Texas Bicycling News Digest March 19th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

The teeth chattering, hand cramping, back bruising, tire flatting…

texasbikeracing.com

…lung searing, leg cramping, blurry visioned, splendor of Louisian’s most iconic race, Rouge Roubaix.

Michael Pincus, 21, is a junior at the University of Houston, studying electrical engineering. He is a former professional cyclist, and the captain of Super Squadra’s under-23 and junior development team, the Super JETS. He lives in Pearland, Texas.
Roubaix. The mention alone conjures images of heroic battles between the best cyclists in the world and the oldest and most historic roads in Europe.
Rouge Roubaix, however, is not Europe. It is not northern France, or Flanders.
It is Francisville, Louisiana, a small town north of Baton Rouge, set amidst eerie swamps and …

SXSW Meetup and Biking – Part 2

by Claudio Cossio        blog.mapillary.com

We had quite a weekend in Austin with lots of events going on and the chance to meet some great people.

Our panel at SXSW which you can find out at #QuantWorld in Twitter, went really well and the people woke up early (9:30am) to see the discussion around Quantifying Our World Through Open Platforms. There was a sold out crowd, so happy to make the trip to Austin and be part of a …

Midwestern State University Cycling Team


Ran into some cold rain in the mountains, but we are not a team to get deterred! Here’s Nicole eyeing the storm and Bill heading down a 10 mile descent in the rain @ 70kph

Relapse!

Bike Noob

Apparently, I pushed it real good. Too much, too soon. I rode four days in a row, which was great, but after a hilly 26-miler Monday, I returned home with that same hacking cough I complained about in an earlier post.
“I thought the exercise would drive it out of me,” I said to my wife.
“No. That just made it worse,” she said. “You’re staying off the bike until you get rid of this.”
I obeyed.
Which killed me, because although some rain was in the forecast this week, it never really materialized. We’ve had three …

Saturday 3/21 and Sunday 3/22 Rides: Inside and BEEF Team Training Ride!

by Thomas        steinerranchcycling.com

Well there is currently a 100% chance of rain on Saturday so the club ride looks busted. If by some miracle we have a good weather window, just show up at Cups & Cones at the usual 8:30am and we will figure something out.
Sunday is looking pretty good still! Hopefully everyone in SRC is registered for the Tour de Cure in September on the BEEF Team. This is a favorite SRC charity ride and is for a great cause. Ride distances include 10, 20, 35, 50, or 2 day options up to 200 miles. Something for everyone! Sunday is the first of a monthly series of training rides and will offer ride …

This Saturday: Fatbike Sandy Race in Texas

mbaction.com

https://vimeo.com/117957626
exas’s First Fatbike Race Sponsored by: CHUMBA USA, RaceFace, Fat-Bike.com, Wanderlust Gear, & Orange Seal.
Benefiting: Sam Houston Trails Coalition and Erik’s Ride: Racing the Tour Divide for the Gift of Hearing
Event details can be found on the …

Elbowz Racing Elite Cycling Team


This group really makes you realize that teammates are more than just people who wear the same jersey. They are like family, and it makes all …

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/578766799979720704

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/578739627143651328

https://twitter.com/AndarooWillis/status/578720305419587584

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/578668714612137984

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/578597930271117312

Event Reminders

Texas Bicycling News Roundup March 18th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Some of my pics from the Tour de Houston this past weekend.

by the Sci Guy            www.bikeforums.net

2015 Hill Country Mountain Bike Challenge

from Fabien Anne        vimeo.com

Schanen Bike and Bike Trail(bonds 2008, 2012)

www.texasbids.net

Bid Date & Time: 04/08/15 12:30 PM
Prebid: 03/25/15 10:30 AM
Solicitation Title: Schanen Bike and Bike Trail(bonds 2008, 2012)
Owner Solic Number: E14066    Status: bidding    Report: 6196471
Country :United States     State: TX    County: Nueces
Location: Corpus Christi
Est. Low Value: $1,176,910    Est. High Value: $1,176,910
Scope: The majority of the trail will consist of decomposed granite surfacing. Some portions of the trail will consist of concrete paving.
Included in the construction are: site grading, embankment, lime treated subgrade, concrete curb, header curb, trail heads, stained/stamped
concrete , timber pedestrian railing, concrete ada curb ramps, and signing and striping.
Notes: A Non – Mandatory Pre – Bid Conference for the Proje Ct Will Be Held On March 25 , 2015 At 10 : 30 a .m. At the Following Location:
Corpus Christi City Hall, Capital Programs – 3rd Floor Capital Programs Conference Room 1 1201 Leopard Street Corpus Christi, Texa S 78401
Plans: From Owner. See attached file.
Owner Type: Public …

Cyclists in Suits to lobby legislators on March 30 with BikeTexas

by Pam LeBlanc        fitness.blog.austin360.com


Heads up, fans of two-wheeled transportation.
BikeTexas officials invite bicyclists to join them at the state Capitol on March 30 for their annual Cyclists in Suits Day.
The group will gather at 8:30 a.m. at the Capitol. At 9 a.m. BikeTexas staffers will brief the group about current bills in the Legislature that are related to bicycling. Then the group will break into teams and head out to mingle with lawmakers. The goal is to have cyclists from every Legislative district in the state make an appearance, to …

Cyclist Craddock back on track after bump in the road

by Dale Robertson        www.houstonchronicle.com

Craddock returns to World Tour after healing from pothole crash

Lawson Craddock, right, showed he belonged on cycling’s biggest stages by joining 2012 Tour de France champion Bradley Wiggins, center, and Rohan Dennis on the podium after a third-place finish during a stage of last year’s Tour of California.
Fast-tracking from junior stardom to cycling’s big leagues, Lawson Craddock had never encountered a serious pothole, either the literal or figurative kind.
To continue reading this story, you will need to be a digital subscriber to HoustonChronicle.com.

Cyclist struck by car in South Austin

Nicole Chavez, American-Statesman Staff

A man was injured Wednesday after he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle in South Austin, according to Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services.
About 12:50 p.m., medics responded to reports of …

Drivers, non-motorists must work to reduce fatality rate

By Chandra R. Bhat, Special to the Star-Telegram        www.star-telegram.com


With the weather turning warmer, more Texans are heading outdoors to walk or bike.
But it seems that many Texas drivers continue to think that these non-motorists, like pedestrians and bicyclists, do not belong on the roads.
At the same time, it seems that many Texan non-motorists think they are exempt from traffic laws.
These perceptions and behaviors need to change if we want to make a dent in the crash rates involving motorized vehicles and non-motorists.
When people think of injuries or fatalities in relation to traffic crashes, the …

The Sunday “Blue Mug Ride” Continues to Grow

by Alan Charley        woodlandscycling.org

WCC Blue Mug Ride – regrouping in Dobbin. Great ride everyone. Thank you for coming out and having great fun together.

First major obstacle does not slow down Craddock

By Dale Robertson        www.chron.com


Fast-tracking to from junior stardom to cycling’s big leagues, Lawson Craddock had never encountered a serious pothole, either the literal or figurative kind. But that changed in Australia on Jan. 22 when, early in the third stage of the Santos Tour Down Under, the 23-year-old Team Giant-Alpecin cyclist who grew up in the Cy-Fair area plowed into a pothole.
A desperate attempt to “bunny-hop” over the 3-inch-deep hazard, which he couldn’t see until it was too late for him to swerve, failed spectacularly – his …

Tour de Houston 2015

the surly biker        thesurlybiker.wordpress.com

This past Sunday was the 100th running, uh, cycling? of the Tour de Houston. Last year was a good time except for getting soaked to the bone by rain. The routes change every year so this year we got to ride through some areas of the city-at-large we don’t usually drive or ride through. The wife and I chose the 40 mile route, which was just long enough. Turnout was good, like last year, and overall the riders were well behaved.
There’s something almost surreal about coming into the city at 6:30 in the morning with the buildings all lit up, and gathering with thousands of other cyclists ready to pedal through the …

Opening of Lamar Street’s protected bike lane

www.bikehouston.org


Lamar Street protected bike lane OPENING, sign-up below to join us for the Ribbon Cutting celebration, 3/26 at 12:30 pm.
The bicycling community and many others have been excited to watch the green paint going down on Lamar Street. Houston’s first protected bike lane marks a step in Houston’s progress towards becoming a more livable city where people have healthy and safe transportation options. BikeHouston advisory board members have been in on the concept from the start and we are proud to see the leadership from the …

2015 Uptown Ciclovia – Save the Date!

bikeabledallas.com

Mark your calendars now! The 2015 Uptown Ciclovia will be here before you know it! This is the 2nd annual Uptown Ciclovia, and it will be held on Sunday, May 17th from 10am til 3pm. Find out more at uptownciclovia.org or on their …

Cycling Team Annual Banquet Invitation

amct.tamu.edu


Join the Texas A&M Cycling Team March 28th, 2015 for our annual team banquet. Starting at 7pm in the Garden Room located in the Student Recreation Center on the campus of Texas A&M University, a catered dinner from Olive Garden will be accompanied with stories from former and current members of the Texas A&M Cycling Team. We hope you will be joining us! Please RSVP through the …

2015 Road Series Begins Saturday March 21st

www.texashighschoolcycling.org

Our 2015 Scholastic Road Series kicks off THIS Saturday, March 21st in Dallas at the Texas Fair Park with the Armeaux crit.  There will be races for six different categories based on gender and skill level including Novice, JV, and Varsity.
March 21/22: Dallas Weekend (Armstrong Crit Saturday & Jesuit RR Sunday) …

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/578387368299929600

https://twitter.com/montgomsi/status/578380146241093634

https://twitter.com/txbikeracing/status/578217151896539136

https://twitter.com/BSS_Road_Club/status/578062887215702017

Event Reminders

Rain Leaves Quickly and Streets Dry Off

Texbiker.net Posted on by

When I woke up this morning the predicted rain was coming down lightly. This lasted until after 11 o’clock when the sky started to clear up some. The streets were drying off and after grocery shopping I got out the door at 2:11 with 80 degrees and mostly cloudy skies. This was later than I normally want to ride so I shorten the Atascocita – Walden – Huffman route by 2 miles, riding 30.3 miles in 1:57:29. Average speed topped out at 15.6 mph and drifted down to 15.3 at the finish. With 3 rides this week I am at 107.62 miles, 238.74 miles in March and 673 miles year to date.

Finally the temperature is warming up. When I got back home it was 84 degrees which was greatly appreciated since I wore a short sleeve jersey and shorts. At the start I was thinking maybe a long sleeve jersey would have been better but as I warmed up I changed my mind.

My legs weren’t as tired as I thought they would be after yesterday’s 45 mile. I was able to power through some of the ups and downs. The average speed went up and down but I was able to keep it at 15.6 until I got back into Kingwood for the last 2 or so miles home.

Two other bikers were out: one on the causeway over Lake Houston and the other one I looked in my rear view mirror on Kingwood Green in time to see him turn left behind me onto a side street but close enough to say hi.

[iframe https://connect.garmin.com/activity/embed/723234483 465px 500px] [iframe https://www.strava.com/activities/270394111/embed/d398bb1f24ec7c3b56fb5025d2f13e806bdee144 590px 500px]

Texas Bicycling News Digest March 17th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Living Local: A bike-centric guide to Austin, Texas

by Stephen Krcmar        www.grindtv.com

Custom bike-frame builder Lauren Trout provides the two-wheel lowdown on ATX

Last August, Lauren Trout left her home of many years, Boston, to return to Texas. The bike messenger turned custom bicycle-frame builder had lived and worked all over the U.S., delivering packages by bike in cities like Houston, San Francisco, Denver, and Washington, D.C., while competing in courier competitions in urban centers like Seattle; Montreal; New York City; Columbus, Ohio; Portland, Oregon; and Richmond, Virginia, before returning to her home state.
A native of Houston, the owner of Saila Bikes headed back west to escape Boston winters, the fast pace of the East Coast, and to set up shop in a place that doesn’t have the bazillion custom builders that …

Bicycle Safety Awareness Media Campaign

www.texasbids.net

Bid Date & Time: 04/22/15 2:00 PM
Prebid: 03/24/15 10:00 AM
Solicitation Title: Bicycle Safety Awareness Media Campaign
Status: bidding    Report: 6193087
Country :United States     State: TX    County: Bexar
Location: San Antonio
Scope: Bicycle safety awareness media campaign.
Notes: Written question deadline: 03/31/15 by 2:00 PM. Pre-bid meeting will be held on 03/24/15 @ 10:00 AM at The City of San Antonio, Finance Department, Purchasing Division, Large Conference Room, 111 Soledad, 11th Floor, San Antonio, Texas 78205.
Plans: From Owner. See attached file.
Owner Type: Public
Buyer: San Antonio, City of – Purchasing & General Services
Address: PO Box 839966 City Hall Annex, 131 West Nueva
City: San Antonio    State: TX    Zip/Postal Code: 78283-3966
TEL: 210-207-7260    FAX: 210-207-7270
Website: http://www.sanantonio.gov/pgs/ …

Riding Brevets: Part 1, Texas

On Bicycles, and…. what else is there?        djconnel.blogspot.com

This year I decided to dip my toes in the brevet pool.
Back now further in time than seems real, in the late 1990’s I began a Hill Country Randonneurs brevet series hosted by Russell Hahn and John Fusselman out of Austin Texas. I didn’t ride these bacause of embracing any sort of randonneuring culture. It was more an interest in the ultra culture, a culture I’d experienced with Nick Gerlach’s excellent Texas Hell Week, which I first attended in 1997 when I was at Stanford, then later on a more limited basis when I lived in Austin from late 1997 to 2000.
In California, we had our double centuries: fully supported 200 mile events where all you had to do was carry two water bottles and enough food for at most 40 miles. Davis Double, for example, had 11 rest stops, more than one every 20 miles. That could easily be ridden skipping every other rest stop with …

RGV provides biking opportunity in Mission

JOSE RODRIGUEZ | SPECIAL TO THE MONITOR        discovermission.com

There is nothing “mountain” about the Valley, and bicycling has little fanfare along the border.
But mountain biking in the Rio Grande Valley is growing, thanks to the Mission Hike and Bike Trails. The park boasts an extensive series of narrow paths carved into dense woodland, and for the adventurous it offers miles of startlingly good fun.
The trails can get technical and you’re going to need appropriate gear. Get a good bike, but don’t spend a fortune. Instead, spend time searching for the best balance between cost and performance. When I first set out, I asked a knowledgeable friend for help choosing something from the local department store.
He said sarcastically that any cheap bike would do but added that I made sure I had dental insurance because when it …

MS150 Training, Week 8 – A Ride of My Own

The Surly Biker        thesurlybiker.wordpress.com

So, the Ready2Roll Training ride was all the way out in Fayetteville, TX, this past Saturday, and I just didn’t have the heart to get up at about 5am and drive an hour and a half out there to begin around 7:30am. Instead, I decided to hit the pavement around here like usual and bang out as many miles as I could. Unfortunately, about 18 miles in, I got foiled by the park being flooded – you’ll see in the pics below. So, I turned around, and did some other stuff around the neighborhood and still managed to get in almost 40 miles.
Nothing special to share, just some interesting pics of the flooding from …

Pedal Through The Pines

Pedal Pushers        roy-pedalpushers.blogspot.com

Pedal Thru The Pines
March 14, 2015
Smithville, Texas
Smithville is a small town just outside of Bastrop which is near Austin. “Pedal Thru the Pines” has been starting from the Smithville Park for several years now. We used to pedal through the pines until a wild fire swept through miles of ranchland and decimated the forest of unusually isolated stands of loblolly pines. The ride, however, is still one of our favorites, and we try to attend each year. They have 24, 40, and 70 mile rides. This year we chose the 40 mile ride. …

Where do people get hurt on the #TheDrag you ask? [PICS]

Austin On A Bike        austinonabike.com

Last year, the city began taking a serious looking at improving the hairy situation we Austinites fondly refer to as The Drag. The “Guadalupe Corridor Improvement Program” began in 2014 “to identify and recommend short to long-term transportation improvements to enhance mobility, safety, and quality of life along the Guadalupe Street Corridor.” Now, the results are being released and we have some fun maps to look at in the meantime. We all love maps, right?
There are a plethora of items to dig through on the city’s page, including the survey results which we briefly reviewed earlier this week in our post “Survey confirms what I already knew as a cyclist: The Drag still sucks”. Before moving on, I’d like to note that the conversation is not over and there is still time to give your own feedback on what should come next to the Drag. There’s a comment hotline for public input – (512) 676-5488 – and they are using the hashtag #TheDrag on Facebook and Twitter (as you can …

Spring Fever – Sulphur Springs, TX March 14

www.bicycle-stuff.com


New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/GWCChuck/status/578030325189738497

https://twitter.com/vhuckaba/status/577991980195549184

Event Reminders