Texas Bicycling News October 22nd

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Over 1,000 bike riders tour through Chambers County on 170 mile trek

www.thevindicator.com


With more than 1,100 registered riders, the Galveston Bay Foundation (“GBF”) hosted the Bike Around the Bay this past weekend! Bike Around the Bay is a fully supported two-day, 170-mile bicycle ride around Galveston Bay showcasing the natural beauty of Galveston Bay and benefiting GBF. The proceeds benefit projects that preserve wetlands, protect natural habitat, and enhance the water quality of the bay for present users and for posterity. GBF again welcomes Shell as Bike Around the Bay’s title sponsor.
“I am very pleased that Shell is the title sponsor for a sixth year in a row of our signature fundraising event”, said Bob Stokes, President of the Galveston Bay Foundation. “Our partnership with Shell helps advance habitat restoration and …

Dallas’ bike czar has many miles to go before she’s done

By CLAIRE Z. CARDONA        www.dallasnews.com


Since Ashley Haire became Dallas’ latest bike czar a year and a half ago, almost 27 miles of bicycle lanes and shared-lane markings have been added to the city’s network.
Dallas is now up to about 40 miles. And officials hope to reach 101.5 miles by the end of 2018, Haire told a group of about 30 cyclists — including City Council members — on …

Dallas bike accident a reminder of the need for more education

By CLAIRE Z. CARDONA        www.dallasnews.com


There’s not much 26-year-old bicyclist Deb Culbertson could have done to avoid the crash that injured her last month.
But area transportation officials hope new efforts to raise awareness of riders can help prevent similar accidents.
Culbertson had waited for traffic to stop for a red light at a crossing on the Santa Fe trail in Old East Dallas.
But a car that …

Student gets new bike after old one destroyed in auto-pedestrian accident

By Estephany Escobar    www.kxxv.com


HEWITT – A Midway Independent School District student received a new bicycle from a local business after his old one was destroyed during an auto-pedestrian accident earlier this month.
Woodgate student Patricio was unharmed after the accident on Oct. 5 thanks to Midway ISD crossing guard Debra Richter.
Bicycle World in Waco recently …

Mountain Biking at Squabble Creek in Rockwall Texas

www.cyclingnews24.com

This is me taking on one of the technical trail features out at Squabble Creek MTB Trails in Rockwall Texas. This is one of the trails that is managed by Dorba – for more info please checkout the following;
Dorba Website: http://www.dorba.org/

Wednesday Night Ride

Wednesday, Oct 28, 2015, 5:15 PM

River Run Plaza
1071 Country Club Rd El Paso, TX

1 Cyclists Went

The leaderless rides of 18-22 miles begin at 5:15 p.m. (some riders may leave earlier or later) from River Run Plaza, 1071 Country Club; and at 5:30-5:45 p.m. from Rio Plaza, 6205 Upper Valley Rd (at Artcraft). The favorite route is a loop to Gadsden H.S. Optional dinner afterward at Hello Pizza, 1071 Country Club Rd. Start time varies later in sum…

Check out this Meetup →

Wind In My Wheels- A Journey Across America

By Richard Ostrowski        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Another Long Day in The Saddle: Richards to Shepherd
Wednesday October 21, 2015
We had a leisure sit down breakfast in Richards and was on the road by about 7:30 AM. Richards has a population of about 300. The town has some antique shops and other shops and their buildings are really old and ancient looking. Our destination was 64 miles to the town of Shepherd, Texas.
The terrain was hilly with some nice down hills but had to work to reach the top of the long and gradual up hills. Will we ever see the end of hills in Texas? My average speed was 9.7mph.
We traveled thru the Sam Houston National Forest that contained Hardwoods and Longleaf Pines. The tall pines and forest provided a nice shelter from the 15 to 20mph cross winds. There were many logging trucks on the route today but they always provided us a good clear distance. The smell of recently cut pines was a …

Will It be A Torrential Downpour?: Shepherd to Kountze
Thursday October 22, 2015
We awoke to a cloudy overcast sky and threatening rain. It stayed cloudy all day with only about 15 minutes of light drizzle.
We all prepared our own breakfast this morning in the kitchen at Shepherds shuttle. I made oat meal, Tea,a bread roll a cheese Danish, and a hostess cupcake Ok it was a little heavy on the desert side. No store nearby and its hard to carry eggs and bacon on a bike. Well my breakfast was good enough to get on the road and ride to the first gas station for a egg burrito if I am still hungry. Well never did come across a gas station or restaurant for a second breakfast.
The terrain today was relatively flat with very few hills to climb. The challenge was fighting the wind. Well one out of two isn’t bad. Maybee we will …

Tweets About Texas Bicycling

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Texas Bicycling News October 21st

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A natural high: Bike stunt team touts drug-free life to local students

www.bigspringherald.com


BIG SPRING, TX
The United Freestyle Stunt Team showed Washington Elementary students you don’t have to use drugs to get high.
The team, consisting of …

Pasadena PD: Woman arrested in hit-and-run that killed cyclist

KHOU Staff, KHOU.com


PASADENA, Texas – Police in Pasadena say a woman has been arrested in a hit-and-run incident that killed a bicyclist last month.
The Pasadena Police Department identified the suspect as Selena Calderon, 20. She was arrested and charged on Wednesday, police say.
The cyclist, identified as 48-year-old Henry James Vickers, was found dead along …

Cyclists rally at City Hall for more bicycle lanes on Dallas streets

by Elizabeth Findell        cityhallblog.dallasnews.com


Bikers pedal to Dallas City Hall Wednesday.
The bikers pedaled slowly through the fog to Dallas City Hall Wednesday morning.
Soon, they promised in a rally at its front doors, they’ll be able to bike all across the city.
Some two dozen people joined council members Philip Kingston, Scott Griggs, Adam McGough, Adam Medrano, Mark Clayton, Jennifer Staubach Gates and Lee Kleinman for …

White Oak Bayou – Moderate Pace Bike Ride

www.bayoucityoutdoors.com

We are meeting at Shelterwood and Wister at 9:50am; ride at 10 am.
This is a great chance to explore on of the nicer bike friendly paths in Houston. We will take the White Oak Bayou Trail to Antoine – out and back for a total of 17 miles. Pace: 13-15 mph. …

I am including the following article because the author commutes by bike in Houston.

Can You Afford to Live Here?

By John Nova Lomax        www.texasmonthly.com

Housing prices are at record highs as buyers are scrambling to land the home of their dreams. Is Texas the hottest market in the country—or wildly overvalued? I toured our four largest cities to find out.
Five years ago I moved to the greater Houston Heights area, and since then, what has happened to my neighborhood, and all of the west side of the Inner Loop, has been fearsome to behold.
Over much of that time, I worked downtown and rode my bike to and from the office. The trip was five or six miles each way, depending on the route, but no matter which way I went, the scenery changed month by month, season by season. And the change was always toward bigger, denser, costlier, and more. Before oil hit the skids last fall, there was more residential construction going up in the Houston metro region than in all but two U.S. states. “What used to be here?” I found myself wondering frequently, passing yet another fenced-off construction zone.
I could pedal due east and traverse Lawrence Park, one of a couple of historically black enclaves carved out of the Houston Heights. Until recently it was a warren of narrow, ditch-hemmed streets lined with hundred-year-old …

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I Almost Got Home Dry Bike Ride

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As I got ready to ride I thought I would ride the “Atascocita South – Walden – Huffman” route. After getting everything together I rolled out the driveway (12:19) and I looked to the south. The sky was gray where I saw rain clouds on the radar before I left. Seeing the gray clouds I change my route to the north where the sky showed a few blue spots among the clouds. Changing to the “Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch” route could take me away from the ray clouds so I wouldn’t get wet.

The temperature was 82 degrees and the humidity was 68%. I figured this combination would produce lots of sweat and I was right for a few miles when the ESE 13 mph wind turned a little cooler. I think those gray clouds got closer bringing the cooler wind. I stuck to the route and no rain so far. That wind was moving me along when I rode to the north or west but I fought it going the opposite directions. Making the turn around at Cumberland Crossing put me back into the wind all the way to the Stripes store at Valley Ranch and FM1314. I took a break there after riding 22.05 miles arriving at 1:54. After getting a Diet Snapple I settled under the gas pump canopy to eat a trail mix bar and fruit bar. I watched the large flag in the middle of Valley Ranch Parkway stand straight out to the north most of the time and wondered how the ride be going on the southbound service alongside US59. The weather screen shots while I was at Stripes.

Leaving Stripes I rode north on Valley Ranch Parkway to reach US59. The wind was hard riding into going east but once I was on the service road riding south the wind wasn’t too bad. I rode at 17 to 19 mph and improved my overall average speed to 14.9 mph hitting 15.0 mph at one point. I made the u-turn at Northpark Drive and took the north service road to Knox Drive to get back to Kingwood. This meant riding into the wind until I got to Woodridge Forest Drive. So far no rain but as I reached the 30+ mile point in Woodridge Forest the rain started to fall event though the sky in front of me didn’t look like rain. The closer I got to Northpark Drive the more it rained. I got soaked but by the time I stopped to cross Northpark Drive the rain stopped. In the matter of 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile I went from dry to soaked. Crossing Northpark Drive I rode the last 2 miles to home on damp streets but no rain. I got home at 3:13. I ended up riding 33.56 miles.

After I got home I washed the Stradalli before putting it in the garage.

Today’s ride was number 15 on the “Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch” route this year. I reached my goal for October with today’s ride, 640 miles.

[iframe https://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/934290319 465px 500px] [iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/417645079/embed/866840082d4e0e254a6cdf2b5502601d7bfcc2bd 590px 500px]

Activity Name Start Time Distance Elevation Gain Avg Speed(Avg Pace) Max Speed(Best Pace) Calories Total Strokes
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Wed, Oct 21, 2015 12:19 PM 2:17:41 33.56 220 14.6 20.8 1556 8356
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Fri, Oct 16, 2015 12:19 PM 2:30:01 36.15 243 14.5 20.2 1658 8738
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Fri, Oct 9, 2015 2:29 PM 2:19:48 34.71 151 14.9 21.3 1626 8212
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Fri, Sep 4, 2015 12:27 PM 2:25:15 35.15 525 14.5 20.2 1862 9092
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Thu, Aug 13, 2015 11:14 AM 2:26:13 35.15 479 14.4 19.9 1889 8759
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Fri, Jul 10, 2015 10:56 AM 2:19:15 34.75 509 15 19.9 1857 8765
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Tue, Jun 30, 2015 12:17 PM 2:15:45 32.9 463 14.5 21.5 1772 8354
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Mon, Jun 15, 2015 9:59 AM 2:20:53 34.82 528 14.8 27.3 1905 8491
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Wed, Jun 10, 2015 11:04 AM 2:27:33 35.28 417 14.3 19.7 1857 8679
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Wed, Jun 3, 2015 9:30 AM 2:11:51 33.04 407 15 21.3 1775 7962
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Thu, May 28, 2015 11:07 AM 2:12:14 32.76 482 14.9 20.5 1780 8365
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Sun, May 3, 2015 11:19 AM 2:03:04 31.53 709 15.4 21.7 1805 7891
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Wed, Apr 22, 2015 12:25 PM 2:13:56 32.78 646 14.7 21.2 1818 8275
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Wed, Apr 8, 2015 11:06 AM 2:14:18 32.53 919 14.5 21.1 1889 8192
Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch Wed, Apr 1, 2015 11:57 AM 2:10:08 32.32 692 14.9 21.4 1843 8096

 

Texas Bicycling News Digest October 20th

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2015 RAT Debrief (Promoter’s perspective)

Spinistry        www.facebook.com

The RAT is an adventure, no doubt about it. It is a challenge of mind, body and equipment. Luck plays a factor too but that is really a small piece of the puzzle. Most everyone who completed the course had to overcome significant obstacles to get to Tucumcari. I am eternally thankful and honored that people would put themselves through what they did to get as far as they did.
Not everyone completed what they intended to this year. Attrition was very high. A record heat wave (over 100 one day),terrible road conditions (sand pits from hell, hundreds of miles of washboard, a carpet of goatheads), with only one day of tailwinds all added up to an extremely …

McAllen B-Cycle open for Riding

By Pedro Perez        www.edinburgreview.com


McALLEN – When commissioner John Ingram was visiting a bigger metro he noticed a bike program and told Mayor Jim Darling the city could do a better job at creating one.
With that conversation the idea was launched to the grants office, the public transportation office, parks and recreation, city manager and city commission. They got together and an idea was realized.
“This is an example of the great team work that we have in McAllen,” the mayor said.
There will be eight stations inside the city limits. Officials with the …

Cyclist left with fractured ribs, partially collapsed lung after getting hit by vehicle

By Imelda Mejia        valleycentral.com


A Valley cyclist spent his birthday recovering from several injuries after a vehicle hit him and drove off, leaving him on the side of the road Saturday morning.
The accident, which happened on 10th street near Freddy Gonzalez in McAllen, left cyclist Raul Guzman Jr. on the side of the road with five fractured ribs, a broken left fibula and a partially collapsed lung.
“I knew I had been hit by a car. My bike – I could see my …

NPD says IBD bike sales up 6% through August

by BRAIN Staff        www.bicycleretailer.com

The retail tracking service says less traditional bikes are driving sales growth
PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. (BRAIN) —  The NPD Group says IBD bicycle dollar sales grew 6 percent in the 12 months ending in August, driven in large part by growth in sales of electric, hybrid, and mountain bicycles.
“Bicycle sales typically peak in April and May, but are picking up during the fall and early winter months, which coincides with the fact that cycling, regardless of season, has become embedded in the everyday lives of more consumers,” the group said in a press release Tuesday.
“At the same time the number of people traveling to work by bicycle is rising in the U.S., sales of …

The inspiring story behind Austin’s iconic and whimsical Bike Zoo

By KLRU-TV/Austin PBS        austin.culturemap.com

Editor’s note: CultureMap is proud to present the latest installment in our partnership with KLRU’s documentary series Arts in Context. This unique series celebrates stories about the arts in Austin and the people who make this such a vibrant and creative city.
Giant rattlesnakes, bats, and butterflies parade down the streets thanks to the Austin Bike Zoo. This mechanical menagerie is the brainchild of …

Wind In My Wheels- A Journey Across America

By Richard Ostrowski        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Working our Way East: Brenham to Richards
Tuesday October 20, 2015
We continued working our way east cycling 48 miles from Brenham to Richards Texas.
We took a break and toured a State Park and museum at the Washington On The Brazos State Historical Park. It was the site for the signing of the Declaration of Independence for the State of Texas.
Our next stop was Navasota Texas for lunch. Bob and I stopped at the Deli in Brooks Brothers Grocery store. I had a …

Armadillo Classic bike ride returns to Liberty Hill on Saturday

by Pam LeBlanc        fitness.blog.austin360.com


Rolling hills, rest stops stocked with pickles, fruit and sandwiches, and scenery that’ll make the grouchiest armadillo smile are on tap this Saturday when the Armadillo Hill Country Classic returns to Liberty Hill.
The ride, a fund-raiser for Bike Austin, offers distance options of 11, 20, 39, 51, 68 and 103 miles through the Hill Country and Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.
“The Armadillo is one of Bike Austin’s major fund-raisers and …

Cyclist safety an issue in Valley

By MAY ORTEGA        www.valleymorningstar.com


McALLEN — Yesterday morning marked the third bicyclist to be hit by a vehicle in the Rio Grande Valley this month. The incident, resulting in minor injuries, occurred on 4 Mile Line and N. Shary Road at about 8 a.m. The driver of the vehicle pulled over, which McAllen Commissioner Veronica Whitacre called a blessing.
“Until now we didn’t really have that many cyclists hit,” she said.
Two of the three drivers in the recent accidents pulled over after …

Tweets About Texas Bicycling

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