Recovery Bike Ride? Kingwood Trails

Texbiker.net Posted on by

After yesterday’s ride my muscles were sore today. So what do I do? I decided to ride my 32 pound mountain bike on the Kingwood trails. I am not sure that was a good idea but the trails were gorgeous as was the weather; a clear blue sky, a light breeze and 77 degrees. Whenever I went up a small incline (we don’t have any big ones) my legs complained and slowed down in protest but I kept at it. After watching the Tour of Flanders video I was inspired by Peter Sagan and didn’t want to sit at home to let my muscles recover.

As I was riding the heavy MTB I thought maybe it is time to get a gravel grinder or cyclocross bike. They are light and can handle the bumps on the Kingwood trails and my legs would not complain as much.

Waiting for a little later time to start I left home at 2:12 and finished at 3:59. The different weather shots when I finished riding.

George Bush Airport Weather
My Home Weather Stations

Tomorrow the weather forecast for calls for 80+ degrees and clear skies. By then my legs should feel looser.

[iframe http://ridewithgps.com/trips/8383336/embed 640px 500px] [iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/535068192/embed/e3c68307f720b50d05dc6f8a08477a0ddeb61887 590px 405px]

 

 

Texas Bicycling News Digest April 2nd 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Pop-pop T Goes West – Then East

By David Tatman www.crazyguyonabike.com

Fort Hancock to Van Horn: My Watch Is Finally Right
Saturday April 2, 2016, 74 miles (119 km) – Total so far: 1,123 miles (1,808 km)
My watch is finally right… For Christmas Santa got me a new Fitbit. However I decided I didn’t want to bring on ride, needs charging often and as I said, nothing is new after a tour. So I brought my old Polar watch which is missing a button for setting time and left the chest strap home even though I was curious on the calories burned each day.
Live in Eastern Time zone to start – Fly to West Coast, now off by 3 hours, then daylight savings time, off by 2 hours, then to AZ which doesn’t recognize daylight savings time, off by 3 hours again, then into Pacific Time Zone again, off by 2 hours, into Moutain Time Zone, off by an hour. Today we crossed into Central Time Zone so watch is now right. Until I get into Eastern Time Zone and then the watch will be off an hour until the fall when Starndard Time starts again… Thank goodness for my iPhone!
Yesterday I was beginning to think I had gone overboard on my soapbox. Normally I’ll get some type of communication – email or guest comment shortly after its posted each evening but …

Tom Goes West 2016

By Thomas King www.crazyguyonabike.com

Day 34 Johnson City to Frederickburg, TX after side trip to Hamilton, Texas
Saturday April 2, 2016, 35 miles (56 km) – Total so far: 1,494 miles (2,404 km)
We drove to Hamilton to see my old grad school friend Anita, her husband Jim, and they showed us the very livable town they adopted a year ago. The house built by Jim’s grandfather had recently been a B&B and was huge with 5 bedrooms, 6 baths and 11′ ceilings. Wild asparagas and white iris grow wild in their yard. They took us to the local rodeo hall and we had chicken fried steak. We lucked out again for our rest day was rainy and in the 50’s – cold. Not a good day to be riding.
So after a 2 our drive down from Hamilton I picked up where I left off on Texas Road 1323. Notice Texas has so many roads the smaller ones have 4 digit highway numbers! With clear blue skies after a cold front came through, it was another beautiful day. With a westerly headwind and hill climbing ending up with a 500′ net elevation gain it was a pull for a short ride, but I wouldn’t have …

April 1st: Day 1 of 30 Days of Cycling

by Matthew bike4heck.com


Today was the first day of the 30 Days of Biking Challenge http://30daysofbiking.com/ it was unseasonably cool and windy for San Antonio today but I did get on the bike with my son and we rode about a mile and a half to a Starbucks. I had planned to go further but the wind was strong and made the ride cold. Having a 20 month old on the …

Síclovía on Sunday features longer route through downtown

By Katherine Blunt www.mysanantonio.com


San Antonians who head downtown Sunday for the city’s 10th Síclovía will find the longest route yet for bicycling and walking on vehicle-free streets.
The route stretches about three and a half miles from Maverick Park on Broadway Street to Roosevelt Park south of King William. For the first time, it will cut through the heart of downtown on Travis and Flores streets.
“We connected the southern portion of our Broadway route and the northern portion of our Southtown route by going through downtown,” said Lisa Ramirez, vice president of strategic partnerships and program innovation for the …

Bike Across Texas 2! John and Hawk Ride Again!

www.nobelity.org


On April 22nd, from 5-8pm, Bicycle Sport Shop on S. Lamar is helping us throw a family friendly party with great music from John Pointer, and Los Aztex with Joel Guzman and Sarah Fox. Beverages from Real Ale Beer, High Brew Coffee, Treana Wine, and Richard’s Real Rainwater.
Join us for ping pong, crazy bike rides and more. Free and open to all!
Every mile you sponsor funds bikes and textbooks for Kenyan students AND every $50 donation automatically …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

9https://twitter.com/24inthecanyon/status/716453389278662660

https://twitter.com/23skidoozy/status/714938524328456192

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/716417101158866945

https://twitter.com/pitvins/status/716278848225165313

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Ride Like An Eagle – Atascocita High School

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I debated about riding this ride because of my aversion to cold temperatures. Cold to me is anything below 60 degrees. After eating breakfast I decided to ride and got dressed. I had loaded my Stradalli in the Jeep last night knowing if it was too cold I could take it out and ride later from home. I backed out of the garage a few minutes after 7 AM for the 10 mile trip to Atascocita High School. I got there with a bright sky but it was a few degrees cooler than at my house. Here is the weather screen shots from my phone.

Making my way to the registration area I took some pictures. (click on the photo to enlarge it)

After I signed in I asked a lady how many registered and she said 44 preregistered and about 10 walkup ones so far. I think a few more people signed up after me. I estimate 70 people would ride.

We started the ride at 7:58 and rode through the school parking lot to exit onto W. Lake Houston Parkway north. The shadows and wind made for a chilly ride but I was dressed for it: shorts, leg warmers, long sleeve jersey, short sleeve jersey, wind breaker jacket and full finger gloves. Riding through a short section of Walden we made our way to FM1960 and crossed Lake Houston turning right onto Fairlake Drive, roads I am very familiar with. The first rest stop was at the end of Old Atascocita Road and Ramsey Road. I didn’t need to stop and turned right onto Ramsey Road. The next turn was left onto Louis Road. So far no problems and the wind was riding with me instead of against. I made the right turn onto Crosby Eastgate Road. After passing the Harris County Cemetery up ahead I could see a biker coming towards me with three dogs chasing him. He got past them without getting caught and warned me as he passed. He wasn’t with our ride since these roads are popular to ride. I got to the dogs and they chased me but I was able to outrun them. Not too far from there three bikers were approaching and I warned them of the dogs. Again they were not with this ride. I could not see how they fared with the dogs since I turned onto another road.

I was making good progress with my average speed 16+ mph up to this point. I rode on making several turns but staying on Ramsey Road. At the railroad crossing I could see red flashing lights up ahead and I was afraid a bike rider was in trouble but a lady on the side of the road said it was a parade coming toward us. I made my way down the road stopping at  driveway as the parade neared. I waited there for several minutes. I asked one of the men driving a pickup pulling a float trailer what the parade was for and he said baseball season opens today. I didn’t count the floats but there were many. After waiting a couple of other bikers stopped beside me and then decided to ride on since there was space. After a few minutes I did the same thing until I got to the stop sign where I had to wait for the traffic to let me turn left. Not to far from there was rest stop #2. I made a short stop to wipe my nose and talk with a man there about the parade.

Leaving the rest stop I rode east and south to FM1942. This is where I usually miss the turn and get lost. riding west on FM1942 I kept looking for the sign an arrows to turn. At Cliff Drive I saw the sign laying on the ground and the arrows on the road so I turned right and headed to rest stop #3. I stopped there for awhile to use the port-a-pottie, eat some cookies and drink some sport drink (not lemon-lime thank goodness). I would have liked to refill my water bottle but they didn’t have any water.

Back on the bike I was off to find rest stop #4. It was almost 19 miles to it. I rode on US90 Business Route before turning right onto Pineland Drive and straight into the wind. From that point to the finish I battled the wind. I knew rest stop #4 was in Eisenhower Park and I was glad when I turned into the park entrance to get among the trees and hopefully out of the wind. Stopping at #4 I drank some water, ate some cookies and my trail mix bar before riding off for the last 6 miles of the ride. The road with the most traffic without a shoulder is W. Lake Houston Parkway. I turned right onto W. Lake Houston Parkway from Deussen Parkway and rode into the wind. The major obstacle was the railroad track overpass. Riding up and over it into the wind slowed me down but the ride down the other side was much easier. I made the left turn into the school and headed to my Jeep finishing at 11:59. I was tired but doing good. As I was standing beside my Jeep another rider walked to his pickup truck beside me and we talked about the ride. He said he had a close call from a truck passing too close on W. Lake Houston Parkway. We also talked about the BP MS150 coming up which he is riding in for the first time. It was a good visit. I then took these weather screenshots.

This is the first ride for April. My goal for April will be the average for April from 2013 (778 miles), 2014 (878 miles) and 2015 (660 miles). The goal will be 772 miles for April 2016.

[iframe http://ridewithgps.com/trips/8364963/embed 48% 500px] [iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/533687574/embed/523147f981bb5b99a13def2b46c3c19c754da72a 48% 500px]

Texas Bicycle News Digest April 1st 2016

Texbiker.net Posted on by

TJC celebrates 90 years with 90 mile bike ride

By Alex Osiadacz www.kltv.com


TYLER, TX (KLTV) – A 90 mile bike ride to mark 90 years of Tyler Junior College starts Friday morning.
Dozens of cyclists will start in Alba around 8 a.m. Friday and pedal 45 miles through Quitman, Mineola and Lindale before reaching TJC’s main campus in Tyler to break for the evening. Community and business leaders have signed-up to ride alongside Tyler Junior College president Dr. Mike Metke, who is also an avid cyclist.
“They came to TJC, discovered who they were, what they could …

How to sell bikeability: the unexpected benefit for buyers

by James McClister houstonagentmagazine.com


In the Urban Land Institute’s “America in 2015” report, a survey of U.S. residents found that approximately half considered “walkability” a top or high priority when determining where to live. But in many ways “walkability” is a misnomer, because research increasingly shows that what buyers really want is bikeability. …

… Houston’s hidden bike-friendly streets
By most accounts, Houston is not a bike-friendly area. It’s a sprawling city that relies far more on motor vehicles than quick-commuter vehicles, like bikes.
Though the city has yet to widely embrace the growing trend of cyclists, they do have a presence in Houston. And if your buyer is one of them, you might want to suggest a home …

Planned bike network could define Corpus Christi

Alissa Mejia www.caller.com

Imagine a Corpus Christi in which bicycling to work or to the grocery store is a relaxing experience, not a white-knuckle one.
Imagine having roads that cost less to build and maintain, allowing public funds to do more with less.
Imagine a Coastal Bend region that attracts national attention for its progressive approach to urban planning. It may sound farfetched, but that future has already started rolling, thanks to the …

Driver charged with intoxicated assault in deadly collision with bicyclist

By Dale Lezon www.chron.com


A woman accused of driving drunk has been charged in the death of a bicyclist last month in south Houston.
Elvia L. Coronado, 44, is charged with intoxicated assault in the incident, which happened about 7:50 p.m. March 22 in the 8900 block of Almeda Road, according to the Houston Police Department.
Police said another woman, also …

New Project Closes A Gap In Houston’s Bike Trail System

Gail Delaughter www.houstonpublicmedia.org

The City of Houston has opened its newest bike path along Buffalo Bayou. The project is designed to address a problem that cyclists have been complaining about for a long time.
http://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/31165823/path-4-1200×800.jpg
You can ride your bike along much of Buffalo Bayou, but there was a small piece missing near the Wortham Center. Anne Olsen with the Buffalo Bayou Partnership explains the problem:
“You couldn’t get from Shepherd Drive all the way to Allen’s Landing,” says Olsen. “We just opened Buffalo Bayou Park, which is just so popular. There are so many …

Bicyclist dragged for blocks by driver who failed to stop

By Claire Ricke kxan.com


AUSTIN (KXAN) — A bicyclist was left with disfiguring injuries after a man hit her with a truck and she was dragged several blocks. The driver, Artemio Avila, faces charges for failing to stop and render aid after hitting the young woman.
On March 29 just after 10 p.m., officers received reports of a crash that severely injured a bicyclist. According to the affidavit, the woman was dragged underneath the …

Ballinger’s Colorado River Bikefest cruising toward its 40th annual event

by Bill Cullins www.gosanangelo.com

Ballinger’s Colorado River Bikefest just might be the best little bicycle tour in Texas.
It doesn’t attract a large number of cyclists — 50 to 60 riders is typical each year with many of them opting for the shorter, ‘sensible’ 30K and 60K distances instead of the more challenging 100K route.
You won’t see many of the big-city race teams fighting it out for the podium spots. Instead, most participants are regional West Texas cyclists who just enjoy a relaxed springtime group ride through …

In this edition of Spoke&Word… April 2016

BikeHouston.org


A Word from Mary Blitzer on Spring events, transitions, and the Bike Plan comment deadline…read more>>
BikeHouston@Events Come see us at our events from socials to community rides, read more>>
BikeHouston@Work
Find out what BikeHouston has been doing to improve your rides, read more>>
BikeHouston&Me
Meet BikeHouston’s new Development and Community Manager Doug Waldrep, read more>>
BikeHouston@Reviews
An overview in pictures, read more>>
Board@BikeHouston
Meet BikeHouston’s new board members, read more>>
Calendar
Check out our calendar for the coming weeks, read more>>

Pop-pop T Goes West – Then East

By David Tatman www.crazyguyonabike.com

El Paso to Fort Hancock: Could Probably Write a Book Today
Friday April 1, 2016, 47 miles (76 km) – Total so far: 1,049 miles (1,689 km)
One of the reasons I wanted to do an Epic Ride is for the chance to “clear my mind” and sort through my thoughts. As they say, deciding what I want to be when I grow up… I’ve learned first you must allow yourself to decompress from your normal routine and adjust to your new environment. Second, you don’t really have the chance during the day for much thinking, between watching the road, watching the scenery, watching the traffic and avoiding your fellow riders. It’s at night when you don’t have all the daily day-to-day clutter is when you can think.
But first I will talk about today’s ride so those of you who don’t want to listen to my thoughts can tune out.
Today was the best pure riding day yet! The sun was out, the sky was clear blue with white clouds. The temperature was in the low 60’s. The wind was much …

BPMS150 Bike Inspections Free Until April 8th

Cycling Space City cyclingspacecity.blogspot.com


If you are riding in the BPMS 150 ride this year, now is the time to get your bike inspected. Inspections are free until April 8th at all official MS 150 Bike Shops. After April 8th the inspections are $15. Once your bike passes inspection they will put a sticker on your stem and the sticker entitles you to free labor on any repairs you may …

Texas Bicycling from Twitter

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/716099126228819969

https://twitter.com/vhuckaba/status/716052877957935104

https://twitter.com/MitchellGSides/status/716033523228999680

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar