After yesterday’s rain today’s weather was much more bike ride friendly. I wanted to get a long ride and chose the “SR242 – FM1314” route. I changed the beginning of the route to add a couple of miles and then exited Kingwood on Mills Branch Drive and Ford Road rather than the usual ride through Woodridge Forest and Adams St. to US59. The mostly cloudy sky and 78 degrees at the start of the ride (left home at 12:05) was slightly chilly thanks to the NW wind. I wore a short sleeve jersey but a couple of times a long sleeve one would have been nice. After I was warmed up and not riding into the wind I was more comfortable. With the few route changes the ride totaled 50.29 miles.
The wind was hardest while I rode west on SH 242 from US59. The trees were too far back from the road in places to break the wind and in other places they created a tunnel for the wind to blow straight at me. One I reached FM1485 the road bent more to the south and the wind was not a full headwind. I made a short water bottle refill stop at the Chevron station at FM1485 and SH 242. Making the left turn at FM1314 the wind moved to my left rear quarter for the ride to Porter. I stopped at the Cumberland Shell for a rest break. The Edge 520 screen when I stopped at the station and the weather while I was eating.
With the longer ride today this positioned me to pass by the schools long after the traffic had gone.
The 50.29 miles moved me past my May mileage goal of 540 miles to 563 miles. Every ride for the rest of the month will add to exceeding the goal.
The splits from today’s ride.
More nice weather tomorrow for riding. After watching the Giro I will be on the road.
Saturday, May 28, 2016 in Denton, TX at C. H. Collins Athletic Complex event logo
17 Mile Bicycle Rally & Kids Bike Rodeo at 9:00 AM
» $30.00 Registration (through 5/27 at 5:00 PM US/Central) [Add registration reminder to calendar]
Donation Only at 9:00 AM
A local cycling group focuses less on the ride itself than on the results of the ride. Stephanie Ward field-coordinates the efforts for Ride For Reading.
“We deliver donated books to Title One Elementary Schools in San Antonio.”
If you’re not sure what a Title One school is, she explains it this way.
“The majority of students qualify for the free lunch program.” …
On May 5, 2016 we released the latest addition to the Adventure Cycling Route Network, the 310-mile Texas Hill Country Loop. This route begins and ends in the capitol city of Austin and features terrain from flat to rolling hills. …
I recently sat down with Adventure Cycling Cartographer Nathan Taylor to chat with him about the project that has been occupying his time for the past year, the development of Adventure Cycling’s exciting new Texas Hill Country Loop.
Describe the route in just a few sentences. What can cyclists expect overall?
The Texas Hill Country Bicycle Loop is a 310-mile loop beginning and ending in downtown Austin, with a 71 mile cutoff route from Fredericksburg that allows the distance to be reduced by nearly a third. A shorter offshoot loop was also mapped to bring cyclists to the famous outlaw country town of Luckenbach. Expect miles and miles of country roads rolling across oak forested hills or winding along …
1 to 5 p.m. June 4 — Confident City Cycling Course at Denton City Hall, 215 E. McKinney St. Certified instructors will cover bicycling basics, maintenance and safety, and the course concludes with a street ride. Free. Visit …
This Southwest Cycle Sport sponsored mountain bike ride leaves from the shop and is a 10-12 mile ride at a moderate pace.
For more info, call (512) 263-5107 or visit http://www.southwestcyclesport.com/ride-board.html
2016 has been the slowest start to a race season I have ever had. With my new found focus to put school over racing, along with many races being cancelled due to rain and flooding. I was coming into my summer break with about 10 mass starts and I was eager to get some race miles in before I head out to the bigger races a little further down the road. …
A 7-year-old boy riding his bicycle on North Texas Boulevard in Weslaco died Wednesday night after a car struck him.
The motorist struck the boy on the 1800 block of North Texas Boulevard near the Hidalgo County Housing Authority apartments, according to …
POLK COUNTY, TX (KTRE) – A wreck involving a car and a bicycle on US Highway 190 that occurred on Tuesday night in Polk County claimed the life of a 56-year-old man.
According to a press release from the Texas Department of Public Safety, DPS troopers responded to a crash on US 190 about a half …
BSS South to Mountain City and Back – 47 Miles
Saturday, May 21, 2016, 8:00 AM
bicycle sports shop 517 S. Lamar Blvd Austin, TX
2 Austin Cyclists Went
This route is the standard South Austin Out-and-Back with a few stop lights and mostly flat. We will go to Buda and then just keep going to Mountain City, stop for refueling, then ride back. The ride is no drop and the pace will average 16-17ish mph so be sure you can maintain that ride pace. Regular bikes welcome, recumbents worshipped. Post-ride …
welcome to the wed downtown ride to eat ride!!ride is 24mi. route is a loop around austin. which starts on the westside. it goes north from start though neighborhood along MoPac to anderson ln. then heads east over to springdale. then south on springdale back to downtown. ride avg is bout 14-17mph depending on weather and who shows up. also at 17m…
BRYAN, Texas — A local officer with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) was among 70 riders to participate in a bike ride to raise money for families of fallen peace officers.
Sergeant Jeff Farmer of TABC’s Bryan office took part in the 150-mile route from Katy to Austin; it took riders two days to finish, raising $40,000 in the process. …
There’s a class every month at the downtown Dallas Public Library that teaches people the ins and outs of bike-riding in North Texas. It’s called Bike Commuting 101, and it covers everything from bike gear and safety to state biking laws. This week, the cyclists prepared for Bike to Work Day on Friday. …
Hamlin, TX to Abilene, TX: Hardest day
Sunday May 15, 2016, 46 miles (75 km) – Total so far: 571 miles (919 km)
The city park in Hamlin was great I had a sheltered table with electric pomwer and water. The posts were spaced just right for hammock hanging which made set up easy. I was able to wash my clothes and charge all my electronic devices all in the same place which was great. Didn’t want to get up and got a later start again but felt well rested. It wsa a cloudy cool morning with a …
Georgetown, TX to Temple, TX: On the road again
Wednesday May 18, 2016, 44 miles (71 km) – Total so far: 615 miles (990 km)
After a great breakfast prepared by our great host Linda it was time to hit the road. A cool cloudy morning was a good start to the day the only disappointing thing was a north wind . After three days riding south into a southeast wind I was looking forward to having a wind to my backside as I headed north but a cool front and a north wind changer that. It was a good ride as …
“We need your help,†Friends of the Katy Trail president Wayne Smith told the Park and Recreation Board on Thursday. And from the sound of it, he might just get it.
Smith is hoping to raise millions for a major Katy Trail makeover — anywhere between $40 million and $50 million for bridges over Knox Street and Harvard Avenue, overlooks, an amphitheater behind the Kalita Humphreys Theater, concrete benches and prairie grasslands and wider lanes for hikers and bikers. He’s hoping the Park Board will …
Five years after the Dallas City Council adopted a new bike plan, it’s not exactly pedal to the metal at City Hall. Quite the opposite.
In fact, as far as some members of the Park and Recreation Board are concerned, Dallas is heading backward when it comes to implementation of the plan, which calls for 840 miles of …
Saturday is the most awesomest ride… Real Ale! Registration is still open… be sure to join us! See http://realaleride.com/registration/ There is no other scheduled ride on Saturday, but I’m sure some people won’t be able to make Real Ale and will meet at Cups & Cones at the usual time. Feel free to email the mail list to coordinate something if you are in this …
Join BikeTexas in welcoming our newest member of staff, Lynn Haas. Lynn holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from UT Austin and will be doing transportation engineering for BikeTexas. Lynn particularly enjoys intersection and interchange design, and will often pause in her commute to study traffic flow–watching how road users interact with infrastructure is one of her favorite things about bike commuting.
Lynn’s major project for BikeTexas will be the 2017 Benchmarking Report. Building …
Reservations are required for this tour.
Bicycles and helmets are not included with registration. $10
General Admission $5
AIA Houston Members
Architecture students with current ID
May 21, 2016 10:00 AM
HCC “Central Campus” Sign
1300 Holman Street
Houston, TX 77004 …
LUBBOCK, TX (KCBD) – Local bicyclists will be riding through Lubbock quietly and slowly on the evening of Wednesday, May 18.
The Ride of Silence is a worldwide event to raise awareness for the men and women who share roadways on two wheels, instead of four. Event organizers with the West Texas Cycling Association shared how emotional this ride can be for people who have lost loved ones because of bicycle accidents.
Mike Ivins is the president of the West Texas Cycling Association and …
A group of about 50 bicycle riders took part in the Lubbock Ride of Silence Wednesday night.
The event is designed to be a way to not only honor riders who were either injured or killed in a traffic accident while riding their bikes, but also to promote safety on the road.
“We’re going to ride about 10 to 12 miles an hour, 11 miles, and we’re going to ride it in silence, and this is to show our respect for people who have died while riding their bicycle in traffic accidents,” Jill Booker, Advocacy Director for the Lubbock Bicycle Club said. …
BEAUMONT – A bicycle ride in complete silence honoring all those who have been killed when hit by vehicles.
The bicyclists rode in rows of two through the streets of Beaumont on Wednesday afternoon with a mission of raising awareness in sharing the road.
“The silent bicycle ride happens nationally, started in 2013 when …
Day 37: Fredricksburg – Johnson City: “Me and you are subject to the blues every now and then”
Sunday May 15, 2016, 34 miles (55 km) – Total so far: 1,566 miles (2,520 km)
I had subway for breakfast since everything here is a bit too expensive for me- subway has surprisingly good coffee. My body was fighting the ride today, my butt was feeling the pain of yesterday’s mileage. There was no shoulder on the country roads and so many cars passed too closely. The sky was grey and dreary. My legs were sore for the first time in a long time. I was too much in my head to really notice the beauty, I don’t remember much of the ride. Feeling a little low. Some days have to be like this I suppose. I got into Johnson City and downed copious amounts of …
Day 38: Johnson City – Austin: Bright lights big city
Monday May 16, 2016, 50 miles (80 km) – Total so far: 1,616 miles (2,601 km)
There was construction work the ten miles towards Pedernale Falls from Johnson City, the shoulder was completely removed. I was thankful it was a Monday and that traffic was thin. I rode through the state park where there was no traffic at all and some gorgeous sights. Up and down, up and down the hills went. Then one huge, steep descent. I was flying, knowing an uphill was just up ahead. Then I saw a sign I’ve seen a million times before “road subject to flooding” and thought there might be a little water up ahead. Wrong. At the very bottom of the hill was a damn river and I had little time to stop. I slowed down, way down, but still had some speed. Hydroplaned, felt hard on my hip and thanked god there wasn’t a car behind me. Made quite a lovely bruise. But hey, now I know falling when going downhill isn’t …
The idea behind the Ride of Silence bicycle rally is to raise awareness of bicycle safety. Ramiro Lumbreras, however, needs no reminder.
Lumbreras was one of about 50 cyclists of varying skill levels who took part in the 9-mile ride that left from McMurry University on Wednesday night. The ride, completed in silence, honored the memory of the six local cyclists who have died since 2010.
In April 2014, Lumbreras, …
The first 5 miles of today’ ride was slow compared to my usual pace. It took me 24:30 to cover those 5 miles while I usually ride it around 22:50. After I saw the time I tried to think of what slowed me down and couldn’t remember anything in particular. Riding south is slower at the start due to all of the residential streets and stops before I get to a more open road. The route today was the “May Park Community Center – Huffman” one which has some long stretches of uninterrupted highway and I was able to make most of the slower lap time. I added a few extra streets to get the ride distance to 42.90 miles today.
Weather was slightly cooler than yesterday at the start with the overcast sky holding the temperature to the mid 70’s when I started at 11:28. By the time I got back home at 2:55 the temperature advanced to 82 degrees and the sky was still overcast. Wind was from the NE at 7 mph for most of the ride.
I biked through the spot where I had my flat last week without any issues. I tried to keep my eyes on the road to spot any more nails but the road surface color makes that almost impossible. The asphalt is not one color but more of a salt and pepper color hiding any nails. The front tire is holding air pressure so tightening the valve core was the correct fix for the air leak.
With today’s mileage I am only 27 miles away from reaching my 540 mile goal for May. It looks like I was too conservative with my goal.
At 30.48 miles I stopped at the Huffman Chevron for a short break. It was 1:36 pm and if I timed it right I could beat the Kingwood High School traffic if I left around 2:00 pm. The Edge 520 screen when I arrived at the Chevron station and the weather screen shot while I was taking the break.
I rolled away fro the station at 2:03 pm. Riding west on FM1960 the wind helped me keep a good pace. I took the slightly long streets through Atascocita Shores to help get to 42+ miles but this didn’t keep me from beating the high school traffic at Kingwood Drive. I was able to ride across without waiting for any traffic to pass. Earlier I noticed the elementary schools I passed must have dismissed early. Not sure why though.
The Edge 520 is working well with only one phone disconnect message at .63 miles and reconnect at .65 miles. I guess it has to disconnect once during a ride for some reason.
