Texas Bicycle News October 8th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Jose Garcia-Lara Killed in Bicycle Accident in Livingston, TX

www.dallascarcrash.com

LIVINGSTON, TX (10/04/2015) — Bicyclist Jose Garcia-Lara was struck and killed by a female motorist on Sunday night.
Livingston police have identified 21 year-old Jose Garcia-Lara as the victim of Sunday night’s fatal bicycle accident in Livingston, Texas.
This accident happened in the 600 block of East Church Street shortly before 8:30 p.m.
According to Livingston Police Lt. Matt Parish, Garcia-Lara …

Bike Hutto Ranked Top Ten Texas Teams in 2015 National Bike Challenge

bikehutto.org


The National Bike Challenge is a nationwide event uniting thousands of current bicyclists—and encouraging countless new riders. In its simplest form it is a logging center for users to record miles ridden and be part of the national community of bicyclists. It is a free and easy way to challenge yourself, colleagues and the greater community to ride more. Users compete on a local, state and national level.  This program is a successful partnership between People For Bikes and Kimberly-Clark’s Scott Natural Brand.  The Challenge, which ran from May 1 to September 30th, united 92,352 riders pedaling over 37 million miles in the five month period.
Within the National Bike Challenge individuals compete and there is also the opportunity to form teams and have local challenges as well. Bike Hutto participated as a team for the first time ever in 2015. It had 23 active bicyclists and was …

Bike race, run support fallen officers’ families

by Sarah Bays        www.crosstimbersgazette.com


The Highland Village Business Association and the Highland Village Police Department are hosting the 8th Annual Fallen Heroes Bike Race and 5K benefiting the Texas Police Chiefs Fallen Officer Fund (TPCOF).
This annual event helps the TPCOF support Texas families during the year when their loved one is killed in the line of duty.
Although no police officers have been killed while serving Highland Village, Cpl. David Harney of the HVPD says the city wants to show its support for those who are on the front lines of the community.
“God forbid, if anything happened to us, there’d be …

New report outlines popular mobility proposals

by Tyler Whitson        www.austinmonitor.com


Everyone is aware that Austin has major traffic problems, but not everyone agrees on how to fix them. A new report, however, may help bridge some of those gaps by presenting the 10 most popular ideas that community members generated and supported during an outreach effort earlier this year.
Mayor Steve Adler, City Council Member Ann Kitchen and others will attend a press conference Thursday morning to announce the release of the MobilityATX Findings Report, the outcome of a public-private partnership led by nonprofit think tank Glasshouse Policy aimed at mobilizing the public to help shape …

Howard County Sheriff’s Office Position Title: Deputy Sheriff Big Spring, Texas

www.policeone.com

Position Type: Sheriff
Closing Date: 10/31/2015
Job Description
MAJOR DUTIES, FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES  Essential duties and functions, pusuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act may include the following. Patrols an assigned zone on foot, on bicycle and/or by vehicle to detect and deter criminal activity and traffic violations. Enforces traffic and parking laws. Receives information on activity in an area and …

Documentary about cross-country bike race screens in Austin Tuesday

by Pam LeBlanc        fitness.blog.austin360.com


No teams. No support vehicles. No special jerseys. And no prize money.
“Inspired to Ride,” a new film by the producers of “Ride the Divide,” follows a handful of cyclists as they race unsupported 4,233 miles across the United States.
The film will screen at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 13 at the Alamo Drafthouse, 1120 South Lamar Boulevard. Tickets are $12 in advance here or at the door.
Producer and director Mike Dion will …

White Oak Bayou Greenway Updates

houstonparksboard.org

We have an exciting update on Bayou Greenways 2020!
Construction on a new segment of the White Oak Bayou Greenway in the I-10 corridor is now underway.
The 2 mile project should be complete in about a year, and will include a hike and bike trail and linear parkland.*
http://houstonparksboard.org/projects/wob_update_email.jpg
Construction signs (red dots) along the White Oak Bayou Greenway trail now under construction (red line).

We are grateful for the financial support of the Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority and TIRZ 5 on this project, as well as on the new hike and bike bridge we officially opened in May.

Bicyclist killed in drive-by shooting

By Dale Lezon        www.chron.com


A bicyclist died in a drive-by shooting about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday in the 8200 block of Garland near Arizona, according to the Houston Police Department.
A bicyclist died late Wednesday night in a drive-by shooting in southeast Houston.
The shooting occurred about 10:30 p.m. in the 8200 block of Garland near Arizona, according to the Houston Police Department.
Police said a …

Residents get first opportunity to chime in on city’s Bike Plan Saturday

elpasoheraldpost.com

The City of El Paso is creating a comprehensive bike plan which will determine how bike lanes, bike share, and other bike amenities all fit together with existing transportation infrastructure to enhance connectivity throughout our city.
El Paso’s bike plan will serve as a guide to determining which streets are best for bicycling and how to make those streets safer for cycling. The bike plan will also update elements from the city’s nationally-recognized comprehensive plan, Plan El Paso.
The first step toward updating the …

Bicycles should top Austin transit priority list, group says

www.bizjournals.com/austin


A new report suggests that improving Austin’s bicycle infrastructure is the city’s top transportation priority — ranked higher than proposals to bury I-35 through downtown or adding more dedicated bus lanes.
The report, released Thursday, comes from MobilityATX, an initiative by city and regional transit officials to invite public feedback about potential solutions to the Austin-area’s transportation troubles. The 12-week initiative saw MobilityATX officials solicit comments and ideas about Austin’s transit infrastructure in person and online which were compiled for the report, which is posted …

Wednesday Night Ride

Wednesday, Oct 14, 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…

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Wednesday Brushy Creek/Deception Ride

Wednesday, Oct 14, 2015, 5:45 PM

Brushy Creek Sports Park
2310 Brushy Creek Road Cedar Park, TX

5 Mountain Bikers Went

We will be meeting at 5:30 pm to air up, tune and hit the Brushy Creek Deception trail wheels down at 5:45 pm, this will be a ride for folks who want to ride Deception at a faster beginner to intermediate group pace, depending on the crowd. If we get a big group we can split up based on the pace people want to ride.NOTE: This really isn’t a ‘begin…

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HBC Around The Loop Ride

Houston Bicycle Club        houstonbicycleclub.org

Sunday october 11th    8:30AM    Distance: 60 miles
This is a challenging in-town ride similar to the Urban Challenge Rides, but farther. We’ll be circling the city near or outside Loop 610. So when we say we’ll be riding around town, we will really be riding AROUND town. Experience the many faces of Houston and see the downtown skyline from every angle. This is a leader led ride, but you should be able to maintain a 14 to 16 mph pace with three rest stops along the way. …

10/10 and 10/11 rides: Long and flat to Liberty Hill! Red Horn!

by Thomas        steinerranchcycling.com

Since last weekend was painfully hilly and next weekend is LIVESTRONG, we need to do a long and flat ride. The route on Saturday will be the Avery Ranch loop plus some extra that has us taking our rest stop at the store in Liberty Hill. The route is here: https://www.strava.com/activities/206580358 and is about 72 miles. Those that want to cut it short have options that we can discuss prior to departure. As usual, we leave from Cups & Cones at 7:30am. We will finish the ride at …

Day 26: Rain / Rest day: Amarillo

By Don Millikin        Route 66 at 66        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Wednesday October 7, 2015, 7 miles (12 km) – Total so far: 1,284 miles (2,066 km)
I woke up to rain about 4:30, went back to sleep for a bit. Wheni I woke up again at 7am and it was still raining I began to consider taking a rest day. I took care of some emails and other business and did some reading. The rain would let up a bit and nearly stop and start back up again.
Finally about half past nine it quit. By then I had determined to take the day off, but not stay put. I would pack up and move a few miles down the road to a motel and dry every thing out.
So I made a quick breakfast of coffee, oatmeal, and a …

Day 27: More rain:Amarillo to Adrian, TX
Thursday October 8, 2015, 58 miles (94 km) – Total so far: 1,342 miles (2,160 km)
Left the motel at 7:50, the sky was overcast and rain looked to soon arriving. And soon it did, less than an hour into the ride. Once I put on the tain jacket it was on the rest of the day, it rained on and off, sometimes hard sometimes just a sprinkle. The temperature never got over 60 all day.
Coming out of Amarillo I missed the turn to go to Cadilac ranch, and then …

Corpus Christi to New Orleans in 2 weeks in December.

www.reddit.com

my friend is a teacher so we want to spend her off time bicycle touring. Ive done about 280 -300 miles, from brownsville, tx to austin in June with a friend before. It took us 4 days to get to San Antonio. I rested while he went ahead. I then rode to San Marcos than Austin by myself. It was supposed to be 320 but I got a lot of flats, we didnt have enough tubes or patches etc so I got a lot of rides. I was also on a fixed gear with no back brake so that made it all the more difficult, but I loved it anyway.
I know more now so I think I could be better prepared, but my friend doesn’t ride as much as I do. I’m also a bike mechanic so I can do a lot of …

Day 29: Austin Layover Day: Hanging low

By Judy Gamble        No Tears on the Southern Tier        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Thursday October 8, 2015, 6 miles (10 km) – Total so far: 1,636 miles (2,633 km)
6 miles around the city.
This is going to be a short post since we have just been lying low today. We have no pics to add.
Our bikes are serviced and ready to go.
REI took some of our $$ and the post office got another small box of odds and ends that we don’t think we’ll need. There’s probably more boxes in our future.
We are heading out for one final meal tonight in Austin and then a casual departure tomorrow morning since we don’t have a long way to go.
Overall, our experiencce in Austin has been very positive. Our hosts, Kees and Sandy, are excellent. They live in a …

Free bike mechanic clinic Saturday at Dove Springs

by Pam LeBlanc        fitness.blog.austin360.com


Not sure how to fix a flat? Need to check your brakes?
Bike Austin will host a mechanics workshop Saturday at the Dove Springs Recreation Center, 5801 Ainez Drive.
Hour-long, basic bike maintenance classes will be taught in English and Spanish starting at 10 a.m.
The first 25 people to complete each class will …

Bike Hutto Celebrates 100 Years of Hippos with Inaugural Hippo Hunt Fundraiser

BikeTexas.org


In celebration of the 100 years of the Hippo, Bike Hutto is holding its first ever HIPPO HUNT on November 14, 2015! Hippo Hunt is a Hippo Scavenger Hunt on bicycles. Teams of 4-6 will bike to various hippos throughout central Hutto based on clues and a map. At each hippo location they get a clue that takes them on to the next hippo. Each team has a slightly different “route”. The event will start at 9am at Creekside Park located at 305 Orchard Way in Hutto, Texas. Check-In opens at 8am to allow teams time to receive their …

Oct 14th Whole Foods Community Giving Day To Benefit BikeHouston Education Program

bikehouston.org


BikeHouston’s safety and education programs will receive a boost on Wednesday, Oct. 14, through Whole Foods Market’s Community Giving Day as 9 Houston-area stores donate 5% of proceeds from the day’s net sales.
As Houston’s bicycle advocacy organization, BikeHouston is focused on …

Tweets About Texas Bicycling

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/652113693854068736

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Texas Bicycling Event Reminders

Armadillo On the Driveway Before Biking

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Nothing fancy about today’s ride on the route I ride the most often: “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman”. With today’s ride I traveled this route 34 times this year. After yesterday’s 40+ mile long ride I decided a shorter one was what I should do today. I biked 31.54 miles at a overall average speed of 14.7 mph. The weather was comfortable but the blue sky left replaced with an overcast sky. I left home at 11:47 and returned at 2:39. The temperature was 88 degrees when I got back home.

Earlier this morning I was sitting at our breakfast table reading the newspaper when something caught my eye on our driveway out the window. An armadillo walked up the driveway to our garage door then walked back and forth across the driveway between the two fences before disappearing back down the driveway to the street. We have been visited by possums before but this is the first armadillo. I see armadillos along my rides when they encounter cars and end up as roadkill but I don’t see a live one very often. They walk with quick short little steps. I might walk like that if I had a skin like they do.

I took a rest at my favorite place in Huffman: the Chevron station. This was at the 19.35 mile mark in the ride. No trains passed through today while i was there. The weather:

Tomorrow the weather should warm up a few degrees and be great for biking.

Mileage standings as of today:

  • 149.48 miles this week
  • 256.07 miles in October
  • 5773 miles in 2015

[iframe https://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/922201821 465px 500px] [iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/409015209/embed/690a9a02a528fccd562c94bcddca4e7541dcb65d 590px 500px]

Summary of all the rides on today’s route during 2015.

Activity Name Start Time Distance Elevation Gain Avg Speed(Avg Pace) Max Speed(Best Pace) Calories Total Strokes
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Thu, Oct 8, 2015 11:47 AM 2:09:10 31.54 230 14.7 20.6 1460 7962
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Fri, Oct 2, 2015 12:39 PM 2:21:40 34.66 289 14.7 22.2 1607 8744
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Thu, Sep 10, 2015 12:14 PM 2:08:30 30.89 581 14.4 20.2 1719 8197
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Sun, Sep 6, 2015 12:29 PM 2:11:32 32.49 489 14.8 20 1729 8410
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Fri, Aug 21, 2015 2:37 PM 2:10:45 32.97 591 15.1 20.5 1796 8319
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Sun, Aug 2, 2015 12:12 PM 2:07:04 31.71 689 15 20.4 1783 7864
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Fri, Jul 31, 2015 11:04 AM 2:10:29 31.72 673 14.6 21.1 1797 7939
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Fri, Jul 24, 2015 11:39 AM 2:16:00 33.68 568 14.9 22.1 1830 8607
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Thu, Jul 23, 2015 11:28 AM 2:17:37 33.58 604 14.6 21.1 1853 8326
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Tue, Jul 14, 2015 11:04 AM 2:15:57 33.24 656 14.7 20.5 1837 8043
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Sat, Jul 11, 2015 8:54 AM 2:22:56 34.74 482 14.6 19.4 1829 9148
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Sun, Jun 28, 2015 12:26 PM 2:06:30 31.41 479 14.9 20.4 1672 7719
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Thu, Jun 18, 2015 12:27 PM 2:15:01 34.2 633 15.2 21.6 1905 8532
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Sun, Jun 7, 2015 11:21 AM 2:04:21 31.33 486 15.1 21.3 1692 7414
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Mon, Jun 1, 2015 10:34 AM 2:15:19 33.35 505 14.8 20.1 1799 8611
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Sat, May 16, 2015 11:09 AM 2:18:09 33.12 1004 14.4 21.1 1966 8213
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Tue, May 5, 2015 2:12 PM 2:10:58 31.93 1296 14.6 21.1 2050 7869
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Sat, Apr 25, 2015 1:46 PM 2:19:42 34.26 732 14.7 21 1939 8451
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Sun, Apr 19, 2015 12:03 PM 2:02:15 30.55 817 15 21.3 1767 7846
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Wed, Apr 15, 2015 11:59 AM 2:13:52 33.85 574 15.2 20.6 1829 8573
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Mon, Apr 13, 2015 11:45 AM 2:16:16 33.81 810 14.9 22.3 1905 8395
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Sat, Apr 11, 2015 12:23 PM 2:19:10 34.41 538 14.8 24 1864 8483
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Mon, Apr 6, 2015 12:10 PM 2:13:18 32.86 751 14.8 21.3 1900 8251
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Tue, Mar 31, 2015 11:49 AM 2:12:36 32.6 679 14.8 21 1826 8105
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Fri, Mar 27, 2015 1:48 PM 2:11:50 32.32 955 14.7 21.9 1885 8307
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Wed, Mar 25, 2015 2:12 PM 2:10:22 32.19 912 14.8 21.7 1853 8142
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Fri, Mar 20, 2015 12:11 PM 2:04:13 31.41 614 15.2 21.7 1717 7998
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Wed, Mar 18, 2015 2:11 PM 1:59:20 30.31 594 15.2 22.2 1687 7697
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Mon, Mar 16, 2015 1:16 PM 2:10:40 32.14 568 14.8 21 1743 8442
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Wed, Mar 4, 2015 11:21 AM 2:10:53 32.66 702 15 21.6 1841 8203
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Tue, Mar 3, 2015 3:27 PM 1:59:27 29.34 659 14.7 21 1641 7645
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Sun, Feb 8, 2015 12:17 PM 2:15:02 33.07 879 14.7 22.3 1923 8234
Atascocita – Walden – Huffman Tue, Jan 27, 2015 12:17 PM 2:16:36 32.09 469 14.1 19.7 1684 9011
Atasacocita – Walden – Huffman Sat, Jan 17, 2015 1:55 PM 2:02:54 29.84 686 14.6 21.2 1686 8118

Texas Bicycling News October 7th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

CITY OF EL PASO HITS THE STREETS, SEEKING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK FOR COMPREHENSIVE, CITYWIDE BIKE PLAN

myemail.constantcontact.com

The City of El Paso will kick-off the creation of its comprehensive bike plan at the Chalk the Block Public Arts Festival in Downtown El Paso on  Saturday, October 10, 2015.
Project staff will host an information booth at the corner of Franklin Avenue and El Paso Street from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the free festival. They will also set up a  mock bike facility which has never been used before in El Paso. They’ll …

Week Four 2015 Preview – ‘Cross FTW, Quest CX and HTXCX No. 2

by joeyTWOwheels        texascx.com


Week four brings you three – three race locations across the great state. If you’re adventurous, you can hit two.
How about a day in FTW and one in ATX? Or HOU, then FTW? Or HOU, then ATX?
Whatever you do, if it’s not racing somewhere, you likely don’t have #TXCX fever this year.
Some observations on the year so far – …

Day 24: Morning rain: Erick, OK to Lake McClellan campground.

By Don Millikin        Route 66 at 66        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Monday October 5, 2015, 65 miles (105 km) – Total so far: 1,220 miles (1,963 km)
Woke up to a fairly heavy rain. After a quick breakfast of oatmeal, coffee, and a sweet roll I was on the road by 7:40am. The was only moderate by then. Within the hour I had pedaled through Texola and reached the Texas border.
An hour and a half later I had reached Shamrock and the rain was down to a sprinkle, but it was still completely overcast and would remain so throughout the day. In Shamrock is the classic Art Deco Tower Conoco Station and U Drop Inn Cafe. This station and cafe was built in 1936, and pumped gas until 1992, and the cafe was operated until 1996. In 1997 it was purchased by the …

Day 25: Great climb, then into the wind: Lake McClellan campround to Amarillo KOA
Tuesday October 6, 2015, 56 miles (91 km) – Total so far: 1,276 miles (2,054 km)
Got sort of a late start, 8:50am, then had a great 3 mile climb up away from the campground. Had to stop a few times on the climb, not because it was too difficult, but because looking back into the canyon in the early morning light was such a striking vista that I kept stopping for pictures.
After climbing up out of the canyon it was back on the …

Day 28: Austin Layover Day: Hanging around Austin on my birthday!

By Judy Gamble        No Tears on the Southern Tier        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Wednesday October 7, 2015, 10 miles (16 km) – Total so far: 1,630 miles (2,623 km)
10 Miles around town.
Since we are staying in a lovely home in downtown Austin our day today was spent touring around the city as well as some personal maintenance etc.
A haircut was number 1 priority for Todd today. We managed to find a barber shop not far from here and he’s back to his normal clean shaven head. …

Look Out Texans: Meet our Dallas BIKESTARS!

bikeabledallas.com

As a follow-up to our previous post this summer about the safety and education campaign underway by the North Central Texas Council of Governments, we are pleased to bring you a few of the Dallas BIKESTARS representing our community. …

Bridge out between Krieg Fields and Roy Guerrero River park

bicycleaustin.info

Just wanted to post that the pedestrian/bike bridge between Krieg Fields and Roy Guerrero River park is fairly out. The city has put fences around it, but people (me included) are going around them. (coordinates: 30.247276, -97.709082)
There are 3 fairly large (~1 ft) gaps between the slabs, and a large downward buckling on the widest span. There’s a ton of skid marks where people approached at too high a speed and I imagine wrecked their …

Love to Ride – Houston Bike Challenge

www.lovetoride.net

Let’s get more people riding in Houston!
Riding a bike is awesome – it’s good for your body, your mind, your wallet, and your community.
We want to bring together the Houston community and encourage each other to ride and enjoy all those benefits. By encouraging a friend or two to rediscover riding, you can win some great prizes!
That’s what Love to Ride is all about – spreading the joy of bicycling. Join Love to Ride Houston today! …

Corsicana Police host Texas Night Out

By Michael Kormos        www.corsicanadailysun.com


Residents of all ages turned out Tuesday evening to Jester Park as the Corsicana Police Department hosted its annual Texas Night Out event. The program is part of the National Night Out effort to raise awareness and acquaint the public with first responders.
… “We are giving away bicycle helmets as part of the Texas Medical Association’s Hard Hats for Little Heads program,” said Anna Paul Navarro Regional Director of Marketing and Public Relations . “Dr. Kingman and Dr. Drees were our physician champions who helped get the program started. Each helmet is …

Rocky Hill Ranch Rides Sesh w FR512

Saturday, Oct 10, 2015, 10:00 AM

Rocky Hill Ranch
578 Farm-to-Market 153 Smithville, TX

3 Mountain Bikers Went

While the cat’s away at Angel Fire Mountain Bike Park, the rats will play!!!! (instead of working their asses off)I’ll be opening up for a ride sesh on Saturday October 10th. Since this will be a ride day and not an official work day, all riders will need to sign a waiver for Rocky Hill Ranch and pay the $10 land use fee. Be sure to identify that …

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Tuesday: Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Bike Ride at the Ant Hills

Tuesday, Oct 13, 2015, 6:15 PM

15200 Memorial Dr
15200 Memorial Dr Houston, Te

1 cyclists Went

This will be a medium to fast pace ride through the Ant Hills of Hershey Park! Bring WATER, spare tube/tire, snacks, etc…Helmets required. Call if you are going to be late so we can wait for you. Wheels rolling by 6:30! See you there

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Trail Work Day at City Park 10/10/2015

Saturday, Oct 10, 2015, 9:00 AM

City Park – Emma Long Motorcycle Trails
7548 Oak Shores Dr Austin, TX

1 Mountain Bikers Went

We need to clear the trail, build up some low spots, block bandit lines and mark the trail for the EB. Meet in the parking lot at 9:00 for a safety briefing and task assignments. By 9:15 I expect to be out on the trail somewhere. One of the projects is to fill in the cupped trail at the parking lot entry to the trails. So late arrivals will be able…

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Tweets About Texas Bicycling

https://twitter.com/DCRUZ547/status/651981771500720129/photo/1

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Texas Bicycling Event Reminders

Timing Is Important When Biking

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I took a side trip from my usual “FM1960 to FM686 – Back” route to stop at the Dollar General store on FM2100 north of FM1960. Several months ago when I was at the Huffman Chevron a couple of other bikers pulled in. We talked about roads around Huffman and they mentioned they just rode on Huffman Eastgate Road from FM1960 to FM2100 and a dog chased them. Over the years I biked that road and I can remember a dog chasing me once or twice. Based on their report I started avoiding the road. Today I thought it had been a long time and the dog probably had better things to do so on the way back from FM686 I turned onto Huffman-Eastgate. All went well until I rode past the tree farm about a 1/4 of a mile. To my left I saw a large black dog running towards the road. Glancing ahead I saw there was a fence but the gate was open and I knew the dog would be waiting on me by the time I got to the gate. I stayed in the north lane and sped up planning on outrunning the dog. Looking to the west I saw a white pickup truck approaching. This is where the timing comes into play. The dog came through the gate and onto the road and then he saw the pickup coming towards him. The dog froze for a second but the pickup kept moving toward us. The dog moved back to the ditch on the south side of the road as the pickup truck passed between us. I increased my speed to get separation from the dog who was barking loudly from the ditch but not chasing me. It will be awhile before I ride Huffman-Eastgate Road all the way from FM1960 to FM2100.

After escaping the dog I stopped at the Dollar General store, bought my Cheetos and rode to the Huffman Chevron for a rest break. This was 29.35 miles into what turned out to be a 41.06 mile ride. I rested under the pump canopy for the final 11+ miles home. A freight train came through lasting for seemed a very long time. Three engines pulled an endless number of empty container cars. Normally I see trains with the flat bed cars loaded but not today.

Earlier in the ride I stopped on the railroad overpass on the way back from the FM686 turnaround point. The elevated view is one of the highest places in this part of Liberty County. (click on the image to enlarge it)

10-7-2015 FM1960 at RR Overpass-1

The railroad tracks appear to stretch to the eastern horizon. There are three modes of transportation in this picture: bike, car and rail. Off to the left down below the overpass a cow watched me while I took these pictures.

10-7-2015 FM1960 at RR Overpass-2

The white spot is the curious cow. (click on the image to enlarge it)

The weather continues to be exceptional for biking. I left home at 11:29 with scattered clouds and 92 degrees returning back home at 3:04 and 89 degrees. The clouds increased some but the sun was still out.

[iframe https://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/921365993 465px 500px] [iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/408364808/embed/80e6cb8840fb2bf1f281d709cf6adcc2ef8f2e62 590px 500px]

A summary of the rides this year on the same route.

Activity Name Start Time Distance Elevation Gain Avg Speed(Avg Pace) Max Speed(Best Pace) Calories Total Strokes
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Wed, Oct 7, 2015 11:29 AM 2:43:35 41.06 295 15.1 21.6 1928 10710
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Mon, Aug 24, 2015 11:33 AM 2:50:23 42.68 745 15 20.3 2313 11141
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Mon, Aug 3, 2015 10:14 AM 2:50:53 42.16 636 14.8 20.8 2277 10775
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Wed, Jul 15, 2015 11:18 AM 2:39:23 39.37 663 14.8 20.7 2135 9804
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Fri, Jul 3, 2015 10:11 AM 2:45:33 41.39 535 15 20.3 2236 10417
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Fri, Jun 19, 2015 10:31 AM 2:43:39 42.46 699 15.6 21.8 2306 10392
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Tue, Jun 9, 2015 10:04 AM 2:45:18 41.16 594 14.9 21.3 2202 10364
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Fri, May 22, 2015 11:33 AM 2:35:20 40.43 659 15.6 24.2 2304 10354
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Sat, May 2, 2015 11:09 AM 2:31:47 39.56 728 15.6 21.2 2176 10321
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Fri, Apr 24, 2015 12:17 PM 2:47:21 38.93 833 14 23.8 2024 10476
FM1960 to FM686 – Back Mon, Mar 30, 2015 11:59 AM 2:38:21 38.18 801 14.5 20.7 2131 10174