Texas Bicycling Blog and News Digest June 27th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Records fall, jerseys earned on Day 2 of Juniors Track National Championships

www.usacycling.org

Carson, Calif. (June 26, 2014) – The first two National Championship jerseys were awarded and three National Records fell on the second day of the 2014 Juniors Track National Championships, June 26, in Carson, Calif. …
…Summer Moak (Katy, Texas/ TWENTY16 Pro Cycling) continued her dominance at the 2014 Juniors Track National Championships, adding more hardware to her Day 1 200m sprint qualifier and 500m time trial wins with two more gold medals, this time in the women’s 15-16 2k individual pursuit and women’s 15-16 6km scratch race.
Moak took the individual pursuit win in a National Record 2:35.255, besting Sarah Hammer’s former record of 2:40.40. Julyn Aguila (El Paso, Texas/JET Cycling) took…

Bicyclist shares story about last moments with doomed rider at Flower Mound park

www.crosstimbersgazette.com


The last person to see Wesley Hixson alive is speaking out. David Bennett posted on Facebook about his encounter with Hixson as the pair were mountain biking with a group of cyclists on the trails at Murrell Park in Flower Mound last weekend.
Hixson, 30, of Roanoke, left the other riders and went missing on Saturday afternoon. His body was found in a muddy ravine northeast of Twin Coves Marina on Monday afternoon. The investigation on his cause of death is ongoing.
Here is Bennett’s story:
“When Wes met up with us, he had mentioned that he had stayed out too late the night before and was a much better rider than what he was showing while on the trail. However, he still was riding fast and hard just as we all were. This was my first time riding with Wes and also my first time riding at Northshore. I didn’t know these trails so I let Wes lead. It wasn’t long before he and I got separated from the other 3 in our…

Austin Tuesday Nighter Smash Video!

cyclingfan1981


Video of one of Austin’s oldest weekly group ride: The Tuesday Nighter in SE Austin!

Cruise the park cities Bike tour

Sunday, Jul 6, 2014, 10:30 AM

Katy Trail Ice House
3136B Routh Street Dallas, TX

14 Members Went

Hello group will be leading a bicycle ride starting at the Ice House and crusing through the Park cities for a easy paced 10 to 12 mph ride.10 to 15 miles distance touring the beautiful home around Highland park & University park. A lot of shade and smooth paved roads.Then finish at the Ice house for lunch .As always please inspect your bicycle …

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Devine – Bigfoot Ride

San Antonio Cycling Club

Sunday, June 29th,    8:00 AM
Meet at Triple C Steakhouse in Devine for a 24 mile stay together group ride on flat to rolling hills at a slow and easy pace. 19 or 30 mile routes options. Have you seen Bigfoot? Map # W5 Join us for lunch after the ride. Ride Leader, Corrie, 917-991-9241.
Directions to Triple C: Take IH-35 South of San Antonio towards Laredo. Take exit 122 at Devine ( Hwy 173.) Right on 173 to Triple C on the left. (about 200 feet).

ARR August Club Ride @ Flat Creek Crossing

Saturday, Aug 9, 2014, 8:00 AM

Flat Creek Crossing Ranch
County Road 201 & Ulrich Road Johnson City, TX

30 Mountain Bikers Went

Come ride with the Austin Ridge Riders!Where: Flat Creek Crossing RanchWhen: Saturday Aug 9, 8:00am arrival, 8:30am wheels down (after the faster riders have gone).New!! Click here for online waiver form!Post-ride lunch & swimming also available.Meet-Up Location: Drive into the ranch entrance on Ulrich Rd, and you will see Rick, the ranch …

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Monday Night Social Ride

Brazos Valley Cyclists

June 30 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Beginner-friendly, no-drop, 15-20 mile ride at a social pace.  All bikes welcome and able.  Bring a friend!

New Event Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/IamWillPowers/status/482719674463838208

Event Reminder

Just Behind the Rain But Still Soaked

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Huffman was today’s route destination. As I prepared to leave I checked the radar to see where the rain was. There wasn’t much rain showing despite the cloudy sky. I set off at 9:58 with 80 degrees and 87% humidity. At first it felt comfortable but as my body warmed up the perspiration started to flow. I changed my starting route a little riding through Sherwood Trails on the streets I used yesterday. As I rode to the south I could some dark clouds in the distance but no rain was falling on me. The route went south on W. Lake Houston Parkway and as I passed the YMCA a light rain shower started but when I turned into Kingwood Greens it stopped.

As I emerged from Kingwood Greens back onto W. Lake Houston Parkway I could see more dark clouds to the south and east but I continued on. The streets stayed dry until I got to FM1960 and crossed over to go through Walden. At this point the tone of the ride changed to following the rain but not in it all the way to Huffman. I might as well been in the rain with the spray the traffic sent out as I rode on the shoulder. The wettest time was on the FM1960 causeway over Lake Houston. When I rode onto the west end of the causeway I could see the rain falling on the east end but as I biked toward the east the rain moved out. The roads were soaked all the way to the Huffman Chevron.

While I was at the Huffman Chevron drying out and drinking it rained lightly twice just to keep the road wet for me. I finished drying and drinking and headed back home going west on FM1960. Before I left the Chevron station I looked at the weather radar on my phone (see a slide below) and it showed rain right where I was headed on the way home. The road was wet until I got to E. Lake Houston Parkway where it became dry. The road was dry from that point all the way home. There was a point when I thought this would change though. As I moved onto the east side of the causeway under full sun it began to rain lightly but it only lasted a few hundred yards. That was the last rain on the ride.

I got home at 12:47. The temperature was 88 degrees with 64% humidity. I wiped the dirt off my shoes, took my socks and helmet off to get ready to wash the Stradalli. It has gotten washed after every ride this week. For a long time I only had to wipe it down but now that the rain seems to be a permanent fixture I may have formed a new habit for the end of rides.

Today I biked 32.39 miles averaging 15.5 mph. I was tempted to shorten the ride when I saw the rain on the other end of the causeway but I didn’t give in.

Mileage standings:

  • 146.71 miles this week
  • 858.29 miles this month (28 miles left to reach my goal)
  • 3262 miles this year
  • Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com

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Texas Bicycling News Digest June 26th

Texbiker.net Posted on by

Juniors Track National Championships commence in Carson

www.usacycling.org


http://photos.usacycling.org/2014/Jun/summer-moak-competes-at-day-1-of-the-juniors-national-track-championships-thb.jpg
Carson, Calif. (June 25, 2014) – The five-day 2014 Juniors Track National Championships kicked off on Wednesday at the VELO Sports Center in Carson, Calif., with men’s and women’s 15-16 500m time trials, as well as the men’s and women’s 15-16 and 17-18 200m sprint qualifiers.
Victor Morandi (Houston, Texas/Northwest Cycling Club) and Summer Moak (Katy, Texas/ TWENTY16 Pro Cycling) took the first two gold medals at the 2014 Juniors Track National Championships, winning the men’s and women’s 15-16 500m time trials, respectively. The event led off the 15-16 men’s and women’s omniums. Morandi clocked a 34.932-second trial, besting Sandor Delgado’s (Hialeah, Fla./Interactive Metronome Development) 36.039-second run and the…

Cyclist passing around petition advocating safety

By Christine Broussard        dailysentinel.com    Subscription Required

A Nacogdoches cyclist has distributed a petition to several local businesses that advocates for increased cyclist safety and awareness among city law enforcement and motorists.
Fred Graham of Nacogdoches said he wrote the petition after being struck on his bicycle several times since November.

Memorial Park Crit 6-25 2014 3-4 Finish

H-Town Endurance

Four Pedals of the Rose Trail Wins Award for Tyler

www.countylinemagazine.com


The Texas Trails Network honored the Tyler Parks and Recreation Department, the Tyler Bicycle Club, Smith County Court-at-Law No. 3, and All Saints School with the “Great Texas Two Step Award” at its recent state conference in Fort Worth.
This award was presented for the partnership between these groups for the design and creation of the Lindsey Park Mountain Bike Trail.
The award recognizes special cooperation between various government, citizen, and non-profit entities with regard to trail use, planning, design or implementation. According…

Trek, Scott recalling 125k bikes because of problem with SR Suntour fork

www.bicycleretailer.com


WASHINGTON (BRAIN) — Trek and Scott are each recalling thousands of mid-priced bikes sold between 2010 and 2013 because of concerns about the SR Suntour suspension forks used on the bikes.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Scott is recalling 5,200 bikes and Trek is recalling 120,000 bikes. Scott has received one report of a broken SR Suntour fork with no injuries reported. Trek has received 28 reports of broken forks with five injuries reported, including minor bruises, a separated shoulder and broken bones.
Consumers are being told to immediately stop using the bikes and to bring them to a Scott or Trek dealer for a free repair.
A Trek safety notice indicates that the problem is with the fork dropouts breaking. In some fork models, the danger of breaking can be eliminated by use of a special front quick release with extra washers positioned between the…

Bandera Texas Mountain Bike Crash

by James Upton        www.crashaccidentvideos.com

Mountain biking at the Dixie Dude Ranch in Bandera, Texas. First crash of the trip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=eQ7J6WgrtuY

Cyclist seriously injured in hit-and-run accident in Crowley

By Matt Peterson        crimeblog.dallasnews.com

A bicyclist was seriously injured Wednesday night in a hit-and-run crash in Crowley, police said.
The crash happened about 8 p.m. when the victim got off his bike to tie his shoe in the 1800 block of FM 1187. A witness said the suspect vehicle, a small white or gray sport utility vehicle, braked for a second before veering around something in the road. The suspect kept driving west before turning north on FM 1187 Business.
When the witness got closer, he saw the cyclist lying in the road with…

Texoma Cycling Club Ride Schedule

Saturday, June 28
7:00am
Monster Road Roll: Road 13M/P1&P2/T2.8 Together (Green & Yellow)
8:00am
Gunter: Road 55M/P4/T1.6 Regroup (Red)
8:00am
Lariat: Road 30M/P3/T2 Regroup (Blue)
Tuesday, July 1
6:00pm
Tuesday All Out: 3 Distance Options, Self-Paced, Limited or No Regrouping
Wednesday, July 2
6:00pm
Wednesday Green & Yellow: Road 13M/P1&P2/T1.6 Together
Thursday, July 3
6:00pm
Thursday Social Ride: Road 25…

Tone Deaf

Bike Noob

A few days ago, I posted about a ride I took that tired me out much quicker than it should have. I thought it was because I had had too little sleep the night before. Wrong-o.
The next morning, as I rolled the bike out of the garage to put it in my car for a trip to the bike shop, I noticed the rear wheel was binding a bit. At one point in its rotation, a definite drag could be felt. I examined the brake, and saw that the right side of the rear brake rubbed the wheel at that spot. Ah ha! With that drag on the wheel, it was no wonder I was tired trying to keep up.
Later, I rolled the bike into the bike shop. “I need a new chain,” I told…

Wednesday Night Ride

Wednesday, Jul 2, 2014, 5:45 PM

River Run Plaza OR Rio Plaza
1071 Country Club (River Run) or 6205 Upper Valley (Rio Plaza) El Paso, TX

1 Cyclists Went

These are leaderless rides of 17-25 miles leaving from River Run Plaza 1071 Country Club Road or Rio Plaza, 6205 Upper Valley Rd (at Artcraft).Ride options vary — most involve going up Upper Valley to Borderland to Strahan to Bosque Rd to Vinton Road. Various options include taking N. Vinton to Westside Dr. to Washington to Gadsden High, then re…

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New Events Added to Texbiker.net Calendar

Tweets

https://twitter.com/txbikeracing/status/482346853594198016

https://twitter.com/stefanrothe/status/482339970795835392

https://twitter.com/RhondaRamSal/status/482182057787785217

https://twitter.com/chanellshorter/status/482158597124546561

Event Reminders

Biking on New Black Stuff

Texbiker.net Posted on by

I tried a few different streets to exit Kingwood before heading to the newly resurfaced Adams St. The smooth asphalt on Adams St. is a great improvement over the bumpy surface of old. Now I can use Adams St. on a regular basis. I rode to the north to New Caney and on to Roman Forest Blvd. before turning south along US59. The service road south of FM1485 is reduced to one lane once you get past the entrance to US59 south. I am guessing this is for beam placement on the Grand Parkway overhead ramps in the coming days. Traffic is light so this didn’t present any problem. I think two cars and a pickup passed me with room to spare in the section with one lane. South of the construction the service road is three lanes.

This route with the return to the Adams St. exit from Kingwood came to 32.39 miles and I averaged 15.8 mph. My stop at the Stripes station was short, just long enough to wipe the sweat from my bandana, clean my glasses of perspiration and refill my water bottle. The reason for the short stay was the darkening gray clouds to the south. I did not want to repeat Monday’s ride in the rain. I left home at 9:49 under cloudy skies and 80 degrees (84% humidity, probably why the sweat flowed freely today). Yesterday I didn’t bike because it rained in the early morning and as I waited for the streets to dry radar showed more rain coming but it moved around our area and I missed riding.

After leaving Stripes I rode south through Briar Tree without any rain going on to Oakhurst. As I got close to leaving Oakhurst on Rock Creek Drive a few drops fell but not enough to wet the pavement. I continued on noticing a particularly dark cloud over Kingwood or so. I took the south US59 service from Kingwood Place to Kingwood Drive, made the u-turn on the north service road, cut through Kingwood Parc to Loop 494. All was still dry and stayed that way until the Houston Fire Station on Kingwood Dr. where I met a lady biking towards me who was pretty wet from rain. I passed the station on the mostly wet trail and then turned into South Woodland Hills. From there all the way home (about 2 3/4 miles) the streets were wet but no rain was falling. One of the slides shows the radar when I got home with rain surrounding Kingwood and as I write this thunder is rumbling in the distance.

One of these days maybe I will ride without any rain or wet streets!! Friday looks like another day with 50% chance of rain in the forecast but Saturday looks like a very low chance of rain.

Mileage standings:

  • 114.32 miles this week
  • 825.9 miles for June (60 miles left to reach my goal)
  • 3230 miles year to date
  • Links to Garmin Connect and RideWithGPS.com

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