Texas Bicycling News May 24th 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Waco: Teen hit by SUV while on bicycle is OK

By Brandon Marshall

www.kwtx.com


WACO, Texas (KWTX) A 13-year-old boy was recovering Sunday evening after being hit by an SUV while on a bicycle.
Waco police officers responded to the call at around 7 p.m. near the intersection of Cole Avenue and North 25th Street.
Police said the driver was traveling along 25th when the …

Thomas Vincent Killed in Magnolia, TX Bicycle Accident

Attorney Michael Grossman

www.texas-wrongful-death-lawyer.net

Magnolia, Texas — A man riding a bicycle along FM 1774 was struck and killed by a car last Thursday (May 12, 2016) outside Magnolia. Police have recently identified the man on the bike who died as Thomas Vincent, 39 years old.
They don’t many details about the accident available yet, but the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office has issued a brief report. …

Adventure 1

By Jazael Martinez

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 28: Rio Grande Village
Wednesday May 4, 2016, 47 km (29 miles) – Total so far: 1,218 km (757 miles)
I woke up alive!! Apparently the bears didn’t want to eat me, nor cuddle.
I made the slow ascent out back onto the paved road from the area where I camped. The road was bad…. just barely rideable. It was as bad as the worst I had encountered so far.
It was an easy and fast descent for almost all of the 20 miles to the Rio Grande village. I made terribly good time. Yes, it was terrible because I …

The Deuce: DB-2 – The Hills of Los Colinas (5/28)

by MKent

www.planobicycle.org

Why wait until the last minute to post a ride? If the wind is as forecast from the south, we’ll follow THIS ROUTE over to McArthur Blvd. (Hey it’s Memorial Day and he’s a dead general), find a few hills and get some good tail winds home.
This route is about 58 miles. We have an …

Is Cycling a Social or Individual Sport? Why Everybody Loves Cycling

by Johnny Guzman

bicyclepointofview.blogspot.com

I’m going way deep into the realm of behavioral science for this blog topic. In the last couple of days I have been pondering about ways to understand those who are introverted and those who are excessively outgoing. I have come to the conclusion that it is hard for me to do this because I am sort of in the middle of those two classifications. The sport of cycling also caters to the full range of outgoing as well as reserved indivuals. Cycling is an activity that can be done alone or within a group of people. Even while group riding, not everyone chooses to talk or to …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

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https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/735091750721720321

Stayed the Course on Stroker Road – Huffman Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Last Saturday I made a route change on the road choosing to not ride the “Stroker Road – Huffman” route. Today I rode that route for a total of 42.1 miles. Saturday I made the change because it looked like rain over the route. Today the sky was overcast but not particularly threatening but I rode through some light rain on Old Atascocita Road west of FM2100. It didn’t last long time wise or distance. When I got to FM2100 to cross and continue on the route the sky had broken up some and there was patches of blue and the sun made an appearance.

Prior to reaching FM1960 to ride east I saw another biker on Pinewood Park Drive and we exchanged hellos. When I was on the causeway over Lake Houston still riding to the east another biker was riding the opposite direction. I don’t think he saw me because of the passing traffic but I waved anyway.

At the railroad crossing on Old Atascocita Road I stopped since it was about the same time I saw the Amtrak train the last time. AS i was waiting I started to feel some rain and decided not to wait any longer thinking I would get very wet. Actually I was wet already from all of the sweat. The temperature was in the mid 80’s and the humidity was 72% causing the evaporation of sweat to be almost non-existent.

It was when I crossed FM2100 riding on Old Atascocita Road that I hit the wind. It was from the SE at 14 mph. My riding speed slowed some but it really took a hit when I made the right turn onto Ramsey Road and the wind became a strong headwind. Thankfully It was “only” 3+ miles to Stroker Road where another right turn shifted the wind to my left rear quarter and I could up my speed. At FM2100 I moved to riding north to Huffman and now the wind was pushing me from the right rear quarter. This helped recover the lost speed from the headwind and I arrived at the Huffman Chevron at 2:08 pm at 30.12 miles into the ride. The Edge 520 screen when I arrived at the Chevron station and the weather after I sat down to take a break.

I ate a trail mix bar and a granola bar washing them down when some blue PowerAde. It is interesting to watch the traffic go by and see all of the various people. After about 30 minutes I got back on the bike after refilling my water bottle with ice and water to ride the 11+ miles home. Riding to the west on FM1960 I enjoyed the tailwind until I was on the Lake Houston causeway where the wind liked to whip around the traffic and try to push my front wheel around. I could some trash pushed against the concrete guardrail to my right. Sometimes when the wind was whipping through the trash would move out to where I was riding. A steady hand and quick movements avoiding the trash got me across the lake without any issues.

Expecting the Kingwood High School traffic to be heavy where I cross Kingwood Drive I was surprised when I rode across without any delays from traffic in either direction. From there it is about 2 miles home where I arrived at 3:36. I had started the ride at 11:57.

The weather forecast for Wednesday looks like a repeat of today so I should be on the bike after I watch the next Giro d’Italia stage in the morning.

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Texas Biking News Digest May 23rd 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

A healing line a year later: The Blanco River

Michael Barnes

society.blog.austin360.com

At times, it seemed as if the Blanco River — ravaged a year ago in the Memorial Weekend floods — didn’t want to be traced.

On the first day’s attempt at a tracing, we easily reached the trim town of Blanco via U.S. Highways 291 and 281. At the city limits, we sensed trouble. As we headed south, a straggly but intrepid stream of bike riders headed north. We would not lose sight of them for the next 25 miles. The Real Ale Ride took up much of the narrow river and hillside roads between Blanco and Luckenbach. The idea of trailing them for the 25-mile return trip was ludicrous. So we bopped up to …

Rolling to Work: New Bicycle-Friendly Businesses in Texas

www.noodls.com

Congratulations to Texas’ newest Bicycle Friendly Businesses, B&B Bicycles and Asakura Robinson (Austin)!
The League of American Bicyclists announced the latest round of bicycle friendly businesses as part of Bike to Work week. Asakura Robinson in Austin enters the list for the first time at the bronze level. B&B Bicycles in Cedar Hill,owned by BikeTexas board member Beth Farrell, isa new silver-level bicycle friendly business.
These two businesses bring the total of bicycle friendly businesses in Texas to 30. When choosing to shop at a …

June 7th, Complete Streets Progress Report Meeting

bikehouston.org


Please join the Houston Coalition for Complete Streets to hear a progress report on Complete Streets work in Houston from the Directors of the Public Works & Engineering Department and the Planning Department.
Complete Streets are streets which work for everyone. They are built for people of all ages, abilities, and transportation modes: walking, bicycling, transit, or driving.
The Houston Coalition for Complete Streets is a Coalition of 30 + organizations who all see the benefits to their mission of building Complete Streets in Houston.
Houston has a …

Battle of San Jacinto Criterium Results – Saturday • May 21 2016

www.road-results.com

Categories
» Men CAT 3/4 » Men PRO CAT 1 2 3
» Men JUNIOR BOYS » Men MASTERS 35+
» Men MASTERS 40+ » Men Masters 50+
» Men Masters 60+ » Men MENS 4/5
» Women JUNIOR GIRLS » Women WOMEN’S 40+ CAT 3/4
» Women WOMEN’S CAT 3/4 » Women WOMEN’S OPEN

Battle of San Jacinto Criterium Results – Sunday • May 22 2016

www.road-results.com

Categories
» JUNIOR BOYS » JUNIOR GIRLS
» MASTERS 35+ » MASTERS 40+
» MASTERS 50+ » MASTERS 60+
» MENS 2/3 » MENS 3/4
» MENS 4/5 » PRO 1/2
» Women WOMENS 3/4 » Women WOMENS 40+
» Women WOMEN’S OPEN

Share your love of cycling as a League Cycling Instructor

www.bikeleague.org

July 22-24: Austin, TX (Registration closes 6/30)
Location: Dell Children’s Medical Center
Coach: Preston Tyree
Hours: 5-9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sunday
Registration Fee: $300
After registration date: $75 late fee applied, pending Coach and League approval into the course
OCTOBER 2016
October 7-9: Houston, TX (Registration closes 9/15)
Location: Clydesdale Building, 177320 Katy Freeway
Coach: Vanessa Beard & Regina Garcia
Hours: 5-9 p.m. Friday; 8 a.m. – 9 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. Sunday
Registration Fee: $300
After registration date: $75 late fee applied, pending Coach and League approval into the course

Texas Hill Country Loop

By John Koonz

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Introduction: A new ACA tour
Monday May 16, 2016
Like many people using this site, I subscribe to the Adventure Cycling Association magazine and pour longingly over all of the cycling route maps. I live in Austin, Texas, so I was very excited to learn about the new ACA route ‘Texas Hill Country Loop’. I asked to be notified as soon as the maps became available. As it happens, I checked the ACA new products page a few hours after the new map went on sale.
I ordered it right away, and the next day when I got to work I put in for vacation days for as soon as I could get them. I don’t care if …

Day 0: Getting Ready To Leave
Monday May 23, 2016
Today I am packing and finishing off a few last minute chores. My plan is to be all ready to go tonight and to leave tomorrow morning after the Walnut Creek trail run. I wont run the whole way and will split off even earlier than usual. The dogs will get in a few miles this way and I can still make an early start.
To make all of this even more interesting, I decided to get one of tablet things so I …

What’s Coming Up

Hill Country Bicycle Touring Club

www.hcbtc.com

May 24th and 26th Morning Ride Location Change!!

Due to the high water still on the Leon Creek Greenway, the Tuesday and Thursday rides for this week will be on the Mission Reach Trail.

Ride will start at 9:00 am from Roosevelt Park, 331 Roosevelt Ave, San Antonio, TX 78210

NOTICE: Starting June 7th, the Tuesday and Thursday morning rides will begin at 8:00 am.

Going Green to Texas

By Ken Sidenblad

www.crazyguyonabike.com

Temple, TX to Hearn, TX: Me and Google Maps
Saturday May 21, 2016, 60 miles (97 km) – Total so far: 675 miles (1,086 km)
It’s a good thing I got an early start because me and Google Maps did not gee and haw today. After a seven mile ride down a good paved county road it turned to gravel not wanting to turn around I gave it a go. It started out not so bad but with the recent flooding there were spots where the gravel was in someone’s cotton field leaving some very rough spots to navigate. With all the rock, rattle and rolling I got thru to pavement again only to have the trailer detach on the left side. The latch had lost the bolt and spring that locks it in place. With the use of a cable tie to hold the latch closed I …

Hearn, Tx to College Station, Tx: Hot and humid lots of hills
Sunday May 22, 2016, 28 miles (45 km) – Total so far: 703 miles (1,131 km)
Off at 8:45am MXS 21mph AVS 8.3mph TM 3:18:55 very foggy. Stopped at Johnny Reb’s Dixie Café for a breakfast of fried eggs,hash browns,biscuits, chicken fried steak and gravy. I was all fueled up for another day of triking down the road. Todays ride was a real struggle for me the humidity and hot sun with …

Brenham,Tx to Navasota, Tx.: An up and down day
Monday May 23, 2016, 25 miles (41 km) – Total so far: 728 miles (1,172 km)
A typical Texas day warm,humid and a south wind. I took it easy today because yesterday the heat, humidity and hills took thier toll on me. A night at Steve and Cindy’s with cool A/C helped me recoup and get going today. I stopped at the VFW Post 4006 and they welcomed my stay at thier pavilion. I went in …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/BikeHouston/status/734896749815287808

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/734891378199629824

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New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Splendora – Valley Ranch – Oakhurst with Some Wind Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I took Sunday off to spend time with my wife who is recovering from her recent cancer treatment. With no Giro d’Italia today (it is a rest day) I was able to start a little earlier than usual turning the pedals at 11:43. I headed north to ride the “Splendora – Valley Ranch – Oakhurst” for 42.46 miles. The weather was almost perfect with a mostly cloudy sky, upper 80’s temperature but the wind was not as friendly. When I got home I checked the airport weather and the wind was from the ESE at 15 mph with 23 mph gusts. I didn’t think it was that strong but maybe riding perpendicular to it was the difference. I made good time to Splendora where I turned back to the south. Today the ride back south was not into the wind so much and I was able to bike almost at the same pace as going north. The route I took was what I planned so no changes today.

Making a quick stop at the Stripes station on FM1314 to refill my water bottle with ice and water and I was back on the road to be in front of the school traffic at Briar Tree. I took a break at the Oakhurst Community Center. In the past I usually was the only person there but today there 4 youth playing basketball and two mothers with there 1 or 2 year old girls on the slides and swings. It was 33.97 miles into the ride at that point. Before eating a snack I took this weather screen shot.

5-23-2016 Oakhurst weather

The wind is less than what the airport was showing. As I was sitting on the bench I was glad I picked up a few paper towels at the Stripes station to wipe up the sweat on my arms. After a bout 20 minutes I was back on the bike. By the time I got to Kings Manor the elementary school was backed up with traffic but I wove my through it. From there it was about 4 miles to home and I got there at 3:05. I beat the Bear Branch elementary dismissal though a few parents were starting to line the curbs waiting for their children.

I am up to 640 miles for May, well past my 540 mile goal. Tomorrow’s weather forecast looks favorable to ride. Maybe I get another 40+ mile ride in.

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