Texas Bicycling News Digest March 5th

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Regional West Trials for wounded, injured Soldiers

By Gloria Montgomery, WTU Public Affairs        www.forthoodsentinel.com


More than 40 Soldiers and veterans from Warrior Transition Units in Texas and Oklahoma are at Fort Hood this week competing in trials for archery, cycling, track and field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming and wheelchair basketball competitions.

The Fort Hood Warrior Transition unit kicked off the 2015 Southern Regional Medical Command-West trials for wounded, ill and injured Soldiers Monday at Club Hood.
More than 40 Soldiers and veterans from Warrior Transition Units in Texas and Oklahoma are competing in trials for archery, cycling, track and field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming and wheelchair basketball for an invitation to the 2015 Army trials and a spot to represent Army during this summer’s Department of Defense competition, which was …

CAMPO Public Hearing – Show Up To Support Funding For Bike Projects

The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group        www.meetup.com

Monday, March 9, 2015
6:00 PM
LBJ Auditorium
2313 Red River St., Austin, TX (map)
All:
The Capitol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) is hosting a public hearing on March 9th, at 6:00 PM at the LBJ Auditorium on  the UT Campus to present the 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan for the Central Texas 6-County Area and to receive pubic comment.
This is very important because the powers that be at CAMPO have changed their previous policy of a 15% set aside of federal transportation funding to be used for bike and pedestrian projects to only a target of 15% and not a requirement AND if …

Visit Dallas Cycling Team Kicks Off

www.visitdallas.com


The Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau (Dallas CVB) is pleased to announce the sponsorship of a national women’s racing team, named Visit Dallas Cycling. The three-year partnership with the FCS Cycling women’s team and local FCS cycling club highlights Dallas’ commitment to wellness and its growing reputation as an active, outdoor city.
“We’re thrilled to support the women’s riding community with the creation of Visit Dallas Cycling,” said Dallas CVB President Phillip Jones, a fitness enthusiast and triathlete. “Dallas is full of great green space and bike trails, and I can’t wait to cheer the riders on as they represent the city.”
Since the launch of the BIG Things Happen Here brand two years ago, Dallas has been growing in recognition as a …

Spring North Tour: Texas – Ozarks – Big Muddy River

By Richard Hoeg        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Following spring north from the Texas Hill Country, through the Ozark Mountains and along the Missouri River on the Katy Trail
??? days from April 6, 2015 to ???
Intro: Blue Bonnets Here We Come!
As I type this entry, the temperature has fallen to -15F in northern Minnesota on March 5th! In short, an excellent time to plan a spring bike tour. For a number of years my wife and I have had a hankering to see the Texas Blue Bonnets. However, a short tour through the Texas Hill Country did not seem worth the drive south from Minnesota. After some research on the web we realized the AMTRAK Texas Eagle was the answer to our needs. This train will take us from St. Louis south to Dallas. Our car will be left with a cousin in suburban St. Louis, and my wife’s brother will pick us up at the Dallas train station.
Our tour actually starts in the small town of Granbury, Texas. This town is 80 miles SW of Dallas, and provides a perfect starting point for our tour. We will start by riding south to the Hill Country, and then swing NE to tour through the Ozark Mountains (Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri). After the Ozarks we will …

Houston to Austin, TX March 2015

By Clark Crews        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Slow Ride from Austin to Houston
7 days from March 14, 2015 to March 20, 2015
Retribution
Thursday March 5, 2015
I failed last year to make it from Houston to San Antonio, so this year I plan on being less aggressive, fewer miles and take my time. You can read that disaster here: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/clarkbikes
I will be leaving March 14 and should arrive in Austin on March 20.
My tentative route will take me from close to Downtown Houston out to Katy via Clay Rd. Then to …

Executive Director’s Note March 2015

www.nationalmtb.org


I am happy to report that spring league racing is underway in Texas, NorCal and SoCal while Alabama and New York will both be holding their season openers shortly. Meanwhile, many of our fall leagues are conducting their coaching summits. With 15 leagues currently operating, we have surpassed the milestone of having 5,000 student-athletes participating from over 400 schools! Moreover, we have a number of new regions expressing strong interest in …

Friend or Flow: Are trails being too “dumbed down?”

Words by Sarah Galbraith. Photos by Tristan Von Duntz.        dirtragmag.com


The notion of flow exists in all kinds of sports,” says Mark Eller, Mountain bikers have, of late, seen the development of communications director with the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). Eller has worked in skiing, snowboarding, surfing, and climbing, and now mountain biking. He points out that even tennis players are seeking to flow: “It’s not unique to mountain biking.”
Sports-theory academics have put some thought to the concept of flow, producing a long-winded and wonky definition and some papers on the subject. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who has the title “architect of flow,” is also a distinguished professor of psychology and management at Claremont Graduate University, and he has coined a flow theory. He says flow is a rare and dynamic state characterized by dimensions like the merging of action and awareness, concentration on a task, the …

BIKES VS CARS World Premier at SXSW!

www.eventbrite.com

Tina Poppy for BIKES VS CARS // SXSW
Sunday, March 15, 2015 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM (CDT)
Austin, TX
Please join us for the WORLD PREMIER of Swedish documentary BIKES VS CARS, directed by Fredrik Gertten (BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!) and executive produced by Chris Paine (WHO KILLED THE ELECTRIC CAR?).
An Official Selection of the SXSW Film Festival, this is a special OUTDOOR screening open to all – you do not need a SXSW badge to attend!
This screening finishes off a …

Update: Lamar Bike Lane

www.bikehouston.org


Scroll to page 15 to read a comprehensive update on the Lamar Bike Lane from City of Houston officials, local leaders, and BikeHouston Executive Director, Michael Payne.

Saturday 3/7 and Sunday 3/8 Rides

by Thomas        steinerranchcycling.com

This is another weekend that kinda sucks.  Saturday morning will be a cold one.  If you are badass enough to make it out, please show up at C&C at 8:30 for a ride that can be decided on the spot.  The hammer group will be largely absent due to the Lago Vista race and the BBQ & Beer ride.
Sunday is day 2 of the BBQ & Beer ride (which I am doing) so I won’t be there for the …

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Texas Bicycling News March 4th

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Bike Across America Journal – Saturday, February 28, 2015 (Day 19)

purebound.wordpress.com

Saturday, February 28, 2015 (Day 19)
Start: Carmine, TX
End: Austin, TX
Weather: Cold, Cloudy, then Rainy
Miles: 85+

Left right at 9am this morning to try to make Austin, TX before dark. Spent about 10 miles on farm roads, then I turned right on to Highway 290 (takes you all the way to Austin, TX). Google Maps suggested I ride a parallel road to HWY 290 for some of the miles, but I spent a few miles of the ride on gravel…and I had enough. HWY 290 did not have a shoulder for most of the 40+ miles into Austin, TX with a 70 mph Speed Limit. But I thought it worth the …

Pedernales Falls State Park Trail Build & Ride!

Sunday, Mar 22, 2015, 9:00 AM

Pedernales Falls State Park
2585 Park Road 6026 Johnson City, TX

1 Mountain Bikers Went

Pedernales Falls State Park TRAIL BUILD & RIDE!BRING YOUR PAYDIRT FORMS! http://www.tmbra.org/paydirt/paydirt.htmThe completed sections of the new trail were a hit at the 2014 Cranksgiving!  BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE!  5+ miles of trail are still under development!These sections, not yet open to the public, have lots of elevation changes, G-outs an…

Check out this Meetup →

Bicycling Community Meets with CapMetro

www.keyetv.com

(Video)
Bicyclists unite: Tuesday night in East Austin from 5:30-8pm is hosting an open house to hear from the bicycle community. Capitol Metro hosted the event at Eastcycle, but if you missed it,  CapMetro is holding a webinar today at noon.
Russell Pickavance is the owner of Eastcycle and became a bicycle enthusiast a decade ago.
“As we get more and more traffic, more and more people turn to bicycles,” says Pickavance.
CapMetro agrees.
“As people try alternatives commuting options, more and more folks are looking to bring their bikes along when riding the bus or the train,” says Melissa Ayala, spokesperson for CapMetro.
That’s why Pickavance offered his …

Gene Novogrodsky Biked 300 Miles To Support Planned Parenthood & Affordable Healthcare

by Alicia Lu        www.bustle.com

As the Supreme Court prepared to hear King v. Burwell on Wednesday, which will decide the fate of Obamacare in 37 states, one Texas man was supporting affordable healthcare in his own way. Brownsville resident Eugene “Gene” Novogrodsky biked 300 miles to support Planned Parenthood so that his community and nearby communities can have access to affordable healthcare. The name of the trip was “The Spirit of 76,” which carries a special meaning for both Novogrodsky and Planned Parenthood. After leaving last Thursday, Novogrodsky ended his solo bike journey on Tuesday in …

March Newsletter Published

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts

The March edition of the DATES-Line Newsletter is published and available for download from the newsletters page. This month’s edition includes the following:
DATES Dallas Shamrock Ride
DATES Ben Wheeler St. Patrick’s Day Ride
DATES Round and Round the Lake Ride
DATES Loop The Lake Ride
Fresh DATES
Save The Date! – DATES Social
GDB Lancaster Country Ride
Honor Ride Clay Hunt
DATES Annual Meeting and Dinner Report
DATES 25th Anniversary Ride Report

Race, ethnicity, class and protected bike lanes: An idea book for fairer cities

Michael Andersen, Green Lane Project staff writer        www.peopleforbikes.org


Austin, Texas.
Diversity created the city. But diversity has never been easy.
Almost as soon as PeopleForBikes selected its first six Green Lane Project focus cities, we started hearing from their staffers that they wanted to better understand how the values of diversity and equity – of race, of ethnicity, of class – could improve their work to make bicycling mainstream.
The four of us on the Green Lane Project team share those values. But we’re not diversity or equity experts; we’re infrastructure experts.
So, to help city staffers and advocates across the country think about these issues, we’ve teamed up with the Alliance for Biking and Walking and spent the last eight months talking to people who live …

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One More Bike Ride Before the Cold Hits Again

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The weather held up for today’s ride. I was able to leave earlier (11:21) than yesterday. It was 78 at the start and 82 at the end. This won’t last long with the next cold front supposed to arrive around sunset today. I rode the Atascocita – Walden – Huffman route but added the miles I left off yesterday’s ride coming in at 32.66 miles averaging 15.0 mph. Riding across Lake Houston on FM1960 did not seem so chilly today. Maybe two days of high 70’s warmed the water some.

It felt great to be riding even though the wind wanted to slow me down. It was from the south at 10 mph but the gusts were 24 mph when I left home dropping down to 18 mph by the time I got home at 1:44. I didn’t see any other bikers today. I made a brief stop at the Huffman Chevron to eat a trail mix bar and refill my water bottle for the ride home. Surprisingly my legs were not real tired from the day before. I hope to get some conditioning back but with the cold front it looks like no more riding until Monday or Tuesday.

March miles jumped up to 61.99, the same as the week’s total. Year to date I am at 497 miles.

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Texas Bicycling News Digest March 3rd

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Two Wheels of Awesome – Episode 15

The Ghisallo Foundation        ghisallo.org


The students of Metz Elementary School had a great week!
All the kids had big smiles while completing their Bike Rodeo Badge. Bike Rodeos are one of the core activities of The Ghisallo Foundation. Bike Rodeos are instructional workshops where riders learn safety and practical riding skills to prepare them for riding independently in the future.
The young riders at Metz learned many useful skills during their Bike Rodeo, including: correct hand signaling, dodging obstacles and …

La Primavera at Lago Vista bike races set for this weekend

by Pam LeBlanc        fitness.blog.austin360.com


If a trip to Europe to take in the Tour de France isn’t in your future, consider a jaunt to the north shore of Lake Travis this weekend to see La Primavera at Lago Vista Bicycle Race.
The race, in its 24th year, draws about 900 cyclists from across Texas, surrounding states and even Mexico and Canada, who race in packs over a twisting, notoriously hilly 5.5-mile course.
The event, hosted by the Lago Vista & Jonestown Chamber of Commerce and the Texas Bicycle Racing Association, runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and it’s free to watch. Spectators typically bring their own folding chairs and line the streets as cyclists speed past. The start/finish line is at …

Women’s MTB Ride/Event – International Women’s Day

Sunday, Mar 8, 2015, 8:30 AM

Collins Park
6727 Cypresswood Drive Spring, TX

1 Bicycle Enthusiasts Went

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Century of the Month More or Less

Fort Worth Bicycling Association

Saturday, March 07, 2015 9:00 am
Please note the start time for the March COM is 9:00 AM (due to the expected cold front moving in.)
In April we will go back to the usual start time of 8:00 AM.
Come on out and join Eddie and Rickey Wray for the “Century of the Month More or Less” series with a century or less from the Bicycles Inc., in Arlington. Routes of 12, 23, 42, 61, 81, and 102 miles will be available.
Donuts, sausage rolls, and Starbucks coffee will be served, as usual. The store will be open for the use of the facilities and any needed last minute items. Riders who make at least 90% of the rides are awarded special merchandise prizes twice a year (July and December) compliments of Bicycles, Inc. and companies such as Specialized. Emergency sag support and maps provided.

Amplify Austin with BikeTexas!

BikeTexas


Austin Needs an All Ages Bicycle Network– And You Can Help Make That Case to Policy Makers
Amplify Austin with BikeTexas and you’ll make a difference in critical education programs for policy makers, like guided tours of Austin’s protected bike lanes and making sure transportation professionals understand why we need an all-ages bicycle network. Many state and federal agencies have offices in Austin, and we’ve seen a dramatic increase in their interest in …

Bike Parking: A How-to Guide

BikeableDallas.com


Recently, we created a quick-reference guide for bike parking installation. It’s intended for developers or businesses looking to add bike parking near their shops, but I think it’s broadly useful for understanding what the safest options are for locking up your bike. You may roll up to a place with a bicycle rack and …

I’m Famous! (Video to Prove It!)

bike4heck.com

I got about my 10 seconds of fame here in San Antonio in this video by Liz Canning as I was leaving HEB with a load my dad shot video of my using the Go-Pro 2. I didn’t even release I made it into the Less Car More Go Kickstarter video “LESS CAR MORE GO: a quick test ride” but I did. How call is …
https://youtube.com/watch?v=EZSWG7QP7EQ%3Ffeature%3Doembed

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