Texas Bicycling News Roundup February 4th

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Beaumont to San Francisco (Feb 2015)

By Alan Guo        www.crazyguyonabike.com

Introduction: Preparing for the trip
Monday February 2, 2015
About me: I’m a 24 years old chemical engineer, living in Texas. I rode bicycles for commuting throughout high school and college. When I graduated, I had a lot more free time and financial stability, allowing me to buy a nice bike, and ride my ass off. Eventually, I started racing, now doing a little touring, so the journey continues. Right now, my goals in cycling is to reach cat 2 or above, and race with elite amateur and pros. I also want to tour Europe and a number of other places. …

Day 1 – Houston: Ditching Hicktown for H-Town

Today kind of sucked. It rained for about 30% of my 92 miles – light drizzle. I was soaking wet, and my bike and body were covered in sand. Also, a large portion of the road I was traveling was on a busy highway. Even for a more rural route, the traffic was relentless between Beaumont and Houston. I also had to bike on a busy road without a shoulder, side by side with commuters as far as the eye can see. At least there was a lot of traffic lights that kept the traffic tame and the speeds low. This was the only time I thanked god for traffic lights. Also, I was lucky to have a wonderful host from WarmShowers, Jeff and Dotty. They fed me really good, and treated me like a son. I feel lucky and blessed, and my faith in humanity has improved tremendously.
I had my first mechanical. As I was riding towards Houston, my bike …

Lick Creek Hike and Bike Trail

www.texasbids.net

Bid Date & Time: 02/05/15 2:00 PM
Prebid: 01/29/15 2:00 PM
Solicitation Title: Lick Creek Hike and Bike Trail
Owner Solic Number: 15-026, ST1104    Status: bidding    Report: 6090474
Country :United States     State: TX    County: Brazos
Location: College Station
Est. Low Value: $3,396,209    Est. High Value: $3,396,209
Scope: Project consists of a five (5) mile hike and bike trail. Work includes: demolition of existing 4′ walks; tree protection; irrigation
system salvage; clearing and grubbing for trail alignment (30′ trail corridor); erosion control; fence removal; paving (gravel) removal;
grading; concrete curb & gutter; retaining wall; concrete drainage culvert (3’x5′); landscape boulders; trailhead concrete paving (5″ thick
concrete w/ 6″ lime base and excavation); trailhead limestone paving; trailhead bicycle rack; trailhead trash receptacle; trailhead
informative signage; trailhead fence; precast concrete pavers; pedestrian crosswalk striping; hydroseed. See attached file.
Notes: A pre-bid Meeting will be held at 1101 Texas Avenue, City Hall, second floor conference roomat 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, January 29, 2015. This meeting is not mandatory, but attendance ishighly recommended. Q&A
Deadline: Monday, February 02, 2015 2:00:00 PM Central.
Plans: From Owner. See attached files.
Bond: 5% bid bond
Update Notes: Addendum #1 & 2 attached.
Owner Type: Public …

Dallas Cycling Trail Riders and Weekend Pub Crawler

Allen, TX
1,679 Members

We are a fun 2 part group. Fitness buddies that want to be social too! So we combined what we like doing, riding our bikes around and doing pub crawls or other social events w…

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Austin Multi-Sport

by JJ Velasquez        impactnews.com


Tom and Lara Ruthven are parlaying a lifelong love of athletics into a local enterprise they said they hope will help people lead active lifestyles.
The Ruthvens began Austin Multi-Sport in June 2013. The business offers gear and other retail items for swimming, cycling and running, and the Ruthvens offer triathlon training as well as suspension training, a type of exercise using body-weight resistance.
Tom said the business is cultivating a reputation for providing cycling expertise.
“I think we have one of the finest repair and service shops for bikes in all of Central Texas,” Tom said.
Austin Multi-Sport offers services for cyclists ranging from those who enjoy riding as a pastime to those who compete in Ironman competitions.
The shop’s bike-fitting service accommodates different kinds of bicycles, such as youth, mountain, road bikes and …

Pedernales Falls State Park Trail Build & Ride!

Saturday, Feb 7, 2015, 9:00 AM

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

4 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 more elevation changes, G-ou…

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Road Ride in McKinney/Plano

Saturday, Feb 7, 2015, 10:00 AM

Location details are available to members only.

5 Members Went

So they are saying beautiful weather Saturday so if you are not going on the Spaghetti Warehouse ride then come on up and join me for a road ride to work off those extra holiday pounds. Pace about 15-16, distance 25-30 miles, helmets required.

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February Club Meeting Fun

Woodlands Cycling Club

How many people does it take to change a tire?  Continue reading and check out the video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNVs59UM00A

2015 PCC Great Escape Bicycle Ride – Canceled!

Pearland Cycling club

The 2015 PCC Great Escape Bicycle Ride, originally scheduled for Sunday, March 8, 2015 has been Canceled.
From the PCC Board:
Regretfully, the Pearland Cycling Club has canceled The Great Escape (TGE) MS150 recommended ride which was scheduled for Sunday March 8, 2015 because 3 of 5 TGE segments are experiencing either complete road closures (CR 190/Bissell Road in Manvel and FCR 65/FCR 48 in Iowa Colony) or have increased vehicular traffic due to community festivals occurring on the same date. We feel that putting an additional 1,000 TGE cyclists in the midst of the increased vehicular traffic pressure on alternative routes due to these force majeurs would not be a safe situation.

Fairmount: Lookin’ fairly fantastic!

bikeabledallas.com

You may have noticed numerous new shared lane markings popping up in Uptown in the last few days. Fairmount Street now has shared lane markings from Thomas Street to Welborn Street– the first leg of a new bike route between Uptown and Oak Lawn! (If you say it often enough, as we have been doing in the planning and design of this route, you’ll be amazed what a tongue twister “Uptown-Oak Lawn” can …

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Texas Bicycling News Digest February 3rd

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Rollover Pass to Lake Jackson

By Steve Martinez        Texas Gulf Coast

Saturday December 20, 2014, 70 miles (113 km) – Total so far: 70 miles (113 km)

Christmas was coming up and I had already planned to take the whole week off to ride my bike down the Texas Gulf Coast. Originally I wanted to start in Louisiana and go down to the Mexican boarder but I changed my plans so I can actually spend time with family and friends for the holidays. My plan now was to ride from roll over pass on the bolivar peninsula all the way to North Padre Island. I went to work on Friday the 19th of December with my Surly riding in the back of my 1996 Suburban already fully loaded. My plan was to have my buddy George meet me at work and take me to rollover pass that night so we can do some fishing. Georges truck had broke down a couple of days earlier and I had agreed to lend him my suburban if he would drop me off at rollover. I clocked out at 5pm and we were on our way. A cold front was already blowing in and the temp was already dropping. By the time we got gas, food, bait and made it to rollover it was 9pm. We threw out our lines and …

Bicycle Facility Engineering

www.texasbids.net

Bicycle Facility Engineering
Bid Date & Time: 02/05/15 5:00 PM
Owner Solic Number: 15-0071    Status: design    Report: 6080236
Country :United States     State: TX    County: Tarrant
Location: Arlington
Scope: Professional engineering services for on-street bicycle facilities.
Notes: All questions concerning this RFQ must be directed to: Christina Sebastian via email at christina.sebastian@arlingtontx.gov. The
questions must be in writing and received on or before January 26, 2015 at 5:00 pm.
Plans: From Owner. See attached file.
Update Notes: Addendum #1 attached.
Owner Type: Public …

Go Oak Cliff’s Mardi Gras Parade, February 15th, 3:30 PM

Bike Friendly Oak Cliff

Go Oak Cliff’s Mardi Gras parade is the best family parade the entire year in Dallas!  Come out to ride with BFOC to lead the parade down Davis St from Montclair into the Bishop Arts District.  Dress up, decorate your bicycles, cargo bicycles, bicycle trailers, tall bikes, tricycles or whatever kind of bicycle your ride or ride in.
Meet at 3:30 PM at the corner of Montclair and Davis St on February 15th.  This is a slow pace, lead out of the parade, so all of the fans …

Gravel Grinding at the Texas Chainring Massacre

by Adam Spears, Mirage Cycling        texasbikeracing.com


So this past weekend, I embarked on another new adventure – gravel. Sure, I have ridden the random stretch of gravel with the guys on training rides now and then, even searched it out a bit when training on the cyclocross bike, but never had I signed up to do a gravel grinder. That all changed last weekend when I signed up for Spinistry’s Texas Chainring Massacre in Valley View, Texas.
It started like any typical race weekend with some good eats and coffee before heading out the door. In typical North Texas fashion, as we got further away from the Metroplex the temperature started to drop. What seemed like what may be a decent day in the upper 40s quickly deteriorated into low 40s with …

South Central Collegiate Cycling Conference Schedule

South Central Collegiate Cycling Conference


2015 Spring Road Season
Feb 28-Mar 1  Texas State University – San Marcos, TX
Mar 7-8           University of Arkansas – Fayetteville, AR
Mar 28-29       Texas A&M University – College Station, TX
April 11-12     Midwestern State University – Wichita Falls, TX
April 18-19     Conference Championships – New Orleans, LA
May 8-10        National Championships – Ashville, NC

New Garage – Day 38

Pit’s Fritztown News

After a few minor items [door handles etc.] had been installed over the past few weeks, last week the bicycle lift was finally out up in the workshop. And that is what it looks like, without bicycles: …

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Texas Bicycle Daily News Wrap Up February 2nd

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“Adventure Road” Bikes

Bike Noob


As I deal with less than optimum biking weather this winter (although I shouldn’t complain — I rode today in 62-degree (16C) sunshine), my thoughts turn to other bikes. What’s out there that I need to pay attention to?
I’ve noticed one category that has taken hold quickly, at least based on the offerings of all the major bike companies. That’s the so-called “Adventure Road” bike. Evolved from cyclocross bikes, the adventure road is intended to let the recreational roadie go beyond the tarmac. The wider tires offer good traction on gravel roads, too, and more comfort when the pavement disintegrates. It has the drop handlebars of a road bike, and it’s priced in a wide range — from under …

Wednesday Evening H.P. “Drop-In” Ride

Wednesday, Feb 4, 2015, 5:30 PM

Voigt entrance to H.P.
Voigt @ Paseo Canada Hollywood Park, Texas, TX

2 Members Went

The complete “tour de H.P” (tour 1) is an 8.33 mile ride. See map below. Because twilight ends around 6:30 PM,  we’ll ride only about 4.88 mi. of “tour 1”, then take the “B” connector (Donella @ Mustang Circle) back 1.09 mi. to the start, for a total of about 6 miles.We’ll start the “tour de H.P.” in counter-clockwise direction (see map for route…

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Help The Tejano Trails!

Can You Dig It!        canyoudigitbmx.com

27 comments

It only takes one rotten apple to ruin it for the rest of the bunch. The putrid festering apple in this case goes by the name of Ty Bement. The locals at the Tejano Trails just outside Austin, Texas recently installed a gate out of growing frustrations stemming from Ty bringing kids to the trails to “teach them BMX.” You see, Ty charges parents an undisclosed amount of money to teach their kids this thing we call BMX. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, it’s the way he has gone about it that has upset a lot of people.
Long story short, he is benefitting financially from other people’s work without so much as offering to pick up a shovel to help contribute. It would be one thing if he consulted with the locals first and got their approval. Maybe a deal could have been …

Bike Ride on TerryHershey Park

Sunday, Feb 8, 2015, 9:00 AM

Terry Hershey Park on Memorial Dr.
15200 Memorial Dr. Houston, TX

3 Tour de Friends Went

Another ride on Terry Hershey park!!Sorry for the short notice cyclists. Please forgive me…Does 9:00 AM sounds good or can we push it to 10:00 AM?Lets gather at the Terry Hershey park on memorial Dr by 8:45AM and roll out by 9:00 AM. Let bike towards the end of Beltway and come back to the start point. We can then join with the NEO cyclists,…

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Weekly Moderate Intermediate-Level Ride — Pace Bend Park (16 miles)

Sunday, Feb 8, 2015, 12:45 PM

Pace Bend Park
2011 Pace Bend Rd N Spicewood, TX

13 Mountain Bikers Went

NOTE: I’ve been informed that, after a few weeks of leading these rides, I’m apparently not riding very “slow” anymore, so I changed the pace description to “moderate”.  I’m still not a racer, but we’re definitely not making as many stops as we were when this ride series began.About my riding styleI am a technical rider with advanced skill, but …

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Hermann Park to U of H Downtown via Columba Tap Rail Trail

Sunday, Feb 8, 2015, 10:00 AM

Hermann Park
6000 Fannin St Houston, TX

13 Cyclists Went

Sunday Morning Ride. Well head down breaswood bayou trail to Columbia Tap Rail Trail to U of H downtown  over to washington ave then back to hermann park. This will be a easy pace ride of approximatly 16 miles, road, hybrid or mountain all bikes are welcome.

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Leaving a Mark at Zilker Park

By Payson McElveen        www.austinfitmagazine.com


The days were cold. The course, extremely muddy. The obstacles, more than plenty. But the cyclocross racers—well, they were born ready.

The national pastime of the country of Belgium looks very different when brought to the United States. Instead of thousands of roaring fans packed into stadiums with body armor, and big hits happening, it involves thousands of roaring fans leaning into muddy course tape, bicycles being mounted over big obstacles, and incredible feats of endurance. The sport is called cyclocross, and it holds more similarities to the sport of football than you might think.
In Belgium, the top cyclocross riders make seven-figure livings, and loyal fans enjoy beer and fried food while raucously cheering on their favorite gladiators. Despite enjoying celebrity status, being a top-level Belgian cross racer is an incredibly blue-collar profession. The season takes place during the winter, no matter the weather. Actually, the season is held in winter because of the weather. Racers must ride, run, and …

Sunday Mountain Bike Ride: Rowlett Creek Preserve

Sunday, Feb 8, 2015, 2:00 PM

Location details are available to members only.

0 Members Went

XC Ride #1This will be the 1st MTB Ride of the season.* This ride will be to gauge interest, abilities, and just have a bunch of fun!Please note that trails we will be riding are for pure mountain bike (cross country), no hybrids or road bikes please. Also due to nature of trail riding you will be required to wear a helmet.Linda Colon has offere…

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Injured veterans invited to fifth Warrior 100k

by Adam Newman        dirtragmag.com


It’s hard to imagine mountain biking being a priority of the United States military, but without the sacrifice of men and women in uniform, it’s possible many of us would not be able to enjoy our favorite sport the way we do today. Former President George W. Bush is known for passion for hitting the trails, and for the fifth year the Bush Institute’s Military Service Initiative is welcoming injured veterans to participate in the Warrior 100k mountain bike ride on his range in Crawford, Texas.
Veterans wishing to participate must apply, but if they are selected to join their travel and lodging expenses will be covered by the Institute. To be considered they must have been wounded or …

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Texas Bicycling News Digest February 1st

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Brownsville cyclist, group seek TxDOT help

BY TY JOHNSON STAFF WRITER        www.brownsvilleherald.com

AUSTIN — Brownsville added its voice last week to a growing chorus of cities hoping to stop the usage of money earmarked for bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure to shore up the state’s highways and rest stops.
Representatives from cities across the state have addressed the Texas Transportation Commission to express concern over rule changes last year that now allow the Texas Department of Transportation to transfer funds from the Transportation Alternatives Program, a line item that funds bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, into a …

Bear Mountain continues growing as outdoors hub, buys Bicycles Outback shop

By TOMMY WITHERSPOON        www.wacotrib.com


The Bear Mountain is continuing its upward spiral in the Central Texas outdoor and recreation market by acquiring Waco’s oldest bike shop.
Bicycles Outback, which opened 20 years ago and chose its name because the fledgling company initially literally kept its bikes “out back,” sold its inventory to Brandon Blagg, owner of the expanding The Bear Mountain.
Blagg is conducting an inventory clearance sale at Bicycles Outback, 4707 W. Waco Drive, with …

All walks of life

By TRAVIS M. WHITEHEAD Staff Writer        www.valleymorningstar.com


Runners and bicyclists gather at the Runner Extravaganza and Race Expo
HARLINGEN — Edmundo Mejia was taking a break with his son Jorge after attending an event where numerous running and bicycling groups had gathered.
They’d enjoyed networking with other runners and groups at the 2015 Runner Extravaganza and Race Expo on Saturday at the Valley Baptist Health and FitnessCenter. The event was organized by 2 Run Crew LLC, and co-owner Javier Vazquez was overjoyed at the turnout.
“It’s overwhelming,” said Vazquez, looking at the crowds of people with red bags passing by tables set up by …

Santa Teresa Out-and-Backs

Saturday, Feb 7, 2015, 8:30 AM

River Run Plaza
1071 Country Club Rd El Paso, TX

5 Cyclists Went

Meet at River Run Plaza and head up Upper Valley Rd. then climb Artcraft. Three out-and-backs: Border Crossing, Strauss Road and Union Pacific Road. All-paces ride; slower riders can turn around early on any of the three legs then regroup. 40 miles total. Coffee break at Penny’s Diner. Randy Limbird,[masked]

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Band Against MS bike ride helping raise money to end the disease

By Damali Keith, Reporter        www.myfoxhouston.com

(Video)

HOCKLEY, Texas (FOX 26) – Country music superstar Clay Walker can certainly draw a crowd, but it wasn’t his performance that attracted more than a thousand cyclists in the Houston area — it was his foundation.
Walker isn’t just the founder of Band Against MS.
“Every year, it’s getting bigger and bigger,” explains Walker. “This is our third year.”
Walker was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis almost two decades ago.
“I was diagnosed here in Houston 19 years ago,” says Walker with a …

Cycling the Hill Country of Texas

www.adventurecycling.org


Although winter living in the Northwest and Northeast has it advantages of skiing, sledding, skating and other winter sports; dreaming about the warmth of the Texas sun during March and April is a favorite pastime of mine. A favorite locale is the Hill Country of Texas. It offers a little bit of everything to the spring cyclist in training trying to escape the cold season up north. …

United Airlines Cycling Team

www.placestogoinhouston.com


The team is based in Houston Texas. The team rasies funds for many charitable organizations and also schedules fun trips to scenic destinations worldwide.
Cycling and Fitness
The United Airlines Cycling Team is open to all employees, retirees, family and friends. Our team participates in many charitable rides and events each year. Locally we are a big part of the MS150 ride from …

DATES 25th Anniversary Ride

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts

When:     Feb 15, 2015 09:30 AM
Where:     Garland Road – Gaston Parkway across from RBM – Dallas
Category:     DATES ride
Description
RIDE: DATES 25th Anniversary Ride
DATE: Sunday, Feb 15th
START TIME: Meet at 9:00. Ride at 9:30.
START POINT: Across Garland Road from the Bike Mart. Bike Mart restrooms will be open.
HOSTS: John McManus & Brenda Cole
PHONE EMAIL: 214-613-2507 or brenda.cole@yahoo.com
DISTANCE: 20 +/- or 28 +/-
DETAILS:  Muffins, juice and coffee near the end of the ride. If weather is bad (check DATES Facebook page) ride will be cancelled but the social is on at John and Brenda’s at 10:00. We hope some of the “really old members” come out of the woodwork and join us for the social. R.S.V.P. please.

February Newsletter Published

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts

The February 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
DATES 25th Anniversary Ride
DATES Mesquite Ride
Southwest Tandem Rally
Ride Reports
No ride reports this issue!
DATES Annual Meeting
Ride Leaders Needed
Easter Hill Country Tour
2015 Double DATES Membership Renewal
DATES Rides & Activities …

Paceline

Fort Worth Bicycle Association

Our most recent Paceline (the club’s online newsletter) was added 2-1-15 and is available below. Archives are available in the Members Area.
{February 2015 (pdf)](http://www.fwbaclub.org/docs/paceline/02-15.pdf)

Current Club Newsletter

Northwest Cycling Club

The Monthly Publication of the Northwest Cycling Club – Houston, Texas
Volume 30 – Issue 2 February 2015
February 2015 newsletter (pdf)

Riders with the wind

BY JARED WILSON        www.oaoa.com

Local bicycle team making tracks

Think back to the time when you rode your bike with your family or friends. More often than not, the friendly ride turned into a race, a competition, and a heated bout to determine who was the fastest.
Lance Bowers, along with Scott and Lisa Anderson, have captured that childhood competition bringing it into their adult lives in the form of a racing team based out of Odessa.
One Hour Racing, as they are known, started several years ago with six members; however, the group has …

The Racing Post – February 2015

theracingpost.us

BikeHouston’s monthly newsletter Spoke&Word #11is out

BikeHouston


In this issue of Spoke&Word
– What BikeHouston staff and volunteers have done in January;
– Upcoming events, BikeHouston needs you to volunteer as ride leader, outreach table volunteer, bike valet volunteer, photographer, BikeHouston Ambassador and much more. Check it out and sign up;
– Read BikeHouston volunteer Alec Lawton’s amazing bike tale in Mexico;
– Houston Bicycle Club in the spotlights.
Follow this link to …

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