Texas Bicycle News Digest July 21st

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Bicycle Sport Shop Presents AUSTIN BIKENADO

Bicycle Sport Shop


This ride is not for the faint of heart.
It will be hot.  You’ll have to navigate the route between all three Bicycle Sport Shop locations using nothing but a turn-by-turn.  Printed.  On paper.  (Unless you are smart enough to have a Garmin in which case you’ll use that.)  And who you ride with and how fast you go is up to only one person.  You.  Oh, and did we mention that there will be no signage cluttering up the roads and providing entertainment for young juveniles who like to use it as room décor?  And no SAG wagons to pick…

Friday Night Beginner Ride – Bull Creek Trails

Friday, Jul 25, 2014, 6:00 PM

Bull Creek
Old Spicewood Springs Rd Austin, TX

10 Mountain Bikers Went

Hey folks,We will start out on a short little track that is very smooth and easy. (a slight step up from Lady Bird Lake paths) If the group is up to the challenge, we can take on some additional trails with minor climbs and some rougher sections.I am recovering from a broken leg, so pace is going to be slow.We will be riding some of the paths ne…

Check out this Meetup →

The Call of the Wild

by: Omar C. Garcia        gobeyondblog.com


Walking into my garage can be hazardous, not because there is anything dangerous out there but because that is where I keep all of my outdoor gear. Often all it takes to get me thinking about outdoor adventures is a glance at the gear in my garage — the canoe suspended from the ceiling or my mountain bike or my backpacking and camping gear. One look at this stuff and I can hear the call of the wild as clearly as Buck did in Jack London’s novel by the same name.
While I certainly enjoy big adventures like the Texas Water Safari or hiking the Lone Star Hiking Trail through the Sam Houston National Forest, I also enjoy the not so big adventures. These shorter and affordable adventures are the bread and butter that feed my hunger for getting outdoors. Whether it’s a quick trip to a nearby…

Cactus and Crude makes trek through Big Spring

www.bigspringherald.com


Cactus and Crude cyclists make their way through Big Spring Saturday to complete the first leg of the 150-mile route. They ended their 75.1 mile trek at SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf and continued on their way to Post Sunday. The annual event raises…

City of Austin Urban Trails Program Open House!

by djcurtin        bicyclesportshop.wordpress.com


The City of Austin Urban Trails Program is currently analyzing the feasibility of a portion of the Violet Crown Trail though Sunset Valley/Eastern Oak Hill Area.  We would like your feedback on the proposed alignment of the trail. Together with the Hill Country Conservancy and the Oak Hills Trails Association, the Urban Trails Program staff hope to receive input from area residents, property owners, cyclists, pedestrians, and other stakeholders to plan, design, and build a…

Cypresswood Work Party

GHORBA.org


STS Prep WORK PARTY – SAT July 26th. This is our last weekend to clean up before the race on AUGUST 2nd. 8 am -12 noon. Lunch on GHORBA afterwards.
Mainly looking to trim new growth/raking on Sidewinder, Black Diamond, Rim Loop and on the North side of the Bamboo. We also need to see if there is enough room to run two lanes of traffic back to the park along where they are doing the pipeline work.If it is too tight the…

The 3 Musketeers Ride

Lone Star Cyclists

Pace: Touring with a Fast Pace Option (Touring is a varied pace with frequent stops averaging 12-15 mph)
Date: Saturday, July 26, 2014 – 7:30am
Location: Lake Ridge Elementary School, 1020 Lake Ridge Parkway, Cedar Hill
PLEASE NOTE THE RIDE START TIME HAS BEEN MOVED UP TO 7:30 AM. …

Upcoming Rides and Events at a Glance

Corpus Christi Cycling Club

August 9 – Beeville Stingers Goliad Ride
August 11 – Fleet Feet Bike Swap
August 16 – Lake Mathis Ride
August 23 – Hotter than Hell
September 13 – Lavernia Wild West Hammerfest
September 20 – Conquer the Coast
September 21 – CTC Criterium
October 11-12 – Valero Ride to River MS 150
November 8 – Tour de Gruene
November 11 – Warriors on Wheels
December 6 – Silent Auction

Tweets

https://twitter.com/txbikeracing/status/491365871378382848

https://twitter.com/MitchellGSides/status/491342888135958528

https://twitter.com/TimPutney/status/491095935250751488

Event Reminders

New Caney – Roman Forest – Splendora Biking

Texbiker.net Posted on by
Round About Woodridge Forest
At the Back of Roman Forest
Tram Road in Roman Forest
Rest Stop at Star Stop Exxon Porter

Some pictures from today’s ride to Splendora (Click on the image to enlarge it). One picture I didn’t take was of Archie’s grocery store in downtown Splendora. Archie’s has been there for many years. The round-about in Woodridge Forest reminds of the Tour de France. They are rare in the US. The photo at the back of Roman Forest shows the forest. For many years I did not know Tram Road went through to FM2090. The road surface is smooth and the dogs are behind fences.

The route went north from Kingwood through New Caney, Roman Forest and Splendora before riding south on the US59 service road all the way to Kingwood Drive. This was 40.26 miles with a 16.3 mph average speed.

Finally the weather is drying out some although early in the ride on Loop 494 two big rain drops hit my glasses and helmet. After that it was partly cloudy. I didn’t start quite as early as I planned leaving at 10:18 with 84 degrees (96% humidity) and returning at 1:30 with 94 degrees (91% humidity). There was no wind other than what I created by riding.

On the way back home I took a break at the Star Stop Exxon in Porter at FM1314 and US59. I haven’t stopped here in awhile. Over the years this station has had many designs. It started as a full service Exxon station, then that was bulldozed to make an automated Exxon station with no attendants. That must not have worked and they added a store. The store has had a couple of names: Tiger Mart and now Star Stop. I am afraid the Star Stop is a little ragged around the edges.

Last Saturday after the ride I noticed the chain was making some noise. I applied Chain-L No. 5 oil and it runs smooth and quiet. The one problem with Chain-L is it can be messy if you put too much on. For a few rides after an application I have to wipe Chain-L off the right chain stay. If I don’t use a clean cloth it swears which doesn’t look good on a white frame. The chain has about 2900 miles on it. I am thinking of changing it when I get to 4000 miles.

Mileage statistics:

  • 40.26 miles this week
  • 533.85 miles for July (182 miles to reach July’s goal)
  • 3909 miles for the year

Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.

Tomorrow’s weather: partly cloudy, 94 degrees, 20% chance of rain.

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Texas Cycling News Digest July 20th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Dallas’ new bike czar is ready to roll

By TOM BENNING, Staff Writer        www.dallasnews.com


Biking down Main Street, Ashley Haire experienced the pros and cons of Dallas’ cycling world all rolled into one.
The city’s new bike coordinator wheeled through so-called “sharrows,” lanes marked for sharing by cars and bicycles, as well as a stretch of dedicated bike lanes. But the options changed from one block to the next, confusing both bikers and motorists.
She pointed to two high-density neighborhoods — downtown and Deep Ellum — that are primed for bike culture to take hold. But she also lamented that riders would need to cross a major thoroughfare and…

A Texas man & his dog stopped in Tulsa on cross-country bike ride

www.fox23.com


TULSA, Okla. — Mike Minnick, 38, and his dog Bixby stopped in Oklahoma this week during their journey to bike ride across the country.
“This is the most fun thing I’ve ever done and I have no intentions of quitting anytime soon,” Minnick said.
Minnick began the bike ride of his life because he knew he had to make some changes.
“I was considerably heavier than I am now. I was a chain smoker. Diabetes runs in my family and there’s kind of a realization that if I stay on this path my life is right there,” Minnick said.
Determined to change his life, Mike and Bixby left their home in Terlingua, Texas for Lubec, Maine — the easternmost town in…

Tour the Peanut Country

Pedal Pushers


Tour the Peanut Country
Gorman, Texas
July 19, 2014
This was Gorman’s 13th Annual bike ride but the first time we have attended. Never knew until this past weekend what we were missing.
As we were off loading our bikes, I thought I had better take a picture of Christine as she was going on a different route than I was, and therefore, we might not see each other until after my ride. …

7:00am – Harden Dental Team Ride

Corinth Cycling

When: Sat Aug 2, 2014 7am to 10am  CDT
Where: Ronny Crownover Middle School
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: This is the weekly training ride for the Corinth Cycling/Harden Dental race team. This is a 62 mile loop on an established route. Expect a fast pace and be prepared to fix your own mechanicals. There are no stops on this ride. -7:30am- http://ridewithgps.com/routes/337788

Central Trail Update – Great News

Bike Friendly Richardson


Well, it’s been over a month since the Ribbon Cutting on June 2, and now it looks like the Central Trail (southern extension) is almost complete. It seem like we went weeks with no progress on the few remaining gaps. Now, all that’s left are a few curb finishes, where it crosses Polk Street. …

After Work Trail Ride

Tuesday, Jul 22, 2014, 7:00 PM

Croos Creek Apartments
7401 Alma Dr Plano, TX

5 Members Went

Come join me for an easy pace ride. This will be a concert trail ride that is suitable for all types of bikes. The plan is to ride 12-13 miles at an easy pace. We will meet at the appartment front office in the parking lot.

Check out this Meetup →

Natural Selection

Bike Noob

We were thundering down a semi-rural road on our weekly ride. The road was deserted, for a change no cars or trucks were on hand to buzz us.
Off in the distance, we saw a bicyclist turn to cross the road at a right angle. Although the road was empty, traffic does travel fast: 55-60 mph, and sometimes faster. It’s a two-land road with no shoulder. We thought the cyclist was putting herself in some danger.
But she got to the opposite side of the road, and as we got closer, we could see she had taken out her phone, and was using it to take a…

Round and Round the Lake Ride

Dallas Area Tandem Enthusiasts

When:  Wednesday July 23rd – 6:15 PM Start
Where:  Bath House Cultural Center at White Rock Lake
Leaders:  Nancy & John Griswold
Come join the Wednesday night loop-the-lake this week, Wednesday, July 23, starting at the Bath House Cultural Center.  Be ready to ride the clockwise loop leaving at 6:15, punctually.  If you arrive late or want to intersect with the ride in progress, ride counter-clockwise to find us on the road.  We will include the NW Hwy adder for two 11 mile loops.  If the weather is iffy, we’ll make the call at start time.  If anyone wants to ride, regardless of the weather, TeamGriswold will accompany you.  NO DROPS – but if you want to get an early start on supper you can do one loop or go out the front…get a table for the rest of us.
Supper at The Alligator Cafe next to Albertsons on the southeast corner of Garland and Buckner.

Biking data could inform city planning

By BRANDON FORMBY, Transportation Writer        www.dallasnews.com

As more North Texas cities try to make streets and trails friendlier for pedestrians and bicyclists, the North Central Texas Council of Governments is working to help quantify their efforts.
The regional planning organization is teaming up with cities to provide or loan mechanical counters that can track how many pedestrians or bicyclists use particular trails or street-side bike lanes.
The hope is that the counters will provide data to the top-level city officials who determine how public funds are spent — data anticipated to support growing demands for more trails and bike lanes.
“It’s not just staff saying, ‘This is a good thing to have,’” said Jared White, bicycle transportation manager for…

Tweets

https://twitter.com/Polkerrrrr/status/490949445316403200

https://twitter.com/danielcurtin/status/490995618790113280

https://twitter.com/bikenoob/status/490972182307409921

Event Reminder

Huffman With Humidity

Texbiker.net Posted on by

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Huffman was today’s destination. I did not ride the usual Huffman route but an abbreviated one 27.33 miles long. Average speed was 15.6 mph. The weather was humid with 95 % at my home weather station and 65% at the IAH weather station. The temperature was 84 when I left home at 11:46 and 88 when I got back at 1:48. My stop at the Huffman Chevron was short because I needed to get back home. I stopped long enough to finish my water bottle and dry off some. No rain today so there have been two days in a row that I did not bike in the rain.

No unusual happenings on the ride. I continue to get compliments on my bike. While I was at the Chevron a young man came in driving an older Ford Ranger with a 4 wheeler in the back. When He walked inside the store he asked if my bike was expensive. I don’t have a good answer but I told him it cost twice as much as my first car. Later when I was in Town Center in Kingwood a young man by Mooyah Burger called out that he thought my bike was good looking. I have owned many bikes but this one has to be the one I have received the most comments about.

Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.

Mile markers:

  • 186.52 miles this week
  • 493.59 miles this month (222 miles to reach July’s goal)
  • 3868 miles this year

Monday’s weather: 95 degrees and partly cloudy, 10% chance of rain. The TDF is on a rest day so I hope to get an early start.