Texas Bicycling News Roundup April 8th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Invisible no more: Brownsville’s neglected biking culture goes public

April Corbin, PeopleForBikes equity writer


When the City of Brownsville decided to use bicycles to promote community health, skeptics said interest simply wasn’t there.
They aren’t saying that anymore.
Over the last decade—but especially in the past few years—the Texas border town has proven to residents and funders alike that its biking culture is alive and well. A series of well-attended open streets events and strategic partnerships have helped Brownsville raise millions of dollars to boost its infrastructure (including adding more than 30 miles of bike lanes in a year) and launch several community-based health initiatives. It’s even …

Cyclo-cross Success Begins Now

By Elliot Reinecke, Source Endurance Associate Coach.        texasbikeracing.com


The majority of amateur athletes, and even a lot of pros, have jobs outside of training and racing bikes that limit their ability or opportunity to train. For the time-crunched, heavily-worked cyclists focusing on cyclo-cross (CX) as their main passion, this isn’t such a bummer.
For those who focus on racing road and mountain bikes, where the season is during the summer, there is a huge stress of trying to log base miles in the wintertime. One problem with winter base miles, for those with jobs, is that it doesn’t get light until 8am or so and it gets dark at 5pm. This is a problem if …

San Antonio Could Lose Bikeshare, Too

by Robert Rivard        therivardreport.com


San Antonio B-Cycle, by most measures, should be a national model: first bikeshare program in Texas, one of the first in the nation, and after four years its network of 55 stations and 450 bikes is set to expand to 76 stations and 650 bikes with a $1.2 million Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) grant. Nearly every neighborhood surrounding downtown will have stations by the end of 2015.
Unlike rideshare, where Uber and Lyft have suspended service to protest city regulations, bikeshare has become an integral part of the urban landscape since its launch in 2011. The understated grey bikes have been checked out 275,000 times. Riders have pedaled 818,000 miles, burning 36 million calories on the path to making San Antonio a healthier city. More …

Benefit Bike Ride for Julian Andrade set for April 18

www.pleasantonexpress.com

The family of the late Julian Andrade, AKA Captain America, will hold a Benefit Bike Ride on Saturday, April 18. He is the son of Valerie and San Antonio Police Officer Jose Andrade.
The youngster had been diagnosed with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor. He passed away on March 26.
Where’s the story? PointsMentioned Map 2 Points Mentioned
The event is set for Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Texas South, 1933 W. Oaklawn in Pleasanton.
The fundraiser will include a bike ride, live music, barbecue plates for $8 each and a raffle. Tickets for the bike ride are $15 for a single rider and $20 for double riders (includes barbecue plates). …

Librarians to swim, bike and run at Texas Library Association conference in Austin

by Pam LeBlanc        fitness.blog.austin360.com


So much for that stereotype.
The Texas Library Association meets in Austin this month, and organizers are planning a lineup of fitness events that feel more badass than bookie.
“This year we decided to Austin-ify it a bit,” says Cate Sweeney, a librarian at Bee Cave Public Library who serves on the Health and Wellness committee of the annual conference.
Actually, and I love this, the group has planned a 5K and downtown walking tour as part of its meeting for quite some time.
But this year, organizers are adding a “Cycle 4 Libraries” event on Tuesday, April 14. Librarians will pedal about 25 miles, touring libraries along the way. They’re also hosting a Barton Springs “polar bear plunge” on Wednesday, April 15. The 5K fun run is set for Thursday, April 16.
Those who participate in all …

Georgetown Cyclewerx

by Kate Morris        impactnews.com


Store owner’s passion more than a hobby
On April 25 cyclists will line up by the dozen to wind through Williamson County for the Red Poppy Ride, and although Georgetown Cyclewerx owner Paul Littlefield will not be on a bicycle, he is still gearing up for the event.
“The Red Poppy is our biggest thing that we support during the spring,” Littlefield said. “We have a tent, and people can bring their bike and get last-minute adjustments. Surprisingly we do a lot of that the morning of—whether it’s people have things go wrong, or they show up with equipment not ready to go.”
For Littlefield bicycles have always been more than just a hobby.
“I’ve been working full time in a bike shop since I was 19,” he said. “[And] I had experience before that … because my family had a bike shop when I was a kid.”
Littlefield, a native of Wichita Falls, moved to …

James Cole Malone Killed after Car Hits Bicycle in Southlake, TX Accident

By Michael Grossman        www.texas-wrongful-death-lawyer.net

Southlake, TX — A young man on a bicycle was injured and later passed away after he was hit by a car in Southlake, police said. He was identified as James “Cole” Malone, 16 years old, and the accident happened at about 8:00 p.m. on Monday of this week, April 6, 2015.
The news said that Malone had been riding his bicycle along Byron Nelson Parkway that night, headed south, when he was hit by a car near Lilac Lane. The driver of the car, a woman, told police that Malone was trying to cross the road on his bike when she hit him. …

Why your backyard ride is the best ride ever

Kristin Butcher, contributing writer        www.peopleforbikes.org


Bicycling magazines are filled with images of spectacularly fit cyclists winding up picturesque switchbacks, touring along century-old cobblestone roads, and weaving between trees in a magical place somewhere far, far away.
With a little luck (like, the lottery winning kind), we’ll all find a way to explore those magazine routes up close and in person. But today is not that today.
Today we don’t have time to fly to Italy. We can’t even get away for the ride that’s far enough away to feel like an escape but still ends in our own bed that night. All we have right now is the ride out our front door, which, in lieu of majestic views, offers features like inattentive drivers, potholes and …

Participate in the 4000 ATLAS Bike Ride, May 30

By vasormgmt        blog.villasatsor.com


Here at The Villas at Stone Oak, we love celebrating everything that make Austin our favorite city. This May, celebrate your hometown and work for a great cause at the ATLAS Ride on Sunday, May 30.
The ATLAS Ride is a unique biking event in Austin aimed at helping fight cancer. A team of more than 700 cyclists are teaming up to ride form Texas to Alaska in the name of cancer research. On May 30, supporters are …

Moonlight Bicycle Madness rolls on Friday, May 8

beaumonttexas.gov

The City of Beaumont Recreation Division will host its annual Moonlight Bicycle Madness bike ride on Friday, May 8.
This popular annual event is open to riders of all skill levels. The 14-mile course begins and ends at Rogers Park, and includes rest stops, live entertainment and door prizes. Helmets and lights are strongly recommended.
Registration will be from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at Rogers Park, 1455 Dowlen Road. Advance registration is …

Leaders break ground on West Side hike, bike trail

www.foxsanantonio.com


SAN ANTONIO – About a year from now, people living near the Alazan Creek on the West Side will have a new recreational area.
City leaders broke ground Tuesday on the new Alazan Creek hike and bike trail which will run from the Woodlawn Lake Park casting pond to the Lombrano Street.
Walkers, runners and cyclists will be …

Dallas bicycle officer expected to be released from hospital Thursday

by Julie Fancher        thescoopblog.dallasnews.com


The Dallas police officer who collapsed while on bike patrol last month is expected to be released from the hospital Thursday, Dallas Police Association President Ron Pinkston said.
“Great news!! Our officer will be getting out of the hospital and starting rehab #prayersanswered,” the police association said Wednesday via Twitter.
On March 27, Senior Cpl. Jimmy Thongrivong was patrolling the Santa Fe Trail, near …

The Racing Post – April Edition

April Issue PDF

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/phil8phillip/status/585968882957033474

https://twitter.com/BikeMS_DFW/status/585828931611172864

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/585789101627932672

No Windbreak on This Bike Ride

Texbiker.net Posted on by

The wind was punishing on today’s ride on the “Oakhurst – Cumberland – Valley Ranch” route. It was from the SSW at 15 mph with gusts of 23 mph although I think the 23 mph was happening more frequently than an occasional gust. The temperature was 84 degrees with partly cloudy skies. Despite the warm temperature I wore a long sleeve jersey for sun protection. One of these rides I will switch to short sleeve jerseys and use the sun screen. As long as I was going north on this 32.53 mile long route the wind helped me go at 20+ mph but other directions I bogged down to 15 or 16 mph. The south bound service road from Valley Ranch to Northpark Drive was particularly tough. There was no windbreak making pedal turning slow. I looked at my Garmin a couple of times and saw 12 mph or so. Sometimes I think I was slower than that. I should’ve changed to a lower gear on the rear cassette but I kept pushing it. I was in the 34 x 13. I hated to change to the 34 x 14. As a result my average speed suffered. It maxed out at 14.9 mph and ended up at 14.5 mph for the whole ride.

To give my legs a chance to recover I stopped at the Texaco station at the Valley Ranch entrance from the US59 service road. It felt good to sit and eat a couple of snack bars and drink the ice water. After about 15 minutes I rolled out into the stiff wind going south. A short stop at the traffic light at FM1314 in Porter gave my legs some rest but the rod from there is flat for about a mile when a gentle slope down comes in. This time the wind negated any downward help from the slope. The next relief came at Northpark Drive where I made a u-turn onto the north service road to get to Knox Street and turn towards Kingwood. At this point the trees provided a little refuge from the wind for the last 4 miles home.

I had to make this ride with the end time in mind. I have an appointment to take our Jeep Grand Cherokee to the dealer to see why the engine malfunction light is on. I left home at 11:06 about an hour earlier than usual and got home at 1:41.

I reached the 1209 mile point for the year. Last year I was at 1482 miles on this date. I am slowly getting back the miles I lost from the bad weather in January, February and March.

Weather at Valley Ranch in Porter

Weather at Valley Ranch in Porter

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Texas Bicycling News Roundup April 7th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

P&Z tables bike plan until June

By Brian Bethel        www.reporternews.com

ABILENE, Texas – The Planning and Zoning Commission Monday chose to table a Bike Master Plan for the city until June, expressing a desire to see the results of the May 9 bond election and to get more information about need, especially among people using bicycles to get to work.
“I want to know what part of the population we’re really talking about there,” said Commissioner Bruce Bixby. “I see the people use it for …

Cyclist likely to die after being hit by car in Lost Creek (4/2015)

by MichaelBluejay        bicycleaustin.info

Reposting what Chavela started in a different thread:
chavela wrote:
We have had another likely-fatal collision, and I have not seen ANY coverage in the paper.  Last Wednesday evening, a couple was biking in Lost Creek (the woman works in my company, which is how I have heard about this).  Man was heading down a long hill, woman a good distance behind him.  Car passed him, turned right into him.  He hit the car, was seriously injured, and I heard reports this morning that he was determined brain-dead and the family is dealing with the decision to remove life support.  I was told that the driver did not have a license, and that–at the time–was …

Frustrated? Inspired? Seeking Change? Austin, You Should Meet Your Bicycle Advisory Council

Austin On A Bike

Sometimes, inspiration strikes and all you can do is scream it to the heavens above and hope for a response.
Or, in the case of cycling-related inspiration related directly to our fair hometown, you can bring it to the attention of the Bicycle Advisory Council. Did you know we have one of those?
I’ll admit, until not too long ago, I didn’t either.
Unlike the city’s bicycle program, which consists of the paid city staff responsible for actually “planning, designing and constructing pedestrian and bicycle facilities”, the BAC is made up of 9 volunteer members of the community, with suggested representatives of “south Austin, central Austin, north Austin, the competitive bicycling community, the recreational bicycling community, and the utilitarian bicycling community”. All members may serve a term of …

Biking From Texas To Alaska To Fight Cancer

By Abz Zeitler        thelala.com

I am a part of Texas 4000. We are the 2015 team who will make this year’s epic trek across the nation making our mark on the communities we ride miles to in hopes of spreading our mission.
I will be biking over 4,500 miles from Austin, Texas to Anchorage, Alaska. The Texas 4000 is a 70-day journey, founded in 2004 by Chris Condit whom battled Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. This bike ride was created with one goal in mind: to spread hope, knowledge, and …

Refuge International to host 6th Annual Chainge the World Bike Ride

www.gilmermirror.com

Refuge International is hosting the 6th Annual Chainge the World Bike Ride to be held April 18, 2015 in Gilmer Texas. Bike riders will have the opportunity to enjoy a picturesque bicycle ride through towering pine trees and rolling hills on the beautiful back roads of both Upshur and Camp Counties. Different rides will appeal to different levels of riders and include 10 mile, 20mile, 40 mile, and 100k rides. This is a fully supported ride with rest stops about every 10 miles. Registration will start at the …

Traffic Patterns in This Community Showcase the Urgency of Making a Safe Way for Cyclists to Share the Road — Before Anyone Else Gets Hurt

by Agatha Beins Assistant professor of women’s studies at Texas Woman’s University    www.huffingtonpost.com

In North Texas, March brings signs of spring: daffodils, lawn mower sounds, garden stores seedlings peeking out hopefully, and people walking and riding bicycles. I ride my bicycle in Denton throughout the year, commuting to work, riding to the grocery store and meeting up with friends. After living in New Jersey for six years, I love the slower pace of Denton and the way drivers tend to be respectful and courteous. They pass slowly, giving a wide berth. However, when I get to work, the scene is not so nice.
Although city laws require cars to give cyclists at least 3 feet when passing — and …

Teen Cyclist Struck in Southlake Dies from Injuries

By Todd L. Davis        www.nbcdfw.com


A teenager has died a day after he was struck by a vehicle while riding his bicycle Monday night in Southlake.
James Malone, 16, was riding his bike in the 600 block of Byron Nelson Parkway when the car struck him, according to police.
Paramedics transported Malone to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital in …

April Newsletter Published

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts

The April edition of the DATES-Line Newsletter is published and available for download from the newsletters page. This month’s edition includes the following:
Upcoming Rides
“Informal” Willow City Loop Ride
Chisholm Trail Winery Ride
Tax Relief Ride – Round the Lake
Bluebonnet Ride
Southwest Tandem Rally
DATES Blue Ridge Ramble
Fresh DATES
Save The Date! – DATES Social
Easter Hill Country Tour
GDB Lancaster Country Ride
Honor Ride Clay Hunt
Ride Reports
Round and Round the Lake Rie
Dallas Shamrock Ride
Save The Date! – DATES Social
Southwest Missouri Tandem Weekend
DATES Rides & Activities

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/BSS_Road_Club/status/585577622123458560

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/585562132906954753

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/585538797921816577

Event Reminders

Bike Route Mirror Image

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Figuring out the reverse of a route I rode hundreds of times is not easy. I was trying to think of some route variety today without packing the bike in the Jeep and riving somewhere. I decided to really ride the reverse of the route I do most often, Atascocita – Walden – Huffman. This changed to Huffman – Atascocita – Walden. Obviously I can’t ride on the wrong side of the road so some places I rode the same place but thinking of the turns and streets in reverse takes concentration. That house I see going the usual direction changes places and might even look different. Some houses I don’t see at all are now visible. Some turns are across traffic where before I kept on the same road. The ride distance wasn’t different at 33.01 miles. My average speed was a slow 14.5 mph, with a high of 14.9 mph.

The wind didn’t help with my speed. From the south at 10 mph with 18 mph gusts just seemed to get in my face no matter which road I was on. The temperature was a pleasant 83 in Huffman when I stopped at the Huffman Chevron. The ride began at 12: 10 and I was back home at 3:06 where the temperature was 86 degrees. The mostly cloudy sky limited the sun exposure.

With this reverse I was at the Chevron with fewer miles that normal; 16 miles today versus 21 in the usual direction.

The first cross traffic change was a left turn from W. Lake Houston Parkway onto Kings River Drive. The normal direction is opposite of that. I also found some of the traffic lights do not change when I am on the side street turning onto a major road. This can be aggravating. A couple of times I motion for a car behind me to move closer to trip the light. They don’t always understand what I want them to do. I thought that was going to be a problem at Atascocita Shores Drive where I normally exit FM1960 to Atascocita Shores. Today I was waiting on Atascocita Shores to turn left onto FM1960 to cross Lake Houston. The wait was getting long for the light to change and the pickup truck behind me was not on the trip area but finally the light changed. This is an uphill spot and getting started is difficult and slow. Fortunately no one was honking and the light stayed green long enough for everyone to get through.

Other than the direction change no unusual happenings today. No dog sprints.

Weather when I stopped at the Chevron station

Weather when I stopped at the Chevron station

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