Texas Bicycling News March 21st

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Lubbock Board of health talks immunization numbers, bike lanes

By MATT DOTRAY, A-J MEDIA         lubbockonline.com

The Lubbock Board of Health met on Friday to discuss immunization exemptions and bike lanes. …

… She said Lubbock is the ideal city for bicycle routes, given its flat surface, and she’d like to see the board encourage the …

Use precaution while walking, biking on roadway

www.jacksonvilleprogress.com

This letter has been long “in the making,” but an incident that happened the night of March 16th prompted me to write.
I was traveling north on Hwy. 69 from Rusk to Jacksonville and was in the right-hand lane. It was after dark; cloudy with no stars and in area with no street lighting. There is also no shoulder at this point on 69 and the white line touches a grassy area that is fairly flat so people can walk there.
Instead, there was a man walking on the line, pretty much in my lane on the highway.  He was dressed in all dark clothing and had no flashlight. I did not see him until I was literally less than a couple of feet away from him. I drive slower than the speed limit by nature and, thank God, no one was in the left hand lane because I swerved to miss him.
As I entered Jacksonville, I saw another gentleman wearing all dark clothing with no flashlight, though he was well away from the road. Just a few blocks later I saw a young man on a bicycle, again, wearing …

Dallas says it has patched 4,000 potholes in recent days. But there are plenty left.

by Robert Wilonsky        cityhallblog.dallasnews.com


Received an email Thursday morning from a reader named Mary who says she recently moved to Dallas from Denver, where “it snows and snows and snows,” unlike here, where we just spent a few days covered in some wintery mix. That Denver snowfall, she writes, “is tough on the roads. But the citizens of Denver have pride in the city. They fix the potholes.”
Ooof.
But .. but … but Dallas City Hall swears it’s doing its best to do its best to repair our city’s pockmarked hellscape. As a matter of fact, just last night Assistant City Manager Mark McDaniel sent Mayor Mike Rawlings and the Dallas City Council a memo commemorating the massive milestone set by …

Cyclovia So Padre

www.sopadre.com


The First Annual Cyclovia So Padre will turn Padre Boulevard into a car-free and care-free environment for families and their pets to bike, run and play together. Cyclovias originated in Bogotá Colombia over 40 years ago and are now held in hundreds of cities around the world. South Padre Island’s first ever Cyclovia will stretch across Padre Boulevard, connecting Bahama Street to Capricorn Drive, on Saturday, May 2, 2015 from 1 pm – 6 pm! Cyclovia So Padre will feature three Reclovias “Recreation Stations” throughout our route that …

Houston By Bike

www.visithoustontexas.com

Grab a bicycle and explore the city
Want to really see Houston? Grab a bike, because a pair of wheels is one of the best ways to experience H-Town these days. With its mild year-round temps, recently-expanded bike trails (more than 300 miles of interconnected bikeway network cover the metro) and the 2012 introduction of the Houston B-Cycle bike share program, locals and visitors are hitting the road now more than ever. …

… Downtown
Kick off a ride through the Central Business District at Discovery Green park. Look for the closest B-Cycle station, which is located across the street, outside the George R. Brown Convention Center. From the north side of Discovery Green, follow Crawford Street northeast, past Minute Maid Park and take a left on Congress Avenue to get to historic Market Square Park, which is home to several restaurants and bars like OKRA Charity Saloon, La Carafe and Batanga. It’s a great place to wrap up your Downtown exploration later on.
Continue past Market Square, through the Theater District, making sure to stop at Sam Houston Park before hopping on the Buffalo Bayou Hike and Bike Trails. (There’s an entrance to the trail on the south side of the park.) From there, the path winds along …

Former Intel Exec Starts Heart Across America Tomorrow

garmin.blogs.com

Rule No.1 for preventing a stroke is don’t have one.
It may seem obvious, but that’s the motto Sean Maloney lives by now. The former Intel executive has been on a mission since suffering his stroke in early 2010 to not only recover, but also prevent anyone else from going through his struggle.
Now Sean, with the help of several sponsors, will bike from March through June to raise awareness in the Heart Across America event, and Garmin will be along for the ride. This includes Sean using the Edge 1000 and vívosmart to help him track his routes around the country and stay on the right path as he makes his way to his final destination, New York City.
Sean will be biking 5,000 miles to raise awareness for stoke prevention. Sean has recruited friends and tech executives alike to ride out of Palo Alto, California with him tomorrow on March 22, 2015 to start his Heart Across America journey. …

… Along the way, Sean will stop in several major cities including: San Diego, Phoenix, Albuquerque, Dallas, Austin, Houston, Nashville, Chicago and Pittsburgh. Throughout the tour, people can learn about health, wellness and other products that support an active lifestyle. …
http://youtu.be/PffEV8ddgTM

Tour de Houston Google Track vs Cateye Stealth 50 / Strava Track – fun 60 mile bike ride

ThatGuyinHouston        www.reddit.com

Had a really fun 61.9 mile, 3 hour & 56 minute ride last weekend in nearly perfect weather conditions, with thousands of others. My longest ride prior to this was about 35 miles so I was a little concerned I may have bit off more than I could chew, but it went fine.
I decided, just for grins, to check my Google location history and compare it to my bike computer’s history. Pretty interesting. If you have location history enabled on your android phone with a Google account, your history going …

Bike Masters team at Vuelta Nuevo Leon 7th stage

Bike Masters

Cyclist group remembers those lives lost at last year’s South by Southwest crash

www.myfoxaustin.com

One local organization is reminding drivers to get a sober ride by honoring those injured and killed in last year’s deadly crash.
A small crowd with big hearts came together at the corner of tenth and red river with those who died in last year’s crash on their minds.
“We think it’s important to remember the lives that we’ve lost and to strengthen and resolve as a community,” said Chris Riley of “Please be Kind to Cyclists.
On that deadly March night, four people died and several others were seriously hurt after police say 21-year old Rashad Owens pummeled through barricades on Red River and 10th Streets.
Pat Bastidas and her husband founded the organization, She says she can only imagine the pain the …

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/579263564524978176

Event Reminder

Changed Bike Tires While It Rained

Texbiker.net Posted on by

On my last ride yesterday I got over the mileage point where I planned to change tires. The front tire has 6044 miles and the rear tire has 5044 miles. I don’t want to chance a failure away from home and i think I got my money ‘s worth out of these. Originally I was going to put a 23mm wide tire on the front wheel and a 25mm wide tire on the rear but after my recent experience of the rear tire rubbing on the left chainstay I elected to go with 23mm wide front and rear. Because I got over 5000 miles on the Continental Gatorskin on the rear with only 1 or 2 flats I am going with Continental Gatorskin Hardshell tires.

With a day of rain I figured today was the best time to remove the old tires and install the news since I wouldn’t be riding.

The front tire was difficult to get off the rim. My tire tool kept slipping and I skinned my knuckle. Using two tire tools helped and I got the tire off. The tube was in good shape so I reused it. The rims have a wide cross section requiring a stem of 60mm or longer. I couldn’t change the tube even if I wanted to because I don’t have any spare tubes with the long of a stem. Her are some pictures of the front tire.

25mm and 23mm tires before the change
front wheel with old tire
23mm tire before mounting
new tire on the front rim
finished front tire install

Now for the rear wheel. The old Continental tire was a little easier to remove than the front one. It had not been off the rim for a long time. Two tire tools came in handy again. While this wheel was off the bike I checked the inside of the left chainstay again to see if the Duck tape had any sign of rubbing. There was a couple of scratches but not through the tape.

After this I removed the old tube from the rear tire. It had two patches on it and to be safe I wanted to replace it but I did not have a tube with a 60mm or longer stem. It went back in the tire and finished mounting the new tire on the rear rim. Airing it up to 110 psi made the tire firm and ready to go back on the bike.

Old 25mm tire before replacing it
New tire
New tire on the rim
New tire

Ready for the rain to end and get some miles on the new tires.

Gap on the rear tire and left chainstay
Gap on the right chainstay
Completed work

Texas Bicycling News Digest March 20th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Mountain biking a ‘fantastic way to relieve stress … meet cool people’

By Lauren Dodd | Herald correspondent        kdhnews.com


Mountain bike enthusiasts and Harker Heights residents new to the hobby met Thursday as part of Harker Heights’ new outdoor recreation program GO Heights.
GO Heights, or Get Outdoors Heights, meets the second Thursday of the month at 6 p.m. to learn a variety of new outdoor skills.
Participants brought their mountain bikes, helmets and closed-toed shoes to the Harker Heights Community Park, 501 E. Farm-to-Market 2410, to learn the …

White Oak Bayou “Bridge Bash” (see new rain date)

houstonparksboard.org

April 25, 2015 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM
Summary     Join us to celebrate the new White Oak Bayou Greenway bridge and trails with a dedication ceremony and free, family-friendly activities.
Description
Mayor Annise Parker, City Councilmember Ellen Cohen, the Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Memorial Heights Redevelopment Authority & TIRZ 5, and the Houston Parks Board will host a “Bridge Bash” to celebrate the completion of a new segment of White Oak Bayou Greenway. Part of Bayou Greenways 2020, the new segment includes new trails and a pedestrian bridge over White Oak Bayou that connect to the Heights trail. The new bridge replaces the former MKT Railroad Bridge (known to some as the “BBQ Bridge”) between Shepherd Drive and Moy Street.
With these additions, Houstonians now …
http___houstonparksboard.org_images_Tom_Compson_-_White_Oak_Bayou_Greenway_Bridge_--_11-30-14

List of event cancellations, schedule changes

www.victoriaadvocate.com

… On Saturday• The Kiwanis Club of Victoria has canceled its Riverside Bike Ride because of the forecast rainfall and thunderstorms, said Tom Willis, coordinator for the club. However, the organization will still have its pancake breakfast from 6:30 to 10 a.m. Saturday at Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 4102 Ben Jordan St. All pre-registered riders are invited to attend the breakfast and pick up their goody bags and T-shirts. The public is also invited to attend for $5 a plate.The event is a key fundraiser for the club, which then donates the proceeds to various charity groups. Willis said the rain would hinder the event. “We want the ride to be something that people can enjoy, not something they have to endure.” He said the ride portion would not be rescheduled. …

8th annual LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour in Stonewall, Texas

by Beverly Burmeier, Austin Adventure Travel Examiner        www.examiner.com


The 8th annual LBJ 100 Bicycle Tour will be held at the LBJ Ranch in Stonewall, Texas on Saturday, March 28 starting at 9 a.m. (ranch opens at 7 a.m.). The ride begins and ends on the LBJ Ranch airstrip, about an hour’s drive from Austin.
Riders of all abilities—it’s a great family activity–are welcome to participate. Routes of 10, 30, 42, 62, and 85 miles take riders on quiet country roads and past historical landmarks that figured prominently in U. S. Presidential history and Johnson family history.
At 2:30 p.m. Luci Baines Johnson, daughter of the President Lyndon B. Johnson will lead a narrated tour by bicycle of historical landmarks on the ranch. Her stories share tales of living on the ranch and provide insight into President Johnson as a man and father. Regardless of your …

Hike & Bike Trail Restroom Facility

www.texasbids.net/

Bid Date & Time: 04/08/15 2:00 PM
Owner Solic Number: 15-183-04-08    Status: bidding    Report: 6199902
Country :United States     State: TX    County: Hidalgo
Location: Mission
Scope: Hike & bike trail restroom facility.
Plans: From Owner. or may be picked up at the Purchasing Department.
City of Mission gflores@missiontexas.us (956) 580-8667.
Owner Type: Public
Buyer: Mission, City of
Address: 1201 East 8th St, Suite R101
City: Mission    State: TX    Zip/Postal Code: 78572
TEL: 956-580-8650    FAX: 956-580-8669
Website: http://www.missiontexas.us
Contact: Glorina J. Flores
Contact Title: Buyer …

Concussion Experts Pick Apart The Myth That Cycling Is More Dangerous Than Football

The Huffington Post  |  By Maxwell Strachan

The idea that bicycling might be more dangerous than football crept back into the national consciousness this week after an NFL-affiliated doctor named Joseph Maroon suggested as much during an appearance on the NFL Network.
“It’s much more dangerous riding a bike or a skateboard than playing youth football,” said Maroon, who is a consultant to the NFL’s Head, Neck and Spine Committee and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ team neurosurgeon. …

National bike challenge webinar: learn about hosting a local challenge

Meghan McCloskey, National Bike Challenge Coordinator        www.peopleforbikes.org


PeopleForBikes is partnering with Kimberly-Clark Corporation to grow the 2015 National Bike Challenge to inspire more Americans to ride bikes more often. The Challenge started in 2009 as an internal bike riding campaign at Kimberly-Clark and went national in 2012 under the direction of the League of American Bicyclists, with additional support from PeopleForBikes. In 2014, more than 47,000 people participated, logging more than 23 million miles.
This year, PeopleForBikes is uniting 75,000 people from across the country to log 35 million miles. In preparation for the start of the Challenge, PeopleForBikes and the Alliance for Biking & Walking are offering a free webinar to discuss local organizing for the Challenge. Whether your group has hosted a …

Beauty and the Beast 2015 Update

Tyler Bicycle Club        www.tbcbnb.com

From your Tour Director and TBC Board:
The Beauty and the Beast Bicycle Tour has always been a fun, memorable and safe event for the riders who come from all over the state to ride in it.
Those three things drive us as we plan and put the event together.
This year we had to make a difficult decision. The weather has forced us to weigh all these things- especially safety – and we had to make the call to cancel this year’s tour, unlike any year in the past.
With the non-stop rain the past few weeks and with rain a certainty for Saturday, falling temps and a greater risk to the riders , we think this is the most responsible thing we can do. Rider safety was our prevailing theme throughout our planning and we even included a bike light to, in effect, highlight that concern.
All that being said, we want to make this as much of a win/win as we can.
Whether we have the ride or not, we spent the money to put it on and guaranteed donations to the benefiting non-profits and charities, so a full refund isn’t possible nor, do we think, expected from a non-profit fundraiser such as the Beauty and The Beast Tour.
But here is what we’d like to do. …

Tweets

https://twitter.com/BikerideKiwanis/status/579016263164297216

https://twitter.com/jackmott42/status/578915844379582464

Event Reminders

Huffman Conversation with Two Bikers

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Today I wore my new Hilco Circuit sunglasses. This is the first pair of prescription sunglasses that I ever owned. Up to now I wore sunglasses over my regular glasses. This was not great sometimes keeping the sunglasses in place or when dirt or bugs got inside. These new glasses are great. With the warm temperature I was concerned about sweat around my eyes but it wasn’t a real issue. Here is a couple of pictures: (not sure why I am so serious)

At the Huffman Chevron
At home before the ride

Under cloudy skies I left home at 12:11 on the way to Huffman via the “Atascocita – Walden – Huffman” route. Later today it is supposed to rain and I wanted to get this ride in before that could happen. I did get some light sprinkles in a couple of spots early in the ride in Kingwood. After that no more drops. The ride totaled 31.41 miles at a 15.2 mph average speed maxing out at 15.4 mph.

I probably over dressed for the ride with a long sleeve jersey atop my shorts. At first I felt cool but between me warming up and the temperature going up to 82 I was sweating. The cloud cover fooled me into this selection I guess.

Yesterday was a day off taking my wife to the medical center. I wanted to ride today because there is a 100% chance of rain on Saturday and only slightly less on Sunday. I rode 8 days this month so far, 1 less than February. This could mean more riding this month if the weather cooperates.

On the route nothing much was out of the ordinary until I got to the Huffman Chevron. I rode across FM1960 going north on FM2100 and saw two other bikers riding into the Chevron. I made my u-turn across FM2100 to ride into the station. As I pulled up they said hello. I asked where they were riding from and they said Kingwood. We chatted for awhile about chasing dogs, roads to bike on, the bridge on FM2100 in Crosby and some other things. Greg, who lives in Kingwood, said he had moved from London not too long ago and was getting ready to ride the BP MS150 in April. I can’t remember the guy’s name though. He liked the wheels on my Stradalli.

Making progress on miles: 139.03 miles this week, 270.15 miles in March and 705 miles year to date.

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