I couldn’t stay inside today. Earlier in the day I wasn’t sure I would ride or not. Riding looked good on the greenbelt trails. Getting the MTB out of the garage I set out to see how many leaves had fallen since yesterday’s ride. The route was not the same as yesterday but did have a few common sections. I rode 18.14 miles which was a little further than I expected.
Trying to leave home by 1:30 I hurried to eat a snack and then get dressed. I was close to hitting the departure time when I heard a crash from the utility room. A tension rode we use to hold empty hangers fell causing the loud noise. This rod has been there for several years and I am not sure what caused it to come loose and fall today. Searching around for the wood block to position it took several minutes and cleaning up some of the hangers a few more. With the rod back in place I walked out the door at 1:50.
At the start it was 68 degrees and partly cloudy. Riding in the shade along the trails felt like the temperature was about 10 degrees lower. Fortunately I chose a correct wardrobe of leg warmers, shorts, short and long sleeve jerseys and jacket. Half finger gloves completed the group. I was comfortable while I rode but when I stopped for more than a minute or so the moisture inside the jacket cooled and I had to ride a few minutes to regain the warmth.
With today’s ride I am within 50 miles of my goal of 6500 miles for the year. If I ride my road bike and and typical route I am 2 rides away from reaching it. I am not sure the weather will cooperate to allow a road bike ride though. Sunday may get to 70 degrees with a 25% chance of rain, maybe then I will ride on the roads.
One thing different from my road bike is the weight of my Motobecane 700HT MTB. Pedaling effort to get up to speed and stay there is much higher.
(video)
HOUSTON (KTRK) — On the eve of the trial of a woman accused in the hit-and-run death of a young cyclist, the Houston cycling community gathered to show support for the victim and her family.
A vibrant 24-year-old with electric blue eyes is just the beginning of how Chelsea Norman’s family describes her. “She was the true example of living every day to the fullest,” says her sister, Kallie Norman.
Her dream of opening a wine and dessert shop in Houston, was never realized. Her father Randy says, “She and I were always bragging about who was the better baker in the family. I would never admit she …
A man on a bike was hit by a vehicle in the 4100 block of Avenue Q at about 6:15 p.m. Monday evening.
According to the police report, Robert Hines, 44, was going eastbound on his bike when he failed to yield to traffic and was struck by a Chevrolet Silverado driving south. The collision caused …
Margaret Mayer called a co-worker the day after a Houston bicyclist was struck and killed, saying she had been in two accidents after an evening of drinking and “hit something and it might have been a person,” the co-worker testified Tuesday.
“I didn’t want to believe it,” Kellie Clark said Tuesday during the second day of Mayer’s trial in state district court. “I just honestly thought she might be.. I didn’t want to believe it.”
Mayer, 35, is accused of failing to stop after her car struck Chelsea Norman, 24, as she cycled along Waugh Drive en route home from her job around 10:20 p.m. on …
Holy crap – just 25 more days until states, and 29 until #CXNats here in Austin. Man, this is going to be an epic run!
Note that we start at 10a both days – different than most races on the TX Cup schedule.
We lead off with the month of Texas Cross with a course that is consistently known as one of the hardest, most challenging courses on the schedule. The terrain of the Highlander Cross Cup is essentially the side of a hill that you traverse many times, much to the delight of the generous crowds of hecklers. We were there in 2012 and 2013, (and last year was a complete mud slog), but this year Race Director, Ian Moore, has promised some changes.
Ian – what should we expect?
The course this year has been tossed into a washing machine and mixed up. It allows us …
Meet at Leon Springs Park and Ride lot at 9:00 a.m. ride will take a nice scenic route that leads us along Old Fredericksburg Road.  Take IH-10 West to Leon Springs/Boerne Stage Road exit (Exit 551). Take a left onto the service road and continue to a 4-way stop. Make a left at the stop and go one block to the parking lot on the left. For more …
Combining business and pleasure is not always possible but I was able to do that on today’s ride. I had a package I needed to take to the post office for my side business. I planned on riding my MTB since the weather warmed up slightly (69 degrees at the start). The route I chose would take me to the post office and then I could branch out from there for hopefully 18 miles or more. I ended up riding 18.36 miles on Kingwood trails and greenbelts. With the fall and soon to be winter weather leaves were everywhere. In some places the trails was covered and I had to watch closely to not go off the paved path. The sun was blinking in my eyes from pass trees on my left which made seeing difficult though I had sunglasses on.
The route was not very different from other rides but this particular combination was one I have not done much before. The 1 1/2 miles to the post office was not the most direct route in order to help me get to the 18+ mile goal. If I had not added the indirect trails I would have been below the goal. Timing was good whenever I passed schools there was no waiting parents or excessive traffic at the spots where the trails passed them.
I am still 68 miles short of my goal of 6500 miles for the year but there should be some opportunities to ride before the end of the year. I hate to get down to the last day and feel pressure to ride when the weather is not that good. Wednesday and Friday look promising weather wise this week. Saturday is filled with holiday things and Sunday looks like a rain day. I hope my road bike does not feel neglected with the last couple rides on my MTB. Out of 188 days riding this year 178 have been on my road bike.
Univeristy of Texas at Arlington    Pop Consciousness
‘Merica! Land of the commuter car culture and short term investments. It seems the 50’s suburban ideology really worked out well, well maybe for the rich. Thanks to the suburbs, if you don’t own a car, you’re not going anywhere fast. The misguided, short term goals that eventually led to corporate bailouts like General Motors should have prescribed suburban car owners and tax payers a plan “Bâ€. So with the economy in the trash, how are the rest of us supposed to get around? Some people have pledged their lives to bikes. I mean REAL transport. The fixie in pop culture today isn’t your granny’s idea of a bike. In fact, the fixie has inspired a whole new identity for commuters. If popular culture can be defined as a culture based on the tastes of ordinary …
Gordon Dickson goes for a spin on one of the red cruisers from Fort Worth’s bike-sharing program with a Go-Pro video camera attached to his head. Check out his wild ride around downtown and the West 7th area in the …
Rocksprings, TX
Dec 6, 2014
Note: Ranking points are NOT upgrade points. An explanation of ranking points can be found here.
Marathon Men 19-29 Cat 1/2/3
Marathon Men 30-39 Cat 1/2/3
Marathon Women 40-99 Cat 1/2/3
Marathon Men 40-49 Cat 1/2/3
Marathon Men 50-99 Cat 1/2/3
Marathon Men Cat 1/2/3
Marathon Women Cat 1/2/3
Marathon Men SS Open
Marathon Men 19-39 Two Laps
Marathon Men 40-99 Two Laps
Marathon Women Two Laps
Marathon Women One Lap
Marathon Men One Lap
Arlington Holiday Lights Ride
JW Dunlop Sports Center, 1500 NW Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington
Thursday, December 11, 2014 – 6:30pm
Mansfield Miles from Katherine Rose Park
Katherine Rose Memorial Park, 303 N Walnut Creek Dr, Mansfield
Saturday, December 13, 2014 – 9:00am
Violet Crown’s winter training camp — to be known affectionately this year as the Tour de Festivus — is almost upon us. As Seinfeld fans are aware, Festivus is the holiday celebrated December 23rd each year — it’s Festivus for the Rest of Us! It includes gathering around the sacred Festivus Pole, followed by the traditional Airing of Grievances, the Festivus Dinner, and then the greatly anticipated Feats of Strength. There is also the mysterious Festivus Miracle, caused – of course – by Kramer.
So in this spirit, we offer our training camp, 15 days in length. For your Festivus pole, traditionally aluminum, you may substitute carbon fiber or titanium, and if you’re really old, steel. There will be a generous Airing of Grievances, since each ride will be a ride with old guys. Feats of Strength must be …
This past weekend, Bike Friendly Richardson, participated in the City of Richardson’s 42nd Annual Christmas Parade. Of all the rides we do, this is one of our favorites. It’s not because of the great speeds or distance, but rather the opposite. Since this is a parade, the route is extremely short and equally as slow, which opens it up for people we don’t normally get to ride with, families.
Many folks decorated their bikes and brought candy to hand out to spectators. Local rider, Howard, even brought his goat on a trailer, pulled by a tandem. BFR’s Jenny brought her young baby for his first parade. Both the …
Testimony began Monday in the trial of a woman accused in the hit-and-run death of a young bicyclist a year ago.
Prosecutors and defense lawyers made their opening statements in the trial of Margaret Renee Mayer, 35. Mayer is accused of intentionally failing to stop after her car struck Chelsea Norman, 24. Norman was riding her bicycle home from her job at a nearby Whole Foods store when she was struck and killed on Waugh Drive on the evening of Dec. 1, 2013.
Norman’s death became a rallying cause for …
FORT WORTH — Those looking for a way to get around Cowtown on two wheels instead of four will have more options this spring.
Fort Worth Bike Sharing has announced eight new locations to check out and check in its snazzy red bicycles.
The nonprofit program, started in April 2013 with a $1 million federal grant, is expanding in hopes of attracting more annual members in a city that ranks dead last among the 52 largest cities in bicycling as a means of commuting.
“We definitely want to encourage more annual members, as well as more of a transportation use of the system,†said Kristen Camareno, executive director of Fort Worth Bike Sharing. “Any trip that …
The Woodlands Cycling Club is looking for 3 volunteers (at least one with a pick-up truck) to help deliver bicycles and helmets to 3 area CISD Elementary Schools.
We need help THIS WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10th and it shouldn’t take any more than 3 hours.
The children in these schools are identified as economically disadvantaged, and the bikes are going to children that have been selected by the staff of these schools as recipients of these bikes for Christmas.
PLEASE, PLEASE consider helping, this is …
In the hot tub this morning I was basking under the glow of a clear blue sky, nary a cloud in sight.
A short time after exiting the hot tub clouds arrived to erase that clear blue sky.
A noonday bike ride was on my schedule today. I was hoping the …
New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar
New Bike Event: Ride of the Barrio – Fun social bicycle ride! – Houston, TX: When: Fri Dec 12, 2014 7pm to 10p… http://t.co/qWmnAUPS0d
