.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office said Paige Balinski, 23, was riding her bicycle northbound in the 14800 block of FM 2100 around 2 a.m. Saturday when she was hit from behind by a white 1999 Jeep Cherokee. Deputies said the driver did not stop, leaving the critically injured woman in a ditch. …

Paige Balinski Killed in Bicycle Accident in Crosby, TX

www.dallascarcrash.com


CROSBY, TX (06/04/2016) — Paige Balinski is on life support following a hit and run accident that occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office has identified 23-year-old Paige Balinski as the victim of a hit-and-run bicycle crash that occurred in the 14800 block of FM 2100 in Crosby, Texas.
Police reported that at around 2:00 a.m., Balinski and a friend were biking home from …

Bicycle Friendly America Magazine

League of American Bicyclists

bikeleague.org

The League is proud to introduce the first digital edition of our retitled magazine — Bicycle Friendly America. This edition brings you highlights from the National Bike Summit in March. League members will receive the next print edition in August.

The Summit Special Issue will introduce you to the 2016 Educators of the Year, Bicycle Professional of the Year, Bicycle Club of the Year, and Catalyst Award winner. You’ll see photos from Bike Lobby Day and our new Mobile Workshops to National Public Radio and the World Bank. You’ll learn more about Bicycle Friendly Community Arlington, VA.

Extensive trail damage at Bluff Creek Ranch (Warda)

by June Bug

www.bikemojo.com

From the Bluff Creek Ranch at Warda:
Our trails are closed. We had 8″ of rain on Thursday & Friday May 26th, & 27th. We will have to rebuild at least 4 miles of trails, and Gas Pass, Cliffhanger, & The Pass are completely gone. We will be having work days every weekend until we get our trails back.
To everyone interested in volunteering ln the upcoming weekends, please call the ranch at 979-242-5894. …

Longest charity bicycle ride in the world passes through Baton Rouge

by WAFB Staff

www.newswest9.com

AUSTIN, TX (WAFB) – The longest annual charity bicycle ride in the world will roll through Baton Rouge as part of the journey.
The Texas 4000 team left Austin, TX on Saturday to start its 4,000 mile ride to Anchorage, AK in the fight against cancer. The group will pass through Baton Rouge on June 12. …

From falling trees to rising bikes: An X Games hero

By Roy Bragg

www.expressnews.com

AUSTIN — The daredevil bug bit Morgan Wade when he was a country boy growing up outside of Tyler in Northeast Texas
The three Wade brothers were home-schooled. They didn’t play traditional sports. Sans friends and access to small town amenities, they had to improvise, manufacturing their fun.
And that, says father Leigh Wade, included a game called “Jump Weeds.”
“One of the boys would climb up in a tree, and the others would chop it down while …

Hermann Park to The Heights via Columba-Tap Rail Trail.

Sunday, Jun 12, 2016, 8:45 AM

Hermann Park
6000 Fannin St Houston, TX

6 Cyclists Went

Sunday Morning Ride. Kick Stand up at 9:00 Well head down south side breaswood bayou trail to Columbia-Tap Rail Trail to White Oak/Heights  over to Sheppard ave pick up memorial dr trial to downtown then back to Shepard ave to montrose then back to Hermann park. This will be a easy pace 12 to 14 mph ride of approx/ 18~19 miles. road, hybrid or moun…

Check out this Meetup →

Mamma Jamma Training Ride #1 (7, 19, 29, 41 Miles) (41 unsupported)

Saturday, Jun 11, 2016, 7:30 AM

Dick Nichols Park
8011 Beckett Rd Austin, TX

26 Austin Cyclists Went

Join us for the Kick Off Training ride for the Texas Mamma Jamma 2016.  With distances of 7, 19, 29, and 41 miles, no one is ever left behind. (41 unsupported).We offer routes of various lengths and difficulty to help you train for the Texas Mamma Jamma held on Sept 24, 2016.Meet up at 7:30AM, ride out at 8:00AM.If you’ve never been to one of o…

Check out this Meetup →

Mamma Jamma Training Ride #2 Parmer Pedal 15, 28, 38, and 55 miles (38 & 55 un

Sunday, Jun 19, 2016, 7:30 AM

Brushy Creek Lake Park
3300 Brushy Creek Rd, Austin, TX 78717 Cedar Park, TX

27 Austin Cyclists Went

Join us for this weekend’s training ride for the Texas Mamma Jamma 2016. with distances of 15, 28, 38, and 55 miles, no one is ever left behind.  (38 & 55 unsupported)We offer routes of various lengths and difficulty to help you train for the Texas Mamma Jamma held on Sept 24, 2016.Meet up at 7:30AM, ride out at 8:00AM.If you’ve never been to on…

Check out this Meetup →

Kemah Bridge Ride

Saturday, Jun 11, 2016, 7:00 AM

Bay Area Park
7500 Bay Area Blvd. Houston, TX

3 Cyclists Went

Meet by the duck pond at Bay Area park, close to the exit.  Plenty of parking there along with restrooms.A longer ride (33-36 miles) with a bail-out at around 29 miles total (turn right on Bay Area Blvd from Space Center). Some short cuts are available if you decide you need a breather. We have a great route set up, with the bridge in the first th…

Check out this Meetup →

A short ride on the Armand Bayou loop

Sunday, Jun 12, 2016, 7:00 AM

Bay Area Park
7500 Bay Area Blvd. Houston, TX

2 Cyclists Went

Only an 11 mile loop or so.  This is so there will be plenty of time for Church, although one may always choose to do two quick loops and at least get some distance.I usually ride this on the hike/bike trail (it is asphalt) and the bike lane, so speeds are pretty limited. There’s really only one stretch that let’s you speed up at all, and that, of…

Check out this Meetup →

Waco: BU prof. plans cross-country benefit bike ride

By Ethan Hutchins

www.kwtx.com


WACO, Texas (KWTX) Health problems have sidelined Baylor professor Ray Lamb in recent years but he’s traded his golf clubs for a mountain bike, and during the next few weeks he has a new goal in mind that could help the family of a toddler who’s battling cancer.
Right now he’s training for one of the biggest races of his life.
He will be attempting to ride his mountain bike 3,000 miles across the U.S.
“You have to get your shoulders where they don’t hurt, your hands …

Tour de Burma Group Ride

San Angelo Bicycle Association

angelobike.org

07/09/2016 9:00 am – 1:00 pm
Location: San Angelo State Park
Join us on July 9th for the Tour de Burma group ride. This is a non-competitive event but a timer will still be going. You can race yourself against the clock, or get in a group and enjoy the ride. The event is free, but donations are strongly encouraged. We’ll start and finish at the San Angelo State Park’s South Shore Pavilion where food and beverages will be provided afterwards. Click HERE to register!
The official route will be decided soon.

June Calendar

San Angelo Bicycle Association

MTB time trial will be Thursday, 9 July 2016 after being canceled on the 2nd. On the 11th, we will get together for another morning of trail work focusing on the 6 mile loop for the Police Games. We’ll follow that up with a road time trial at Susan Peak on the 16th with another. …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/740019851100598272

https://twitter.com/bicyclesplus/status/739839553389793280

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Fallen Trees Biking Kingwood Trails

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I wasn’t able to ride until late this afternoon leaving home at 3:30. I rode my Motobecane 700HT MTB on the Kingwood trails. As I rode the trails there was plenty of signs of high water. There was so much water in some places that very tall trees toppled over some across the trail. The trees across the trail were cut up and moved to open the trail. Riding through water was a common occurrence especially around blind corners. I rode 18.4 miles under a partly cloudy sky for a change. No riding in the rain like yesterday. It was great to ride and be able to see big patches of blue sky. Among the trees the wind was not even noticeable but the warmer temperature was. I stopped at one of the trees that fell and took this picture.

6-6-2016 Kingwood Trails-2

Behind where I was standing to take this picture was another tree that had been cut into several pieces. These trees did not appear to be dead.

Plenty of other people were out on the trails. One young lady was walking in front of me with headphones on. I yelled several times “On your left” but she didn’t hear me. Just as I was going to go around her she stopped in the middle of the trail and turned part way around and I had to ride off the edge of the trail to avoid her.

I pulled into the driveway at 5:23 to finish the ride. Before going inside I washed the bike down to remove all of the mud and spray from the ride. A shiny MTB is a rare thing. The weather at home when I finished.

6-6-2016 Home Weather Finish 537PM

Tomorrow the weather will even better and I should be able to start earlier in the day. I hope to ride 45+ miles.

[iframe http://ridewithgps.com/trips/9335208/embed 600px 600px]

[iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/600968929/embed/8217b761f6e31384b5573975e5b41823c2697174 590px 405px]

Texas Bicycling News June 5th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Cycling the Texas Hill Country

from Gary Klingemann

vimeo.com

Follow the link to view the video.

Mueller ‘quattrocycle’ shows that even bikes are bigger in Texas

By Ben Wear

www.mystatesman.com


Greg Keller refers to the thing as a “ridiculous vehicle,” and “a 400-pound albatross.”
It cost him $9,000, including shipping from the Netherlands.
And he has no regrets.
I first spotted Keller and his “quattrocycle” puttering through the Mueller neighborhood a few weeks ago, a few blocks from where I live. The bicycle — because, yes, that is what it is, despite looking like the frame of a small car — had six people and Oscar the family dog on it that day. Keller and three kids were pedaling in the “recumbent” position designed into the bike. Everyone …

http://www.meetup.com/Roads_Less_Travelled/events/231108943/?rv=me1&https=off

Intermediate Level & Advanced Beginner ride @ Walnut Creek 6:00 PM

Wednesday, Jun 8, 2016, 6:00 PM

Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
12138 North Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX

9 Mountain Bikers Went

The intermediate level riders should be able to ride 12-14 miles with minimal to no stops at a pace of 8.5 – 9.5 MPH.Ride at your own Risk.   Helmets and eye protection are required.   Ensure your bike is in working condition and its recommended you have an extra tube and parts to keep it that way.Meet in the parking lot by the swimming pool. The…

Check out this Meetup →

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/739652070035357697

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/739553156124835840

https://twitter.com/sfjkevin/status/739430283326324737

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

One Rain Soaked Bike Ride to Huffman

Texbiker.net Posted on by

At the beginning of the ride I was thinking of putting my water bike order on hold but after getting caught in the rain twice on today’s ride I think I will keep it in place. As I was leaving home at 11:11 I could see some dark clouds in the distance but I thought the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route would not get underneath those clouds. My first doubt was as I rode through Kingwood Greens Village in Kingwood in a light drizzle. This drizzle stayed with me until I got to Kings Parkway where the roads were wet but the drizzle stopped.

The dark clouds were still in the distance but not as far away as before. Riding through Atascocita and then Walden I was dry and making good progress. The temperature was in the low 80’s and so was the humidity which made it feel cool as I moved through the thick air. On FM1960 going east over Lake Houston I picked up speed and changed to a higher gear in a bid to improve my average speed. I turned right onto Fairlake Drive and as I rode by the church there was another biker getting ready to ride. I hope he stayed drier than I did.

I made it to FM2100 21 miles into the ride and rode north to Huffman. I rounded the bend where I could see the railroad tracks and it looked foggy around the crossing. As I passed the Lake Houston United Methodist Church the first big rain drops hit me. I thought about turning around and making a dash for the church’s porch but southbound traffic was coming and I could not get across the road so I headed on to the traffic light at FM1960. I hoped the light would change by the time I got there so I wouldn’t have to stand in the rain but it didn’t. I stood in the rain for about 30 to 45 seconds and the light changed and I made a dash for the Huffman Chevron across FM1960. I could tell the moment I got under the canopy but the water was dripping off of me. I got some paper towels to dry off some and took this picture of the Garmin Edge 520.

6-5-2016 Huffman Chevron

Originally I was going to only make a quick stop at the Chevron station but with rain coming down I got a Greensheet newspaper and sat down leaning against one of the canopy poles. I dried off more and ate a couple of Kashi bars. A motorcycle pulled under the canopy and he was almost as wet as I was. And then another motorcycle arrived. He was even wetter but he didn’t stay long. After a few minutes the rain slowed and then stopped. I took the water screenshot and this picture of the water as I waited to be sure the rain was done for now.

I checked the radar on my phone to get an idea of where the rain was. It looked like it was all the way west to W. Lake Houston Parkway. I resigned myself to get wet all of the way home getting on my bike and getting on FM1960. The road was wet and I was getting road spray from passing cars but when I reached E. Lake Houston Parkway the road was dry. I was glad to say the least. The roads and streets were dry as I rode through Atascocita west of the lake but when I turned right onto W. Lake Houston Parkway I felt a few rain drops. Ahead at eh norht end of the bridge over the San Jacinto River I could see heavy rain but by the time I got there it had slowed to a few sprinkles. I rode through Kingwood Greens with a light drizzle falling until I was back at W. lake Houston Parkway. From there to home I was dry with damp streets in places.

Checking the Edge 520 I noticed at the 32.90 mile point it had frozen up. I stopped and powered it off hoping to get it working again. It did, losing only a couple of tenths of a mile of the route. I made it home at 2:03 and stopped the 520. Later I would out the ride file would upload to Garmin Connect because it was corrupt. I put the bike in the garage and went inside to put some ride gear down. I went back out to wash my bike and as I started the rain came down again but this time I got back in the garage in time to not get soaked a third time. I am no longer consider the Edge 520 reliable enough to use and will begin to look for a replacement.

June biking is not off to a good start with all of the rain. My goal of 975 miles does not look realistic but I am going to keep it and see how close I can get. I am 800 miles ahead where I was in 2015 which gives me a cushion.

[iframe http://ridewithgps.com/trips/9317861/embed 600px 600px]

[iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/599820708/embed/c61afa1bf5a780ef31d22609bcb4a67833999b11 590px 405px]