No Rain New Caney – Roman Forest – Valley Ranch Bike Ride

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I expected to get wet today but only a little drizzle landed around New Caney. Biking the “New Caney – Roman Forest – Valley Ranch” route to the north looked the most favorable as far as avoiding the rain that was on the weather radar when I checked before I left home at 12:01. I added a few side streets to the route pushing the ride to 34.42 miles. The overcast sky stayed with me but I did see a small patch of blue sky when I stopped at the traffic light at FM1314 and Valley Ranch Parkway. The temperature hung at 84 degrees and the humidity was 75%, making the ride a muggy one. I told my wife before leaving that I expected to get caught in rain but fortunately that did not happen.

To limit my exposure to the roaming rain clouds I didn’t take a break. I got back home at 2:26 escaping the rain but not the sweat. The weather at my home weather station at the end of the ride.

6-1-2016 Home Weather Finish 238PM

The wind was from the SE but I didn’t realize it was so strong. The airport showed the wind at 10 mph with 18 mph gusts. Pedaling into the wind was tough on the way back home from Roman Forest Blvd. I kept my average speed at 15.3 mph until I was riding in Kings Manor on the way back to Kingwood.

June biking is off to a good start. I may have to re-think my 975 mile goal though. The weather still has a lot of rain over the next few days.

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Texas Bicycle News May 31st 2016

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70-year-old bikes from Albuquerque to Humble for grandson’s graduation

Michelle Homer

www.khou.com


HUMBLE, TEXAS – A proud grandpa rode his bicycle all the way from Albuquerque, New Mexico to Humble to watch his grandson graduate over the weekend.
Kenneth Sidenblad, 70, left Albuquerque in mid-April for the 885-mile trek to Texas. He made many stops — and many new friends — along the way. …

Tristan Uhl wins pro 1 Crit race; local rider places 10th

David Claybourn Herald-Banner Sports Editor

www.heraldbanner.com


Tristan Uhl took top honors while Greenville cyclist Jefferey May finished 10th in the USA Cycling pro category 1 race on Monday at the Texas State Criterium Championships in Greenville.
Uhl, who is from Smithville, Texas, captured the 90-minute race on the streets of downtown Greenville, pulling away on the final lap to win by 10 yards at the finish near the Hunt County Courthouse. Uhl, who won the 2016 men’s singlespeed cyclocross national championship, attributed his Memorial Day success to the …

Boutique stationary bike company to open Houston showroom

Olivia Pulsinelli

www.bizjournals.com/houston


Peloton, which sells stationary bikes and streams its New York City cycling classes to off-site riders, will open its first store in the Houston area next week.
The 1,200-square-foot showroom will be in Houston’s Galleria mall by Adidas and Coach. It’s expected to open the week of June 6 and will be the company’s 14th showroom nationwide. Peloton also has a location in Dallas’ upscale NorthPark Center, which opened last year. …

Ride Interview – Katy Flatland Century 2016 – Katy, Texas (July 17)

www.wheelbrothers.com

On the surface of it, doesn’t the very notion of being in charge of rounding up volunteers for any large-scale event sound like a thankless task? Sure it does.
But don’t tell that to Barbara Wu, volunteer coordinator for Houston’s Northwest Cycling Club for 5½ years. Her mission takes her where few dare to go and she loves it!
With five major cycling events every year plus 52 Saturday morning club rides, there’s plenty on her plate. That’s because NWCC is one of the largest and most active cycling clubs in the country. And one of the best – it was …

Cyclists traveling across U.S. ride through Duncan

Max Terrell

www.duncanbanner.com


Duncan acted as host for a group of travelers Sunday evening as cyclists from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas made one of their many stops while they attempt to ride across the United States.
The group of cyclists are part of a special class project for the Leadership Studies Program.
The project started in 2013 and saw students and alumni bike across Texas, but now the project looks to go even bigger with the trip heading all the way to Canada. …

‘Bicycle friendly’ not enough: Frisco leaders plan for improvements

William Taylor

starlocalmedia.com


Frisco’s already viewed as “Bicycle friendly,” but city leaders want to keep that status and get even better as the community continues its rapid growth.
City planners are working on a 20-year Hike and Bike Trail Master Plan that leaders hope will identify the short and long-range projects the city needs to move pedestrians, cyclists and motorists safely through the city. …

Let’s Meetup and Ride the Mountain Bike trails of Memorial Park

Monday, Jun 6, 2016, 6:00 PM

Memorial Park – Soccer/Rugby Pitch Parking lot
6501 Memorial Dr (29.765522, -95.444994) Houston, TX

3 Members Went

Intermediate MTB Ride – Every Monday at Memorial Park. 6pm until Danny gets tired or it gets too dark. (Usually about an hour) Join us every Monday for a fun, moderate pace ride through the Memorial Park Trails. We can do skills training or just play in the dirt.Meet at the parking lot by the Soccer/Rugby field. Bring your helmet and water. Add li…

Check out this Meetup →

Adventure 1

By Jazael Martinez

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 33: Blast!
Monday May 9, 2016, 125 km (78 miles) – Total so far: 1,614 km (1,003 miles)
Cheyenne had told me that she was going to get up early, and if I wanted to tag along that I had better get up early too. I’m still a lazy bum in the mornings, and especially when you have little animals keeping you awake all night. Not to mention the trains.
Also the night before I had once again decided not to use my sleeping pad to save time in the morning. It’s really comfortable but I don’t always use it because I’m not fast at packing it. Sleeping without it is ok as long as it’s not too cold, and as long as there aren’t any weird deformations nor rocks directly where I’m sleeping. Which of course there were some disturbing rocks that night.
So, I really hadn’t slept well and was still really tired, but nonetheless I was up just before sunrise. I heard movement from Cheyenne’s camp and I started to get ready. I hoped that I could pack up quickly enough to leave with her for the day.
I packed up probably faster than any other night on this trip but still Cheyenne was well ahead of me. She even waited on me for a little bit. She said she’d be at the gas station down …

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Wrap Up May Biking Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Extended

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Today I rode south and east on the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Extended” route which took me through some areas that flooded on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I could see some evidence with silt in the gutter or across the street. On Kingwood Greens Drive a BMW sat on the road with heavy condensation on the inside of the windows, almost certainly from being flooded. The San jacinto River under the W. Lake Houston bridge is down from the high point but still has many feet to go to be back to normal.

I got another “early” start leaving home at 10:47. The weather from my home weather station.

5-31-2016 Home Weather Start 1038AM

The humidity meant anytime I stopped for more than a few seconds sweat would be running down my arms. I tried to keep moving but those pesky traffic lights didn’t always cooperate. By extending the route I wanted to get enough miles to reach 70+ for the week so far. The wind wasn’t too much of a problem except when I rode south which wasn’t often. I slowly improved my overall average speed once I got on the main roads like FM1960 without any interruptions. Reaching the Huffman Chevron at 12:35 I stopped to rest and enjoy the breeze while I sat under the canopy. My Edge 520 when I arrived there.

5-31-2016 Huffman Chevron

I went inside to buy a blue PowerAde to wash down a trail mix bar and a granola bar. After drinking it I think plain water would have been better for my stomach. I forgot to take a weather screen shot while I was there. I rode away about 12:56 going north on FM2100 to Smith Road to continue extending the route. Going by the elementary school on E. Lake Houston Road it appears they are done for the summer. Back on FM1960 riding west over the lake the wind helped me continue upping my average speed. I got to Kingwood Drive and the traffic was light enough i didn’t have to wait very long to get across all the traffic lanes. I hit the stop button at 1:55 when I got home. The weather from the airport and my home weather station when I went inside.

The wind at the airport was stronger than the start of the ride: SE at 8 mph with 20 mph gusts.

I have been checking the Beaumont weather forecast for Saturday when the Spindletop Spin bike ride happens. It does not look promising with a 75% chance of rain until 5 PM. If this persists I will not ride the Spindletop Spin this year. Our forecast for tomorrow (Wednesday) also has some rain so I may not ride then either.

After yesterday’s ride I replaced the rear brake pads. I last replaced them at 9012 miles and now I am at 14808 miles so they lasted 5796 miles. I still do not need to replace the front brake pads.

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The recap of May biking.

5-31-2016 May to Date

21 bike rides

840 miles vs. my 540 mile goal

 

Texas Bicycling News May 30th 2016

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Colby Lewis on getting hit in the head with a 110 MPH ball and how biking has helped him pitch better

By SportsDayDFW.com

sportsday.dallasnews.com


Texas Rangers pitcher Colby Lewis joined the Ben and Skin Show on 105.3 KRLD-FM The Fan recently to discuss all things baseball. Here are some highlights.
Getting hit in the head:
Lewis: It squared me up good. Rattled my eyes a little bit and then I saw Rougie looking up and I looked up and saw the ball and that’s all I could think about was Rougie finishing the play and getting the out. But it really didn’t feel like… I was just kind of sore. It still kind of is sore to the touch. But yeah it didn’t knock me out, didn’t do nothing. I got pretty fortunate. The good Lord was looking out for me, that’s for sure.
On his hobby of bicycling: …

The southern tier!

By Cheyenne Dolin

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 49: Navasota – Sam Huston National Forest: The ants go marching
Thursday May 26, 2016, 40 miles (64 km) – Total so far: 1,731 miles (2,786 km)
When I went to make breakfast this morning I found hundreds of ants crawling in and out of one of my panniers. They decided they wanted pb&j sandwiches, and I sadly had to throw out the pb&j. This was quite unfortunate as the jar was brand new and I got one of those nifty combo jars; I finally realize why they make those- for backpackers and cyclists who want less weight and more space of course! I had to take out everything and shake it/blow it of ants. Lost a few good pieces of bread, too peppered with ants to try and salvage. I got four ant bites in this process, those little guys can pack quite a sting! I took my time biking today, unsure how far I might go. When I reached Anderson the topography really started to change, there were more trees and more green, more birds and vines. I think I’m starting to enter into that religious/conservative part of the country you here so much about. When I biked into Richard the first thing I saw was a picture of Jesus and a pro-life sign, followed by …

Day 50: Sam Huston – Shepherd: Have you ever seen the rain?
Friday May 27, 2016, 45 miles (72 km) – Total so far: 1,776 miles (2,858 km)
I’m currently in an cabin at Shepherd’s Sanctuary, and I’m sooo glad I’m here because this is the craziest thunderstorm I’ve ever experienced. Buckets of water are pouring down and the thunder is cracking right overhead and it looks like someone turned on a strobe light outside. The wind is loudly whooshing about and I’m pretty sure lightening and thunder is literally right above the roof over my head. I’d be completely screwed if I were in my tent. Luckily, I made cookies in the kitchen here earlier and I feel warm and relatively safe 🙂 Earlier, on my bike ride I swear I was almost hit by lightening. I couldn’t see anything but brightness for a millisecond and within that brightness there was an even brighter spot in the center as I heard thunder crack just above. Of course I’m looking up what happens when people get struck by lightening now, man they get some gnarly and beautiful scars (if they live). Aside from potentially dying, the ride was surprisingly enjoyable, it was a …

Texas Hill Country Loop

By John Koonz

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 4: Fredericksburg to Lake Buchanan
Friday May 27, 2016, 70 miles (113 km) – Total so far: 257 miles (414 km)
Photo gallery

Adventure 1

By Jazael Martinez

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 31: Marathon
Saturday May 7, 2016, 124 km (77 miles) – Total so far: 1,401 km (871 miles)
I packed up as the sun was rising from my emergency camp site that I chose to escape the storm. The day would be slightly shorter than had I just tried it all in one day, but it was still a good distance to cover. A good distance, and worse without many places that I knew for sure had water.
I started to make my way over to the visitor’s center, which was on the way out. I still needed to pay the entry fee, since I was unable to do so the previous days since the other visitor center was closed. …

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