Texas Bicycling News Digest July 9th

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Big Ride for the Death Ride

by Bike Noob


Our pal Don Blount is at it again, as he prepares for his big ride of the year. Here’s his account of a little(!) training ride.
BlountOnBikingTo prepare for big rides, you have to train for big rides — and often that training is painful. On Saturday, July 12, I am riding the Tour of the California Alps Death Ride. It is 129 miles (207.6 kilometers) with 15,000 feet (4,572 meters) of climbing over five mountain passes.
I have done a number of “big” rides to prepare for the Death Ride, including two double metric centuries and two century rides.
But I had never ridden at altitude, so two weeks before the Death Ride I headed up to the mountains to do a few training rides.
I joined my buddy Paul, who is also my doctor, and is experienced riding up in the mountains. He also climbs like a billy goat. The most I…

Hardin Co. hike, bike trail nears completion

By Megan Mattingly-Arthur        www.beaumontenterprise.com


Construction on a new hike and bike trail that winds through wooded areas along U.S. 69 – between the city of Kountze and the Big Thicket Nature Center – will be completed later this summer, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
Plans for the nearly seven-mile trail have been in the works since 2003, but the project didn’t receive official approval from the Texas Department of Transportation until the…

Urban Paths: The Southern Walnut Creek Trail

by Daniel Setiawan        www.austinpost.org

If you’re a commuter looking for an alternative to sitting in traffic on 183, or you just need a quiet escape from the city, check out the newly constructed Southern Walnut Creek Trail.

The 7.3-mile, 10-foot-wide double-lane concrete hike-and-bike path runs north from Govalle Park in East Austin to the trail’s end near Johnny Morris Road and Daffan. There are also access points with parking at the YMCA on 51st St., the North East District Park, and the Austin Tennis Center. The trail is mostly flat with only a few hills, making it a comfortable bicycle commute from…

City Park Slow Pace Intermediate-Level Ride

Tuesday, Jul 15, 2014, 6:15 PM

City Park – Emma Long Motorcycle Trails
7548 Oak Shores Dr Austin, TX

12 Mountain Bikers Went

For those who haven’t ridden City Park, it is definitely not a beginner-friendly trail.  It was originally designed for off-road motorcycles, so it basically goes straight up the bluff, then straight down, then straight up again many times over the course of 6-7 miles.  Most of the obstacles take the form of ledges about a foot high (often in seque…

Check out this Meetup →

City Park Slow Pace Intermediate-Level Ride

Tuesday, Jul 22, 2014, 6:15 PM

City Park – Emma Long Motorcycle Trails
7548 Oak Shores Dr Austin, TX

10 Mountain Bikers Went

For those who haven’t ridden City Park, it is definitely not a beginner-friendly trail.  It was originally designed for off-road motorcycles, so it basically goes straight up the bluff, then straight down, then straight up again many times over the course of 6-7 miles.  Most of the obstacles take the form of ledges about a foot high (often in seque…

Check out this Meetup →

City Park Slow Pace Intermediate-Level Ride

Tuesday, Jul 29, 2014, 6:15 PM

City Park – Emma Long Motorcycle Trails
7548 Oak Shores Dr Austin, TX

11 Mountain Bikers Went

For those who haven’t ridden City Park, it is definitely not a beginner-friendly trail.  It was originally designed for off-road motorcycles, so it basically goes straight up the bluff, then straight down, then straight up again many times over the course of 6-7 miles.  Most of the obstacles take the form of ledges about a foot high (often in seque…

Check out this Meetup →

Tuesdays Morning Rides Brays Bayou

Tuesday, Jul 15, 2014, 9:00 AM

Bayou Parkland Parking Lot
6520 Almeda Road Houston, TX

1 Cyclists Went

1 to 1 1/2 hour ride starting at Bayou Parking lot off of Almeda . See  map: http://www.meetup.com/Beginners-Road-Cycling-For-BPMS150/photos/20541122/We have changed the meetup point to make it easier and to circumvent traffic.Good in town training ride for MS150

Check out this Meetup →

New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/IamWillPowers/status/487086847605366785

Event Reminder

Gigantic Concrete I-Beams

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Going north today I went to New Caney, Roman Forest and Valley Ranch. The weather was warm and sunny when I left at 10:10. 83 degrees (89% humidity) and almost non-existent breeze did not help any. As long as I was moving it was not so bad but it didn’t take long for the perspiration to flow. I think a different type of bandana will help and I will check some out.

The rear tire rub sound has gone away. Centering the rear tire after fixing the flat yesterday took care of the problem. I think I was able to ride easier today without the tire rubbing but it is probably just in my mind.

As I rode south from Roman Forest on the US59 service road I passed about a dozen trucks parked on the shoulder. They were loaded with the gigantic concrete I-beams for the Grand Parkway overpasses. At first I thought they were not going to be moving today but as I passed each truck the engine was running and when I got to the construction site the cranes had people in them. There were several of I-beams in place and plenty more to go. Riding beside these beams really makes you look small. I am not sure how long they are but it must have been over 100 ft. I did not have any trouble riding through the construction area with no traffic.At the construction site I could see the beams were different sizes. I wonder how much effort the cranes put out to lift them into place. The perches looked 100 feet or more above ground.

Later at the Valley Creek Drive and Valley Ranch Parkway intersection I was engulfed by dust as the 18-wheel dump trucks came out of the dirt road leading to the parkway site. Thankfully the trucks stirred up enough wind to scatter the dust and I was slow enough for them to drive away.

The ride distance was 33.08 miles and I averaged 15.8 mph. The complete metrics are below.

7-9-2014 GC Ride Metrics

No dog chase today on Adams Street when I was leaving Kingwood. I stopped at Stripes on FM1314 for a break at 22.0 miles. sitting in the shade was what I needed to dry off some before finishing the ride.

Mile markers:

  • 103.91 miles this week
  • 275.32 miles this month (441 miles left to reach July’s goal)
  • 3650 miles this year

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Texas Bicycling News Digest July 8th

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Dallas without a car: Local son takes on month-long transit experiment

By bschwab        transportationblog.dallasnews.com


(Benjamin Schwab, a University of North Texas almunus and Columbia University grad student, is spending a month back home in Rowlett. An avid biker, he plans to move around North Texas primarily by bicycle and public transit. Follow his experiences getting around as much as possible without the region’s beloved transportation mode of choice – the automobile.)
-   –   –   –   –   –
Every time we step out of our houses, we make a transportation choice.
That choice is guided by time, logistics, money, convenience and habit.
Since most of us all dabble in this phenomenon called a commute, I wanted to explore what Dallas would be like without a car.
For the past year, I have been living in Manhattan – in the upper, Upper West Side neighborhood of Hamilton Heights, where I have been pedaling between classes, cafes and parks as a graduate student at Columbia. Yet, even before moving to the Big Apple (nobody really calls it that), I had grown…

Road Time Trial 4

San Angelo Bicycle Association

Date(s) – 07/10/2014
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Location: Susan Peak Rd
July’s time trial will be held on July 10th instead of the normal first Thursday of the month as not to conflict with Independence Day celebrations.
The start place will be about 150 yards north of HWY 87 on FM1223. Please park on the east side of the road to prevent any traffic problems.
The Susan Peak Time Trial is a 12 mile loop.
To participate in the time trials you are required to be a current member of SABA. Join now!
Riders estimate their time and are placed in order from slowest to fastest. Riders are started 1 min apart.

July 12-13 Weekend Ride Schedule

Corpus Christi Cycle Club

DATE: Saturday, July 12th, 2014
TIME: 5:00 am (110 mile groups), 7:00 am (24, 37 and 48 miles)
WHERE:  See meeting places below for routes
DISTANCE: 37, 80, 110 miles
Katy 100 is here so this is the last chance to get in some hard miles.   This Saturday (July 12th, 2014) , we will have two starting poinst since we will be having a 110 mile round trip ride on Saturday.  For riders interested in doing this mileage please make sure you are able to sustain a 16 MPH pace.  There is NO SAG support so please have money for fueling and flat tire repair kit.
We are also having a route for everyone else not riding the 110 miles on Saturday.  There will be  a 24, 37 mile and 48 mile route for…

Bike Out Hunger Ride – Mansfield, Texas

Saturday, Sep 13, 2014, 8:00 AM

Lifetime Fitness
1551 debbie lane Mansfield, TX

6 Members Went

Ride info:September 13 at 8 am$35 entry fee online or in person day of (donations above certainly accepted)20, 40, 60 and 100 mile route options leaving from Lifetime Fitness at 1551 E Debbie Lane.http://outhunger.org/events/bike-hunger-mansfield-2014/Routes in Map My Ride:20-miler: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/45388415640-mil…

Check out this Meetup →

A Close Encounter Of The Snake Kind In Arlington’s Village Creek Natural Historical Area

Durango Texas


I needed to replenish my much needed milk supply. With ALDI being my milk supplier and with ALDI being a short distance from Arllington’s Village Creek Natural Historical Area I decided to roll my wheels with the Indian Ghosts before getting milked at ALDI.
I was not long into my bike ride when I got an adrenalin boost due to a snake encounter.
I roll at high speed when I reach the part of the paved trail which crosses the first dam bridge. It’s a fast slope downhill, then across the dam bridge and then a…

Thumper Trucks and Rabbit Ears

Brazos Valley Cyclists

We’ve been seeing some weird wires/equipment out along the road for a few weeks now, which was identified as seismic equipment used to pick up signals from thumper trucks. (Sigh, I don’t have a picture of them. Hindsight is 20/20.) Last night on the Monday Social Ride, we finally got to see the thumper trucks come through.

Before the ride started, we decided to take the usual nightly photo. Since one rider’s helmet was decked out with rabbit ears and a tail, we went with…

Tour de Cure at the Texas Motor Speedway

BikeTeas


BikeTexas’ first trip to Texas Motor Speedway and the North Texas Tour de Cure would not be a disappointment! The arrival to the speedway was somewhat intimidating, as there is what seemed like a thousand acres of parking lots and not much signage to direct you to the infield where we would set up our booth. But with a little determined driving we located the entrance to the infield and found where we would have our booth. When told where it would be our first thought was “Oh no, right at the back,” but this turned out to be the starting point for all of the rides plus the announcers stage was next to our booth–perfect spot to be in. The area was open to vendor and booth set up the afternoon before the ride, so the booth was set up and ready to go early the next morning. The ride was well attended and the…

Curfew extended on several trails including – your guessed it – the boardwalk.

Austin On a Bike

edit; I’m lame. Apparently it was 10. I thought it was already somewhat useless time. I’m getting sick, don’t mind me, move along.
You can file this one under “why would we want bicycle facilities open when people need them to avoid the rampant number of drunk drivers in this town” right next to “I like risking my life on Riverside to ride home from downtown after work/the bars/a show”.
Remember the recently opened boardwalk?
The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department has amended the existing curfew on specific sections of the City trail system, by two hours . The new curfew hours of Midnight to 5:00 AM are now in effect for the following trails: Johnson Creek Greenbelt Trail, Shoal Creek Trail (from 15th street to Cesar Chavez), the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail (from the Pfluger Bridge to the east end of the…

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/FtWMntBikers/status/486639946220834816

https://twitter.com/FtWMntBikers/status/486639526983372800

https://twitter.com/Ritzy_007/status/486523057515659264

Event Reminders

Back to Huffman And No Rain

Texbiker.net Posted on by

–Update 2– Lately a rubbing sound has been coming from the rear wheel. I haven’t been able to pinpoint the source until I removed the rear tire when I patched the tube I saw the place where the tire rubs the inside of the left chainstay. I think the rear wheel has not been centered in the dropouts. Whenever I remove the rear wheel it is difficult to get the skewer past the rear derailleur. The frame is a close fit.

–Update– After I got home I noticed the rear tire was a little soft. After watching the rest of the Tour de France I checked it again and it was flat. Removing the tube I found the hole in the tube. Sadly it lined up with the piece of wire I thought I removed June 29th. It must’ve worked it’s way to the tube. I used a utility knife and I think I got it out this time. Patched the tube. Tomorrow’s ride will tell the tale.

I keep forgetting to mention the road work Harris County Precinct 2 is doing on Old Atascocita Road east of FM2100. The last time I rode this road I commented about the road surface and the need for repair. I didn’t know the county commissioner was reading Texbiker.net.

Back to Huffman today but no rain. Plenty of sweat though.

I got an slightly earlier start leaving at 9:29. Even then the temperature was 81 with 96 % humidity. Thankfully by the time I got home the temperature was 91 but the humidity dropped to 66%. As I rode every hundred feet or more I dipped my chin to the right to shed sweat. Each time a cascade of water hit my shoe and the road. Scattered clouds held the sun back some. The wind was calm which was good for biking but not helpful in keeping cool.

Like last Tuesday I saw a group of women bicyclists on the FM1960 causeway over Lake Houston. Later as I crossed FM2100 another bicyclist crossed the other way. He commented that we didn’t have to wait on traffic to cross which very unusual. I agreed. He continued west on Old Atascocita Road while I went north on FM2100.

The stop in Huffman at the Chevron went as usual. I attempted to dry off some while I ate a snack and drank some Gatorade. Leaving there I extended the usual route by riding north on FM2100 turning left onto Smith Road and then to FM1960. The route distance totaled 34.44 miles averaging 15.7 mph.

Mile markers:

  • 70.82 miles this week
  • 242.23 miles for July (474 miles to reach July’s goal)
  • 3617 miles for the year

Wednesday weather forecast looks great for biking: high 96, clear and a 10 mph wind. This could be the first 95+ degree day of 2014 in Houston.

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