Texas Cycling News Digest January 29th

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Renaissance Man : Chad Haga’s Texas Racing Roots

by Anne Clarrissimeaux, photos compliments of Chad Haga        texasbikeracing.com


While road season in Texas gets set to make a triumphant return in the next few weeks, a Texas-born racer has already begun his season in earnest – and it’s in the upper ranks of international bicycle racing on cycling’s ProTour. Chad Haga, 26, rides for Team Giant-Alpecin (Germany) and spent some time chatting about his upcoming races in some of the sport’s biggest events, life on the pro levels, and how he got from here to there.
As a writer, I could spend hours trying to come up with the best ways to describe Haga myself. Studious, witty, conscientious, humble, quiet, driven, smart … but it’s his self-penned Twitter bio that is perhaps the best description of him: “Bike racer, pianist, book aficionado, mechanical engineer, and …

Denton Rail to Trail headed south.

Corinth Cycling

Bicyclist struck on Broadway taken to hospital

By Jacob Beltran, Staff Writer        www.mysanantonio.com

A man riding a bicycle was hit by a truck Wednesday night on the North Side.
The bicyclist was riding southbound at about 8:30 p.m. on Broadway Street at Burr Road when a pickup hit him on the side, said Mauro Neel, who witnessed the collision.
The man was taken to a nearby hospital to be checked for …

The Austin Mountain Bikers Meetup Group

Austin, TX
3,937 Mountain Bikers

Meet other local mountain bikers to organize rides, review trails, gear and trade tips. All skill-levels welcome. We’ll try to organize rides that fit all experience levels. M…

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Man says he was hit by car while riding bike

By Annie Cosby        setexasrecord.com

A Harris County man is suing over claims he was injured while riding his bicycle.
Donald Loyd Harrison Jr. filed a lawsuit Dec. 12, 2014, in Galveston County District Court against Fredericka B. Samford, citing negligence.
According to the complaint, Harrison was riding his bicycle northbound on the eastern shoulder of state Highway 146 in Kemah on May 15, 2014, when he was struck by Samford’s vehicle, which was traveling …

Denton Bike-Pedestrian Czar Gets to Work

By Brian Scott        www.nbcdfw.com

(Video)
After only three days on the job, Julie Anderson was starting to realize her real office wouldn’t be in Denton’s city hall but instead on its streets and sidewalks.
“There’s always room for improvement,” Anderson said, looking over the sidewalks along McKinney Street. “You can always improve the connectivity. You can in-fill your sidewalks. You can always make …

Upcoming Events

San Angelo Bicycle Association

02/02/2015 | Mon Road Ride
02/04/2015 | Wed Road Ride
02/09/2015 | Mon Road Ride
02/11/2015 | Wed Road Ride
02/14/2015 | Trail Maintenance

Big Bend Tour

West Texas Cycling Association

Date: February 26, 2015 – March 1, 2015
Location: Big Bend, TX
Contact: JD & Jill Booker 806-473-xxxx
Details: Schedule:
Thursday, February 26- travel to Big Bend, dinner in camp
Friday, February 27- 72 or 45 mile routes with lunch mid-way, dinner in camp
Saturday, February 28- hiking, biking, or sight-seeing on your own schedule, lunch available in camp, dinner at the Basin
Sunday morning-break camp, breakfast at the Basin, travel home
As far as I know the Boquillas crossing is still open & you’ll need your passport to go across the river. The cost will be dependent on how many people go, but I estimate the cost will be $40 or $45/ person. This includes SAG support on Friday’s ride, breakfast and lunch Fri & Sat, dinner on Thurs. & Fri. and tent campsites. If you plan to bring a trailer, you’ll need to get your own site, but we’ll reduce your tour fee. Parking is limited for the tent camping so carpool if possible. Please let me know ASAP if you are planning to go.

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Event Reminders

Texas Bicycling News Roundup January 28th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Complete Streets – Safer, Efficient, Equitable

BikeHouston


Complete Streets is a powerful concept that has the potential to be transformative for Houston. It is a street building and design philosophy that seeks to make the streets of Houston safer for all users, regardless of age, ability, or mode of transport. A successfully implemented Complete Streets policy in Houston will result in schools, parks, libraries, museums, and businesses connected to residents through transit, sidewalks, bikeways, and cars. Complete streets do not equate to expensive streets but instead lead to efficient use of resources to build infrastructure that creates a …

Tuesday: Intermediate/Advanced Mountain Bike Ride at the Ant Hills

Tuesday, Feb 3, 2015, 6:15 PM

15200 Memorial Dr
15200 Memorial Dr Houston, Te

1 cyclists Went

This will be a medium to fast pace ride through the Ant Hills of Hershey Park! Bring WATER, spare tube/tire, snacks, etc…Helmets required. Call if you are going to be late so we can wait for you. Wheels rolling by 6:30! See you there

Check out this Meetup →

This Week’s Activities

Fort Worth Bicycling association

Texas Chainring Massacre
Saturday, January 31, 2015 9:00 am

Bubba Quixote’s Gravel Attack
Saturday, January 31, 2015 9:00 am
Thurber New York Hill Restuarant

Whiskey Flats
Saturday, January 31, 2015 9:00 am
Texaco @ Whiskey Flats

Super Bowl Ride
Sunday, February 1, 2015 8:00 am
The Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center

Monthly FWBA Meeting
Monday, February 2, 2015 7:00 pm
Fort Worth: UNTHSC

The Rusty Chain Gang Ramble
Tuesday, February 3, 2015 9:00 am
Ft Worth: Christ Lutheran Church

Cyclocross Nationals in Austin Serves as a Lesson for 2016

by Karen Brooks Harper        rootsrated.com


Austin gives Asheville, N.C. some helpful tips for the next year’s nationals
The City of Austin and the national cycling community are still trying to make sense of the disastrous finale to the cyclocross championships that happened here earlier this January. Foul weather nearly canceled the finish, and it touched off a blame game that may never be resolved. Many Austin cyclists love cyclocross, so the entire community was thrilled that Austin was hosting the national competition—that is, until the whole event got stuck.
But 1,100 miles to the east, on a picturesque private estate in beautiful …

Dallas will soon, for the first time, have reliable data on hike-and-bike trail usage

by Tom Benning        cityhallblog.dallasnews.com


The Dallas Park and Recreation Department will soon – for the first time – have reliable data on how many people are using the city’s growing hike-and-bike trail system.
The City Council on Wednesday approved a $266,000 contract to install and operate 25 electronic people counters along four major paths: the Katy Trail, the Northaven Trail, the trail around White Rock Lake and one in Kiest Park.
The counters, set to be installed this spring, will eventually be used at other trails, parks and …

The Wheels Keep Spinning for the Last of Dallas’ Bike Messengers

By Amy Silverstein        blogs.dallasobserver.com


In the elevator of a sleek Dallas office building indistinguishable from any other downtown or uptown, an elderly businesswoman with a head of teased blond hair stares at Christina Jones. Dressed in jeans, with her hair pulled back in a no-frills ponytail and a bicycle helmet in hand, Jones looks like an athlete who took a wrong turn into the stuffy corporate building. “Are y’all on bikes?” the woman asks. Jones has been riding around in the misty cold since 8 a.m., first commuting to get her morning coffee and then making 13 stops in a three-hour stretch. The rides started relatively short, a mile or less, but long elevator trips, searches for the …

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Grand Parkway Construction Eats Bike Route

Texbiker.net Posted on by

With the good ride yesterday I decided to ride north on the “New Caney – Gene Campbell Road” route which was a little longer at 35.48 miles. Body wise the only problem I had was saddle soreness from a lack of riding. I spent more time standing up pedaling than usual to offset that some. I wore the same amount of clothes today: shorts, long sleeve jersey and a jacket. It was 77 degrees at my home weather station when I got back at 2:55. The blue sky stayed around from yesterday but the wind went from calm to 15 mph from the SE. I could tell the wind was higher but I didn’t realize how much until I got home.

To show how warm it was I noticed my jacket had salt spots on it when I stopped at the Stripes station on FM1314. Sitting there I watched the flag in the middle of of Valley Ranch Parkway stretched out from the southeast wind.

I kept the pace low today to minimize the coughing. The cough is getting better but it is not gone. I got my average speed up to 14.9 mph until I turned from Gene Campbell Road going east on FM1314. The wind provided plenty resistance and the average speed dropped from the 14.9 mph to 14.4 mph when I finished the ride.

Sadly I will not be able to ride this route for awhile. The Grand Parkway construction has moved to FM1314 with an overpass being built. In the center of FM1314 they building a pier and moved the traffic to the north side of FM1314 restricting the traffic to one lane each direction. There are concrete traffic barriers on the east bound lane for about 200 yards with no shoulder. Fortunately traffic was cooperative when I made the dash through the barrier section. This is west of Cumberland Parkway.

As I was nearing home (in the last mile) I spotted a biker shadow coming up on my left. It was a biker I usually see at the Huffman Chevron. He was getting started as I was almost finished. We talked until I had to turn left. He said he biked 5000 miles last year and so far was 350+ miles for January. I told him I was way short of that number and my 330 mile goal for January. If today is the last January biking day my miles will be 141.51, about 189 short of my goal.

The beautiful weather could hang around one more day but I will probably be able to bike tomorrow. Friday the weather gets ugly again.

RideWithGPS map, metrics and charts.

[iframe http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/684918252 470px 500px]

Texas Bicycling News Digest January 27th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Innovation, The VIA Way: Here Comes The Bike Lid

By Eileen Pace        tpr.org

Some San Antonio commuters load their bikes onto VIA bus racks. But now, if they don’t need their bikes at the other end, there’s an option — VIA’s new ‘Bike Lids.’
Here at San Antonio’s Medical Center Transit Station, VIA’s Abigail Rodriguez shows off the newest pilot program for commuters who ride their bikes to the bus stop but don’t want to take them to work.
Perhaps there’s no place at work to store a bicycle. Or perhaps the bus drops the rider off so close to their destination that the bike won’t be needed. Enter the Bike Lid, covered parking for your bike. You can’t …

Riding the Anthills Bike Trails in Terry Hershey Park, Houston, TX

myglobaladventure.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84838260&x-yt-ts=1422327029&v=agGd1DA_Bg0&feature=player_embedded
Riding the anthills bike trails in Houston, TX on June 29,2013. I rode west from Wilcrest Drive to Hwy 6, and back, a total of 11 miles. You don’t see the really technical parts of the trail because I either avoided them or walked my …

Lick Creek Hike and Bike Trail

www.texasbids.net

Bid Date & Time: 2/05/15 2:00 PM
Prebid: 01/29/15 2:00
Est. Low Value: $3,396,209
Est. High Value: $3,396,209
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 …

http://www.meetup.com/Burleson-Area-Recreational-Cyclists/

Brownsville By Bike – New Repair Stations & Bike Racks

BikeTexas


It’s getting easier all the time to roll around Brownsville–the city is installing bike repair stations, bike corrals, and new bike racks.
At the last CycloBia Brownsville in December, over 400 people stopped by BikeTexas tent to learn how to use the new bike racks and repair stations. BikeTexas has worked closely with Brownsville city staff to get these new …

Craddock heading home after nasty TDU crash

By Andrew Hood        velonews.competitor.com


Lawson Craddock (Giant-Alpecin) is heading home following three nights in an Australian hospital recovering from a harrowing crash in stage 4 at the Santos Tour Down Under.
The 22-year-old Texan crashed heavily Friday in the early kilometers of the stage, just as the peloton was picking up speed and coming over some rollers as the day’s main breakaway was forming.
In a freak accident, Craddock evidently punctured his front tire, then bounded into a drainage ditch, with his front wheel collapsing, sending him catapulting over his handlebars. One rider who saw the crash said, “It …

Slow Intermediate Ride @ Walnut Creek 4:00 PM Let’s do this!!!

Thursday, Jan 29, 2015, 4:00 PM

Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park
12138 North Lamar Boulevard Austin, TX

7 Mountain Bikers Went

This is a non-official ride, just looking for folks who want to ride.This will be a slow intermediate ride but we can split into more groups, basic or advanced if others are willing to lead also.Meet in the parking lot by the swimming pool. The route will make it easy for anyone to get back to the parking lot.   Helmets are required along with a …

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New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

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