Texas Bicycling News March 1st 2016

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February Social Ride Group Photo

by Shwimp www.reddit.com DFWBike

View post on imgur.com

Brenda Taylor Coleman’s Story in Her Own Words–From Smoker to Spandex

redefiningold.com


It was December before my 40th birthday and on Christmas day friends were over for dinner and she asked if I wanted to go “burn one” out on the front porch. That was the last cigarette I smoked. I didn’t want to be 40 and still a smoker. I had been smoking less and less as my children got older. I was embarrassed by this habit and wanted a change. I could not stand the way it made my hands smell. I really only went outside to smoke a cigarette. My source of exercise was redoing two older homes and a vintage trailer. For 15 years in order to make sure …

Al Bastidas stepping down as director of Please Be Kind to Cyclists

by Pam LeBlanc fitness.blog.mystatesman.com


After nearly 10 years of encouraging motorists and cyclists to safely co-exist on Austin area roads, Alvaro Bastidas is stepping down from his role as executive director of Please Be Kind to Cyclists.
City officials will present him with a Distinguished Service Award at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the council chambers at Austin City Hall, 301 West Second Street.
Bastidas, who was injured in a cycling crash in 2002, along his wife Patricia, and …

Bicyclist struck, killed by train in Canyon

By – Robert Stein amarillo.com

A bicyclist died after being struck by a train Friday in Canyon while waiting to cross the tracks, according to a news release issued Monday by the Canyon Police Department.
About 10:30 p.m., Canyon police were notified of a major accident at the intersection of 15th Street and BNSF railroad tracks.
An investigation revealed John Griswold, 49, of Canyon, was riding a bicycle south on …

In this edition of Spoke&Word… March 2016

BikeHouston.org


A (Last) Word from Michael Payne about the progress Houston has made due to the input of staff members, board and volunteers…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 executive director John Long, coming into office June 15th, read more>>
BikeHouston@Reviews
An overview in pictures, read more>>
Ride > Join Tour de Houston on the first day of Spring March 20th, read more>>

The Racing Post March 2016

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Skip the Wimp on Today’s Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

No wimping out on today’s ride. I stuck to the route I planned riding north on the “New Caney – Gene Campbell Road” route. I did change the route slightly from the last I rode it January by staying on the northbound US59 service road all the way to New Caney where I turned left onto FM1485. The reason I stayed on the service road was because the southbound service road is open through the Grand Parkway construction at Community Drive and I could see the northbound traffic had moved from the detour onto the new road. It was okay but there was a one lane section in front of Rosewood Cemetery but there was enough room for traffic to pass if they wanted to. Some chose not to pass until I got through the area.

The weather was much like yesterday: overcast sky, 77 degrees and a NW 10 mph wind. A cool front is supposed to arrive later this evening and clear out the clouds but the temperature is not supposed to get too cool. I left home at 12:16 and got back at 3:02, missing the school traffic in Briar Tree but getting caught at Kings Manor.

I took a short break at the Shell station at Cumberland Blvd and FM1314. I had been riding into the wind and the winter legs needed a break. I took these weather screenshots. Note the 80% chance of rain.

This is the second time riding this route this year.

After leaving the Shell station the wind was mostly at my back allowing me to pickup the pace. I managed to improve my average speed up to 15.2 mph until I started on the residential streets with stop signs.

I need to set my March goal. Using the formula of averaging the last three years: 574 miles in 2015, 554 miles in 2014, 631 miles in 2013, I come up with a goal of 578 miles for March’s goal. So far 2016 (792 miles) is ahead of 2015 (433 miles) by 359 miles. I will check the cool front weather tomorrow morning to see if I can ride.

[iframe http://ridewithgps.com/trips/8010840/embed 49% 500px] [iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/506395297/embed/e66a6662e8937a6491e5e4e3eaf6112fb4121a9b 49% 500px]

Texas Bicycling News February 29th 2016

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Bicyclist struck, killed by train in Canyon

By Robert Stein, Amarillo Globe-News lubbockonline.com

A bicyclist died after being struck by a train Friday in Canyon while waiting to cross the tracks, according to a news release.
About 10:30 p.m., Canyon Police were notified of a major accident at the intersection of 15th Street and BNSF railroad tracks.
An investigation revealed that John Griswold, 49, of Canyon was riding a bicycle south on …

Police: Hit-and-run driver hits bicyclist in Pasadena

By Mike Glenn www.chron.com

Police in Pasadena are searching for a motorist who fled the scene Monday after hitting a bicyclist.
The driver of a maroon Chevrolet Avalanche struck the bicycle rider about 5 p.m. Monday along Harris at Witter, Pasadena police said.
The victim, believed to be a teenager, was taken by LifeFlight to the Texas Medical Center in unknown condition.
The driver of the pickup did not offer any …

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Wimped Out and Changed The Route Bike Ride

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I wimped out riding the ” Stroker Road – Huffman” route. The sky was overcast when I left home at 1:04 and the temperature was 78. As I rode south and then to the east on Old Atascocita Road the road surface showed signs of recent rain and I got some sprinkles on my glasses. Riding east on Old Atascocita Road I looked at the sky over where I would ride on the “Stroker Road – Huffman” route and saw several dark clouds. If it were warmer I would have not been concerned about getting wet but with the coolness in the wind and no place to get out of the rain for long stretches I opted to turn left on FM2100 and changed to the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route.

A rest break at the Huffman Chevron was next at 18.75 miles gave me some time to eat a couple of trailmix bars washed down with water. While I was resting I took these weather screenshots on my phone.

Leaving the Chevron station I rode west. The wind wasn’t as much of a problem as it was getting to Huffman. I got back home at 3:40 after biking 30.26 miles. This moved my February miles to 356, 110 miles over my goal. In 2012 I also biked. This is what I did then.

2-29-2012 Bike Ride Data and Route Map

2-29-2012 Bike Ride Data and Route Map

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