Texas Bicycling News Digest September 7th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Readers take sides on bicycles on public roadways

Tyler Morning News

The third Tyler-area cyclist in the past six weeks was hit recently. Fortunately, all three cyclists will recover from their significant injuries. How many more cyclists need to be hit before the idle shoulders of Loop 49 are opened to bike riders once again?
The decision by the Northeast Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NETRMA) to ban all cyclists from Loop 49 has forced bike riders in this area to ride on county roads, most of which do not have shoulders. Ironically, the decision to ban bikes was made after the decision by NETRMA to allow riders to use the loop proved the cycling community raised the funds required to finance signage and certain improvements to the loop. The money was raised but NETRMA reneged on their decision. Car-bike encounters are becoming more frequent in this area. So much so, many riders have purchased cameras to…

Buffered Bike Lanes Coming to Sylvan/Tyler-Polk

Bike Friendly Oak Cliff

The announcement has been made public that among  the city of Dallas’ next bicycle infrastructure projects is  coming to the Sylvan/Tyler-Polk corridor from I-30 to Davis.  We were told at the Dallas Bicycle Coalition meeting yesterday evening that it should kick off within the next month or so.
Here’s the public announcement letter received by one of our Board members who lives within the public announcement area: …
http://bikefriendlyoc.files.wordpress.com/2014/09/sylvanbikelaneannoucementletter.jpg?w=480&h=726

Afton Options

Saturday, Sep 13, 2014, 8:00 AM

La Union
NM 28 at Mercantil / Vinton Rd La Union, NM

6 Cyclists Went

Meet in La Union (park next to the old Gallery 28 on NM 28) and ride to Afton Road. Options for 20, 30 or 40 miles. 15-17 mph for main group. Chuck Turner,[masked]

Check out this Meetup →

Go for an easy beginner ride

Saturday, Sep 13, 2014, 9:00 AM

Performance Bicycle
7549 Westheimer Rd Houston, TX

1 Cycling Enthusiasts Went

You’re invited to join our Saturday morning, beginners group ride starting from and ending at our W. Houston, Performance Bicycle store. The ride is for beginners and those getting back on the saddle. The average pace will be between 10 and 14 miles per hour and the ride will last approximately one hour. We’ll explore some of the local bike paths a…

Check out this Meetup →

Dirt Skirt Group Ride

Sunday, Sep 14, 2014, 9:30 AM

Rowlett Creek Preserve
Castle Drive Garland, TX

4 Participants Went

Women only group ride, no drop. All levels welcome. Ride time is 9:30 so please arrive early to get yourself ready.

Check out this Meetup →

2014 Enchilada Buffet Registration Opens

AustinBike.com

Folks, the 2014 Enchilada Buffet registration is now open.  This is not a race, it’s an opportunity to sample all that makes Austin great (including, apparently, our traffic.)
The Enchilada Buffet is an 80+ mile ride of Austin that includes all of the prime trails, including the Greenbelt, City Park, St. Ed’s, Thumper and Walnut Creek.  As if that is not enough, you get to the different trails by also riding the roads between them.  Over 130 riders have…

 

HBC Ride Schedule

Houston Bicycle Club

Saturday 09/13/14     Sealy West    8am     Don Johnson
Saturday 09/20/14     Chappell Hill West    8am     Don Johnson
Saturday 09/27/14     Pattison – Hempstead    8am     Don Johnson
Sunday 10/05/14     Houston Sans Car    8:00 am     Gail Wellenkamp

Chile Pepper Challenge Packet Pickup

El Paso Bicycle Club

Pre-registered riders can pick up their rider package from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, September 26 at Academy Sports (Eastside), 201 S Americas, Ave. Non-registered riders can also sign up there and pick up their packet.

Upcoming Rides and Events

San Antonio Wheelmen

Saturday, 9/13:           Bullis County Park Ride
Sunday, 9/14:             Helotes-Castroville Ride

 

Registration Available Now: BikeTexas KidsKup at Tyler Speedwaves 2014

BikeTexs


Saturday, September 13
Tyler State Park, Tyler, TX (map)
Onsite registration: 12 PM
Safety clinic and racing: 2 PM
Tyler State Park charges a gate fee.
Want to help support KidsKup so this great program can continue into 2015 and beyond? Donate to the David Boyd Memorial Fund for the BikeTexas KidsKup today.
Course: All BTKK courses are designed for safety and fun, with beginner kids in mind, and…

Venus and Vicinity

Lone Star Ccyclists

Pace: Touring with a Fast Pace Option (Touring is a varied pace with frequent stops averaging 12-15 mph)
Date: Saturday, September 13, 2014 – 7:30am
Location: The Oasis / Lynn Creek Marina, Joe Pool Lake, 5700 Lake Ridge Parkway, Grand Prairie
GPS 32.631271,-97.040842
Distances: 41 and 61 Miles
We’ll leave The Oasis / Lynn Creek Marina at Joe Pool Lake and head to Mansfield, Lillian, Alvarado, and Venus for some roads we haven’t visited in a while. The short route will skirt Alvarado and Venus. Rest stops are available in each of these towns (at 8, 17, and 33 miles on the short route; at 8, 17, 27, 42, and 53 miles on the long route).
As a bonus, there’s a brand new…

Some Changes Close By

Bike Noob

Rain visited overnight, and continued to threaten this morning, so instead of a planned trip out to Dripping Springs, we decided to just do a neighborhood ride with the club.
Besides Maggie and Brian, two regular B riders, I was joined by Kenny and Steve, two of our better A riders. Kenny is recovering from rotator cuff surgery, and said he wanted to ride easy to recover from a 54-mile ride the previous day. (“I can’t stand up on my bike yet,” he complained. “Can you imagine riding 54 miles without standing up?”) Steve had also ridden long on Saturday, and he was content with a lazy ride. (Steve, a several-times state champion in both road and time trial in his age group, is known for taking frequent recovery-pace rides. Don’t be fooled. He can drop you just like that. He just…

Tweets

https://twitter.com/joeyTWOwheels/status/508643564587216896

Event Reminder

Texas Bicycle News Digest September 6th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

The Bicyclist’s Philosophy

by: Omar C. Garcia        gobeyondblog.com


Kids and bicycles are meant to go together, kind of like hot summer days and swimming pools. I have fond memories of the bikes I owned when I was a kid. I learned to ride a two-wheel bike when I lived on Globe Street in San Antonio. Having a bike opened up a whole new world of adventure for me. For the first time I could explore the world beyond my neighborhood and still be home in time for supper. I could not have asked for anything better than that — for the freedom and the capability to go farther than I had ever been before.
This morning, after Kingsland’s first early morning prayer vigil (which was a wonderful experience), I met the CityGates men’s group at Rudy’s for breakfast. I love these guys and their passion for serving. Every Christmas the CityGates guys assemble more than…

COPs get more insight on safety

by AMBER WASHINGTON        www.burlesonstar.net

Eighteen public safety agencies from across the state sent 115 citizens on patrol to Johnson County over the weekend, with COPs seeking ways to keep their communities safe.
The annual Texas Citizens on Patrol Association conference was Friday through Sunday at the Cleburne Conference Center, where attendees spent the weekend in various classes focusing on aspects of citizen patrol including nighttime characteristics of criminal activity, the Texas/Mexico border issue, a bike patrol learning course, citizens’ roles in active shooting situations and more.
TCOPA is a nonprofit organization formed to help Texas’ COPs become…

Mission Reach Family Bike Ride

www.frequency.com

This video is a family bike ride on the Mission Reach in San Antonio, Texas. Adults rode a rented B-Cycle bike from the Blue Star Art Complex to Roosevelt Park. One B-Cycle station to another.

Dirt Skirt Group Ride

Sunday, Sep 14, 2014, 9:30 AM

Rowlett Creek Preserve
Castle Drive Garland, TX

4 Participants Went

Women only group ride, no drop. All levels welcome. Ride time is 9:30 so please arrive early to get yourself ready.

Check out this Meetup →

Dirt Remedy ATX MTB Championships at Emma Long

Turnin’ Cranks


Come out and get your race on at the 2014 ATX MTB Championships at Emma Long! It’ll be a great race!

Austin Driveway Series Criterium – September 4, 2014

Turnin’ Cranks


A short ‘GoPro’ style edit of my crit footage from last night’s crit race. This was a tough race with the Cat 3’s included in the group now, and this was a pretty challenging course using the short and high power Championship Loop. I was dropped after only 5 laps, but I wasn’t alone. Out of 75 starters, there were only 31 finishers. A tough night indeed! …

The First September Saturday Rolling Over A Big Gateway Park Snake Before An Organic Visit To Town Talk

Durango Texas


My handlebars were back at their favorite Gateway Park photo op location on this first September Saturday.
I seem to see far fewer snakes than I used to see at the various outer world locations that I frequently frequent.
I have rarely had a snake encounter in Gateway Park, but I had one today.
A big snake encounter.
The snake was brown in color. With no diamond pattern like a rattlesnake. I don’t think this was a…

Some YBP September News

Austin On A Bike

Since I’m writing the Yellow Bike newsletter these days, I figure why not repost it here? So here’s what’s happening that might need your attention.
The Urban Trails Master Plan Needs Your Support!
That trail from Austin out to (nearly) Manor is awesome, right? And the boardwalk? Sure beats the sidewalk on Riverside!
Let the City know that you support Austin’s investment in bike infrastructure and that you want to see it continue and grow. How? By emailing city council or going to the Commissioner Courthouse at 700 Lavaca St on Thursday Sept. 25th. If you can’t make it on the 25th, you can still make your way down to City Hall or the Commissioner Courthouse and go to the agenda kiosk, find the Urban Trails Master Plan on the agenda, and…

Tweets

https://twitter.com/bikenoob/status/508386113355255809

https://twitter.com/txbikeracing/status/508262581761748992

Yelling Tractor Driver

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I was off to Huffman again but this time I choose a route that goes east of Huffman, “FM2100 – Huffman Eastgate – Huffman”. I wanted to ride enough miles to push the week total over 200 miles. The 35.23 miles today did just that with the week’s total now at 202.17 miles. The year’s total improved to 5383 miles. I didn’t start very early leaving home at 11:41 which meant the temperature had time to heat up but as I was riding I felt a bit of coolness in the wind as I rode. It was 86 at the start under mostly cloudy skies but by the time I finished at 2:36 it was up to 93 degrees.

The wind wasn’t much of a factor during the ride and my legs held up fairly well. I probably rode harder than I should have for 22 miles when I turned back west on Huffman- Eastgate off of FM1960. I was riding strong and got my average speed up to 16 by then. Riding on Huffman – Eastgate as I approached Willy Lane a tractor pulled out on the road. We were going about the same speed and I was probably 200 feet behind him. Continuing west the tractor started to slow down and move left of center. I wasn’t sure what he was doing and got closer. The driver started yelling and cursing at me for being too close. I slowed down and he turned onto a dirt road on the right still yelling. Since he didn’t use any signals I am not sure how I was supposed to know where he was going. I rode onto FM2100.

Reaching FM2100 I was looking forward to a rest stop at the Huffman Chevron. I made it there and took a place under the canopy. Unlike the other day the wind was not blowing much and the sweat was rolling off my arms and face. Too many cars were under the canopy blocking what little breeze there was. A few left and I felt a little air moving. The sweat was drying some and soaking the paper towels I had on my knees as well as the Greensheet I was sitting on. Up to there I rode about 23.8 miles. The time to leave came too fast and got my legs moving. After refilling my waterbottle I headed to home for the final 11+ miles.

My average speed was 16.0 mph when I left the Chevron station. I kept it there until I turned off of FM1960 into the residential streets where it started to slowly fall. By the time I got home it settled at 15.7 mph. My legs were complaining from all the effort.

A couple of other bicyclists were out today along the route.

Tomorrow’s weather could be a few degrees cooler. I may ride my mountain bike for some variety. While I was riding today it rained .07″ at my home.

Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.

Ride Route Google Earth
Ride Metrics
Huffman weather
Home Weather Ride Finish
Week to date
Ride comparison for this route
Year to date

Texas Cycling and Bicycling News Digest September 5th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

2014 Hotter’N Hell ride/trip report…

by dstrong        www.bikeforums.net

I do these write-ups for my 89 y.o. mom and also to document certain events. Thought I’d share it here. This year involved a unique mode of transportation to Wichita Falls.
After all the planning and packing, Friday finally came. I called my ride partner and pilot John, around 1:30p, to let him know that I was ready to go anytime he was. He keeps his plane about 60 miles south of Austin, near his ranch, so after my call he headed for the airport, packed his stuff into the plane and took off for the short 30 minute flight to Austin-Bergstrom to pick me up.
He texted me just before take-off, which was my signal to pack up the van and head to the airport. I arrived at the General Aviation terminal at the south end of the airport, just in time to see him land and taxi to a spot on the tarmac just outside the terminal.
Plane on tarmac.jpg
The plane is a Mooney 252, originally manufactured (production run was ‘86 – ‘90) in Kerrville TX, about 45 miles southwest of Austin. It’s a four seater plane and it’s small! The 252 has a reputation for being both fast and economical. At cruise altitude the plane was consuming about 12 gallons/hour. They also have retractable gear which makes them pretty aerodynamic.
John’s bike was already in the plane. This model Mooney has only two openings: The passenger side door (open in the picture) and the cargo hatch, which you can see just behind the window. Both bikes had to have their wheels off in order to get them through the door. John sat on the wing facing aft, with his back to the door. I handed him my frame, which he coaxed through the door opening until I could reach it leaning in through the cargo opening to help guide…

Sep 8 – Club Meeting

Woodlands Cycling Club

The featured speaker at the next meeting of the Woodlands Cycling Club will be Richard “Gordy” Bunch. He will address a new initiative he has proposed to The Woodlands Township Council entitled A Plan Designed for People and Nature in A Sustainable Community. Every cyclist in Montgomery and north Harris counties will want to hear about this exciting initiative which will benefit all serious cyclists. Mr. Bunch will ask for input from the audience following his speech.
Mr. Bunch is a Director of The Woodlands Township and the Chairman of The Woodlands Visitors and Convention Bureau. He has been an active cyclist having completed both the BP MS150 and Ironman Texas. He is a major supporter of…

Look for BikeTexas at Siclovia San Antonio September 28

BikeTexas


BikeTexas is very excited to once again offer free bike rentals to participants at Texas’ largest open streets event. Over 70,000 people are expected to attend the next Síclovía, running along Broadway to Alamo Plaza, with a new added route connecting to the east side Dignowity Hill neighborhood.
Select Federal Credit Union is providing generous sponsorship to BikeTexas to…

Tweets

https://twitter.com/RelianceOutdoor/status/507927482394083328

Event Reminders