Texas Bicycling News Digest December 7th

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Cutting It Short

Bike Noob

With the end of the semester rapidly approaching, I’m spending more time at the university, putting out fires that flare up regularly as students realize they haven’t done enough to get that A they so covet. And with standard time bringing about darkness earlier than before, I’m not getting in a lot of riding at the moment. So when the weekend comes, I’m ready to saddle up and hit the road.
But this past weekend didn’t pan out the way I expected. On Saturday, I set out to do about 25 miles, just on roads in my immediate area. It’s easy to rack up the miles without straying too far from home, and that would keep me close to get back for the Christmas shopping my wife had planned for the afternoon.
But as I set out Saturday morning, I had a vague sense of unease — that something wasn’t …

Charity bicycle build 2014

USCG Air Station Houston, Texas

Coast Guard members from Coast Guard Air Station Houston help volunteers assemble a bicycle at a charity bike build Saturday in Houston, Texas. The bikes will be donated to service member families. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Dustin R. Williams

The tattoo Mom didn’t give me

Bill Horner III        www.sanfordherald.com

If that was indeed “Mom” we saw on the front stoop of Mom’s Tattoos, then she sure was an imposingly large mother.
Whoever she was, her girth made me think of Haystacks Calhoun, a wrestler I watched on TV as a kid, only without the mountain-man hair and unruly beard. The person in front of Mom’s was bald. And she was rotund in a profound way, to be sure. But what was most striking about her was that head – shaved, I assumed, and oversized, matching her physique, which she clothed with a flowing, floral-patterned dress of some kind.
Of course, I can’t be certain that was Mom. We never got close enough to tell for sure.
Why? It wasn’t her physical presence that scared Leonard and me away from Mom’s Tattoos, or at least gave us pause. And it wasn’t fear of Mom’s needles.
It was fear of our wives.
So Leonard and I came home from our epic Texas bicycle trip with lots of great stories – killer climbs in the Texas Hill Country, a rattlesnake crossing, Lance Armstrong-ish encounters, a too fast and nearly-blind group descent down a steep hill in the gathering darkness of downtown Austin, delicious organic chili, a run-in with …

2014 Bike Build – Another Roaring Success

Plano Bicycle Association

Cycling in the Wind

by Bill Cullins        Team San Angelo


Over the past several weeks, I’ve listened to cycling friends curse the ‘joy’ of battling 30 mile per hour or higher winds during their bike workouts.
I’ve also been doing my share of whining about the wind.
Like it or not, the wind does blow a lot here in West Texas so if you enjoy cycling (especially on the road) you have to deal with the wind, use it to your advantage where possible and look forward to those great days when the wind is light.
According to weatherspark.com, our highest average wind speed occurs in late March when we often see an average daily maximum wind speed of 20 mph.
Days with stronger winds gusting to 30 mph or more can happen during any month of the year.
Combine the actual wind velocity with the ‘apparent wind’ generated by a bike’s forward motion and — on a …

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

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Texas Cycling News Digest December 6th

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Fall/Winter riding

by MrMentallo        forums.mtbr.com

(several replies)
Being in Texas and riding in the summer has it’s mixed blessings. Night rides are a necessity if you don’t like riding in 100+ weather and Hydration is a major concern. That’s why this time of year is my favorite time to ride. I’m more active (weather permitting) this time of year than the hotter months because of heat stroke and so on. I’d rather add layers I can take off than bear through the heat. Plus it doesn’t get really cold that often. Yeah it takes longer for the more frequent rains to dry out, but I’d rather deal with that than riding 15 or 20 miles in 103 heat. Plus here in Austin, we haven’t had accumulated snow in a few years.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ll ride all summer long because I gotta ride. But I enjoy …

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Pennsylvania man bikes the U.S. for St. Jude’s

by Andrew Atterbury        www.gosanangelo.com


SAN ANGELO, Texas – Bernie Buffone sat in a bicycle shop with a phone to his ear, his boisterous voice and Pennsylvanian accent resonating over clanking ratchets and hissing air pumps.
Through the black flip phone, basic as they come, he was on the line with his wingman, Addam French, discussing the next place Buffone would sleep.
The San Angelo State Park was Friday night’s destination.
His bike leaned on a glass case inside Concho Bike Shop, bulging with supplies — a jar of peanut butter secured in the water bottle holster, a …

Peddling bike maintenance awareness

By SAM PESHEK        www.theeagle.com

The HUB on Texas A&M campus offers riders means to perform repairs themselves

An estimated 10,000 bicycles can be found on the Texas A&M University campus, and The HUB self-service repair post adjacent to The Commons residence halls on Lubbock Street aims to make sure their wheels keep spinning after its grand opening Friday afternoon.
For just a $5 one-time fee or $20 for a semester pass, Texas A&M cyclists can use The HUB’s tools and equipment to make minor repairs to their bicycles and get back on the road or are referred by the students who staff the building during operation hours to a local full-service cycling retail and repair shop if the job is …

Hell week in Fredricksburg

by paulp1        www.bikeforums.net

I think I want to attend this hell week and would like to know if anyone on the forum has been there and their thoughts,,,any info besides what I read on the website would be appreciated,,,like does it get very crowded?Is it hard to get a room?Does anyone ride to it from the austin area?The little things that you don’t read on the web,,,,,thank you all,,,,

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

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Texas Bicycling News December 5th

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Times Have Changed in the Rio Grande Valley

by Ray Garza        RGV Cycling

When I lived in the Dallas during the late 80’s and all the 90’s, I would often take part in the charity cycling rides that seem to be in great abundance. Just about every suburb had their own sportive event that were fun and challenging. As my circumstances changed, I moved back to the Valley and found little to none in the way of those same events. Maybe I wasn’t aware of them or the word didn’t spread as they do now with high-speed Internet. Never-the-less, I didn’t participate in any nor was I aware of any. That was then, this is now. Now days, there is an over abundance sportive events to choose from. Not just cycling, but …

Bayou City Outdoors Holiday Farmers Market Tour by Bike

Vanderbuilt Court Apartments

We have several Farmer Markets right here in the middle of the city, which bring in local organic produce every Saturday. Bring your backpack to carry what you purchase, and let’s shop the markets on our bikes! Now we’re riding it Holiday Style! Wear Christmas colors, put your jingle bells on, or even decorate your helmet! Santa hats are great as long as they fit over your helmet.
Come out and stretch your legs biking to the Farmer’s Markets of Houston to shop for local organic produce! Hop on your bike and let’s take a ride through the side streets, trails, and residential areas in the heart of Houston. This is a very social ride and all levels of riders are welcome. We will start the morning off with coffee at Onion Creek and then cruise through the market to shop for …

PeopleForBikes has hit its million-person milestone

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


The Green Lane Project focuses on a simple but unusually narrow task: we find U.S. cities that want to build protected bike lanes, and we help them do so.
But (as you may have noticed) this work is part of a larger movement: the movement of Americans to embrace bicycles.
It’s a statistical fact that people in the United States — led, contrary to some stereotypes, by the eldest among us — are biking more. They’re doing it for transportation, recreation and sometimes even travel.
Some of that trend is being driven by the country’s little ecosystem of bicycle advocacy organizations. Our parent organization, PeopleForBikes, has a unique role in this environment: More than any other group, our job is to speak not for the bike users who already exist but for the …

Hamby MTB Trail Work and Ride Day

Longview Bicycle Club

12/07/2014 at 1:00PM
Sunday afternoon will be an official Work and Ride Day at Hamby Trail, specifically for clearing leaves and trimming, come when you can and stay as long as you like

Windy riding conditions a part of life in West Texas

by Bill Cullins        www.gosanangelo.com

Over the past several weeks, I’ve listened to cycling friends curse the ‘joy’ of battling 30 mile per hour or higher winds during their bike workouts.
I’ve also been doing my share of whining about the wind.
Like it or not, the wind does blow a lot here in West Texas so if you enjoy cycling (especially on the road) you have to deal with the wind, use it to your advantage where possible and look forward to those great days when the wind is light.
According to weatherspark.com, our highest average …

Yule Tide Ride

West Texas Cycling Association

Date: December 8, 2014
Location: Lubbock, TX
Contact: 806-535-0451
Details: Marta Rosas has invited the bicycle club to her home on Monday evening to enjoy the lights and decorations in her neighborhood and the
surrounding area. Please feel free to decorate your bicycle as brightly as possible and come out for a brisk evening ride. The pace will be leisurely so everyone can enjoy the view. Where: Marta’s home …

December Newsletter Published

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts

The December- 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 Annual Christmas Lights Ride
DATES 25th Anniversary Ride
Ride Reports
Gunter Fall Ramble
DATES Annual Meeting
Taste of White Rock
DATES Rides & Activities

Holiday Cruise

El Paso Bicycle Club

December 20th        8:00AM
Meet at River Run Plaza, 1071 Country Club Rd, at 8 a.m. Ride to McNutt, up Airport and down Artcraft, then Alvarez to La Union and on Hwy 28. 22 miles. Beginner/Intermediate Group pace (14-16 mph) plus faster group (16-18 mph). …

Read the December edition of The Pedaler

San Antonio wheelmen

What cycling goodies are you hoping to receive from Santa later this month? I suspect some of you will be on a new bike for the January 1st ride. Others will be showing off a new cycling computer or even a bike-mounted camera. This year, I have no interest in any cycling gadgets! I need something very basic: a new pair of cycling shoes.
I switched to Specialized’s road shoe about 2 years ago. I’ve made all kinds of …

Ride of the Barrio – Fun social bicycle ride (southwest houston)

houston.craigslist.org


We are a ride at your own pace, fun social bicycle ride. We are just of people riding for fun.
Meet Times: 2nd Friday, and the 4th Thursday of each month.
At 6607 Braeswood Houston Texas 77096
Start time is around 7:30 pm
The ride is 15 to 20 miles with a stop along the way.
We ride Rain or Shine, Hot or Cold.
Helmets, Lights, Clothes, Ext. are all up to you! Just ride responsible and have fun.

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

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Event Reminders

Texas Bicycling News December 4th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Cross Under the Lights Lap 1 Nov 19

by dirterDarryl


@331miles via Twitter
Video of course that I practice raced for 50 mins last night.  5 of these fast “A” guys lapped me, a “C”.

Trails North of Austin

AustinBike.com

Brushy Creek Regional Trail
The Brushy Creek Regional Trail is a great example of the trail builders working with the city to get more singletrack for biking cut into the Austin area.
The trail consists of multiple sections, including “Mulligan”, near the golf course, “Picnic” which is along the creek and “Deception”, the largest of the trails.
The Picnic and Mulligan are about 1.75M total between the two, with Deception being the …
http://www.austinbike.com/images/trails/brushycreek/trailpics/x-cover.JPG

Teen charged for bicyclist’s death in DWI accident

by Action 4 News Staff        www.valleycentral.com/


A teen remains behind under more than half a million dollars in bonds following a fatal DWI accident that claimed a bicyclist’s life in Mission.
Mission police arrested 18-year-old Fabian De Leon, Jr. on Thanksgiving Day.
Investigators reported that De Leon was driving a white Jeep Cherokee when he hit a bicyclist off 2nd Street and Conway Avenue just after 6:30 p.m. Thursday.
Officers found 69-year-old bicyclist Miguel Gonzalez injured and bleeding.
De Leon allegedly told police that the elderly bicyclist “cut in front” of his SUV and …

Come Ride In Richardson’s 42nd Annual Christmas Parade

Bike Friendly Richardson


Bike Friendly Richardson will be participating in City of Richardson’s 42nd Annual Christmas Parade, and we want YOU to participate. Grab the family, decorate your bikes and meet us this Saturday morning. The pace is …

Trail Maintenance

San Angelo Bicycle Association

Date(s) – 12/13/2014
8:00 am – 12:00 pm
Location: SA State Park South
Join the volunteer crew to do trail maintenance on the second Saturday of every month. Meet at the South Shore Entrance at the San Angelo State Park.

Burleson and Beyond

Fort Worth Bicycling Association

Club Weekly Ride
Every Thursday from January 05, 2012 to December 25, 2014 at 9:00 am
Next Ride: Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:00 am
Enjoy the quiet, beautiful rural roads of Johnson County with lots of shade in the hot summer months. Routes of 40-54 miles are available and no one gets left behind. We usually eat after the ride. Fun had by all. Come join us. 8 am start during the summer (May through September); 9am otherwise (October – April).

Bike World – Monica Caban

Bike World


Bike World customer Monica Caban was struck by a car during a training ride two years ago. She was told she was paralyzed from the waist down and would never walk again. Monica has made a tremendous recovery which allowed her to regain the ability of walking. Now she is moving onto her next challenge, to get back on the bicycle. We have set her up with a new Trek and she will be riding in no time. Monica is …

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/MitchellGSides/status/540713978079367169

Event Reminders