Texas Bicycling News Digest October 6th

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Day 26: Kerrville to Pedrenles State Park (9 miles E. of Johnson City): A great day with no wind.

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

Monday October 5, 2015
76 miles, 2,764′ Climbing
A few days ago during our ride from Camp Wood to Lost Maples we were travelling through some nice twisty-turny roads in the mountains of West Texas when we saw a professional photographer on the side of the road taking shots of the passing go-fast enthusiasts. We stopped to chat with him to get an idea of the popularity of the area and the like. He has since sent us a few pics. One follows. His …

Day 27: Pedernales State Park to Downtown Austin: Arrived in a beautiful city
Tuesday October 6, 2015
44 miles, 2,333′ climbing
After a chilly night of camping we quickly broke camp and headed up the 3 mile hill out of the campground. It’s a pity that we didn’t have a chance to actually see the Pedrenales Falls as we got into the campground around 5 pm and dark came around 7:30pm.
The route was on a farm road with smooth surface but no shoulder at …

Fort Worth By Cycle Downtown Historic Bike Tour

www.fortworth.com


Oct 17, 2015
Downtown Fort Worth        Fort Worth, TX 76102-3105
Where: Sundance Square
Times: Starting: 10:00 AM
Admission: $30
A fun unique two hour bicycle tour of Downtown Fort Worth with a knowledgeable guide. We provide the bicycles by renting them for you from Fort Worth’s bike share program. We will bike around Downtown stopping at several locations, all the way from the Courthouse to the Texas and Pacific Railway Station. Helmets are not required but highly recommended and can be provided upon request.

GHORBA -First ride @ Lake Houston Wilderness Park!

GHORBA.org

Event category: Rides
Trail: Lake Houston Wilderness Park
Sunday, November 22, 2015 – 10:00am
Join us for our first ride at Lake Houston Wilderness Park! Wheels down at 10am
http://cdn.ghorba.org/sites/ghorba.org/files/www/events/image_0.jpeg

DORBA Beginner Clinic

Sunday, Nov 15, 2015, 9:00 AM

River Legacy Park
703 N.W. Green Oaks Blvd Arlington, TX

41 Participants Went

There will be a beginner clinic on Sunday the 15th of November at 9:00am at River Legacy Park in Arlington (you should arrive no later than 8:45am to unload your bike and gear up).What: There is a “classroom” for about an hour or so, a mini-skills workshop for 30 minutes, and then a ride of an hour or more. So count on approximately 2.5 to 3 hours…

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Reaching 1000 Miles: Sierra Blanca to Van Horn

By Richard Ostrowski    Wind In My Wheels- A Journey Across America        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Friday October 2, 2015
We had a self serve breakfast this morning at the local Cheveron Gas Station. After a raspberry Danish and a cup of coffee, Bob and I started riding at about 6:50 AM. We rode the I-10 service drive for about 20 miles before getting on the freeway shoulder. Once on the freeway we had about a 400 foot climb for a short while followed by a downhill for about 8 miles. So the 33 miles we completed to Van Horn was a pretty easy day. What really made the day significant was that I reached over 1,000 miles since the day we started in San Diego on September 10, 2015.
The common theme today was arid desert with low growing brush and …

From Dawn to Dusk: Van Horn to Marfa, Texas
Saturday October 3, 2015
Bob and I left the hotel after breakfast about a half hour before sunrise. The days ride from Vanhorn to Marfa, Texas would be a long one of 73 miles. What would make the day especially challenging was two other uncontrollable parameters; We would have a 10 to 15 mph headwind and we would have a 1,000 foot climb all day. We therefore, decided to leave a little earlier than normal because we figured the conditions were right for a long and tedious day. We were right it was a long and tedious day. We arrived in Marfa at dusk 13 hours later. We started with our headlamps and …

A Day in The Rain: Marfa To Alpine, Texas
Sunday October 4, 2015
Since we were planning a short ride today from Marfa to Alpine a distance of 25 miles, we slept in till 8:00AM. Our motel was on the east side of town and we had to ride to the west side of town to find the only open restaurant for breakfast called Buns and Roses. The restaurant also baked bread and sold flowers. I had an appetite for French toast but it wasn’t offered. I chose a large egg burrito with cheese, bacon, ham, peppers and tomatoes. It was pretty good. It seems every restaurant you visit you can always find Mexican food.
We rode across town back to our motel to pack our bikes. When we were ready to leave it started to …

A Very Foggy Morning: Alpine to Marathon
Monday October 5, 2015
It was off to the local McDonalds for breakfast this morning. The other restaurants in town generally don’t open till 7:30 or 8:00 o’clock and most don’t even open on a Monday. I generally order the Big Breakfast with eggs, and pancakes, plenty of fuel for my morning ride.
The morning ride was extremely foggy you couldn’t see over 50 yards. We rode the outside edge of the wide 10 foot shoulder. The fog lifted at about 9:30AM.
The ride today took us a distance of 30 miles from Alpine to Marathon, Texas. There was a little climbing but the majority of the ride was a slight downhill.
The scenery after the fog lifted was an open prairie. We didn’t pass thru no towns on our way to Marathon. The area was quite remote.
Bob and I had lunch at a …

Riding the West Texas Range: Marathon to Sanderson
Tuesday October 6, 2015
Today we decided to skip the quick egg burrito at the Sripes gas station at 6:00AM and wait around to 7:30AM for a sit down home cooked breakfast. We got on the road a little later but the normal cooked breakfast was worth it.
Today we rode 53 miles from Marathon to Sanderson,Texas. My average speed was 9.9 mph. The road had wide shoulders and very little traffic. The shoulder consisted of a stone chip seal surface so it was a pretty bumpy wide.
The terrain was an arid desert with mountains of different shapes. Most of the mountains were very rocky with little to no vegetation. We cycled just over 1,200 miles to date and its surprising that about 95% of those miles were in the desert.
Passed by many cattle ranches. Saw a lot of cowboys with wide brim hats driving down the road with their flat bed pickup and …

Introduction: Let me explain a few things

By Ken Kuntz    A Ride to Remember        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Tuesday October 6, 2015
During Hurricane Ike a very large tree fell on top of our garage and a patio cover on the back of the house. Tree removal services were impossible to find, and we didn’t have anything else to do (power was out everywhere and my office was closed), so my son, Joel, and I decided to start removing the tree with a hand saw. My neighbor spotted me on the roof, and laughed at the inadequacy of the hand saw for the task. I agreed it would be slow, but we would gradually make progress. My neighbor said it was an example of an old piece of wisdom: “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time!”
So how do you ride your bicycle across America? A little bit at a time. Yes, my goal is to ride from St. Augustine, FL to San Diego, CA. Total distance: 3,061 miles. I plan to do the first leg in October-November 2015, then start the next leg around February 2016.
I’ve never done a long bike tour, so we’ll see how it goes. I’ll be following the Southern Tier Route published by Adventure Cycling Association. I plan to do about 50 miles a day. The first leg is 1,200 miles, about 25 days of riding, and will get me back to Houston. I expect to need …

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No Ice But A Snapple Filled In

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Today I rode north on the “New Caney – Gene Campbell Road” route for the 10th time this year. (See a summary of the 10 rides below). The distance was 37.63 miles in almost perfect biking weather: 90 degrees at the 12:47 start and 88 degrees at the 3:57 finish. The sky include a few white patches of clouds but you had to look for them. The wind was generally friendly while I pedaled along. The average speed peaked at 15.4 mph where I held it for a long time until I moved back into Kingwood for the last 4 miles home.

The roads on this route are pretty good with wide shoulders on the FM type roads. Gene Campbell Road is starting to shows the effects of all 18 wheeler traffic to the Walmart distribution center. I expect in the not too distant future the road will need to be resurfaced.

I reached the Stripes station 25.95 miles into the ride about 2:30. I planned on staying there until after 3:00 to allow the two schools to dismiss in Briar Tree. Otherwise I would wait in the parents traffic trying to get to Oakhurst. when I went inside Stripes I expected to get a nice cold Gatorade from the fountain machine but they were both out of order. I looked in the cold drink coolers and found a lemon flavored Snapple. It has been years since I had a Snapple and it tasted good although I thought I got a diet one and it turned out to be a regular one. My cycling glasses do not have bifocals and while I see great riding reading small print up close is a problem. I took the Snapple outside and sat down by the pumps to rest and cool down. I ate my granola and trail mix bars and waited until after 3:00 to leave. As I was leaving I took this picture. Count the number of different fuels in the picture.

10-6-2015 Bike Ride Porter-2

I took these weather screenshots while I was resting at Stripes. My thigh muscles were complaining from all of the power I was asking for and cried out for relief.

I did not see any fellow bikers on the route but the Grand Parkway FM1314 overpass construction looks complete except the detour barriers are still in place. The parkway approaching FM1314 on either side still needs work though.

Tomorrow the weather might be even warmer which is fine by me. I plan on biking.

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Activity Name Start Time Distance Elevation Gain Avg Speed(Avg Pace) Max Speed(Best Pace) Calories Total Strokes
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Tue, Oct 6, 2015 12:47 PM 2:29:12 37.63 226 15.1 21.5 1775 9266
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Tue, Sep 8, 2015 10:21 AM 2:31:53 38.21 564 15.1 20.4 2065 9717
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Wed, Sep 2, 2015 12:09 PM 2:33:36 37.44 587 14.6 19.9 2042 9730
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Tue, Aug 11, 2015 11:00 AM 2:37:54 37.48 577 14.2 19.5 1995 9763
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Wed, Aug 5, 2015 10:42 AM 2:38:14 38.68 748 14.7 19.7 2139 9788
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Wed, Jul 29, 2015 10:30 AM 2:27:08 35.6 390 14.5 18.9 1867 9183
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Tue, Jul 21, 2015 10:46 AM 2:36:04 37.53 472 14.4 20.1 2001 9652
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Mon, Jul 13, 2015 9:55 AM 2:29:57 36.54 495 14.6 21 1935 9283
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Mon, Jun 22, 2015 12:04 PM 2:32:39 37.71 653 14.8 20.8 2076 9021
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Wed, Jan 28, 2015 12:00 PM 2:30:14 35.48 584 14.2 19.5 1928 9396
New Caney – Gene Campbell Road Sat, Nov 29, 2014 11:33 AM 2:17:47 35.25 1093 15.3 22.2 2130 8893

 

Texas Bicycling News October 5th

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After only a year, Hutto woman cited for her bicycling passion

by Claire Osborn        www.statesman.com


HUTTO — Camille Baptiste learned how to ride a bike last year when she was 38. Within several months, however, the Hutto resident was so passionate about encouraging other female bike riders that she wrote a story about it that won a $1,000 prize.
“Our judging panel selected Camille’s story because it perfectly captures her passion for cycling and community,” said Mary Hetrick, a spokeswoman for Saris, a …

BPSA: Bike shipments flat, but e-bikes and gravel bikes growing

by BRAIN Staff        www.bicycleretailer.com

BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — Bicycle Product Suppliers Association members shipped 1.8 million bikes to dealers through August this year, less than half a percent more than they shipped in the same period last year.
The flat shipment total does not mean the market is static, however. Three types of bikes — which BPSA calls “Miscellaneous,” “Road-Other” and “Unsuspended 27.5 and 29er” — each grew substantially.
E-bikes fall under the Miscellaneous category, which saw a 34 percent jump in unit shipments and an 80 percent jump in dollar sales.
The Road-Other category saw a 45 percent growth in unit shipments and a 43 percent growth in dollar sales. Some suppliers report their gravel, touring and adventure bikes under this category, which may help explain …

2015 Cyclocross Season Schedule

Texas A&M Cycling Team        amct.tamu.edu

The 2015 Cyclocross Season Schedule has been finalized. These are the only races that AMCT will sponsor members to race at:
October 24/25  CX7 Austin Cyclocross Festival – Austin, TX
Oct 31/Nov 1 Spooky Cross – Dallas, TX
November 14/15 Georgetown Cyclocross Festival – Georgetown, TX
November 21/22 Capital City Cross – Austin, TX
December 5/6 Cyclocross State Championship – Houston, TX …

Fort Davis Cyclefest by Video

Pedal Pushers        roy-pedalpushers.blogspot.com

Fort Davis Cyclefest
September 19, 2015
Fort Davis, Texas
Fort Davis Cyclefest GoPro Videos
Outside of Fort Davis, the road seems flat. However, the incline is 1-3% for 10 miles.
Short clip of false flat. The wind was also in our face.

Protected Bike Lanes on Sylvan!

bikeabledallas.com

As promised, flex stake-protected bike lanes have been installed on the new Sylvan Bridge!
We used a lane diet to create a one-foot buffer between the bike lanes and adjacent travel lanes. Then our Streets Department crews installed flex stakes in the buffer space to create the protected lanes. These are the same durable flex …

Remember! The Southern Walnut Creek Trail is Closed Weekdays from Today Until 10/23

austinonabike.com


Just a friendly reminder, but starting today, the Southern Walnut Creek Trail is closed for repairs on weekdays. It will be open on weekends.
Here’s the email from the city:
Southern Walnut Creek Trail to Close Between Delwau Lane and MLK Jr. Blvd (FM 969)
Portion of trail to close for 15 business days to address erosion issues
The Southern Walnut Creek Trail between Delwau Lane and FM 969 (MLK Jr. Boulevard) will close for 15 business days starting Monday, Oct. 5 at 6:00 a.m. through Friday, Oct. 23 at 1 p.m. The trail will reopen for the …

Society Cycle Works Sugarland B+ Exclusive Trial Run Route

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7:00 AM Saturday    October 10th
Meet Up Spot Society Cycle Works on University
Tempo / Mostly Flat
There’s been some excitement from the B group that rides through Sugarland. Let’s shoot for a 19mph average over 40 miles. We have added 13 miles to the typical B group route and deleted a break. We will vote while riding to see if we even want one at all. Check out the route. It is …

Redbull Rampage Party and Walnut PT Preride with FR512

Saturday, Oct 17, 2015, 9:00 AM

No location yet.

18 Mountain Bikers Went

Saturday October 17th come watch Redbull Rampage with FR512 after a morning at the Walnut Creek Pumptrack. Meet at Walnut Creek Pump Track at 9AM to ride. Post ride we’ll join up at Big Daddy’s at 11:30 in the meeting room to watch Rampage live. Big Daddy’s: Crossroads Shopping Center, 9070 Research Blvd #101, Austin, TX 78758You do not need to be…

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Grinding it: Bikers report El Camino trail hard and satisfying

By JENNIFER SHERIDAN        www.palestineherald.com


The second annual 205 El Camino Gravel Grinder has come and gone through Palestine. Cyclists at the event said the trail was tough, but worth the effort to complete.
The trail is a long-distance adventure through the Piney Woods of East Texas, according to event organizer David Morrow. The popularity of gravel grinders is growing because riders are looking to follow the path less traveled, a release stated. Around 70 bikers participated in the Saturday event, beginning in …

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Fabulous Weather for Biking to the May Community Center

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The great biking weather is still hanging around. I started the ride at 12:59 with the sky almost completely blue and 76 degrees. With the sun out it didn’t feel that cool and riding through the shade wasn’t cool like yesterday. I wanted to ride about 40 miles so I picked the “Fairlake Drive – May Park Community Center – Huffman” route and biked 39.6 miles. I could’ve made the 40 mile mark if I rode the usual starting streets but I chose not to.

Wind was strong today at 13 mph from the north. I could tell when I had a headwind and my speed dropped 3 or 4 mph. The average speed took until the 15 mile point to reach 15.0 mph. After that I increased it to 15.4 mph and generally held it there until I got back into Kingwood.

There wasn’t much happening on the route today so I stopped at the May Community Center and took this picture.

IMG_20151005_143340[1]

From the May Center I rode to the Huffman Chevron station for a rest stop 27.32 miles into the ride. On the way to the Chevron I stopped at a General Dollar store for some chips because I was hungry beyond the trail mix and granola bars I had. I made a mistake though, I thought I was getting regular crunchy Cheetos but got the flaming hot ones. This might be why I rode fast when I left the Chevron station. I forgot to take weather screenshots at the Chevron and stopped about 1/2 mile west of the station for these.

This was the 5th time I rode this route in 2015.

Activity Name Start Time Distance Elevation Gain Avg Speed(Avg Pace) Max Speed(Best Pace) Calories Total Strokes
Fairlake Drive – May Park Community Center – Huffman Mon, Oct 5, 2015 12:59 PM 2:38:57 39.6 266 14.9 20.6 1855 10080
Fairlake Drive – May Park Community Center – Huffman Sat, Sep 5, 2015 11:53 AM 2:45:52 39.75 577 14.4 20.2 2092 10613
Fairlake Drive – May Park Community Center – Huffman Wed, Aug 19, 2015 10:54 AM 2:44:33 40.92 650 14.9 20.1 2246 10618
Fairlake Drive – May Park Community Center – Huffman Fri, Aug 7, 2015 10:09 AM 2:55:03 42.35 696 14.5 22 2296 10599
Fairlake Drive – May Park Community Center – Huffman Mon, Jun 29, 2015 10:49 AM 2:52:31 42.38 801 14.7 21.4 2341 10441

My year to date mileage is up to 5663 towards the goal of 6500 miles. October miles total 145.83. Last year on this date I was at 141.43 miles for October and 5672 miles for 2014. I recovered the lost miles from earlier in the year due to rain and cool weather.

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